An elementary school student from Brooklyn, NY, has just won the dream of a lifetime—the chance to star alongside Superman in the upcoming book,
The Kid Who Saved Superman.
Hakeem Bennett, a special ed student at the Nathanael Greene School (P.S. 36K), is the first place winner of the “Find a Hero!” writing contest, sponsored
Stone Arch Books, a children’s book publisher of fiction graphic novels and chapter books.
The contest was inspired by the publisher’s DC Super Heroes book series featuring new stories based around DC Comics’ iconic characters Batman and Superman.
Readers will uncover the crucial role Bennett’s character plays in the story when Superman becomes trapped by deadly kryptonite rocks. Bennett’s teacher, Matthew Brown, and school Principal Johanna Schneider, will also be incorporated into the storyline. The book will be available June 15, 2009.
The contest for grades 3-6 invited students nationwide to write about a real hero at their school, describing in their own words what makes that person a hero. More than 230 entries poured in from children across the U.S. and Canada who wrote about their teachers, librarians, principals, custodians, classmates, and friends, one of whom was battling leukemia. There was also a seeing-eye-dog named Licorice.
“My teacher Mr. Brown is visually impaired,” wrote Hakeem. “That [is] not what makes him a hero. It is because he takes public transportation every day with Stanley his dog to school. That is why he is a true everyday superhero. In our class we had a project of being blindfolded and trying to find our way around the class it was hard for me. I feel sad he can't see the beautiful things around. That bothers me. To ride the train to East NY in Brooklyn is chaotic and not the safest even for people who do not have a disability. The travelling in the snow and ice with Stanley make
him even more courageous. Mr. Brown is my pick for our school superhero. He could serve as a superhero for all.”
Joan Berge, president of Stone Arch’s parent company, Capstone Publishers, says she was amazed at how well young students articulated the ‘super powers’ of the real heroes in their lives,
“While it was extremely difficult to choose just one first place winner, Hakeem’s touching story about his teacher Mr. Brown stood out from the rest. We’re so excited to feature him as the hero in our book and can’t wait for him to see the finished product. He’s a very excited kid to be starring alongside Superman in a book!”
The top 50 contest entries will also receive two free DC Super Heroes chapter books, one for the student and one for their school library.
The DC Super Heroes series, which pair new stories by Stone Arch Books authors with original art by DC Comics illustrators, debuted in January with 12 titles. The full-color chapter books feature contemporary adventure and crime fighting tales with appropriate language and content for students in elementary grades. The series will include a total of 48 titles published over a two-year span.
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