Heroes found close at hand

Students participating in the teen Get Inspired! Meet a Hero @ Your Library program shared their heroes:

Superman, Batman, and my dad by Malik

My mom because she is always there for me and my sisters. She is the height of compassion and bravery. She is noble and kind. by Caitlin

Wolverine by Travyon

My sister because she was the first to go onto college. by Margie

Martin Luther King Jr – for all African Americans by Kenneth

My dad by Lisa; April

A hero of mine is my mom. by Gorgeous

Who's a hero of yours and why? I'd love to hear.

Bilbo vs. Frodo

I was in middle school when I first met Bilbo Baggins. The meeting was unexpected. He arrived in the form of a Christmas gift from my brother: a beautiful boxed set of four books by J.R.R. Tolkien edged in gold.

I read The Hobbit first, being a “read-things-in-order” kind of person and I quickly got a crush on Bilbo. What was there not to love? I could relate to his fondness for the comforts of home and his reluctance to venture from his cozy hobbit hole. I admired his sneakiness in outsmarting trolls and dwarves alike, and I laughed out loud over his many narrow escapes. Bilbo was a first-rate hero in my eyes: resilient, courageous, loyal, and practical.

Then I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy with Bilbo’s relative Frodo Baggins and I found myself disappointed. Frodo was a very different character, obviously, serving a different purpose, but argh. His whining, melancholy, and indecision irritated me no end and while Sam, Merry, and Pippin were worthy hobbits, I never quite warmed up to Frodo. I missed Bilbo’s more bubbly nature and his stubbornness, his inner strength and his firm belief in himself, misguided as it sometimes was.

So my dark secret is revealed. Frodo fans, convince me of the worthiness of your champion. And if you’ve not read the series, now’s a perfect time to start.

Usagi Yojimbo: Hero or just a killer for hire?

The high school book club met last night, and we discussed "Usagi Yojimbo" by Stan Sakai. This book is the high school selection for February in the "Get Inspired!: Meet a Hero @ Your Library" program.

Well, the discussion got a little heated. Most of us in the group are not graphic novel readers, so that might have been part of the problem. One member liked the book a lot, especially enjoying the Japanese setting. Two members gave the book a weak "ok," with both of them mentioning the lizards as their favorite part of the book (and the lizards are more comic relief than vital to the story). One member felt very strongly that the book was an inappropriate choice for the "Get Inspired!" series. She thought the main character Miyamoto Usagi was not heroic in any way since he mainly acted as a hired gun, killing for payment.

If you've read Usagi Yojimbo, what do you think? Do you find anything heroic in this character?

Wabi: The hero who happened to be an owl

The Middle Pages, the library's middle school book club, met this past Monday to discuss "Wabi: A Hero's Tale" by Joseph Bruchac. This book is one of the library's picks for teens to read in February for the program "Get Inspired! Meet a Hero @ the Library."

Wabi is the story of a runt owl who meets his great-grandmother when he is pushed out of the nest by his older brother. She then takes care of Wabi, and he discovers that he is able to talk to and understand other animals, including humans. Wabi begins watching over a human village, saving them from monsters they don't even realize exist. He also discovers he has the ability to turn into a human, and he takes human form after falling in love with Dojihla, an outspoken young lady from the village. The novel is an interesting mix of Native American monster tales, the study of Wabi's coming of age, and a look at how families can be built.

Only one middle schooler braved the extreme fog to discuss Wabi with me, and Erica gave the book two thumbs up. She enjoyed the fantasy elements of the book and thought it was exciting all the way through. I agreed. The book's short chapters and fast action make it appealing.

Erica and I talked about what made Wabi a hero. Along with bravery and selflessness, listening was important to Wabi's success. It struck both of us as unusual for a hero to value and practice listening as much as Wabi does. The author emphasizes Wabi's ability to sit silently, observe, and really hear what's going on as a major factor in his ability to conquer the variety of monsters that attack in the story.

If you've read Wabi, please add your thoughts. And if you haven't read it yet, pick up a copy today.