The Unlikely Heroes Club

Oli will spend his spring break at Heroes Club, a place where autistic kids learn to build friendships and learn about their emotions. Unfortunately, Oli would rather be at home where things are familiar, and he isn’t forced to socialize and can play games on his phone. While at Heroes Camp, Oli and the other kids spot a stray dog who has been staying at a building that is going to be demolished across the street. Oli and his newfound friends, using their various talents and perspectives, take it upon themselves to rescue the dog before it's too late, regardless of needing to break a few rules along the way.

What I Liked: The Unlikely Heroes Club opens by introducing you to Oli and his family, showing you the various ways in which his autism impacts him. You also get introduced to the Heroes Club in the beginning, which is an interesting setting for this book and adds a lot as each of the characters learn about each other and themselves. While you see how autism impacts each of them differently and how they navigate different tasks, you also see how those same difficulties come to their aid as they rely on one another to help save the dog.

Each chapter of the book takes you through one of the days at Heroes Camp, and through each day, the children are learning various skills regarding emotions and regulation. Throughout each day the children are to use those various skills and by the close of the book you can see that Oli has taken everything he learned in the week and can apply it as he goes to rescue the dog. You can also see the importance of emotional regulation for Oli and how his family assists him to gain the emotional skills or practice them with him.

Final Verdict: The Unlikely Heroes Club is a sweet and fun book about friendship and community, along with the role that everyone plays in each other’s lives. Children ages 8 and up will enjoy reading as the heroes try to convince their families to help with their efforts to rescue the dog, and then as they scheme to rescue the dog themselves because no one listens to them. This book highlights the importance of friends and family and how leaning on one another can make tasks easier to accomplish.