Five years ago, author Brad Meltzer took a break from churning out thrillers to create “Ordinary People Change the World” — a children’s book series that shows kids how everyday people can become big heroes. With the help of illustrations by Chris Eliopoulos, the books tell the stories of important historical figures including Rosa Parks, Albert Einstein and Jackie Robinson. “Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum,” a PBS Kids show based on the series, debuts Monday. WGBH radio's Henry Santoro interviewed Meltzer about the upcoming series. The transcript below has been edited for clarity.
Henry Santoro: What led you to write a book about Marie Curie?
Brad Meltzer: You know, every time I write these books, it's always for the most selfish reason of all — it's for my kids. And Marie Curie is this Nobel Prize-winning scientist. But when she was a little girl, the Russian government would not teach her science. They would not teach science to girls. And what I love the most about Marie Curie’s story is that her whole life, she is denied all the things she wants to be because she's a woman, but she never lets it stop her. And I want my daughter to have that lesson, and I want my sons to have that lesson —that whatever your dream is, you should chase it and chase it and chase it.
Santoro: You are known for your thrillers. I mean, they are what put you at number one on The New York Times Best Sellers list. Did you have any idea that this “I Am” series would take on the life that it has taken on?
Meltzer: I was absolutely 100 percent clueless. It was just me as a dad doing something for my children. We got a letter from a woman who read our “I Am Albert Einstein” book, which is all about being weird and being different. And she said, “My son is on the autism spectrum, and he's weird and he's different. And I love that your book says that it's okay to be. But I want to tell you, my son recently died. And I'm writing you this letter because I owe you a thank you, because your book, ‘I Am Albert Einstein,’ was the last happy moment I had with my son before we buried him.”
This book series has been the gift that we never knew we were ever giving ourselves. And it gives back to us every day.
Santoro: “Xavier Riddle in the Secret Museum” is a new PBS Kids show, and it’s the “I Am” books coming to life.
Meltzer: When I was 5 years old, I watched “Sesame Street,” and I got a spark. And here we are now. They’re taking our books and turning them into this show about Xavier, his sister Yadina, and their best friend Brad — the most handsome little cartoon character you'll ever see. They made me a cartoon character with hair who wears a cape everywhere he goes.
They will have a problem, like being bullied, and they’ll go back in time through their secret museum to meet Rosa Parks, and she’ll teach them how to deal with the bullies. Then they’ll come back to the present day and use that lesson in the current time period. And every episode is like that. It’s the same thing as the “I Am” book series, which is trying to give kids heroes of character, heroes of kindness, heroes of compassion. And we have everybody on the show.
And I love doing it because as I said, when I was a little kid, “Sesame Street” gave me that spark. And I love the idea that right now there is some kid out there that's 5 years old who’s going to see the lessons on the show, and they're going to get a spark. And 40 years from now, they're going to be sitting in some form of WGBH, you know, in a flying car somewhere, talking to your equivalent about their new show. And her show is going to be spectacular, and I can't wait to see it. And I love that that's how the world works, right? You light these sparks, and then you watch them take on giant flames.
And “Xavier Riddle” debuts Nov. 11 on PBS, 50 years and one day after “Sesame Street” debuted.
