Starred Review ALA Booklist

Starred Review In this affecting book, Barron, perhaps best known for his magical series about Merlin, compares life to a journey, explores the way heroes inspire and guide us along the way, and shows how to make life a walk on the hero's trail. In eloquent, engaging prose that often directly addresses the reader, Barron defines the qualities of a hero by drawing on diverse, well-chosen examples from both history and myth--from ordinary kids to the likes of Prometheus, Harriet Tubman, and Stephen Hawking. Each section begins with a quotation and includes an imaginary scenario in which Barron and a young hiker face and survive various challenges during a wilderness experience. Barron's personal anecdotes and commentary enhance and provide context for the individual profiles. The preface by a noted child psychologist is too academic for the book's target audience, but the rest is a great fit, accessible and well organized. A rewarding, informative read, the book introduces and pays homage to heroes throughout time, literature, and life, and it can serve as an inspiring resource for triumphing over difficulties. Stirring quotations, religious to literary; footnotes; and an extensive bibliography make this a boon for educators as well as for readers intrigued by the myth of the hero and what it really means in both life and literature.

Horn Book

Employing a belabored hiking metaphor, Barron illustrates his philosophy of heroism by citing various young heroes from real life and myth. Some are predictable (Anne Frank, Helen Keller), but some are ordinary kids who faced physical challenges, saved someone's life, or collected money for those less fortunate. Despite occasionally cloying prose, the volume may serve to inspire some readers. Bib., ind.

Kirkus Reviews

<p>Environmentalist, author of several epic-length fantasies, and founder of an award for heroic young people, Barron invites readers to hike with an international company of heroes drawn from history, literature, and contemporary news reports. Defining five types of heroism, from unpremeditated acts such as Pocahontas's rescue of John Smith or, more recently, nine-year-old Sherwin Long's of his drowning little brother, to the constant courage displayed by the likes of Stephen Hawking, Helen Keller, and others challenged by seemingly overwhelming physical obstacles, he develops the idea that anyone, of any age, anywhere, can walk a hero's path, given some combination of courage, faith, perseverance, hope, "moral direction," and humor. He makes his points in a lucid, direct way, supports them with anecdotes featuring, for the most part, children or teenagers, and closes with a gathering of inspirational lines from Chief Seattle, Mae West, and other sages. Though Barron may confuse less knowledgeable readers by tucking fictional heroesa"Prometheus, Frodo, Mafutu from Call It Couragea"into his gallery of living, or once-living, ones, the simplicity of the message and wide range of examples combine to make compelling motivational reading. (notes, bibliography, index of names only, small black-and-white photos) (Nonfiction. 12-15)</p>

School Library Journal (Tue Feb 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Gr 5-9-In introducing and concluding this assemblage of fictional and real-life characters, Barron differentiates between the terms "hero" and "celebrity" and probes the qualities that constitute the former. The remaining chapters categorize individuals according to whether they have responded to a crisis, survived dreadful circumstances, displayed inner faith, helped others near or far, or exhibited such extraordinary actions as to be notable "for all time." The stories of Merlin and Prometheus mingle with those of Lance Armstrong, Charles Eastman, and Helen Keller. There are many examples of courageous children from Ruby Bridges and Mattie Stepanek to the lesser known, but equally inspiring young people who have raised money for people suffering in third-world countries, successfully lobbied for changes in legislation, or saved a drowning sibling. Entries are footnoted, so readers have a wealth of books, articles, and Web sites to pursue for further information. Barron likens the journey through life to a hike on a trail; his thesis is that heroes serve as guides along the way and remind us that we are not "walking alone." These and other messages are interspersed with the descriptions and conveyed through invented dialogues between the author (I) and an imagined companion (you) on the trail. While these sections are well meaning, they seem unnecessary; the biographical accounts stand on their own, with a more subtle connection to the metaphor. Nevertheless, the stories are well worth sharing. Black-and-white photos and a list of uplifting quotations add to the book's value.-Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library