Felicia Rogers

“Nate Rocks the World” by Karen Toz is a cute, wholesome story. Nathan Rockledge is your normal ten year old boy. He has a hard working father, a mother who thinks she is a gourmet cook and a world class seamstress, and an older sister, who loves to annoy him.

Nathan is fond of drawing cartoons as well as using every adventure to pretend he is a great hero. For instance, he pretends to be everything from a baseball star to an astronaut. He is often caught in his daydreams and accused of not paying attention.

Yet all of Nathan’s make believe is leading up to something. Every experience he has, from believing he is a cowboy, to a rock star, to Santa’s helper, to a presidential agent, all the way to a firefighter, helps him to become a true hero. At the end of the story, he overcomes his fears and becomes a true champion, rescuing his sister and a friend from drifting away on the ocean current.

This was an extremely cute and energetic story. One never knew what the kid would dream up next. I highly recommend this read for children and especially middle school boys who will find a little bit of themselves in “Nate Rocks the World.”