This fifth grade volume in the Madonna Series is intended as a study in virtue using the stories of the Saints. Each one is presented, not merely as a two-dimensional figure for admiration, or a miracle worker, but as a real human in real-world situations, having to make tough decisions in order to become the Heroes of God's Church.

This collection brings to life the story of eleven holy heroes who devoted their lives to bringing the transforming truth of Christ to people who did not know Him. Their lives illuminated by the master historian Henri Daniel-Rops, these intrepid Catholics cheerfully risked rejection, ridicule, imprisonment, torture, and death in order to proclaim Christ.

Men of Fearless Faith Meet men who have used their God-given talents to live out their faith to the fullest. They come from a variety of backgrounds, eras, and ethnicities, but each one has answered the Lord’s call on their life in bold and innovative ways. Children of all ages will be inspired by the stories of C.S. Lewis—professor and author of the influential Chronicles of Narnia series Zhang Boli—Chinese dissident, journalist, and Christian pastor Richard Allen—former slave and founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Tim Tebow—athlete, Heisman trophy winner, and outspoken follower of Christ Father Damien—priest who dedicated his life to helping lepers in Hawaii These and the 45 other defenders of the faith featured in this book have made a profound impact on the world around them, and in many cases changed the course of history. Strong, smart, and sometimes outspoken, these men are tremendous examples of God’s love in action. These inspiring profiles will captivate kids’ imaginations and encourage them to discover their own gifts and how they can use them to glorify God.

Meet the Original Superheroes. Before there was Batman, Wonder Woman, or Black Panther...there was Indra, Hindu king of gods, who battled a fearsome snake to save the world from drought. Athena, the powerful Greek goddess of wisdom who could decide the fate of battles before they even began. Okuninushi, the Japanese hero who defeated eighty brothers to become king and then traded it all for a chance at immortality. Featuring more than 70 characters from 23 cultures around the world, this A-to-Z encyclopedia of mythology is a who's who of powerful gods and goddesses, warriors and kings, enchanted creatures and earthshaking giants whose stories have been passed down since the beginning of time—and are now given fresh life for a new generation of young readers. Plus, You'll Learn All About: Dragons: The Hydra, St. George's Dragon, and the Australian Rainbow Snake Giants: Grendel, Balor of the Evuil Eye, Polyphemus, and the Purusha with the thousand heads Monsters: Manticore, Sphinx, Minotaur, Thunderbird, and Echidne, mother of the Nemean lion that nearly killed Heracles Underworlds: Travel to Hades, Valhalla, and the Elysian Fields

Selections from The Bible story volumes.

"It is evident after exploring these heroes' lives and writings that God remains a Mystery—a reality beyond images, descriptions, dogmas and creeds."—From the Epilogue How does a person imagine God? How does that image change as the person matures spiritually and undergoes a significant religious experience? What influences—political, social, gender, faith tradition—shape and change a person's view of God? In this compelling and inspiring book of biographical theology, Brennan Hill uses stories and historical and theological sources to tell us how eight modern religious heroes see God. Hill's religious heroes are diverse: a Hindu (Mahatma Gandhi), a Jewess who converted to Christianity (Edith Stein), a black Baptist minister (Martin Luther King, Jr.), a Catholic laywoman (Dorothy Day), a Salvadoran archbishop (Archbishop Oscar Romero), two Jesuit priests (Pierre Tielhard de Chardin and Daniel Berrigan) and a nun (Mother Teresa of Calcutta). Hill writes: "Many of my religious heroes lived out their faith in an outstanding manner. For all of these religious heroes God was often close at hand, deeply felt in the events of their lives, glimpsed in the people they met, pursuing them in their minds and hearts. God, as it were, came with many intriguing faces: as a God of truth, of the homeless and of the mountain. God came in the cosmos, as one beckoning to prophecy and as a fellow sufferer sharing the cross. Divinity appeared as the power of peace and in the poverty of the abandoned. Each one of us might now ask: What face has my God shown to me?"

Describes the lives of biblical heroes, including Enoch, Joseph, Esther, and Jonah.