cover image The Hero's Trail: A Guide for a Heroic Life

The Hero's Trail: A Guide for a Heroic Life

T. A. Barron. Philomel Books, $15.99 (144pp) ISBN 978-0-399-23860-4

A year after the tragedy of September 11, a second wave of titles arrives to inspire and comfort youngsters (see Children's Forecasts, July 29 for additional titles). The Hero's Trail: A Guide for a Heroic Life by T.A. Barron profiles people who exemplify heroic qualities, both well-known and less recognizable. Illustrating the importance of survival instincts in times of crisis, for example, the author mixes stories about Satchel Paige and Abraham Lincoln, Ruby Bridges and Anne Frank with the story of 10-year-old Joshua Dennis, who sang and prayed before being rescued from the mine where he was trapped for five days in 1989. Each chapter opens with a hiking story that illustrates a heroic quality and an inspirational quote; ""More Quotations for the Trail"" rounds out the volume.