Wisconsin Idols: 100 Heroes Who Changed the State, the World, and Me

by Dean Robbins

Inspiring stories of celebrities and locals who made their presence known in Wisconsin 



Discover intriguing true tales of legends and trailblazers who left their mark on Wisconsin’s history and communities, including the Beatles, Georgia O’Keeffe, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Harrison Ford, Joni Mitchell, Abraham Lincoln, Oprah Winfrey, Bob Dylan, Jackie Robinson, Orson Welles, and many more. Marvel at Elvis Presley’s miracle on the streets of Madison, applaud the award-winning acting of Reedsburg’s Agnes Moorehead, follow fearless quarterback Bart Starr to the gates of hell in Green Bay, and join Joshua Glover in Racine on his daring escape from enslavers. These brief narratives—whether poignant or humorous—also offer personal reflections on the impact of each featured idol. 



Author Dean Robbins has spent a lifetime researching and revering these prominent figures and visiting exhibits, shrines, historic homes, and other sites dedicated to their achievements. Wisconsin Idols gathers all of Robbins’s obsessions into one collection, enhanced by dozens of photographs. Taken together, these stories of musicians, activists, artists, athletes, actors, and great thinkers irrefutably establish Wisconsin as a crossroads for extraordinary people who changed the world.

312 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

Dean Robbins writes nonfiction children’s picture books about his heroes. His award-winning books have been featured on Public Radio International and praised in The New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and other publications, along with receiving starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal. They’ve been chosen for best-of-the-year honors by the American Library Association, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, and Children’s Book Council, among others, and "Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass" was adapted as a short film by Weston Wood Studios. As a journalist, Robbins has served as the editor of Isthmus and contributed to USA Today, The New York Daily News, Space.com, Wisconsin Public Radio, and other media outlets. He draws on his journalism experience to interview the subjects of his children’s books, including Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean and NASA’s pioneering computer scientist Margaret Hamilton.

Reviews

[Julie_Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, interesting read on how Wisconsin influenced many famous and infamous persons. I learned a lot of new facts and history lessons from this book.

[Malena · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are from WI this is an interesting read. Interesting people and places are mentioned with details you've probably never heard about.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Began with anticipation ended with disappointment

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short pieces about amazing Wisconsinites. I loved all 100!