Spotlight: Willis Watson Is a Wannabe by Carmen Bogan and Illustrated by Cheryl Thuesday

A young boy discovers there are real, everyday heroes all around him and decides he wants to be one, too, in this sweet and empowering picture book.

Gramps says, “When you grow up, Willis Watson, you can be whatever you want to be, if you wanna be. A real somebody!” But the cool guys in third grade tell Willis there are no superheroes in their neighborhood and hoping to be more than what you see is just “wannabe wack.”

But when Willis’s gramps falls ill and he visits him at the hospital, Willis sees real superheroes all around him: Dr. Collins, who helps Gramps get better; the lady who serves hot lunches to kids; and even a courageous navy officer just like Gramps. Seeing so many of his neighbors take care of one another helps Willis finally believe he can be whatever he wants to be, a real somebody.

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