WHAT MAKES A warrior? This gutsy collection of 15 original short stories compiled by bestselling author Tamora Pierce and anthologist-author Josepha Sherman answers this question with thought, heart, a lot of variety, and an occasional wink. Contributors include some of today’s most-beloved fantasy and sciencefiction authors: Tamora Pierce, Holly Black, Pamela Service, Margaret Mahy, Bruce Holland Rogers, Mike Resnick, Brent Hartinger, and more.

What makes a warrior? This gutsy collection of original short stories offers a variety of answers to the question with thoughtfulness, heart and the occasional wink. The characters in these stories range from archetypal 'take no prisoners' heroes to those who abhor violence. There are even a few who are utterly clueless at the outset and must discover what they are made of. The settings are as diverse as the warriors themselves: purely fantasy realms are represented, as well as medieval England, a mythical African plain, ancient Greece and Egypt, colonial India and folktale Russia, to name a few. Regardless of protagonist or locale, these stories will thrill and entertain readers. But most importantly, they will make a reader ask the warrior within: what would I fight for? Compiled by best-selling author Tamora Pierce and folklorist/author Josepha Sherman, 'Young Warriors' includes stories by some of today's most acclaimed and beloved fantasy and science-fiction authors for both adults and young adults.

In 1735, five Maroon boys are ready to be initiated as warriors. They have prepared long and hard for this day, and must now pass a sequence of tests. How the boys approach this, the most important day of their lives, says much about how they will respond to the challenges ahead. When they encounter a Redcoat troop in the forest near their village, the defence of the village and surrounding Maroon communities will depend on these boys, their training, courage, and intelligence. On this occasion, their community depends on them for its survival, but their initiation as warriors also teaches them lifelong lessons about loyalty, responsibility, trustworthiness and friendship.

Collected here for the first time are all of the tales from the land of Tortall, featuring both previously unknown characters as well as old friends. Filling some gaps of time and interest, these stories, some of which have been published before, will lead Tammy's fans, and new readers into one of the most intricately constructed worlds of modern fantasy.

In Courage in America: Warriors with Character, seven American warriors tell their stories of tragedy and triumph after suffering traumatic injuries and being faced with reestablishing their post-war lives. Through personal interviews, author Michael Kerrigan shows their courage and spirit as they beat the odds and overcome obstacles in the face of adversity. He reflects on their courage, leadership abilities, and military life, showcasing the good character of these young heroes, their caregivers, and families. The stories in this book will inspire, helping to motivate newly injured troops towards recovery, and giving Americans a better understanding of the sacrifices so many have made.

An adaptation of 'The heart and the fist' for teens.

As featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp, and for readers of I Am Malala, one of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her story of fighting to belong. “If I didn’t fight, who would?” Judy Heumann was only 5 years old when she was first denied her right to attend school. Paralyzed from polio and raised by her Holocaust-surviving parents in New York City, Judy had a drive for equality that was instilled early in life. In this young readers’ edition of her acclaimed memoir, Being Heumann, Judy shares her journey of battling for equal access in an unequal world—from fighting to attend grade school after being described as a “fire hazard” because of her wheelchair, to suing the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her disability. Judy went on to lead 150 disabled people in the longest sit-in protest in US history at the San Francisco Federal Building. Cut off from the outside world, the group slept on office floors, faced down bomb threats, and risked their lives to win the world’s attention and the first civil rights legislation for disabled people. Judy’s bravery, persistence, and signature rebellious streak will speak to every person fighting to belong and fighting for social justice.

WARS CHANGE, WARRIORS DON'T We are all warriors. Each of us struggles every day to define and defend our sense of purpose and integrity, to justify our existence on the planet and to understand, if only within our own hearts, who we are and what we believe in. Do we fight by a code? If so, what is it? What is the Warrior Ethos? Where did it come from? What form does it take today? How do we (and how can we) use it and be true to it in our internal and external lives? The Warrior Ethos is intended not only for men and women in uniform, but artists, entrepreneurs and other warriors in other walks of life. The book examines the evolution of the warrior code of honor and "mental toughness." It goes back to the ancient Spartans and Athenians, to Caesar's Romans, Alexander's Macedonians and the Persians of Cyrus the Great (not excluding the Garden of Eden and the primitive hunting band). Sources include Herodotus, Thucydides, Plutarch, Xenophon, Vegetius, Arrian and Curtius--and on down to Gen. George Patton, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and Israeli Minister of Defense, Moshe Dayan.

From a double cop-killing on the frozen streets of Minnesota to the burning sands of Mogadishu, Somali pirates and a brutal civil war, All The Young Warriors is an epic thriller spanning continents and cultures. Murder, warfare, piracy, love, betrayal and revenge - this is a white-knuckle ride for fans of James Lee Burke (the Dave Robicheaux series) and Michael Connelly (the Harry Bosch series).Winner of the 2012 Spinetingler Award for Best Novel: Rising StarWhen two of the Twin Cities' "Lost Boys" — young Somali men drafted to fight for terrorists back in the homeland — kill a pair of cops on his home turf, detective Ray Bleeker is left devastated. One of the dead cops was his girlfriend. The investigation grinds to a halt when he discovers that the young murderers have fled to Somalia to fight in the rebel army. He's at his wits' end until the father of one of the boys, an ex-gang leader called Mustafa, comes looking for answers. Bleeker and Mustafa form an uneasy alliance, teaming up to help bring the boys back home. But little do they know what Somalia has in store for them."a brilliant book, possibly the best novel of the year." - Les Edgerton"written with a sureness of hand and a depth of character that are impressive. A highly accomplished crime novel exposing an often unseen world." - The Big Issue"All The Young Warriors will grip readers who enjoy the chance to slip into a foreign culture and also those who want a page-turning thriller" - Spinetingler Magazine"a powerful story that is both riveting and meaningful" - Crime Fiction Lover"this book is a classic in the making" - I Meant To Read That"All The Young Warriors is a pretty rare beast, a clever page-turner. It deserves to be a bestseller and has film adaptation stamped all over it." - Loitering With Intent"a courageous novel that raises a lot of pertinent questions" - Dead End Follies"Smith writes with force and clarity" - The Chicago Tribune"Smith's version of Minnesota is no Lake Wobegon; the inhabitants are refreshingly made up entirely of the deranged, the damaged, and the doomed. If you can picture the intellectual and physical mayhem that might have resulted from a Jim Thompson and Harry Crews collaboration, you'd be on the right track. But Anthony Neil Smith is his own writer — and a very fine one, indeed." - Booklist Also by Anthony Neil Smith featuring Mustafa and Adem: Once A Warrior.

Praise for the instant New York Times bestseller Skyhunter “Riveting.” —POPSUGAR “Action-packed.” —BuzzFeed “Fresh.” —Los Angeles Times “Exhilarating...a rollercoaster of a reading experience.” —The Nerd Daily A Quiet Place meets Attack on Titan in this unputdownable, adrenaline-laced novel. Strikers are loyal. With unparalleled, deadly fighting skills. With a willingness to do anything—including sacrifice their own lives—to defend Mara, the world’s last free nation. But to the very people she protects, Talin is seen as an outcast first and a Striker second. No matter what others think, Talin lets nothing distract her from keeping the evil Federation and its army of haunting, mutant beasts at bay. Until a mysterious prisoner shows up and disrupts Talin’s entire world. Is he a spy? A product of the Federation’s sinister experiments? The clock is ticking for Talin to unravel the prisoner’s secrets and discover whether he’s the weapon that will save—or destroy—them all. Explore the chilling realities of war and the power of hope in Skyhunter, with slow burn romance and nonstop action that will have you racing to the end.