Batman's Dark Secret, written by Kelley Puckett, reviewed by Todd Erickson

Summary: Batman has a dark secret. As a young boy, Bruce Wayne lost his parents in a dark alley. Orphaned to live alone in a large house outside of the city with a trusted butler, Alfred, young Bruce has a secret. He's afraid of the dark, and Alfred keeps the lights on all night every night so Bruce is never alone in the dark. But one day, Bruce goes for a walk and he is left alone outside in the dark to wrestle a monster-sized bat and his inner fears.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This easy reader batman book could be a read aloud to encourage discussion of childhood fears. Here Bruce Wayne's superhero origin story is made relatable to young beginning readers. The pictures are dark and capture the somberness of Bruce Wayne's story of trauma and solitude. This is sure to be a popular book among young readers, and it could be used to teach tone to young readers as the dark illustrations and text work in tandem to evoke a feeling of somber seriousness.