50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet (2nd Revised Edition)
Written by Dennis Denenberg and Lorraine Roscoe
Millbrook Press  9/01/2016
978-1-5124-1328-1
120 pages  Ages 8+

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“Heroes come I all sizes, colors, and ages 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet introduces readers to a diverse cast of great Americans. The remarkable stories of fifty Americans are highlighted, from when they depart this earth the Jane Adams to Louis Zamperini. With the addition of ten brand-new heroes, updates of activities for further learning, 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet is sure to inform and inspire readers.” [back cover]

Review
Heroes. Every kid has at least one. It could be a famous character, like Superman, or an athlete, like Jackie Robinson. Heroes are important. We idolize our heroes and want to be like them. Most kids think of heroes as being the best in something—strength, wisdom—and they are right. The word “hero” is Greek. The Greeks thought heroes were mere mortals, but mortals that did do something above the normal standards. Each of the fifty heroes include in 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet did something worth remembering that most people could not or would not undertake, and we all remember what they did.

There are 18 women and 40 men in 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet. How can there be 58 people in a book about 50 heroes? Seven of the entries are actually couples or pairs. Instead of Bill Gates, the listing is for Bill and Melinda Gates. The Wright (Wilbur and Orville), brothers are a pair and then there are five other pairs.

Politics tops the list of occupations with 18, including ten presidents. Humanitarians are second most popular occupation, as either first or second career, with seventeen people. Being a writer is the third most populist career with these heroes with fifteen, including twelve authors, two playwrights, and one Langston Hughes (poet). Astonishingly, there are seven Nobel Peace Prize Winners, but only one warrior. Seriously, there is one warrior in the 50 heroes. Tecumseh was both a warrior and a statesman, who convinced many American Indian tribes to unite in order to fight the land-grab the US government was doing to Indian land.

Kids can learn a lot about each individual hero but, with each hero per spread, this still only scratches the surface of each person’s life. On the spread, kids will find a picture of the hero, a short history and why that person is a hero, a famous quote—which I love—and a yellow box title “Dive In,” which gives another resource to learn more about that particular hero. Back matter includes a section called “Hero Hunt,” where kids are given information hints and are then tasked with finding the person associated with the hero. Each quotation is sourced along with an index and answers to the “Hero Hunt.”

Teachers will love 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet. Reluctant readers and reluctant history students (like myself) do not have time to get bored, because there is just enough information to get a good idea of the hero, but not enough to boggle the mind. Several sections actually made me want to know more about the person and I am sure kids will have the same reaction.

I like the title but there is one problem with it. Of these 50, or 58 heroes kids should meet, only twelve heroes are alive. All the others have passed on leaving kids no option for meeting these heroes. Maybe 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Know would be a more accurate title. Title aside, this book does a good job introducing each hero to kids. They will know enough about a person to be able to decide if they are interested in learning more. And, when they find that someone, the back matter gives them additional resources. If you are interested in finding out about the people who have made America the country it is today, or if you are simply curious as to what it takes to become a hero yourself, 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet. will help you on your way.

GIVEAWAY ALERT
Without using the people in the book, how many heroes can you think of and why are they heroes? This is the challenge from the authors to the readers. I would like readers of this review to leave the name of their hero and why in the comments below. All who do so will earn an entry into a drawing for this review copy of 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet. So who is your hero? (contest ends on 8/22/2016—one week.)

50 AMERICAN HEROES EVERY KID SHOULD MEET. Text copyright © 2016 by Dennis Denenberg and Lorraine Roscoe. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Millbrook Press, Minneapolis, MN.

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Find 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet on Goodreads HERE.

Dennis Denenberg:  http://www.heroes4us.com/
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Lorraine Roscoe:
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Millbrook Press:  https://www.lernerbooks.com/About-Lerner/Pages/Millbrook-Press.aspx
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Millbrook Press is an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group.

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Reprinted with permission from 50 AMERICAN HEROES EVERY KID SHOULD MEET © 2016 by Dennis Denenberg and Lorraine Roscoe, Millbrook Press, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group.

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Copyright © 2016 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

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50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet
Written by Dennis Denenberg and Lorraine Roscoe
Millbrook Press 9/01/2016
9781512413281