Brad Meltzer’s Heroes for My Son

Listen to interview.

Brad Meltzer says “There are thousands of heroes. And I think that’s what I like best. There is proof—absolute proof—everywhere. Look around at any life and you’ll find examples of character and honesty, leadership and humility, tenacity and dignity. These are the tools I want my son to have…This isn’t about how to be remembered—it’s a book about how we live our lives, and what we are capable of on our very best days.”

Who do Americans consider to be their real heroes? Brad has been fascinated by this question for nearly a decade. From his first exhilarated drive home from the hospital the night his son was born, his mission has been to find the heroes in life who would help him teach his child about kindness and courage and other singular attributes that would help his boy become a good man. The issue was, where to begin? He decided to do what he knew: tell the best stories.

In Heroes for My Son, Bruce hand-picked a collection of heroes—52 men and women—both familiar and unknown, and shared the moment that best illustrates what makes a hero out of each of them. The stories are meant to be read aloud and shared together across generations. The stories get to the heart of what it means to be heroic in everyday life.

There are stories about heroes you know, like the Wright Brothers,  George Washington, Mr. Rogers and Albert Einstein.  The Wright Brothers  always packed everything they would need to repair their planes—in essence planning for their failure, and yet never giving up. Abraham Lincoln  lost his Senate race in 1858 because he refused to go along with the prevailing view of that time that Black men and women had no rights—he committed political suicide because he refused to be quiet. Jim Henson wanted to work on tv but when he went looking for a job at seventeen, he was turned down. He saw that they needed a puppeteer so he went to the library, checked out a book on the subject, built his own puppets and returned to the station—and got the job.

Then there are stories about lesser known heroes like Officer Frank Shankwitz  founded the Make A Wish Foundation, and Miep Gies, Otto Frank’s assistant who hid her employer and his family including his young daughter Anne Frank for two years.

Everybody needs a hero. This book has 52. I encourage you to check it out.