Continue the Journey

If you are ready to start your own heroic journey, or want to meet some real-life heroes, check out our Young Heroes resources or visit these two amazing website (part of the T. A. Barron family):

THE HERO’S TRAIL

978-0-14-240760-8 | 192 Pages | Ages 8+

Anyone can be a hero.

Heroes are people who triumph over obstacles, advocate for good, and show uncommon bravery or strength of spirit. They inspire all of us to find the best within ourselves, and, most importantly, they make the world a better place.

Here, through moving narrative and powerful profiles of heroes of all ages and from all walks of life, acclaimed author T. A. Barron sets young people on a path toward finding the hero inside themselves.

Highlighting the heroic traits of courage, hope, generosity, compassion, and perseverance, this new edition of a beloved book has been completely revised for a new generation of readers.

The Power of Heroes Playlist
From the TAB Video Collection

TAB Introduces
Inspiring Young Heroes

REVIEWS

“In this affecting book, Barron 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… A rewarding, informative read, the book introduces and pays homage to heroes throughout time, literature, and life, and 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.”
Booklist—Starred Review

“Barron connects us to the moral giants…Here is so much grace to regard closely in mind, heart, and soul, as we keep moving on our own trails through life.”
— Robert Coles, M.D.

“Straightforward and incredibly important (especially in this day and age), The Hero’s Trail is both potent and inspiring. You can’t help but feel the hero inside you rising when you read this book.”
Chinaberry Book Review

“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 from history, literature, and contemporary news reports. Defining five types of heroism, 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… The simplicity of the message and wide range of examples combine to make compelling motivational reading.”
Kirkus Reviews

“This smallish but well-designed book bursts with big ideas. Weaving in family and personal biography with the accomplishments he has so carefully researched. Barron writes as if his readers were part of a campfire conversation. Barron concludes by discussing the qualities that heroes share and reminds us that though an act of heroism may often go unnoticed by most people, it still impacts society and our environment.”
NAPRA Review

“In a different type of book for fantasy author Barron, he shows that heroes can guide readers as they travel the trail of life, enabling them to become heroes themselves and inspire others… The stories are about actual people in history or the present, both famous and not, who have demonstrated a particular type of heroism. The heroes represent a diverse population, male and female, young and old, and from many different cultures. Barron’s message is that a hero can be anyone and anyone can be a hero… Because of the emphasis on character education in schools, this book might be useful to teachers and school librarians.”
Voice of Youth Advocates

“Barron differentiates between the terms ‘hero’ and ‘celebrity’ and probes the qualities that constitute the former…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 lesser known, but equally inspiring young people.”
School Library Journal

“T. A. Barron begins The Hero’s Trail by making the reader his companion and trail partner as they hike up a mountain, using brief sketches to introduce five different types of heroes. …The book ends with the ‘hero for all time,’ someone with very special qualities who inspires other (such as Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, Mohandas Gandhi and Helen Keller).”
— The School Librarian’s Workshop

“No matter the age of your graduate, here are books to motivate, celebrate, and help them prepare for the new challenges that lie ahead. …T.A. Barron’s book “The Hero’s Trail” is now in paperback. This book reads like a conversation and pulls the reader into one story after another — stories about courage, perseverance, and compassion.”
Newton’s Book Notes

“I have taught Mr. Barron’s Hero Project (the one referenced through the Barron Prize) and WOW, it’s really fantastic. Illuminating the difference between a hero and a celebrity was something I assumed would be a no-brainer for my students but actually, it opened up a host of fantastic discussions. Society has blended the two together in a way that is almost detrimental to the social fabric of our nation, but by separating them from one another — and taking a deep look at ‘What makes a Hero’ vs. ‘What is a celebrity’ — a heck of a lot of light bulbs were turned on for my kids.
“It really brought depth, texture and substance to my class. I’d HIGHLY suggest you check out the opportunities being offered here. Truly, this stuff is the real deal!”
— Alan Sitomer, California Teacher of the Year

