South Florida author Brad Meltzer’s books are a must read for a new crowd – kids. Meltzer’s latest book in his I Am series features astronaut Neil Armstrong, just in time for the mission to the moon’s fiftieth anniversary. I Am Neil Armstrong is Melter’s fifteenth book in the series.
“When I first pitched the idea, they asked me, how many do you want to do, six, 12?” he says. “I said I want to do 100. We’re getting there.”
He wanted to do the series to help kids see their own power.
“That their own heroes were once kids,” he says. “That’s the thing kids latch on to. These people are just like them.”
Meltzer loves comic books and he loves space so writing the book on Neil Armstrong was a natural. One of the things children will learn from Armstrong’s book is that you have to make a plan and then you have to execute that plan.
Meltzer shows kids that successful people can focus on teamwork and humility – as Neil Armstrong did.
“Things that are lost in the country today and we need to come back to,” he says.
The Neil Armstrong books comes with a big fold out poster.
“We wanted to show the amazing earth and how big is it,” he says. “So kids can get a sense of wow, this is special.”
I Am Billy Jean King comes out in February. He plans to do books about every woman on the Supreme Court.
“We’re basically about two years ahead,” he says.
Some of the titles that stand out for Meltzer include I Am Martin Luther King, I am Jane Goodall, and I Am Abraham Lincoln.
Even though he’s plunged into the children’s book market, he hasn’t abandoned his adult readers. His first non-fiction adult book, The First Conspiracy, comes out in January.
“It’s about a plot to kill George Washington,” Meltzer says. “I uncovered it when I was doing one of my thrillers. I mentioned it in the thriller.”
He was so interested in the plot that he chased down the details.
“It took a long time to get to the bottom of it. It was a lost moment in history,” he says.
The next thriller is a sequel to The Escape Artist.
Meltzer will be the celebrity reader at the Read to Learn Books for Free Reading Circle at the Coral Gables Books and Books on Sept. 15 at 11 a.m. The event was moved from the Pinecrest store because of the expected crowd.
The monthly program is part of the Miami Book Fair’s literacy initiative, Read to Learn Books for Free. It’s in partnership with the Children’s Trust, the Miami-Dade Library System and Books and Books.
The Reading Circle started last February and takes place the second Saturday of each month at the Books and Books store in Pinecrest. The goal is to bring together children and parents with books, reading, singing, dancing and arts and crafts.
Those planning to attend are asked to bring gently-used children’s book and drop them in the Read to Learn Books for Free bin.
Donated books are placed in one of 55 bookshelves across Miami-Dade. Children who visit those shelves will be able to pick one to take home for free.
For more information visit miamibookfair.com/readtolearn.
