I have been recently contacted by Brad Meltzer, bestselling novelist, non-fiction writer, comic book author, and TV show creator. Brad is well-known for his political thrillers, and he is also the author of numerous children’s books, including Heroes for My Son (debuted as #2 on The New York Times Best Seller list), and the Ordinary People Change the World series, featuring the lives of inspiring historical figures like Amelia Earhart, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Rosa Parks, Lucille Ball, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jane Goodall, George Washington, Gandhi, etc. The books are illustrated by the lovely artwork of Chris Eliopoulos. 🙂
Brad brought to my attention that he recently collaborated with LEGO fan Ellen Kooijman (a.k.a. Alatariel), creator of the #21110 LEGO Ideas Research Institute and co-creator of the #21302 LEGO Ideas The Big Bang Theory. Brad and Ellen are running a LEGO Ideas project together, featuring Amelia Earhart, as presented in Brad’s book from the Ordinary People Change the World series, titled I am Amelia Earhart. The project features Amelia Earhart, in the style of Chris Eliopoulos’ illustrations in Brad’s book, as well as her airplane. Below is the description of the project.
Amelia Earhart was a girl who loved adventure, and never let anybody stop her from trying new things. Even things that girls had never done before—like flying all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. Eventually she broke flying records and proved to the world that women can soar just as high as men. Based on the bestselling book series by Brad Meltzer and Chris Eliopoulos, this set consists of the bright yellow biplane that Amelia Earhart bought for herself. She named it Canary (which is a cool name for a plane, right?). Plus, you get an Amelia Earhart minifigure! This set has a wonderful educational value, but it’s also downright fun. Fly! Zoom! And of course, soar! The presented set consists of 186 parts. Please support it, if you’d like to see it as a real product. Our true goal is to then give you the rest of the heroes in the book series: I am Abraham Lincoln, I am Rosa Parks, I am Albert Einstein, and so many more… Help give your kids real heroes.
I think that this is a very interesting collaboration between a bestselling author and a LEGO fan, and a unique proposal on LEGO Ideas. The project is currently at around 7,800 votes, so it’s very possible that it will reach the required 10k votes before the deadline (around 160 days left at the time of this writing). While the set is small and simple, if LEGO would agree to continue working together with Brad and Ellen, this could make a very nice series either within the LEGO Ideas line, or as its own theme. LEGO likes educational sets, so it’s quite possible that even if the project is not approved within the LEGO Ideas platform, LEGO might find some other ways to collaborate with the author.
If you think this project is a good idea, and you would like it to become an official LEGO set, you can vote for it at LEGO Ideas here: VOTE FOR LEGO IDEAS I’M AMELIA EARHART, and also share it with your friends and family, so they may be inspired to vote too. And you can also check out the currently available sets originally submitted by LEGO fans at the LEGO Ideas section of the Online LEGO Shop.
Also, if you are curious about Brad’s books, including the Ordinary People Change the World children’s book series, you can find them all on Amazon: BRAD MELTZER’S BOOKS ON AMAZON
What do you think? How do you like this LEGO Ideas project? Have you read any of Brad’s books? Are you familiar with his children’s series? Would you like to see some accompanying LEGO sets? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉
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This is a very nice idea. But isn’t having a series is against the Ideas rules?
Yes, it is against the current rules, and that is why they only submitted one project. If this project gets approved, there is a possibility of releasing other sets in the series outside of the Ideas platform. LEGO has done the same with Minecraft, which originally started as an Ideas project, and later got its own separate theme.
I like it. The sets could even be sold together with the books, sort of like the brickmaster books.
Hm… nice idea! 😀
Too bad we can’t vote for the project because the Ideas site is down. Bad timing? 🙁
Yeah, definitely bad timing! Hopefully the site will be back up soon!
Finally, an ideas project that is for kids! I really hope this will reach enough votes, and lego will at least consider it. It would be a great building and educational set.
Finally, being creative and getting kids to read at the same time is a great idea. Get them back into Reading books again . My Mother is a teacher at Junior high school/ high school grade but their read level is below average. A lot of it has to do with parents not reading to the kids and as a result illiterate teenagers/ young adults. ( sad but true). This hopefully will bring parents and there children together to read a book. Just like Lego does these days with family’s getting together and build things together. I was very lucky the both my parents read to me when I was little ( of both of my parents are teachers ). The other problem is some parents can speak or read English. So, it’s a difficult situation.
Teacher parents do make a big difference. Or parents who care about education. Sadly, many kids don’t have that experience…
“Can’t speak or read English” that’s another thing we rely on AutoCorrect too much.
Yeah, LOL, autocorrect! The blessing and the curse of the century! 😈
That artwork seems inspired by Charles M. Schulz (Peanuts) and Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes).
I recognize Chris Eliopoulos’ name, but I can’t place his work immediately in my head.
Ahhh, hmmm, he might not have done much comics-related work, except for lettering, but he’s apparently behind the Fantastic Four spin-off gag comic “Franklin Richards: Son of a Genius”.
Oh, yes! You are right! Very cute artwork! 😀
I think it is interesting that an owner of an IP is actually working with a creator up front.
It will definitely give LEGO a leg up on negotiations with that owner which I can imagine they love.
Really good point! It’s usually the other way around; someone proposes a project, and then LEGO has to contact the IP owner. Nice that the author is so involved with this! 🙂