Why Did Grandpa Cry?

It’s never easy to stand up to your peers, even if it is the right thing to do. We all have the choice to stand by or stand up.

Even though he faced bullies and threats, high school student Ken Reinhardt stood up for Elizabeth Eckford and the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to attend the all-white Arkansas school in 1957. Over four decades later, his granddaughter tried to make sense of why Ken cried whenever he talked about that time in his life. She soon discovered, not only what caused Grandpa’s tears, but also a new found purpose in her own life.

Why Did Grandpa Cry? is Ken’s story, the first in a series of children’s books telling the stories of the amazing Unsung Heroes featured at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes in Fort Scott, Kansas. By championing these Unsung Heroes, the Center helps students, educators and communities discover their own power and responsibility to effect positive change in the world.

Cathy Werling, the author, is an award-winning, retired elementary educator. Her passion for helping students develop positive character traits and seek out worthy role models led to her part time work at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. Through her series of books about these humble heroes, Cathy hopes to inspire elementary children to truly be those people who make a positive difference in the lives of others.