They Call Me a Hero: A Memoir of My Youth

by Daniel Hernandez, Susan Goldman Rubin

Daniel Hernandez helped save the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and his life experience is a source of true inspiration in this heartfelt memoir, “an absorbing eyewitness view of a shocking event wrapped in a fluent, engaging self-portrait” (Kirkus Reviews).“I don’t consider myself a hero,” says Daniel Hernandez. “I did what I thought anyone should have done. Heroes are people who spend a lifetime committed to helping others.” When Daniel Hernandez was twenty years old, he was working as an intern for US Representative Gabrielle Giffords. On January 8, 2011, during a “Congress on Your Corner” event, Giffords was shot. Daniel Hernandez’s quick thinking before the paramedics arrived and took Giffords to the hospital saved her life. Hernandez’s bravery and heroism has been noted by many, including President Barack Obama. But while that may have been his most well-known moment in the spotlight, Daniel Hernandez, Jr., is a remarkable individual who has already accomplished much in his young life, and is working to achieve much more. They Call Me a Hero explores Daniel’s life, his character, and the traits that a young person needs to rise above adversity and become a hero like Daniel. “His story is inspiring not only for his bravery during the shooting, but also for his commitment to education advocacy and public service, including his appointment to Tucson’s Commission on LGBT issues and election to the local school board. Photos of Hernandez with family, friends, colleagues, and political figures are included” (Publishers Weekly).

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, LGBT, Cultural

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2013

Reviews

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know that the author, Daniel Hernandez, is still a young man, but the writing to me really showed that. The writing was very simplistic, sometimes with sentences that seemed way too short and choppy. I was very interested in the story of how he came to be an intern for Gabby Giffords, and how he handled the day of the shooting, as well as what he has done since that time. However, I felt that the story jumped around, and the timeline was somewhat hard to follow. I don't know if it necessarily was so, but that was the impression. I think that it would have been easier to follow if the story had been broken down into sections - the story leading up to the shooting, the shooting, and the aftermath, in some order. Writing aside, this is a brave and modest young man.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...

[Jack Emery · Rating 4 out of 5]

They Call Me a hero is based on a man named Daniel Hernandez. Daniel had to think quickly and save a congress woman's life while he was her intern. Something I liked about this book is that he was praised as an american hero and he really makes you feel pride that there are still good people out there doing their best. Something I didn't like was that they didn't talk much about his home/family life. They talked about how he had a mom, dad , and a sister but that was about it. I think this book is for anyone who likes a story about a real life hero.

[Meredith S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good!

[Sarah Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this for school and was NOT excited to. After reading it...OMG I loved it!

[Angela Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring story of an individual dedicated to public service and self improvement. Definitely a great role model for young people hoping to make a difference in the public sphere. Hernandez is a shining example of humility, bravery and heroism.

[meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

parts of this memoir of the young intern that helped to save congresswoman gabby giffords' life after she was shot at a congress-on-your-corner event in tucson really hit home for me. gabe zimmerman, gabby's aide who organized the event, and one of the six people killed that day, was someone i knew and really liked from college, and so the grizzly account of his murder scene was really tough for me to read. but i also knew i wanted to, to possibly find out anything i could about his life after college, and some of the things he had done to help people. there wasn't too much about gabe here, as it seems he and daniel hernandez weren't working super closely together, but he did have some kind words to say: "gabe was the consummate social worker. he was beloved by all who knew him for his kind heart and the good head on his shoulders. he was what we called the constituent whisperer, because he had the uncanny ability to take even the angriest constituent and calm them down." he was that and so much more. the kind of person who makes you want to be a better person. the kind of person who really does make the world better. though i'm sad we no longer get the benefit of his presence in the world, i'm also so grateful for the chance to have known him.

my feelings about gabe aside, this was a solid memoir about a smart and capable but also regular young man who became an instant hero in the wake of a tragedy. his quick thinking and calm demeanor really did save the day for gabby. that same admirable ability to act in the moment by not letting himself be overwhelmed by any emotions also makes for a pretty matter of fact, unemotional memoir. the book goes beyond the account of that awful day, to talk about his childhood and early medical and political ambitions, and also the aftermath of the shooting--the effect it's had on his life and the world around him. other than the story at the heart of this memoir it might not be a emotionally riveting memoir, but it does serve as a good example to young readers about the difference everyday people can make in the world. a solid three and a half.

[Elijah Kasper · Rating 2 out of 5]

They Call Me a Hero by Daniel Hernandez tells the story of how Daniel Hernandez threw himself into harms way to help save a US representative after she had been shot in the head. Daniel ran towards the gunman and into the line of fire to assist the wounded Gabrielle Giffords. This story is extremely sad, Daniel re-accounts what he saw as the gunman opened fire on the Congresswomen and into the crowd of people that had arrived to hear her speak.
I didn't enjoy this book very much, it felt very repetitive,Daniel talks about what actually happened in the beginning of the book and then after that all he talks about is the countless interviews he has to go to. I understand how important it was for him to do all of those interviews but it got really boring and repetitive. The rest of the book was Daniel talking about all of the attention he was getting and how he hated it so much. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, I was extremely bored with it. It wasn't very eventful for me, I kept finding myself not wanting to finish the rest of the book. This book also seemed to be very basic, the word choice and vocabulary wasn't very good, and it sounded like the author was talking out loud like he was talking to a friend.
Overall, I did not like this book very much except in the beginning when he told the dramatic story of how he saved the congresswomen. But after that, the book became very boring and repetitive. I would never recommend this book to anyone, because its very boring and not very appealing.

