The Hero Project

Middle school chidren will be inspired (and the more awkward kids will be motivated) by the author's description of their own experiences. In addition, the amazing, honest and age appropriate interviews will also provide motivation for each reader to follow their own dreams and to trust that their personal talents to take them to the place they are supposed to be. There is no kid, age 12 - 18, that will not benefit from reading this book.

I stumbled across this book at my local Barnes and Nobles. I was in a desperate hunt for something nonfiction that my sixth graders would find interesting and would spark further discussion. I am really excited about finding this book! I love the fact that the term hero is applied to authors, musicians, athletes, singers, etc. The interview questions are ones that my own students would come up with and want the answers to. I also would applaud the heros and their responses. They do a great job of answering the questions honestly and sincerely but do so in a manner that makes it kid friendly. As a class we will be reading a few selections and then the students will be picking one hero to focus on and extend the interview into a project to present to the class. I like this book because of the wide variety of choices that are available in the text.

I know something of this family and these boys, the authors. Though encouraged by their parents, and at times aided by them, these interviews and this book are the work of these bright, curious and couregous boys. The stories of how they got these interviews are as amazing as the visits themselves. Frequently it took years of correspondence and phone calls to finally get through to a hero. Once they had agreement to an interview, the family did some fast planning to help get the boy to where he needed to be to meet with his hero. The questions were carefully planned before each interview and reflect the author's curiousity about each hero's particular goals, contributions and challenges in life. It is well written, easily read by a young person but not too simple to capture and hold an adult's interest. These boys, as well as their subjects, became heroes to m. They helped me realize that determination and courage can enable a person, even a very young person, to make a real difference, to influence people, and to achieve lofty goals. This project also reminds me that there are true heroes all around us; great role models, people quietly going about doing good. I may not see them on TV or read about them in People magazine. I have to be more discerning and determine for myself who my heros will be rather than accepting those handed to me each day. This project and this book are remarkable accomplishments and inspire me. Stan Darger, Jr. Boise, Idaho