Your Voice Is Your Superpower : A Beginner's Guide to Freedom of Speech (and the First Amendment)

What is free speech and why is it so special? Your Voice is Your Superpower tells you why your voice matters and how you can use it and also why we must protect everyone’s right to free speech.

"The First Amendment gives us superpowers! What a terrific way to help kids understand why they are free to say and write what they think. This engaging story is perfect for young readers and maybe a few parents, too."

--Kathleen Carroll, Chair of the Board of the Committee to Protect Journalists

Everyone loves superheroes. Who doesn't? They're super! Some of them can fly. Some are strong. Some can become invisible. And some wear capes. But the thing that really makes them super is that they help people and change the world. And guess what? You have a superpower inside you.

Your VOICE is your superpower. 

And because of a thing called freedom of speech, with that voice, you can express yourself, you can help people and you can change the world. 

Children get their values and learn what is important from their parents. Freedom of expression is one of those values – one that is perhaps more important than ever before. Free speech is necessary to maintain a democracy. Without it, people may be afraid to say what they think and believe, and will be unable to share their thoughts and beliefs with other people and the government.

Freedom of expression also requires willing listeners, even to speech we may not want to hear. If we do not teach our children these basic values, and they neither speak nor listen to other points of view, and shout down those with whom they disagree, what will happen to our Republic? So we decided to write this book to help parents get their children started down the path to believing in the free and open exchange of ideas, thoughts and beliefs. 

A portion of proceeds will be donated to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Jessica Bohrer has been protecting and empowering journalists for over a decade. She is Vice President and Editorial Counsel in the newsroom at Forbes. She serves on the Leadership Council of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-profit which promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists. She also provides pro bono support to journalists working with the International Senior Lawyers Project. Prior to joining Forbes, Jessica worked to protect journalists at the PBS flagship station in New York, WNET on programs such as NewsHour Weekend and Women, War & Peace.

Sandy Bohrer is a leading First Amendment lawyer. Over the past four decades, he has represented publishers and broadcasters in scores of lawsuits involving freedom of speech and the press. He founded Florida ´s First Amendment hotline to provide journalists with free legal advice. He has devoted much of his time over the past two decades to the rights and care of children, particularly children who have been at risk of being taken from their parents by the state because of abuse or neglect. He teaches a college class about children and the media. Sandy is also Jessica's dad.