Heritage Book Publishing has announced the official release of Hi, My Name Is Blayden, a children's book by Bonnie J. Fletcher built around the everyday life of her great-nephew, Blayden. The book, published April 21, 2026, is available in paperback and eBook through major online retailers, including Amazon, and through the Heritage Book Publishing website.
The release matters because it approaches disability literature from a deliberately ordinary angle. Rather than explaining Down syndrome in clinical terms, the narrative follows a 7th/8th-grade boy with Down syndrome through a single day: waking up grumpy, riding to school with his dad, whom the book describes as his hero and best friend, navigating classes at Northside Middle School, taking the school bus home, playing video games and pitch and catch, swimming, and eating his favorite meal from Cracker Barrel.
That focus on routine is the book's central claim on readers' attention. The story captures Blayden's tech-savvy nature, his bifocals, his fondness for cleaning and chores, his attraction to animals, and his habit of repeating what he hears and sees. The publisher frames these details as a relatable human-interest perspective on disability rather than an educational primer, and the book is published in official support of Down Syndrome Indiana.
The family history behind the project is part of its appeal. When Blayden came to live with his great-aunt Bonnie, her mother, and his dad at just 17 days old, relatives rallied around him, crawling on floors and hanging from doorframes to make him react and smile. Blayden is now a lively middle schooler raised by his dad, and Fletcher, born and raised in Hope, Indiana, has spent her life in caregiving and helping others.
For readers and the publishing sector, the announcement signals continued demand for children's titles that place disabled characters at the center of unremarkable, everyday stories rather than framing them around diagnosis. The book's tie to a state advocacy organization also positions it as a community-supported release, a model that can extend a title's reach beyond standard retail channels. Hi, My Name Is Blayden is available now through major online retailers.
