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Robert Venditti
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Attack of the Alien Horde (Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Robert Venditti (Author), Dusty Higgins (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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“Clever and funny with an irresistible premise, this middle grade adventure/comic book hybrid will engage even the most reluctant reader.” —Rick Riordan, author of the worldwide bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Kane Chronicles, and the Heroes of Olympus

What if superheroes were real—and you had to become one? A boy is suddenly thrust into the role of a real-life superhero and tasked with saving Earth from an alien invasion in this action-packed novel from New York Times bestselling author Robert Venditti and award-winning illustrator Dusty Higgins.

When twelve-year-old Miles Taylor unexpectedly inherits a golden cape that gives him amazing superpowers, his life instantly changes: he becomes a superhero. For real. With some help from a new friend named Henry, Miles does his best to protect his city. But his skills and courage are about to be put to the ultimate test—an alien horde is working its way toward Earth, with their sights set on the golden cape…and total domination. Ready or not, Miles is about to discover whether he has what it takes to save all humankind.
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  1. Reading age
    9 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    253 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    4 - 7
  5. Lexile measure
    750L
  6. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
  7. Publication date
    June 16, 2015
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  12. ISBN-13
    978-1481405553
  13. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4–6—A superhero is strong, tall, quick-witted, and resourceful. Twelve-year-old Miles Taylor is none of these things. He has just moved to the Cedar Lake apartments in the Atlanta area with his dad, his mom having left them for her new boyfriend in Hollywood, FL. Money is tight, since the Taylors have dropped down to a single-income household. While accompanying his dad on an electrical job at a downtown parking structure, Miles sees an alien attacking the city, only to be thwarted by beloved superhero Gilded, a man in a golden cape. However, Gilded is killed in the attack, and with his dying breath, he tells Miles to take up his Golden Cape and protect the city. The cape has a mind of its own and only acts when there's a serious need—definitely not when Miles just wants to seek personal gain. With the help of new friend Henry, Miles learns all he can about the mysterious cape and tries to settle into his newfound role. The novel is strong on characterization, and each character evolves from relatively flat to likable and nuanced. For example, Josie Campobasso, Miles's crush, is more than just a pretty face. Furthermore, the difficulties of being a superhero are made readily apparent, such as when Miles inconspicuously tries to get to a tornado while everyone else is running away from it. Given Venditti's background in comic book writing (including the graphic novel version of The Lightning Thief), it's no surprise that this book, which features primarily prose with some comic panels whenever Gilded is present, is engaging and perfect for reluctant readers. Higgins's art is a welcome addition and adds to the comic-novel theme. VERDICT Venditti sets the tone nicely for a series that is sure to be a hit with fans of comic books and action-adventure.—Jessica Ko, Los Angeles Public Library

Review

"[T]his book...is engaging and perfect for reluctant readers. Higgins’s art is a welcome addition and adds to the comic-novel theme...Venditti sets the tone nicely for a series that is sure to be a hit with fans of comic books and action-adventure." -- School Library Journal

“Clever and funny with an irresistible premise, this middle grade adventure/comic book hybrid will engage even the most reluctant reader. Somebody get me a golden cape, stat!” -- Rick Riordan, author of the worldwide bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Kane Chronicles, and the Heroes of Olympus

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00O6603FG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (June 16, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 16, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 69435 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 253 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

About the author

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Robert Venditti

Robert Venditti

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Robert Venditti is a New York Times bestselling author of more than three hundred comic books and graphic novels. Some of his works include the monthly comic book series Justice League, Superman ’78, Hawkman, and Green Lantern for DC Comics, X-O Manowar, Armor Hunters, and Wrath of the Eternal Warrior for Valiant Entertainment, and the graphic novel Six Days, inspired by the story of his uncle’s participation in D-Day. He has also adapted Rick Riordan’s global bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus novels, as well as Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia and Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz. His graphic novel The Surrogates was adapted into a feature film by Touchstone Pictures, and his work on The Flash was the basis for season three of the CW television series.

