Ned Dougherty lived a life that anyone searching for power and material wealth would deem successful - until the 1984 incident that caused his death. While medical personnel struggled to restart his silent heart, Dougherty left his body and experienced a series of events so vivid and unusual that they profoundly changed the rest of his life. The experience opened the door to encounters with various aspects of the divine spirit, including the "Lady of Light," a being Dougherty later clearly identifies as the Virgin Mary. To Dougherty and others who have experienced her presence, the Lady is both guide and teacher, fostering spiritual advancement and sharing the Creator's plan for humankind.

McCain's latest volume uses biography as an illustration of virtue, but this time the senator broadens his palette significantly, telling 34 stories of heroes whose lives embody qualities ranging from honesty and loyalty to curiosity and enthusiasm. At the root of them all, he says, is a willingness to stay true to one's conscience against all challenges. Thus martyrs appear prominently, from Thomas More and Joan of Arc to Edith Cavell and Father Maximilian Kolbe, as do military heroes, including Pat Tillman, the pro football player whose love of country led him to enlist in the army shortly after 9/11. But the pantheon is inclusive enough to hold Aung San Suu Kyi and Gandhi alongside Churchill and Eisenhower. Although he is reaching out to a younger readership, McCain's plain but sincere language does not condescend to his audience. He makes occasional oblique references to his experiences as a prisoner of war—describing, for example, how they reinforce his understanding of Victor Frankl's concept of dignity—but the only chapter centered on his ordeal highlights a furtive moment of kindness from a Vietnamese soldier.

Gr. 2-4. Edelman takes that sturdy statement and breaks it down into 12 components, easily understandable by kids, and then decorates each with meaningful poems, stories, and memorable art. Ways to make a difference are stated in the personal affirmative: "I can make a difference by loving myself and others as God loves us and treating others respectfully and fairly"; "I can make a difference by being courageous." The section about making a difference by working with others begins with a Persian proverb about individual drops becoming a sea. A short tale from China shows how the same situation can be either heaven or hell, depending on whether people cooperate. There's also an except from Leo Lionni's Swimmy (1963), an Aesop's fable, and a saying from Sitting Bull. An oversize format allows Moser to mix full-size paintings, portraits, and spot art in artwork that ranges from utilitarian to effective to stunning. Edelman, a well-known children's rights activist and winner of such awards as the MacArthur Prize Fellowship and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, discusses her hopes for inspiring children to see their lives as a means of improving the lives of others. A strong package that will lead to fruitful discussions between adults and children.