I was around ten years old, sleeping in the back seat of my moms car, parked during evenings at the Detroit River. I looked out the window at the stars, as I feared morning until by exhaustion I would fall asleep. I often woke up having wet my pants from my very real and imagined fears. By day, my mom would look for work and wash clothes while I hung out with the old black guys that would spend their day fishing in the Detroit River. I thought I was the only one who grew up in fear, in a world of abuse, until at thirteen I finally met my half-brother at a professional boxing match. He was in sitting next to our dad. Donny looked at me from inside the ring, trying to figure out who I was as the fight announcer was making his formal introductions. All we had shared at this point was the same biological father. Little did we know...

Struck by Lightning while playing alone in the backyard standing on the picnic table with his wooden sword in a rainstorm, a small boy everyone called Peanuts: he was so little lying in the mud looking up at the sky. While feeling an incredible connection with the universe yet not sure he was alive or dead? Abandoned by his parents and placed into foster care. Dyln learns to play football and fight to survive his childhood. Turns out he may have what it takes to become one of the best fighters in the world. Tempted by sex, drugs and music through death and tragedy, Dylan fights for his life to stay on the love word path. Fighting in his daily life and in sports, Dylan was also discovering how to heal himself so he could become instrumental in healing others. He was learning that true Holistic Health meant finding the balance between his mind, body, and spirit, while dealing with the extreme behaviors and events in his life that challenge the universal laws affecting the pillars and balance of his health. Dylan was awakening to the realization that the transformation he was experiencing in his life was like that of caterpillar becoming a butterfly. And that, ultimately, he was put on earth as a fighter and a healer on an incredible journey to become a Shaman!

Foster care was Schwartzen Precil's home since he was one years old. He endured many extreme hardships including an encounter with the criminal justice system as a teenager. He used that obstacle as an opportunity to start over. Despite a traumatic childhood, Schwartzen remained hopeful as he developed a resilient spirit. Through the game of basketball, he enhanced his leadership skills which earned him college scholarship. After graduation, he went on to empower and inspires youth and young professionals with his story as he searched for his long lost family. "Many people struggle with acceptance, identity, and emotional instability their entire lives. I decided to stop blaming others and take full responsibility. I became my own hero." -Schwartzen Precil

A New York Times-Bestseller! For twelve-year-old Emily, the best thing about moving to San Francisco is that it's the home city of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, book publisher and creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger (a game where books are hidden in cities all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles). Upon her arrival, however, Emily learns that Griswold has been attacked and is now in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold himself, and might contain the only copy of his mysterious new game. Racing against time, Emily and James rush from clue to clue, desperate to figure out the secret at the heart of Griswold's new game—before those who attacked Griswold come after them too. This title has Common Core connections.

This is the story of a heros journeyof dark and light, addiction and recovery, life and death and the afterlife. It is a story of sorrow and redemption, the bond between a mother and son, and the legacy of addiction that they heal together after her son crosses to the other side. The Hero in Heroin is Mindy Miralias honest telling of her life as an international businesswoman who constantly strove to be the best parent possible despite her familys constant uprooting from one part of the globe to anothermoves that were demanded by work. And although his childhood was filled with love, by the time her son was fifteen, Micah was hooked on drugs. He eventually succumbed to the lure of deadly heroin. When Micah committed suicide at age 31, his soul was aware that it had not finished its work. Returning to his mother in spirit form, he brought home the heros treasure, working to help her heal and to help society reconnect with the spiritual aspects of the human condition. At a time when our country faces a heroin epidemic, this book will inspire anyone battling with addiction and anyone who has lost a child, no matter what age or cause.

"The heroic quest is about saying 'yes' to yourself and in so doing, becoming more fully alive and more effective in the world. . . . The quest is replete with dangers and pitfalls, but it offers great rewards: the capacity to be successful in the world, knowledge of the mysteries of the human soul, and the opportunity to find and express your unique gifts in the world." In this bold and original work, Carol S. Pearson shows that the heroic quest isn't just for certain people under special circumstances. Exploring the many heroic paths available to each of us, at every point in our lives, her innovative program enables us to live heroically by activating and applying twelve archetypes in our lives. This companion to the bestselling The Hero Within outlines twelve archetypal patterns that can aid inner development and the quest for wholeness. These archetypes are inner guides that can help us prepare for the journey, by learning how to become successful members of society; embark upon the quest, by becoming initiated into the mysteries of the human soul; and return to transform our lives as a result of claiming our uniqueness and personal power. Writing for individuals seeking to realize their full potential and professionals engaged in empowering others, Pearson shows how journeys differ by the age, gender, and cultural background of the seeker, and how archetypes help awaken the capacities of our psyches. A unique diagnostic test, the Heroic Myth Index, and exercise are included to help us understand and awaken our inner guides.

In his grandparents' attic, 12 year-old Ted Rozock finds a pair of riding boots and an army hat, worn in the Spanish-American War. They fit him to a tee and set him on a journey of discovery about his greatgrandfather and the famous man he fought beside in Cuba. Ted immerses himself in the writings of Theodore Roosevelt after a teacher encourages him to present a rip-roaring speech as the Rough Rider for a "History Day" competition. As he gathers a complete "TR" costume and assumes the character he will portray, Ted is inspired to act boldly in his own life and times. His path mirrors that of his hero, who suffered loss and rebounded to greater heights. The seventh grader's string of successes attracts the eyes of beguiling girls and the ire of a whiskered bully. Can Ted meet every modern challenge by staying true to his namesake? Todd Shorack grew up in a globe-trotting Air Force family with deep roots in the state of Oregon. He graduated from the University of Oregon in Eugene and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Todd is married, with two sons. He likes to hang out at the intersection of family and history. While cleaning out a grandparent's attic, family members found antique military clothing that fit the author's son and planted the seed for this story.