Venditti lives in Atlanta, where he both writes and serves as a storytelling consultant for some of the most recognizable entertainment brands in the world.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
9 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

E. Heston
5.0 out of 5 stars What a cool superhero story!
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2015
Verified Purchase
This book was awesome. I loved the character of Miles and all the illustrations. My favorite part was the way Miles learned to use the cape. I'm Brock and I'm 9 years old.
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Gail Lynch
5.0 out of 5 stars ... Cape - Attack of the Alien Horde is a wonderful addition to the super hero genre
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2015
Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape - Attack of the Alien Horde is a wonderful addition to the super hero genre. Miles is a new student to his school with no friends when an unexpected encounter with an old man happens. The old man gives him a Golden Cape and tells him he will learn to use it. The cape turns Miles into the superhero Gilded. Miles learns that the cape has a mind of it's own and will only work when Miles uses the cape for good and not for his own personal gain. Miles and his new friend, Henry, work together to figure out the cape and help do good works. The evil Unnd race is after the Golden Cape and they must save the world.
One of the best parts of the book for the reader is that every time that Gilded is in action the story becomes a graphic novel. The art work is a good as the story.
Children, young and old, will enjoy rooting for Miles the superhero.
I won my copy from the author through Goodreads First Reads. Thanks looking forward to more stories.
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Georgia Peach
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed Meeting Miles
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2015
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed the character development of the major characters, Miles and Henry. I did even need the super hero story line but that is Venditti's genre.
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Dog Mog
5.0 out of 5 stars awesome heroic adventure
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2017
Very good book. I have a 12 and 6 year old who both love it. As an adult, I can say this is some very fun stuff to read.
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Luke Italiano
4.0 out of 5 stars Full of Wonder and Adventure
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2015
All over the world, parents tell their scared children, “Don’t worry. Gilded will protect us.” For fifty years Gilded has been the only superhero on the planet, centered in Atlanta, Georgia. The golden one has protected innocents from natural disasters, crime waves, and cats caught in trees.
Miles really doesn’t care. He and his dad just moved. He’s starting seventh grade in a new school, and of course he’s the smallest seventh-grader there. And of course on the first day the bully zeroes in on him. And of course he gets detention. And, yes, his dad picks him up from school and has to drive Miles out to his worksite to finish work. And as his dad works on the electrical in a parking garage, an alien attacks Atlanta.

An alien!

And of course Gilded is there to defend. And as they battle, they crash into the parking garage. Both lie dying as Miles rushes to the scene of the destruction. Gilded’s cape falls off… and suddenly Gilded is an old man. “Take the cape. Figure it out. I did.”

Miles must learn to become Gilded, because the world needs its hero – now more than ever.
- - -

So, I just finished reading the book. It’s clearly aimed at fifth to sixth grade boys; the action and situations are simple. But I gotta tell you, after reading a bunch of depressing adult novels, the sense of wonder and fun here were a breath of fresh air.

Venditti chose to attack this book in a unique way: about one-fifth of the novel has the prose replaced by comic pages. Basically every time there’s high action, we get to see the action. Venditti uses this little device very well, and the illustrator, Dusty Higgins, really did a great job showing the excitement a seventh-grader would have at flying, beating up an abusive husband, and fighting natural disasters.

If you’re looking for complex moral dilemmas, you’re really not going to find them. You will find some great heroism, though. Miles makes a great realistic hero without falling into terrible angst. The mechanics of the cape are fairly well thought-out, and the villains are just so gloriously over-the-top that it’s a joy to see how Miles defeats them at the end.

Looking for a quick read that’s just plain fun? Look for this one. I hope Venditti is planning more installments in the series, and the sales on this volume warrant a sequel or six!
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Top reviews from other countries

Kody
5.0 out of 5 stars Miles Taylor is an ordinary boy living with his father ...
Reviewed in Canada on November 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
Miles Taylor is an ordinary boy living with his father Henry who isn't a superhero fan. However one day an alien attacks Atlanta and Gilded after a long and intense fight defeated the alien killing it at the cost of his own life crashing into his fathers construction site by Miles. A Golden Cape fell off Gilded leaving an older gentleman laying there telling Miles to take the cape and that he's Gilded now. Overnight Gilded went from being an older gentleman with 50 years experience being a superhero to a 15 year old boy who's never even read a Gilded comic before. By the way, the alien that attacked Atlanta was only a scout.
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