The moving story of a superhero-loving boy born without hands who finds the hero inside himself

Benji feels like he's had more than his fair share of good luck--so it's frustrating that his disability tends to make people think the opposite. Adopted from an overseas orphanage when he was four, he's grown up surrounded by the love of his dads and little sister. But it seems like the only thing people notice about him is that he was born without hands. He wishes that it didn't bother him so much when people stare at him and that he could be as confident as the superheroes he's obsessed with. Then Benji meets a real-life hero and begins to dream about new possibilities. Staff Sergeant Snyder is a quadruple war amputee whose comfort in his own skin inspires Benji. Plus, Staff Sergeant has fun with his prosthetic limbs, making Benji wonder if it's time he becomes bionic. It takes a near disaster in the neighborhood with their pet cat to show Benji that bionic or not, he already has all the courage it takes to be a hero. After all, heroes walk among us every day, and if he just remembers to believe in himself, he can easily be one of them.

Author: Lynn Plourde
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Published: 10/21/2025
Pages: 208
Weight: 1.25lbs
ISBN: 9780593111376


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/30/2025
Booklist 08/01/2025
Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2025

About the Author
Lynn Plourde (LynnPlourde.com) is the author of more than forty children's books, including Maxi's Secrets, Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud, Wild Child, Moose, of Course!, At One in a Place Called Maine, How to Talk Monster, Best Buddies, and many more. A former speech-language therapist, she worked in public schools for twenty-one years. She grew up in Maine, and currently lives there with her husband, where she loves spending time outdoors snowshoeing, walking, kayaking, and gardening.