The story is about the life of 10-year-old Billy Smith who lives in Pennsylvania in a coal mining town. The choices Billy makes are fraught with frustration as Billy finds out that being a real hero, i.e. going beyond the innocence of childhood and accepting the responsibility of growing up, is not easy.

As Billy’s life unfolds, he follows certain rules that he has formulated and internalized and comes to understand that real heroes are people who have the gumption to adopt and practice the morals and values that lead to being a productive citizen.

Billy, in time, is able to practice what he has learned and thus indeed becomes a superhero. Young readers will love this book for its realistic look at growing up.