ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Brad Meltzer told an audience of excited children — alongside a few adult thriller fans — Tuesday at Cedar Crest College how he became a New York Times best-selling author for young readers.
"I started this series to give my own kids better heroes to look up to," Meltzer told the crowd.
"You've got to think of someone beyond yourself."New York Times best-selling author Brad Meltzer
"What I tell my kids is — you've got to help people. That's what makes you a hero. Having a billion-dollar business doesn't make you a hero.
"You've got to think of someone beyond yourself."
The book-signing and speaking event, run by Let's Play Books, celebrated the 10th anniversary of Meltzer's "Ordinary People Change the World" series of books he creates with illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos.
It also celebrated the recent release of the latest book in the series, which focuses on the life and accomplishments of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Dozens of fans came to meet the author — most walking in drenched from the day's rain and flooding, something at which the author made jabs while praising the determination of the audience for still choosing to attend.
Historic figures started as kids
Meltzer said he loves that the series lets young people see historical figures — now over 30, from Jane Goodall to Jim Henson and Billie Jean King — as children who started as ordinary people just like them.
"We think of Ruth [Bader Ginsburg] as this amazing legal icon, but she's not born that way," Meltzer said. "She had to learn how to make change."
Meltzer also is a best-selling author of adult thrillers such as "The Escape Artist" and non-fiction books such as "The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington," in addition to the "Ordinary People Change the World" series of children's books.
He also was host of television shows "Brad Meltzer’s Lost History" and "Brad Meltzer's Decoded" on the History channel.
"So I love her story and how it proves girls can do anything."Reader Mia Kruse about Brad Meltzer's book on Dolly Parton
The PBS Kids cartoon "Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum" is based on the series of books, and can be watched on PBS39 and the PBS Kids website.
"I feel like Brad Meltzer is an amazing author and I love his books," said young attendee Mia Kruse, who got her "I AM DOLLY PARTON" book signed by the author.
"Because, with her story — I know all of the books about a woman in this series do this — but it really popped to my eye this time," Kruse said.
"So I love her story and how it proves girls can do anything."
Meltzer said his next book being worked on in the series will be about Jesse Owens — just in time for the Olympics.
Fielding questions from the audience, Meltzer hit on a range of topics, from his jubilation over the University of Michigan's national championship football victory, to how subjects are chosen, and how he connects with the characters features.
"To me that Mr. Rogers book was my soul in book form," Meltzer said.
"Mr. Rogers taught me when I was 5 years old, watching PBS, that you can use your creativity to put good into this world, and that's all we're trying to do right now."
Local book store also celebrates
Let's Play Books of Emmaus is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its opening this February, and the recent openingof its second location, The End: a bookstore, last year in South Whitehall Township.
Recently, the store held a sold-out event for humorist David Sedaris.
Owner Kirsten Hess said she loved having Meltzer as a guest, because his range of books showcases that there are different books out there for every type of reader.
"Everything is about trying to engage people with books, and so the more people we can reach with author events, the better because it opens people's minds, very similar to what Brad said, in ways that television and the internet cannot do," Hess said.
"The ability to have authors come to the Lehigh Valley, we've now established ourselves as a place that they can come to directly from New York City in a day, So it's good. I'm very, very excited."
She said she's happy such large events have really started to return since they shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Coming up, the book stores will have author Kacen Callendar on Feb. 6, and once again will run the Lehigh Valley Book Festival in March.