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

  • 2016 International Book Awards Finalist – Young Adult Non-Fiction
  • 2015 USA Best Book Award — Young Adult Non-Fiction
  • 2015 Nonfiction Book Awards — Gold Award
  • 2010 Burr Elementary, Fairfield, Connecticut All-school Book Choice
  • 2008 Baltimore, Maryland — Calvert Hall College HS Community Discussion Book
  • 2008 Burlington, Washington — High School Community Discussion Book
  • 2008 Springfield, Pennsylvania — Community Discussion Book of the Year
  • 2007 Utah Student Library Advisor Community Reading Selection
  • 2007 Davis, Utah — Community Discussion Book of the Year
  • 2005 International Reading Association — Teachers’ Choice
  • 2004 Nautilus Book Award (“Better books for a better world.”) — Grand Prize Winner
  • 2003 Book-of-the-Month Club Selection
  • 2002 Colorado Book Award — Nominee

THE HERO’S TRAIL

978-0-14-240760-8

192 Pages | Ages 8+

Anyone can be a hero.

Heroes are people who triumph over obstacles, advocate for good, and show uncommon bravery or strength of spirit. They inspire all of us to find the best within ourselves, and, most importantly, they make the world a better place.

Here, through moving narrative and powerful profiles of heroes of all ages and from all walks of life, acclaimed author T. A. Barron sets young people on a path toward finding the hero inside themselves.

Highlighting the heroic traits of courage, hope, generosity, compassion, and perseverance, this new edition of a beloved book has been completely revised for a new generation of readers.

Continue the Journey

If you are ready to start your own heroic journey, or want to meet some real-life heroes, check out our Young Heroes resources or visit these two amazing website (part of the T. A. Barron family):

The Power of Heroes Playlist
From the TAB Video Collection

TAB Introduces
Inspiring Young Heroes

REVIEWS

“In this affecting book, Barron 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… A rewarding, informative read, the book introduces and pays homage to heroes throughout time, literature, and life, and 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.”
Booklist—Starred Review

“Barron connects us to the moral giants…Here is so much grace to regard closely in mind, heart, and soul, as we keep moving on our own trails through life.”
— Robert Coles, M.D.

“Straightforward and incredibly important (especially in this day and age), The Hero’s Trail is both potent and inspiring. You can’t help but feel the hero inside you rising when you read this book.”
Chinaberry Book Review

“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 from history, literature, and contemporary news reports. Defining five types of heroism, 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… The simplicity of the message and wide range of examples combine to make compelling motivational reading.”
Kirkus Reviews

“This smallish but well-designed book bursts with big ideas. Weaving in family and personal biography with the accomplishments he has so carefully researched. Barron writes as if his readers were part of a campfire conversation. Barron concludes by discussing the qualities that heroes share and reminds us that though an act of heroism may often go unnoticed by most people, it still impacts society and our environment.”
NAPRA Review

“Barron differentiates between the terms ‘hero’ and ‘celebrity’ and probes the qualities that constitute the former…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 lesser known, but equally inspiring young people.”
School Library Journal

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

  • 2016 International Book Awards Finalist – Young Adult Non-Fiction
  • 2015 USA Best Book Award — Young Adult Non-Fiction
  • 2015 Nonfiction Book Awards — Gold Award
  • 2010 Burr Elementary, Fairfield, Connecticut All-school Book Choice
  • 2008 Baltimore, Maryland — Calvert Hall College HS Community Discussion Book
  • 2008 Burlington, Washington — High School Community Discussion Book
  • 2008 Springfield, Pennsylvania — Community Discussion Book of the Year
  • 2007 Utah Student Library Advisor Community Reading Selection
  • 2007 Davis, Utah — Community Discussion Book of the Year
  • 2005 International Reading Association — Teachers’ Choice
  • 2004 Nautilus Book Award (“Better books for a better world.”) — Grand Prize Winner
  • 2003 Book-of-the-Month Club Selection
  • 2002 Colorado Book Award — Nominee