Page 9 - 60 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet

Read about them. Hear their stories. We’ve given you a few good books to get you
started on finding out more about each of our heroes. Heroes usually seem larger
than life. They are so great as to seem almost unreal to us. But all of them are real
people. Reading their biographies can help you learn more about their childhoods,
their friends and families, their hobbies, and all the other things that make them
just like you.
Because they are real people, these heroes are not perfect. Sometimes they made
dreadful choices and did things that harmed others. Some of our greatest heroes—
our country’s founders—made the terrible decision to enslave others. While we
wish our heroes always did everything perfectly, they are real people who can make
serious mistakes.
To add a little action to your search for heroes, we’ve included a number of
activities in this book. We give you lots of places—museums, foundations, national
parks—to contact. Website addresses are listed, or you can just search online and
check out the always growing list of links to your favorite heroes.
You’ll have a great time exploring new ideas, and you won’t be alone. As you
explore this book, you’ll see that we have made it possible for you to interact with
us, the authors.
Are our heroes the only ones you need to know about? No way! We can name
hundreds more people who have done great things. In fact, we want you to find
more heroes using our Hero Hunt. On page 134, we give you clues about individuals
similar to the featured heroes. It’s up to you to solve the mysteries of who they are.
The answers are listed on page 142, but please, NO PEEKING until you have done
some digging.
If you believe that some of your heroes should have made our list of 60, we would
like to hear from you. Perhaps you know of an accomplished ballet dancer, a brilliant
scientist, or a courageous humanitarian that was not on our roster of heroes. Or
maybe you admire your grandfather, your teacher, or even an exceptional member of
your church, synagogue, mosque, or other house of worship. Contact us and tell us
why you hold them in such high regard. Better yet, tell your friends who your heroes
are. The people you look up to can change other kids’ lives too. If you’re willing to
spread the word. Here’s our website: www.heroes4us.com.
It’s time for real heroes.

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