The Hero Project: How We Met Our Greatest Heroes and What We Learned From Them [Paperback]

Robert Hatch (Author), William Hatch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2005

For the first time, living legends and popular heroes tell teens how they survived their adolescence

When they were 11 and 14, respectively, brothers Robert and William Hatch embarked on an ambitious project: to discover how many of their heroes dealt with the challenges of early adolescence. The result is The Hero Project, a fascinating collection of interviews with some of the most prominent names in sports, science, politics, entertainment, the arts, and religion.

From dealing with bullies to overcoming health problems, feeling lonely and different to growing up in a broken home, what they thought of the world around them to their own heroes and role models, these luminaries share their candid recollections of life as a teen and offer young readers advice on how to grow up to be heroes themselves. In addition to the interviews, each chapter contains a brief biography of the selected interviewee, along with the fascinating back story of how the brothers made contact with the hero in question.

Heroes of The Hero Project:

Pete Seeger, Madeleine L’Engle, Florence Griffith Joyner, Jimmy Carter,Orson Scott Card,Yo Yo Ma, Elouise Cobell, Carroll Spinney, Desmond Tutu, Lance Armstrong and Linda Kelly Armstrong, Steven Wozniak, Dolores Huerta, and Jackie Chan

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Eight years ago, when they were ages 11 and 14, brothers Robert and William Hatch embarked on this ambitious project: to interview their heroes and write a book about "how they have made America a better place." The 13 men and women interviewed here are not the usual boyhood heroes: along with athlete Lance Armstrong and movie star Jackie Chan, there is novelist Madelene l'Engle, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Blackfeet Indian activist Louise Pepion Cobell. The boys are inquisitive and sometimes probing, even urgent with a child's concerns; Will presses l'Engle, for instance, to explain how, after an unhappy childhood, she could forgive and become close to her parents. The conversations range widely: Pete Seeger talks about the civil rights movement and having rocks thrown at him during a concert with Paul Robeson; Florence Griffith-Joyner speaks about her belief in God; cellist Yo-Yo Ma discusses raising his own children differently than his traditional Chinese parents raised him. The subjects speak clearly and simply, very aware that they are addressing a young person, and young adults seeking inspiration and new ways to think about difficult questions will probably be the best audience for this precocious book.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up–Over 12 years ago, two teen brothers began an interview project. The result is this book, which consists of conversations with 13 of their heroes. Each chapter begins with a brief summary of the person's life and accomplishments and a description of how the meeting came about and ends with the interview. The selections are candid and thoughtful, with the boys asking questions about political and spiritual beliefs as well as queries about childhood heroes and family pets. Both writers are intelligent and well spoken, but their tone is often mature beyond their years, making it difficult for young readers to relate. Lance Armstrong, Jackie Chan, Madeleine L'Engle, and Orson Scott Card will appeal to a wide audience. Other contributors will be less familiar, such as Dolores Huerta, Elouise Cobell, and Carroll Spinney. Even though the popularity levels of the heroes chosen is mixed, the entire collection is of high quality, and those who pick it up for the celebrity appeal may learn a little something extra.–Michelle Roberts, Merrick Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (September 9, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071449043
• ISBN-13: 978-0071449045
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #754,299 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable accomplishment, October 14, 2005

By 

Stan Darger, Jr. (Boise, Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hero Project: How We Met Our Greatest Heroes and What We Learned From Them (Paperback)

I know something of this family and these boys, the authors. Though encouraged by their parents, and at times aided by them, these interviews and this book are the work of these bright, curious and couregous boys. The stories of how they got these interviews are as amazing as the visits themselves. Frequently it took years of correspondence and phone calls to finally get through to a hero. Once they had agreement to an interview, the family did some fast planning to help get the boy to where he needed to be to meet with his hero.

The questions were carefully planned before each interview and reflect the author's curiousity about each hero's particular goals, contributions and challenges in life. It is well written, easily read by a young person but not too simple to capture and hold an adult's interest.

These boys, as well as their subjects, became heroes to m. They helped me realize that determination and courage can enable a person, even a very young person, to make a real difference, to influence people, and to achieve lofty goals.

This project also reminds me that there are true heroes all around us; great role models, people quietly going about doing good. I may not see them on TV or read about them in People magazine. I have to be more discerning and determine for myself who my heros will be rather than accepting those handed to me each day. This project and this book are remarkable accomplishments and inspire me.

Stan Darger, Jr.
Boise, Idaho

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspirational read, November 14, 2005

By 

L. Bligh "Teacher, Wife and Grad Student" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Hero Project: How We Met Our Greatest Heroes and What We Learned From Them (Paperback)

I stumbled across this book at my local Barnes and Nobles. I was in a desperate hunt for something nonfiction that my sixth graders would find interesting and would spark further discussion. I am really excited about finding this book! I love the fact that the term hero is applied to authors, musicians, athletes, singers, etc. The interview questions are ones that my own students would come up with and want the answers to. I also would applaud the heros and their responses. They do a great job of answering the questions honestly and sincerely but do so in a manner that makes it kid friendly.

As a class we will be reading a few selections and then the students will be picking one hero to focus on and extend the interview into a project to present to the class. I like this book because of the wide variety of choices that are available in the text.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable achievement, February 25, 2006

By 

Richard OConor "not a doctor, Jim, just a PhD" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hero Project: How We Met Our Greatest Heroes and What We Learned From Them (Paperback)

Middle school chidren will be inspired (and the more awkward kids will be motivated) by the author's description of their own experiences. In addition, the amazing, honest and age appropriate interviews will also provide motivation for each reader to follow their own dreams and to trust that their personal talents to take them to the place they are supposed to be. There is no kid, age 12 - 18, that will not benefit from reading this book.