Sophia

Sophia's life started uneventfully: she grew up happy and liked helping people. She loved her family and had a lot of friends. Living in New York City, she always got to be near her favorite spotƒ‚‚"ƒ‚‚€ƒ‚‚"the Statue of Liberty!
But one day, something unbelievable happened to Sophia. Sophia looked like a monster and was as tall as the skyscrapers around her! Suddenly, the entire city was afraid of her.
What people did not realize was that Sophia was just as afraid of her new body as everyone else. Sophia quickly realizes that she must learn how to accept herself even though the entire city is scared of her. In the end, she becomes an unlikely hero, teaching everyone that even "monsters" can save the day.

Aaron DeMarest, Jr. (AJ) is an imaginative, friendly nine-year old boy who loves to create stories. AJ was born in Connecticut and now lives in Pennsylvania with his family. One of AJ's biggest fans is his younger brother, Brandon, who helps to act out AJ's stories. AJ loves going to the movie theatre "€" or as he calls it, "the big movies" "€" and after a recent trip to New York City, really loves the Statue of Liberty! In addition to movies, AJ loves music, weekly family pizza nights, and playing with his brother.
One of the inspiring things about Sophia is that it allows AJ to present how he sees himself to readers. He wants others to know not to judge him, and that he wants to be an "everyday hero" by helping others. AJ is autistic and realizes more and more that he is different but wants others to give him a chance to be their friend.