Heroes and She-roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes

by J. Patrick Lewis, Jim Cooke (Illustrator)

Twenty-one entertaining, thought-provoking poems chronicle the good that people have done in service of others. Bypassing those of mere fame, this striking collection is a celebration of such persons as Gandhi, Rosa Parks, teachers, a thirteen-year-old child-labor crusader, firefighters, Cesar Chavez, a feisty nun, and:
. . . the valiant and the brave.
Those simple people known by
Two simple words: They gave.
Each portrait includes an expressive illustration and additional factual material, and an eloquent afterword tells of Mr. Lewis's own childhood hero. This memorable book invites readers to explore the legacy of human generosity which lights the path for tomorrow's heroes.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Biography, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 17, 2005

About the author

J. Patrick Lewis is the current Children's Poet Laureate. He has written more than seventy children's books, including Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses. J. Patrick Lewis lives in Ohio.

Reviews

[Lindsey Jones]

This is a wonderful mentor text for poetry writing to synthesize information, such as a narrative of one's life. It also includes an informational vignette at the end of each poem about the spotlighted person. I will be using this with my middle graders for writing!

[Brett]

A good basic introduction to different poetic formats for elementary-aged kids, & a great theme.

[Carol]

Read with my students and they loved it. Really good way to start conversations about people who have done great things in non-violent ways.

[538pm_stephanie]

Heroes and She-roes is a collection of poetry that recognizes the achievements of men and women who strive for change in an imperfect world. One of the opening statements of this book aptly summarizes the theme of this collection:
"The valiant and the brave,
Those simple people known by
Two simple words,
They gave."

With it's simple language and catchy rhymes, each story highlights how our actions can make a difference in our community and beyond. At the end of each poem, information is provided to give additional background of the hero or shero. Each poem also includes a detailed picture or illustration that helps explain the actions of the hero or shero.
The poems include famous activists like Martin Luther King Jr, Rosie the Riveter, Gandhi and Rosa Parks as well as heroes like Albeiro Vargas, Cesar Chavez and Iqbal Massih. I like that the author tried to include heroes from different cultures so that many readers can find a hero to relate with and be inspired by! I also appreciate that he mentions teachers and firefighters as heroes as they are sometimes thankless jobs!

These poems can be used as a read aloud, to enhance a social studies unit or as part of a theme of peace, diversity or tolerance.

Award: Notable Social Studies Trade Books 2006.

The selection committee looks for books that emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups and are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic, are easily readable and of high literary quality, and have a pleasing format and, when appropriate, illustrations that enrich the text. I believe that this book meets this criteria and is very deserving of the award!

[Sara Berrafato]

This is my second poetry book review. Heroes and She-roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes by J. Patrick Lewis is a compilation of poems that describe famous and common heroes that readers learn about and encounter on their own. On each page is a poem and a brief informational blurb about the heroes and she-roes so that in addition to the poem, they understand some of the facts and details as well. The illustrations by Jim Cooke of the heroes are simple, yet detailed and accurate and reflect the image of each individual. This book is appropriate for ages 9 and up because no matter the age, every student can learn about people that added value and integrity to the society we know. An extension activity could be to read the specific poems about everyday heroes and have the students create their own poem about someone in their life that has influenced them. This kind of activity would work well in a thematic unit of personal values, societal values, and heroism. Yes, this book educates students on verse, rhyme and rhythm, figurative language, and personification; in addition, it shows readers that heroes don’t have to be nationally recognized, but they can do small things that effect the lives of those around them. On a side note, my favorite part of the book is in the Author’s Note when J. Patrick Lewis describes the hero in his own life that inspired him to create this book, his grade school janitor.

[Julie Suzanne]

This is a collection of short poems perfect for the middle school level. They all cover the theme of being a hero and standing up for what is right; all of these people (and an animal) are famous or little known to our kids for amazing and inspiring efforts.

