cover image Choosing Courage: Inspiring Stories of What It Means to Be a Hero

Choosing Courage: Inspiring Stories of What It Means to Be a Hero

Peter Collier. Artisan, $18.95 (240p) ISBN 978-1-57965-596-9

As he did in his 2003 adult work, Medal of Honor, Collier spotlights recipients of America’s highest military award in this book, published in collaboration with the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. Collier broadens the scope of his tributes to include a handful of civilians who have been recognized by the foundation, yet his focus remains on veterans who distinguished themselves in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Two especially relevant profiles to young readers are those of a Nevada middle-school teacher, who persuaded a student to surrender his gun after he opened fire at school, and a North Carolina boy who, after forging his mother’s signature to enlist in WWII at age 13, threw himself on a grenade to save his fellow Marines at Iwo Jima. Similar accounts of self-sacrificing devotion and humility echo throughout these harrowing and, at times, horrific accounts of combat, intensifying their emotional impact. Interspersed b&w photos also help personalize the profiles, while sidebars provide succinct background information on the various wars. An illuminating and worthwhile resource. Ages 10–up. (May)