Metal Grandmas, Super Hamsters, and Books

At eight years old, I decided that my pet hamster was a superhero. Peanut was able to escape from her cage by climbing the bars, paw over paw, like a furry little gymnast. It was an impressive feat in the eyes of a child, and superheroes need to be impressive.

A story of three other little superheroes.

Superheroes were on my mind in fourth grade, too. After my grandma’s double hip-replacement surgery, I thought she, like Wolverine, was a superhero with a metal skeleton. And I was right. My grandmother was a superhero — she overcame hardships with poise and a sense of humor. (My grandmother, metal hips and all, is still overcoming obstacles at the age of 92! How’s that for superhero-like resilience?)

The Man of Steel meets the man with a steel skeleton!

Today, I see my parents as superheroes. They raised three high-energy boys with grace and love while working 50-60 hours a week. Superheroes support and protect us, just like our role models do.

A loving couple raises a boy who, one day, will become a superhero.

Are books superheroes too? I think so. Books whisk us away to faraway places to meet amazing people. They help us deal with hardships. They form young minds, giving us a wealth of imagination to draw from. At Stone Arch Books, we get it — books are superheroes, and we treat them as such.

Today’s kids find heroes in their lives too. Stay tuned: soon we’ll announce the winner of our Find a Hero contest!


Sean Tulien
Associate Editor