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

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A. Bibliographic Data: Lewis, J., Patrick. Heroes and She-roes: Poems of Amazing and Everyday Heroes. Illustrated by Jim Cooke. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2005. ISBN 0803729251

B. Critical Analysis: Plot Summary: With this collection, J. Patrick Lewis sheds light on important historical heroes of the past, the often overlooked heroes of the present, and the potential hero in each and every one of us. Readers will be captivated by the range of people mentioned (Helen Keller to Joan of Arc) and will hopefully begin to view others with a refreshed and thoughtful mind. Children and adults alike will find joy and hope in these poems as they celebrate compassion, help, and love…which we could all use a little more of!  

Appeal: Though some readers may associate heroes with superpowers and monsters, they will be intrigued to learn more about the everyday heroes that actually live with us on Earth! I feel the topic of this book will immediately appeal to children, and push them to read the poems and learn more. Secondly, readers’ insight and knowledge will be enhanced and supported. Readers will learn new information about the different individuals mentioned not only through the poems themselves, but through the information tidbits given at the end of each poem. Readers will undoubtedly learn new things; they might even want to further their learning by looking to new resources! Lastly, I feel this book does a great job of sparking readers’ imaginations and emotional responses. By doing so, connections are more likely to be made and readers will truly be engaged with the text.

Meaning: These poems are definitely concrete. In hopes of educating readers and bringing insight, Lewis sticks close to the facts. Though his own opinions are expressed and the poems are considered fiction, their messages and purpose stem from true information. Because readers are encouraged to make connections and apply readings to real life, I feel this type of meaning effectively reaches readers.   

Rhythm and Sound: Because this is a collection of poems, each poem has its own unique sound and feel. With the differences, Lewis manages to create a consistent feel by using the same sound devices throughout the book, as well as similar vocabulary and patterns. For the most part, the poems rhyme which encourages the poems to be read aloud and shared together. Along with rhyme, repetition, alliteration, and assonance is used to provide a rhythm for readers. Lewis also uses line breaks and stanzas to signify when and where pauses should be taken. This adjusts the overall rhythm of the poems.  

Language: Overall, I would describe Lewis’ language as simple and direct. Readers will not get lost in complex words or ideas but instead be able to focus solely on the message at hand. Some of the poems are funny while others take on a more serious tone but all of them are easily understood. Many different types of figurative language is used including: metaphors, personification, and similes. These devices not only enhance the readability of the text but also provide readers with mental pictures while providing opportunities to make connections to familiar objects. For example: “Life is a pocketful of things…”(14).

Imagery: J. Patrick Lewis does a wonderful job of supporting most of the five senses. Seeing, hearing and smelling are all well described as the poems relay certain smells, sounds and sights. This is not only important in helping with comprehension, but also helps readers to create their own mental pictures, sounds and smells.

Emotional Impact: Everyone has their own idea of what a hero is. In social studies students will learn about specific figures that helped our nation in various ways while other students may have seen a hero at work firsthand. The beauty of this book is that it looks past the “classic” idea of a hero and pushes readers to view new individuals as heroes. There is an emphasis on what makes a hero so that readers will be able to apply the theory to everyone they meet (and even to themselves). As a result, all readers will immediately be able to relate to some aspect of this book. Whether that is knowing a teacher or firefighter, or recognizing an attribute in themselves readers will be affected. This is poetry at its finest!

Layout and Organization: The poems don’t appear to be organized in any particular order aside from an introductory type poem, and a closing poem (both of which are untitled). The rest of the poems are placed on their own page with complementing illustrations. The length of the poems are appropriate and range anywhere from four to twenty-two lines. As mentioned earlier, each poem concludes with additional facts about the poem. These tidbits often show the reader the basis of the poem and the background story. Under the title of each poem, readers are given a time and place to which the poem relates to. This helps to guide readers thinking by providing an initial setting.

C. Example: Poem:

Untitled (closing poem found on the last page of the book)

So heroes set aside their fear

To lend a hand or lend an ear,

To face the night or save the day

And never look the other way.

They do not, with a single bound,

Leap up tall buildings from the ground.

But from a sense of decency,

They share themselves with you and me.

No matter what or where or who,

When something must be done,

They do.

Introduction: When initially reading this poem aloud, I would leave out the word “heroes” and substitute the word “blank”. I would then encourage students to think about who the poem could be written about; we would compile a list together on the board. Assuming students would name some of the very individuals mentioned in the book, we would then read the entire book together, explore the roles of heroes, what makes them special etc. I would then begin my social studies lesson on heroes and their place in history, present-day, and the future.

Ideas for Sharing: Immediately, I see students dressed up as a chosen hero and reciting a poem. This could be a poem they wrote themselves, or one from this book. In doing so, students will be making connections to the individual and will hopefully be more inclined to remember the attributes of a hero (or she-roe) and practice them in everyday life.