Ben Carson - Softcover

Lewis, Gregg; Lewis, Deborah Shaw

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0310702984 ISBN 13: 9780310702986

Publisher: Zonderkidz, 2002

Synopsis

Take an up-close and personal look into the lives of some well-known Christians who are successful leaders in their careers. The Today's Heroes series features everyday people who overcame great adversity to become modern-day heroes. Kids ages eight to twelve will be inspired by the compelling stories of courageous individuals who are making a real difference. In Today's Heroes: Ben Carson, learn the inspiring story of an inner-city kid who went from 'class dummy' to a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon. Many had given up on Ben, including himself, but his mother never did. She encouraged him to do better and reach higher for his dreams. Just when things seemed like they were going well, in a fit of rage, Ben does the unthinkable and nearly kills one his best friends. Read how Ben Carlson was able to accomplish his dream through faith and determination.

About this title

About the Author

Gregg Lewis is an award winning author or coauthor of more than fifty books, including Take the Risk and The Big Picture with Dr. Ben Carson, Tom Landry: An Autobiography, Forgiving the Dead Man Walking with Debbie Morris, Jesus M.D., and Safe at Home. Gregg Lewis es autor y coautor galardonado de mas de cincuenta libros, incluyendo Arriesgate y Vision Global con Ben Carson, Tom Landry: Una autobiografia, Jesus M.D., y A salvo en casa. el y su esposa, Deborah, tienen cinco hijos y residen en Rome, Georgia.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1 The Class Dummy From the time I was eight years old, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. I imagined myself traveling to primitive villages around the world. I dreamed of curing the sick, just like those missionary doctors I heard about in church. Unfortunately only top students get into medical school. I was the worst student in the whole fifth grade at Higgins Elementary School. No one else came close. I didn't understand a thing that was going on in my classes. If any of my fifth grade classmates or their parents had heard me talking about becoming a doctor, they would have laughed until their ribs hurt. Their teasing was bad enough. After every test we took, their cruel remarks came zinging at me like poisoned darts: “I know what Ben Carson got! A big zero!” “Hey, dummy, think you'll get one right this time?” “Carson got one right last time. You know why? Sheer accident! He was trying to put down the wrong answer, but he goofed.” Sitting stiffly at my desk, I acted as if I did not hear the other students. Sometimes I just smiled back at them. But their words hurt. I'm just dumb, I thought, and everybody knows it. How could they help but know it when our teacher, Mrs. Williamson, had us correct each other's math quizzes? After she read the answers, each test was marked and returned to its owner. Then we had to report our score out loud when the teacher called our names. One day I passed my quiz to the girl behind me. She was the ringleader of the kids who teased me about being dumb. My heart sank when she returned my corrected paper and I saw the score. As Mrs. Williamson started calling the names, I ducked my head in shame. I cringed at the sound of my own name. “Benjamin?” Mrs. Williamson waited for me to report my score. I mumbled my reply. “Nine!” Mrs. Williamson was so pleased she dropped her pen. She smiled at me. “Why, Benjamin, that's wonderful!” For me to get nine out of thirty math problems would have been more than wonderful—it would have been a miracle! Before I realized what was happening, the girl behind me yelled, “Not nine! He got none. He didn't get any of them right.” Her snickers were echoed by laughs and giggles all over the room. “That's enough!” the teacher said sharply, but it was too late. I don't think I have ever again felt so lonely or so stupid. It was bad enough that I usually missed almost every question on the tests. But when the whole class laughed at my stupidity, I wanted to drop through the floor. I was one of the few black kids at our school. Although no one in my white class said anything about my being black, my failure helped convince me that black kids were not as smart as white ones. As the weeks passed, I accepted that I was at the bottom of the class because that was where I belonged. I should have realized right then that I had no chance of ever becoming a doctor. What were my chances of ever making it through high school, much less going on to medical school? I should have given up my dream and gone on to something sensible. I probably would have given up if my mother had not been so stubborn. “You weren't born to be a failure, Bennie,” she said over and over again. “You can do it! Don't you stop believing that for one second.” I used to get mighty tired of hearing those words. There were times when I wished she would realize I was a dumb kid and just let me be. But Mother refused to give in. Who could have believed that the worst student in Higgins Elementary School fifth grade would one day become a world-famous brain surgeon? That a poor ghetto kid would learn to perform operations too risky for some of the most highly trained surgeons to attempt? That the kid who got zero out of thirty on his math quizzes would regularly snatch the lives of tiny children from the edge of death? Mother believed. She told me many times, “If you ask the Lord for something and believe he will do it, then it'll happen.” My life is living proof that it's true

Edition details

• Publisher: Zonderkidz
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0310702984
• ISBN 13: 9780310702986
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 112