Five years ago, New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer grew tired of his kids’ obsession with reality TV stars and people who were famous for being famous. From his love of history, Brad knew there were better heroes for his children to emulate, and he decided to write about them.
Now, what originally began as a passion project has become today’s leading and bestselling picture book biography series, Ordinary People Change the World. With more than 3 million copies in print worldwide, the acclaimed biography series features stories about famous historical figures from around the world, including Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Neil Armstrong, among many others.
On September 10th , Penguin Young Readers will publish the latest additions to the series: I AM MARIE CURIE and I AM WALT DISNEY. The release will be followed by the November 2019 launch of a PBS KIDS animated show based on the books entitled Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum.
“I started this series so I could give my kids better heroes to look up to,” says Brad Meltzer. “With I AM MARIE CURIE, my daughter will learn all about the power of discovery – and that you should never stop doing what you love. For my youngest son, we have I AM WALT DISNEY, who used his ingenuity and creativity to make real magic. He is proof that you can use your creativity to put good into the world. That’s exactly what we’re trying to do with this series. As the book says: We can all use some magic in our lives. If you look, it’s there.”
This friendly, fun biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great ─ the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of one of America's icons in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers and that always includes the hero's childhood influences. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos.
In I AM WALT DISNEY, young readers learn about the visionary behind Mickey Mouse, who made dreams come true for himself and countless kids around the world.
In I AM MARIE CURIE, readers learn that the first woman to win a Nobel Prize ended up winning two, at a time when most women couldn’t even attend college, let alone be educated in the sciences. While each story is unique, what binds them are their stories of perseverance and hard work.
In case the name sounds familiar to you, Brad Meltzer is the New York Times bestselling author of Heroes for My Son, Heroes for My Daughter, and a number of suspense novels like The Escape Artist. He is also the host of the History Channel television shows Brad Meltzer's Decoded and Brad Meltzer's Lost History (in which he helped find the missing 9/11 flag).
Wait, he did what? Yes! He helped find the missing flag that was flying above the World Trade Center before 9/11 happened.
For more information, watch the video above or BradMeltzer.com