The Bionic Boy [Hardcover]

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.“Benji hates being the center of attention, and his limb difference invites plenty of scrutiny. But after Benji meets Staff Sergeant Dirk Snyder, a self-assured quadruple amputee who uses a bionic prosthetic arm, he realizes that getting hands of his own could make him a superhero: the Bionic Boy. Still, he wonders if he made the right decision, especially after an upsetting incident involving the family cat. Can Benji still be a hero? While his conflicting feelings about using prostheses realistically highlight issues such as identity and self-confidence, family and friendship are the story’s core. The loving support of Benji’s dads, his best friend, Sam, and his 7-year-old sister, Becka, who has Down syndrome, r