Hank knows that different is not less. It’s one of the things his parents taught him to help him get through moments when it’s clear that he’s different than his classmates. Like when he set fire to a book because it made him sad. Or how he still likes to play games that his friends lost interest in. Or how his feelings bubble up and make him feel anxious when he doesn’t know how to handle social situations.

When his classmate Maisie wants to be his friend, at first Hank is happy. Then he feels she is just using him to save Booler, the dog next door, from being tied up all the time. After the two of them forge a true friendship, they decide on a plan that will make them heroes, just like the words in their favorite David Bowie song.

We Could Be Heroes by Margaret Finnegan is a sweet story about two kids who think of themselves as misfits, Hank because he has autism, and Maisie because of a condition that’s revealed later in the book. They are both lonely, and they want to help Booler because they perceive him to be similar to them in many ways. Through their time spent together, they learn a lot about themselves and each other, and they grow in the way they see the world around them.

We Could Be Heroes is a great story for anyone who has ever felt misunderstood or at a loss to understand the right thing to do in confusing situations, which is most of us. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs and readers aged 9 to 13.

Here’s a little bit of info about the author if you’d like to find out more:

Margaret Finnegan’s work has appeared in FamilyFun, the Los Angeles Times, Salon, and other publications. She lives in South Pasadena, California, where she enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dog, and baking really good chocolate cakes. Connect with her at MargaretFinnegan.com.

Twitter: @FinneganBegin

Instagram: @finneganbegin