What if the strongest boy in the world just wanted to grow up like everyone else?
Waiting for Clark Kent is a coming-of-age novel inspired by the classic children's sports stories of the past, especially the timeless spirit of The Kid From Tomkinsville by John R. Tunis, where character matters more than talent and growing up is the greatest challenge of all.
Set against the mythology of Smallville and beyond, Brad Laidman reimagines the boy behind the legend. Before the cape. Before the fame. Before the world expected him to be a hero.
Clark is gifted beyond imagination, faster, stronger, smarter than anyone around him, yet painfully unsure of who he is or what he owes the world. As he navigates small-town sports, first love, family expectations, and the crushing weight of potential, he confronts the universal struggle every young person faces:
How do you become yourself when everyone expects you to be something else?
Blending humor, heart, nostalgia, and philosophical depth, Waiting for Clark Kent captures the innocence of youth, the thrill of competition, and the ache of growing up in a world that rarely feels built for you.
Beautiful sepia-toned illustrations, inspired by the classic books of the 1940s, enrich the reading experience and give the story a timeless charm that echoes the golden age of storytelling.
Originally conceived in 1987, this book was envisioned as the perfect story for adults to read with their young loved ones, helping elevate them from comic books toward the highest levels of intellectual and philosophical fiction, while still allowing them to remain fans of both long after the final page.
This is not a story about saving the world.
It is about surviving childhood, discovering love, facing loss, and learning what it truly means to become a man.
For readers who grew up on classic sports novels and timeless tales of youth, and for anyone who has ever felt different, out of place, or burdened by expectation, Waiting for Clark Kent is both a tribute to the stories that shaped us and a bold new reflection on what it means to grow up.
Grab your copy of Waiting for Clark Kent today and rediscover the wonder, heartbreak, and hope of growing up.