[torri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy Read (Read it in a night). (good or bad, I don't know .. writing seemed short & following a timeline was confusing .. felt myself going back to prior pages reminding myself who so and so was) Read it in a night. To be truthful, I felt at first he was the "classic" "hero" thrusted into the spotlight/wanted everyone by everyone after his actions on that day & had no background on him. Hearing him speak at the 2013 National assoc. of independent schools' People of color conference I learned more, his background. His involvement was nothing new. I was excited to read it, learn something new (& I did). Although after reading it, my thoughts on this changed to what they originally were; being thrusted into a spotlight for his actions.

Although an interesting read, because it was an easy read and due to the writing it did not do anything for me.

That being said though, I feel honored to have gone to university with him, and call him a fellow Wildcat for Life, and I had the pleasure to hear him be the opening speaker for the NAIS's (National assoc. of independent schools) 2013 PoCC (People of color conference).

[Jessie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy stories about people who make a difference and Daniel certainly fits that bill, but he is still young and has much of life left to live. I'm sure he will make a difference all through his life. I liked reading about his causes and things that he stood for. He was quick to act in a tragic situation. The book was boring for me. I had a hard time finishing it. I would never recommend it except to a latino student who might need a role model. It was poorly written and many chapters seemed like a repeat only with a new candidate. I believe in being involved in the political process too but shaking hands, making phone calls and giving speeches doesn't make for an interesting read.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daniel is someone I had never heard of until I read this book. He was the intern to a congresswoman who was attacked during a horrific shooting, and he saved her life. That part of the memoir was really interesting and enjoyable, however, the rest of the book suffered from being a little dull. I've said this before in my reviews, but if you are going to write a memoir, you should have a remarkable and interesting life. The beginning and ending were quite good though, which led me to the 3 stars.

[Lauren Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book i would defiantly recommend it. This book has a great story that makes you feel good. Perseverance can lead to doing great things without holding back. In this book a random unexpected tragic thing happened at a public meeting with the congresswoman named gabby, Daniel her good friend was around the corner when it happened and with no hesitation ran to save peoples lives. The only thing i don't like about the book is how many names you have to keep up with but if a good reader then you should have no problem.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh buddy.

I know exactly why this book exists. Because Mr. Hernandez acted heroically at an exceptionally young age. He is a role model for marginalized young folks. He's a kid to watch out for.

But he's also a 22-year-old. There are very rare circumstances where 22-year-olds have lived long enough to merit a readable memoir. This is not one of those 22-year-olds.

5 stars for Mr. Hernandez. 3 for the book.

[Stefany · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excited to be attending the book signing tonight!

This book takes us through that tragic morning in 2011 in Tucson, AZ. He pulls you into his heart and brain as he bravely puts his own life in danger to save that of AZ Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. He takes you back in time and gives you the opportunity to really get to know the man who refused to be called a hero.

[Lindsay Andrus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a shooting that happened that killed many people, a man working for the store the event was held at ( Daniel Hernandez) tried to save as many people as possible. Sadly only a couple people lived, he was rewarded with interviews on TV and meeting the president and his wife but he never felt deserving.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A memoir by the 20 year old intern who saved Congresswoman Gabby Gifford's life on January 6, 2011. This young man has his head on straight and I would be surprised to see him as a state and eventually national political figure.

[Emiley Hutchison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book was a good story with a good moral. I loved reading about the shooting and what happened. It was very interesting to see how Daniel's life built up to that day and all the background knowledge he had before the shooting.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was ok!!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that Daniel is very brave!

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Daniel Hernandez, a gay, Latino intern who may very well have saved Gabby Giffords's life when she was shot in Tucson in 2011.

[Goddard Public]

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[Morgan Fadness · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I loved this book because it is about a man who was in the was in the war then he helps little kids achieve what they thought they never could.

[Kathy Mathey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring and straight-forward; much detail about the political world and its inner-workings. I especially liked his focus on the power of education.

[Annika Skigen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hernandez was an intern for the U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords when she was shot in January of 2011. When the assault first happen, instead of running from the gunman, Hernandez went to check on Giffords, and was put into the spotlight for his efforts. After describing “the shooting,” Hernandez writes about growing up. He learned and mastered English, resisted peer pressure even though he was bullied for his weight, sexuality, and being a Mexican-American.

The content is well developed. Not only does the book discuss the actual shooting, however it goes into detail about Daniel’s past and shows the reader how he became who he is. It is also written with a humbling tone. Daniel did not like being in the media because he said he risked his life to save others because it was the right thing to do, not because he was a hero. "They call me a hero" is very well organized. It starts with the shooting, when Daniel Hernandez became a known name. Then it talks about his past and we learn how Hernandez became the man he is. Finally, in the third section the reader learns how Hernandez continued to grow in the government. The book flows in a nice order and is broken up into different sections and then into chapters which helps to narrow down the different topics Hernandez wrote about. There are no illustrations in this book, however there are photographs of Hernandez throughout the book. These photographs always have a caption underneath then so that they reader can tell who is in the photo and what they are doing.