About the Book
Title: The References: A Superhero Tale
Author: Mark Dennion
Genre: Children's Fantasy
Number of Pages: 84
Publisher: Elephantine Publishing
Release Date: July 13, 2016
Synopsis: Richard Shanary isn’t the best student. In fact, when it comes to English, he’s struggling for that “C” average his karate scholarship requires.
On a stormy night in the bowels of the library, a freak lightning strike sends a jolt of electricity—and magic—into the hard line of the old desktop computer. Richard is injected with enough voltage to fry eggs—not to mention download the entire contents of the web dictionary he’s currently scrolling. Every word from A to Z is seared into his brain forever.
By the time he wakes, Richard has gained the superhuman ability of instant recall on any definition in the English language, and even a few in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. Richard Shanary has become the Human Dictionary. A superhero bound to uphold the laws of society and grammar with his immense martial arts abilities and his power of instantly recalling the definition of the last word someone speaks to him. Not a single slang term or crooked criminal is safe.
But Human Dictionary isn’t the only one with a gift.
A scientist turned T Rex. A mapmaker with route recall better than any GPS. And an evil villain with an affinity for spandex intent on destroying them all and ruling the city herself. But she’ll have to take it from the meanest slang-slinging gang this city’s underbelly has ever seen.
What we need is a hero. Or three. And so, a new era of superheroes begins…
Author: Mark Dennion
Genre: Children's Fantasy
Number of Pages: 84
Publisher: Elephantine Publishing
Release Date: July 13, 2016
Synopsis: Richard Shanary isn’t the best student. In fact, when it comes to English, he’s struggling for that “C” average his karate scholarship requires.
On a stormy night in the bowels of the library, a freak lightning strike sends a jolt of electricity—and magic—into the hard line of the old desktop computer. Richard is injected with enough voltage to fry eggs—not to mention download the entire contents of the web dictionary he’s currently scrolling. Every word from A to Z is seared into his brain forever.
By the time he wakes, Richard has gained the superhuman ability of instant recall on any definition in the English language, and even a few in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German. Richard Shanary has become the Human Dictionary. A superhero bound to uphold the laws of society and grammar with his immense martial arts abilities and his power of instantly recalling the definition of the last word someone speaks to him. Not a single slang term or crooked criminal is safe.
But Human Dictionary isn’t the only one with a gift.
A scientist turned T Rex. A mapmaker with route recall better than any GPS. And an evil villain with an affinity for spandex intent on destroying them all and ruling the city herself. But she’ll have to take it from the meanest slang-slinging gang this city’s underbelly has ever seen.
What we need is a hero. Or three. And so, a new era of superheroes begins…
What others are saying...
"Mark Dennion has found this great balance of being able to entertain kids but let the adults enjoy the book without having to put secret inappropriate messages in the story like Disney or other big name companies do. I highly recommend this book for just about any age." Amazon Review
"The plot of the book was great. It held my interest through the whole book. I would definitely read this book again!" - Amazon Review
"I loved how they incorporated learning into the story so it's not just fun but also educational."
- Amazon Review
"Mark Dennion has found this great balance of being able to entertain kids but let the adults enjoy the book without having to put secret inappropriate messages in the story like Disney or other big name companies do. I highly recommend this book for just about any age." Amazon Review
"The plot of the book was great. It held my interest through the whole book. I would definitely read this book again!" - Amazon Review
"I loved how they incorporated learning into the story so it's not just fun but also educational."
- Amazon Review
About the Author
My superhero journey began when he graduated with Honors from Rutgers University—Camden. From there, Mark became a middle school language arts teacher, (a testament to my bravery). The idea for the The References came from a writing project that I gave my students.
I lives in New Jersey with my beautiful wife and our amazing daughter in a small river cottage.
Although I would love to one day become a crime-fighting superhero, I’ll settle for correcting their grammar mistakes. At least until I learn Kung-fu.
I lives in New Jersey with my beautiful wife and our amazing daughter in a small river cottage.
Although I would love to one day become a crime-fighting superhero, I’ll settle for correcting their grammar mistakes. At least until I learn Kung-fu.
