3) Part of the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, Bennett won his first Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots. After erasing a 28-3 deficit, the Patriots won Super Bowl 51 defeating the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34-28.
MB: My favorite super hero has to be Deadpool or Wolverine. I like Wolverine because even though he's so dark he always helps everyone out. He always looked out for everybody. I love Wolverine. Batman, too. I also love Batman.
My favorite character I've created is AJ. AJ's my favorite because she's my first character and she's based on my daughter Jett. She's very personal to me.
J's Follow Up: Wolverine is one of my favorites in the X-men too. I like his healing power and his bone claws too. Black Panther is my favorite super hero of all time. He has the ability defeat opponents that are stronger than him and he has so many powers. Speed, strength, agility, and healing power. I like that he sticks to himself but also can join a team and help out when others need him too.
D: What is it like to play football with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, two of my favorite players? I'm so happy you play on my favorite team the Packers.
MB: Those are two of the best quarterbacks ever in the history of football. Tom Brady was awesome but I'm looking forward to playing with Aaron Rodgers. I think he's going to be really good, so far we've been on the same page, so it's been fun. Plus I look good in green.
D's Follow Up: I'm happy that he's on the Packers and I think he looks good in green too. I think he's going to be a great tight end. Aaron Rodgers will be happy to have him because he's a great a quarterback and Martellus catches great. I was cheering for the Patriots to win the Super Bowl and I'm so glad he won but I like the Packers the most.
This past Saturday, my wife and I took Danny to meet Martellus Bennett at Rotofugi, a designer toy shop in Chicago. They had an event for a special release of his first vinyl toy, SkyDiver McGuire. Martellus and his friend and comic book author/illustrator Skottie Young did Q & A session so we got to hear all about his passion for creativity.
Martellus and Skottie shared their thoughts on their own creative processes and where they get inspiration for their stories. The most memorable takeaway for me was when Martellus shared that he plays football because he wants to but he creates because he needs to. He shared his mission to help bring more diverse characters to books. If you look at the stories we see published today, you'll see there is still a long way to go. Like every parent, I want my children to read stories with characters they can relate to. Martellus aims to fill this gap for his daughter Jett but there are so many kids who would benefit from seeing themselves in stories too. This is also Jen's main focus in her writing and she will share more about the need for more diverse books in Mom's Take below.
Martellus' new vinyl toy SkyDiver McGuire is a hispanic character who represents Martellus' alter ego. He comes in five variations including The Playground model, Theme Park model, Black Licorice model, Sandbox model, and Nighthawk model. We picked out the Theme Park model pictured below as it represents our love of theme parks and excitement to seek out the latest and greatest thrill rides. This toy looked right at home with the other colorful and unique toys on display at Rotofugi on Saturday and is the perfect addition to our wild and high-energy house. We admire Martellus' creative side and can't wait to see what he will come up with next!
Bennett not only excels off the field but he is a Pro Bowl caliber tight end when he hits the field on football Sundays. He's played for some of the most storied franchises in NFL history to date. Martellus now joins the Packers with perennial Pro Bowl QB Aaron Rodgers after winning the Super Bowl with Tom Brady, the QB widely considered the best to ever play the game. Danny is certainly excited that the Packers got such a great player to add to their already awesome receiver group. I believe that Green Bay got a major upgrade at tight end and I know that the Rodgers to Bennett combination will wreak havoc against my Chicago Bears defense next season. But teams aside, Martellus is an amazing person and in the end, football is just a game. I wish him the best of success off the field as well as on it. Thanks for taking the time to answer Danny and Jordan's questions and hosting such a cool event in Chicago!
I first met Martellus Bennett at a Bears' Kids Club event when they showed his animated short film Zoovie: A Warm and Fuzzy Tale. Before they started the movie, Martellus answered questions that kids in the crowd had for him. Our son Jordan asked him if he had a favorite book and I turned to Chad with wide eyes when he started rattling off more than your typical children's book. I was impressed, this guy didn't only read and love Harry Potter, he really knew children's literature. Afterwards, I introduced myself to Martellus and told him how much I loved books too. Since then, it's been awesome to see how dedicated he is to pursuing his passion for creating off the field.
As an educator, I've been blogging since 2010 about mentor texts at my blog Teach Mentor Texts. Mentor texts are any kind of writing that can be used to influence your own writing. I believe teachers can incorporate mentor texts into writing instruction. I'm a supporter of Nerdy Book Club, a crowd-sourced blog that celebrates books and a love of reading, and I've been involved with Teachers Write, a virtual summer writing camp for teachers, since it started in 2012. When I started writing with my own students, I realized I have my own stories to tell. Like Chad mentioned, I'm passionate about the We Need Diverse Books campaign. Being Latina myself, I grew up reading books with mostly white characters written by mostly white people. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized the impact of not seeing myself in books. It took me years to embrace it and to be proud of being Latina. Writing helped me to identify with my Latina side and now I hope to inspire others.
If you want to support diversity in children's literature, WNDB has lists of where you can find diverse books. The best we can do to support creators is to read and share their work. If you can buy books, request books from your local library, and share your reviews on social media, it really helps them out. I'm sure you're super intrigued about Martellus and all he has created off the field, right? You can visit The Imagination Agency Shop to check it all out!
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