A short story taken from the Fighting Words charity collection, BEYOND THE STARS, written and illustrated by two of the most outstanding talents in childrens fiction today When Fleece, one of the foot soldiers of the valiant Hibernian Army, whose cowardice is a constant source of guilt, is sent to battle the demons of the Fomorian Empire, he becomes the accidental Hero of Drumree. But Fleeces weapons have always been words, not swords, and his newfound status leaves him with an unexpected feeling, presenting him the most difficult decision of his life revealing to him the true meaning of bravery.

 

 

This book has been graded for interest at 9-13 years.

There are 50 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2014 by HarperCollins Publishers .

Derek Landy is the author of the internationally bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series, which has been published in 35 languages and won him many awards, including the Red House Children's Book Award and the Irish Book of the Decade. * Alan Clarke is an award-winning illustrator, sculptor, and occasional writer. His images conjure worlds that are whimsical, darkly comic, magical, sometimes grotesque, but always beautifully executed. His work has been published and exhibited worldwide. Alan is based in Dublin.