These poems would make a great supplement to units on the following topics:

Hellen Keller
Lewis & Clark
Tiananmen Square or peace activism/peaceful rebellion
Sled dogs (Togo the "wonder dog")
Albeiro Vargas/poverty/caring for the elderly/Columbia
Gandhi
World Trade Center attacks (9-11) or firefighters in general
Sister Jeannetee Normandin, a nun who founded an organization for women with AIDS.
Roberto Clemente
Lady Godiva (tax protesting)
Civil Rights, MLK Jr., Mahalia Jackson, Rosa Parks
Cesar Chavez, striking, migrant workers
Rosie the Riveter, WWII, women's rights
Ida Wells-Barnett (activism through journalism), NAACP, lynching
Joan of Arc
Immigrants (Ellis Island)
Child labor (modern-day slavery--would be an excellent piece to read during a unit on our nation's slave history)


Each poem includes a very brief nonfiction explanation of what this hero accomplished. Poem + background = only 1 page for each topic.

Highly recommended!

[Kaitlin McDonough]

This book could be used in the classroom to teach students about jobs and occupations that some people may over look. The teacher would read this book a loud to students. We then can use the book and its poems as a tool to teach us who and what these people do. After we have discussed all of the occupations and jobs in the book we could discuss what we want to be when we get older. If the job or occupation that a student wants to be when they grow up is not in the book the class could construct a poem that would explain that job or every day hero.

I loved this book because when students think of heroes they often think of super heroes. This book shows them that there are heroes in every day life and they go unnoticed all of the time and we take them for granted. At the end of the unit/lesson students could write letters or share their own poems to local heroes in our community.

[Cortnei Brown]

Heroes and She-roes was a informational book explaining how certain people in our society have helped the world. Regardless of the gender, all of these people in the book have positively done something to help our country. There a countless amounts of people that have done us good but "Heroes and She-roes definitely gets the most important people in there. I think this was a really good book and is the go to book when you want to learn about a certain hero in a brief explanation. What I like about "Heroes and She-roes is how accurate the illustration of the people were. I would recommend this book to people like I said would need to learn about certain people in brief explanation. Rating: 5/5 stars

[Elaine]

Heroes can come from the unlikeliest places – all it takes is a little courage. That’s the idea behind this collection of 21 poems, Heroes and She-Roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes. Covering well-known figures like Helen Keller, Martin Luther King Jr. and Roberto Clemente, and everyday heroes like school teachers, immigrants, firefighters and even a sled dog, these poems show that heroes and she-roes come in all shapes and sizes. Some of the end-rhymes seem a bit forced or light for the topics at hand, but the simple style and bright, oil-paint illustrations keep the book accessible for a wide range of readers.

[Kathryn]

I loved this book for so many different reasons. Each poem, except the opening and closing poems, are about a specific "hero" in history. From Rosa Parks and Rosie the Riveter, to Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi. The real gem of this book, the thing that makes it truly over it the top, is what follows every poem. At the bottom of every page is a small paragraph describing the hero waxed about in the poem. Not only is the book a book of wonderful poems, it's also an excellent teaching tool as it teaches children small tidbits of history in a truly engaging way.

[Jill]

This author is a talented poet. I love that he takes people from history and everyday people, and tells their heroic stories with inspired poems, he also adds some facts on each hero/ heroine to provide a little more detail about that person. I did think the addition of Lady Godiva was a little racey for a children's book. But otherwise this book is brilliant.

[Naomi]

Seriously, WTF is a She-ro? Give me a break! A poor title partnered with mediocre poetry and even worse illustrations. He includes the elementary school teacher(the indoctrinator) but not a soldier who makes it possible for him to write this stuff. Go figure. Wait...the author mentioned a dog...where is the do-ro? Excuse me while I go vomit.

[Amanda Northrup]

The rhyming couplets were clunky. The accompanying biographical text for each poem was way too short, and often both poem and bio required lots of background knowledge for understanding. And some of the choices for heroes were a real stretch... Immigrants?
Anyway. The premise is awesome. The execution less so.

[Mouse Denehy]

I don't like poetry books often but this one is wonderful. The illustrations are lively and the poems are well timed. I like poetry that rhymes well and illustrations what not only compliment but add to the story.

[Kiera]

An excellent book to use to talk about historical figures, what they did, and other role models. Good illustrations as well.

[Erica Eyestone]

Clever poems about a selection of famous people as well as nameless/generic heroes. Really like how it has a bit of info bellow the poem about the topic.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

Nice-- poems about everyday heroes.

[Austin]

I read the poem, "The Firefighter".

[RaeLene]

The Elementary School Teacher: A cute poem speaking about a teacher's lack of fear.