Brad Meltzer's "Heroes for My Son" is a collection of inspiring and uplifting stories about admirable people from all walks of life, from past presidents to historical figures and scientists to entertainers, to encourage and empower young readers. It is an inspirational book for parents and their children, with stories about individuals of different genders, races, and backgrounds.
The book begins with a short preface by Meltzer, who introduces himself to readers and explains his purpose for writing "Heroes for My Son." Meltzer's son, Joshua, was three years old at the time, and Meltzer was trying to decide which characters he would introduce his son to as role models and heroes. He hopes that this book will serve as a collection of stories that young readers can turn to for courage, inspiration and guidance.
Moving further into the book, each chapter draws upon real-life stories of individuals and their remarkable contributions. In the first chapter, Meltzer profiles ten individuals, including the Wright Brothers, Oprah Winfrey, Sacagawea and Abraham Lincoln. He uses each story to emphasize the importance of character, offering readers insight into how these people acted in certain circumstances and how their actions ultimately shaped our society today.
Meltzer introduces additional heroes in subsequent chapters, such as Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, Beethoven, and the Dalai Lama, among many others. He is careful to discuss the individual's career in detail, as well as his or her personal life, to provide a comprehensive look into who the person was and their impact on the world. Through these chapters, Meltzer captures the greatness of each individual, which often reveals an admirable quality or attribute of character that young readers can learn from.
Meltzer's stories also provide insight into important moments in history, and the courage and fortitude shown by the individuals in this book. Throughout the stories, he often creates analogies between historical events and the present day to emphasize the continued relevance of their principles and values, and their application to today's world.
The last portion of the book contains biographical information about each hero, including a timeline of significant events in his or her life and a bibliography of related works. This is followed by a collection of questions to help readers process the stories and lessons, such as "What did this person do to make the world a better place?" and "What qualities of character are inspiring about this hero?"
At the end of "Heroes for My Son," Meltzer includes a letter from himself to his son, summarizing the lessons from the book and expressing hope that the stories will provide inspiration. Overall, “Heroes for My Son” is an uplifting and inspirational book that encourages young readers to be their best selves and to develop admirable traits of character. It serves as an invaluable resource for parents to introduce their children to brave and inspiring individuals of history.
