Brad, you’re a busy a guy. You write adult thrillers and non-fiction books. You have your own TV shows. You write comic books. Why did you decide to write a picture book series?

The series was born because I was tired of my kids thinking that reality TV stars and people who were famous for being famous were heroes. I tell my kids all the time: That’s fame. Fame is different than being a hero. I wanted my kids to see real heroes…and real people no different than themselves. We started with "I Am Amelia Earhart" and "I Am Abraham Lincoln". But each book tells the story of the hero when THEY were a kid. We see them as children. So it’s not just Amelia Earhart and Abraham Lincoln being famous — it’s them being just like us. We’ve since done everyone from Rosa Parks, Albert Einstein, Jackie Robinson, Lucille Ball, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King, Jr., George Washington, Jane Goodall, the list goes on…and next is I am Walt Disney, out in September. We all need heroes today.

When you were a kid, who were some of your heroes?

I always loved Jim Henson and Mr. Rogers. Plus my grandfather, who used to make up stories for me. They all taught me the power of kindness — and the power of a well told story. Those lessons were never forgotten.

What made you start your series with a focus on Amelia Earhart and Abraham Lincoln?

If you're gonna do books about heroes, might as well start with the best ones. Amelia Earhart's whole life is about taking chances, being brave and finding the strength to do what everyone else said couldn't be done. Abraham Lincoln's life is just as powerful, especially when you see how many times he stood up for others. But what I love most is that we start with their childhoods. You see Amelia Earhart as a little girl, building a homemade roller coaster in her backyard; you see Abraham Lincoln as a boy, standing up to local bullies. For our kids and for us, these aren't just the stories of famous people. They're what we're all capable of on our very best days.

Who are some heroes in today’s world that you think are great role models for today’s children?

We all love to complain that there are no current heroes today. But the truth is there are heroes everywhere. Forget about obvious ones like Nelson Mandela or Sesame Street creator Joan Ganz Cooney. There's also policemen like Frank Shankwitz, who helped a little boy with leukemia ride a toy motorcycle and then used the idea to come up with the idea for the Make-A-Wish Foundation…or Team Hoyt, where father pushes his son in a wheelchair through marathon after marathon. Look around. Heroes are far more local than you think.

How’d you choose your illustrator, Christopher Eliopoulos?

I know Chris's work from comics, but the reason I was so insistent about working with him was he can do that Calvin & Hobbes/Peanuts thing where the characters aren't just funny — they're lovable. You dream with them, fail with them and smile with them. It's so much harder than you think. Chris's superpower is just that: love.

What is the best thing about the I AM series? The letters teachers send? The ones kids send?

The letters for sure. Plus, the Halloween costumes. There’s just nothing like getting letter after letter of people saying, “Brad, thanks to your books, this Halloween, my daughter went as Amelia Earhart instead of a princess.” In my wildest dreams, I never anticipated that.

And now there’s a TV show on PBS KIDS: Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum! Tell us more!

Oh, I cannot wait for people to see it. It’s about a boy named Xavier, his sister Yadina and their best friend Brad (the most super handsome of characters). Every episode, they encounter a problem (like being bullied), they go to their secret museum and go back in time to meet a hero like Rosa Parks, who teaches them how to deal with bullies. You’ll see. It’s the Ordinary People Change the World books come to life!

It’s the 50^th anniversary of PBS. How’s it feel to be part of that?

When I was five years old, Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street taught me that you could use your creativity to put good into this world. Today, with Xavier Riddle and with these books, that’s all we’re hoping to do: Use our creativity to put good into this world.

Any other new projects you're currently working on?

The next I AM book. The newest thriller, which is a sequel to The Escape Artist. Plus, after doing the secret plot to kill George Washington, we’re doing a new adult non-fiction book. Join our mailing list to hear about it first.