Skokie, Illinois Aug 16, 2025 (Issuewire.com) - Chicago Superhero Wins Two Editors Choice Awards: A New Kind of Hero for a New Generation
Out of the thousands of childrens books published each year, few manage to blend action, heart, and humor like Steve Fredericks Cockroach the Superhero series. His newest book, The Bangle Bombers Blast Banks, was just named an Editors Choice by both The Childrens Book Review and BookLife / Publishers Weekly, high honors in the field.
The story opens with a literal bang: The mysterious Bangle Bombers dynamite a city bank vault and vanish without a trace. But the real story begins when 11-year-old Kyle Alexander, an anxious but imaginative kid, jolts awake. Kyle isnt just any kid. Hes secretly Cockroach, a reluctant young superhero, named by a cruel joke from a criminal, an insult hes learned to wear with pride.
Kyles life is intense: enduring bullying at school and from another superhero, hiding his secret identity from his parents and his very astute and all-too-inquisitive Grammy, and trying to stay awake in math class, all on top of chasing down criminals. But with the help of his ragtag superhero team, including a wise, tree-shifting mentor named TreeMan, Cockroach discovers that words and compassion can be more powerful than fists and force.
These books dont rely on flashy gadgets or flawless heroes, says Frederick. They show that being scared doesnt disqualify you from being brave.
A Chicago teacher shared how her class was stunned when a superhero de-escalated a fight using only kindness and empathy. One student gasped, He didnt do anything but talk! The transformation of bullies becomes one of the storys most moving surprises.
Fredericks books are superhero adventures with soul. Kids laugh at the wild villains and clever plot twists, but also see themselves in the characters: the overlooked, the anxious, the underdogs.
The series features a diverse ensemble of heroes, including a former police officer turned flying wheelchair pilot. And always at the center is Kyle, a boy learning to lead not through power, but through presence and purpose.
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At its core, The Bangle Bombers Blast Banks is about finding strength in unlikely places and doing the right thing, even when its hard.
The series includes:
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Breakfast of Superheroes
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Secrets of the Superheros Ring
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The Bangle Bombers Blast Banks
About the Author
Steve Frederick read comics as a kid and dreamed of being a superhero, but never got superpowers. Years later, he found his second chance through fatherhood. When his son Ryan became a superhero fan, Steve made up stories to entertain himthen shared them at school. His read-alouds became so popular, students called him The Superhero Dad.
Hes also a career coach and award-winning writer, but his proudest reviews come from classrooms: I read Breakfast of Superheroes to my class They were hooked. At the end, they clappedand voted it their #1 read-aloud of the year.
Contact: Steve Frederick
Attn: Media Relations
Skokie, IL
847-409-4660
[email protected]
www.thunderboltstories.com
Media Contact
Thunderbolt Stories
847-409-4660
8122 Karlov Ave
Source :Thunderbolt Stories
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