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The 2026 All Iowa Reads selection for kids is The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner.
Back to topAbout the Book
One summer. 46 mountain peaks.
A second chance to make things right.
Finn Connelly is nothing like his dad, a star athlete and firefighter hero who always ran toward danger until he died two years ago. Finn’s about to fail seventh grade and has never made headlines . . . until now. Caught on camera vandalizing a cemetery, he’s in big trouble for kicking down some dead old lady’s headstone. But it turns out that grave belongs to a legendary local mountain climber, and her daughter makes Finn an unusual offer: climb all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks with her dead mother’s dog, and they can call it even. In a wild three months of misadventures, mountain mud, and unexpected mentors, Finn begins to find his way on the trails. At the top of each peak, he can see for miles and slowly begins to understand more about himself and his dad. But the mountains don’t care about any of that, and as the clock ticks down to September, they have more surprises in store. Finn’s final summit challenge may be more than even a hero can face.
Back to topBook Discussion Questions
- What does it mean to be a hero? Can you brainstorm some people that come to mind when you think of the word, “hero?” What makes someone a hero?
- At the beginning of the book, Finn kicks over a gravestone. What was he really angry and sad about? What other ways did he show his feelings throughout the story?
- Finn has to write different kinds of poems for an English class assignment. Did Finn's poems feel like boring homework, or were they a secret way for him to talk about the things he couldn't say out loud?
- Finn loves baking cookies and concocts cookie recipes to help the family’s chocolate shop. Why do you think he enjoys baking, and how does it connect him to his dad and his family, especially his grandmother?
Finn learns that his dad, Noah Connelly, was an athlete, and a hero during 9/11, but he was also a complicated person who struggled with PTSD and addiction. Why do you think it was important for Finn to learn the truth about his dad?
Reread the poem, “Admired” (pg.105). What do you think: Does someone only become a hero when someone else knows about what they did and admires them, or can someone be a hero quietly if no one else knows?
What signs do you notice that Finn’s attitude about climbing the Adirondacks as reparations is beginning to change? Why do you think that is? How did being in nature change the way Finn thought and felt?
On the Saddleback Cliffs, Coach tells Finn:
Some things are just tough
and there’s no way around the hard parts.
Only through.
Sometimes there’s no good path—
just a bad way and a worse way—
so you might as well choose one and get started. (p. 256)
How do you think Finn felt to hear this from Coach? How might Coach have been trying to be helpful?Compare the poem, “The Trouble with Heroes II” (p. 348) to the original poem, “The Trouble with Heroes” (p. 153). What is different between the two poems? What has Finn realized? How has he grown and changed?
If you had to hike one of the 46 peaks, which of Finn's custom cookie recipes (like the Algonquin Cookies) would you want to pack in your bag?
All Iowa Reads Promotional Items
Libraries and book discussion groups can use the promotional items created by the State Library to promote the All Iowa Reads program and discussion events. Access a Google Drive folder with 2026 promotional items, including images, press release template, printable poster, and social media graphics:
Canva Poster Templates: Customizable poster templates have also been created for library use. 2026 Canva Templates
About Author Kate Messner
Kate Messner is a New York Times best-selling author. She is passionately curious and writes books that encourage kids to wonder, too. Her titles include award-winning picture books like Over and Under the Snow, Over and Under the Wetland, The Next Scientist, and The Scariest Kitten in the World; novels like Breakout and Chirp; the Fergus and Zeke easy readers; the popular Ranger in Time chapter book series; and the History Smashers graphic nonfiction series. Kate also leads the multi-author team behind The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class chapter books.
Kate’s titles are frequently selected for One School, One Book and One School/One Author programs and other community-wide reads. Her books have been New York Times Notable, Junior Library Guild, IndieBound, and Bank Street College of Education Best Books selections. Her novel The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. won the E.B. White Read Aloud Medal, and her science picture books have been finalists for the American Academy for the Advancement of Sciences/Subaru SB&F prize for excellence in science writing.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Kate was a TV news reporter as well as an educator who spent 15 years teaching middle school English. She lives on Lake Champlain with her family and is a proud Adirondack 46er.
Back to topOther Readalikes For Further Reading
Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams
All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson
Finding Lost by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine
Find Copies of The Trouble with Heroes to Borrow
Find out which Iowa libraries have copies of the book to borrow, or find out how to request sets for discussion groups.
Find in Iowa Public Libraries:
- Contact your local public library or search their online catalog for copies to borrow.
Find on Bridges: Iowa's eLibrary:
Multiple Copies for Discussion Groups:
- For libraries: Each of the six District Offices for the State Library offers a book discussion set for libraries to borrow. Contact your local district office to request a set.