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A Warrior's Soul

S.R. Staley

4.69 · Rating details · 13 ratings · 9 reviews

Luke is sure his martial arts training is worthless. That's why he quit. But when Dirk and his thugs move into his school, Luke quickly realizes that he may be the only one who can save Lucy, Chuck, and his other friends from their relentless and violent gang. Only Luke can make the ultimate decision to help his friends and stand up to the gang. It's a stark choice, and on ...more

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Paperback, 200 pages

Published July 1st 2011 by Wheatmark

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Mar 28, 2012 Kimberley Alvarez rated it it was amazing

About the book:

Luke is sure his martial arts training is worthless. That's why he quit. But when Dirk and his thugs move into his school, Luke quickly realizes that he may be the only one who can save Lucy, Chuck, and his other friends from their relentless and violent gang. Only Luke can make the ultimate decision to help his friends and stand up to the gang. It's a stark choice, and one he can't make alone.
A Warrior's Soul is Luke's journey as he struggles to cope with the gang, teachers who d About the book:

Luke is sure his martial arts training is worthless. That's why he quit. But when Dirk and his thugs move into his school, Luke quickly realizes that he may be the only one who can save Lucy, Chuck, and his other friends from their relentless and violent gang. Only Luke can make the ultimate decision to help his friends and stand up to the gang. It's a stark choice, and one he can't make alone.
A Warrior's Soul is Luke's journey as he struggles to cope with the gang, teachers who don't understand the threat, disbelieving parents, and his own lack of confidence. Will he have the courage to return to the dojo and resume his training? Will he have the wisdom to know when to confront the gang?

About the author:

This is his own words:
I have written hundreds of articles and commentaries during my two-decade long career as a public policy researcher, analyst, and novelist, but no form of writing captures my interest and passions like books. I love the "long form" of storytelling, and books provide the format and freedom to take my characters down paths my initial idea or outline could never have imagined. I find this especially true in fiction, but it's also true for my nonfiction. Writing is a process, and as a writer, I allow my creative juices to be energized by the journey.
I have traveled extensively in my full-time job, giving speeches, lectures and workshops in dozens of cities in the U.S. as well as Europe and Asia. (I've been to China & Hong Kong nearly 20 times since 1992). I have traveled to 42 U.S. states.
Professionally--my "day job"--I am the Associate Director of the DeVoe Moore Center in the College of Social Sciences at Florida State University in Tallahassee where I also teach classes in urban planning and urban economics. I am also a senior research fellow with Reason Foundation in Los Angeles, where I founded the urban policy program in 1997.
Educationally, I earned my B.A. in economics-public policy from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, my M.S. in applied economics from Wright State University, and my Ph.D. in public policy & management from The Ohio State University. I also spent two years in the doctoral program in economics at George Mason University where I was a Bradley Fellow in the Center for Study of Public Choice from 1989-1990.

My review:
I was so surprised by this book. I loved it so much and to tell you the truth before reading it, i did not have high expectations of this book. Boy oh boy was I wrong. It was so sad and I felt bad for the boy in the story. Gangs are nothing fun and they had to be stopped. You should totally go buy and read this book. (:

Stars I give this book:
*****(5) ...more

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May 01, 2012 Pam Wilson rated it it was amazing

Bullying is a real-life situation that MANY of our children are dealing with. SR Staley has taken this problem and put bullying victims feelings into words. As adults we need to make sure we are paying attention to our children and taking their concerns seriously. This story has taught me to pay very close attention to my children's actions to be sure that when they voice a concern it is taken seriously and that I assist them in finding a resolution to their problem. We can't assume that a schoo ...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Sharon Martin rated it really liked it

The main character, Luke, displays all the emotions and traits of a teenager who is trying to find out where he belongs and what he has to do to survive. The added problem is the school bully, Dirk and his gang have decided it is Luke's turn to receive their treatment.

Luke is confused and doesn't know how to react, especially when a couple of his close friends are hurt by Dirk and his gang. When he approaches his mam and the school authorities they don't believe him, so what option does he have ...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Megan Coffie rated it it was amazing

As a "girly girl", I wasn't sure I would be able to get into this book which features a strong male lead and a very important martial arts theme. After reading the first few paragraphs, I was impressed by how engaging the writing was. The book starts with Luke being chased by the bullies who taunt him throughout the whole book. Thanks to SR Staley's powerful writing, I was transported into the story - I was hiding in the dead-end alley, being pounded by the rain as I prayed the bullies wouldn't ...more

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Jul 08, 2012 brandy oliver rated it it was amazing

With all of the problems and issues facing our children and teens today, a book like this is a breath of fresh air!
Genuine, quality, true to life characters that teens can actually relate to, bullies, friends, parents, school, real stuff that kids can really relate to, and a story that actually teaches in a unique way, right from wrong.
Luke has some problems with a gang at school, and is getting bullied each day. For some reason, the school officials are in a sense, also bullying Luke, by ignor ...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Jennifer rated it really liked it

When I first began to read this it was hard for me to get into because I knew nothing about the culture or detail behind any form of martial arts. I quickly got past that and took the book for what it truly was, a story of how a young teenage boy deals with the struggles of bullies that seem to not be noticed.

Growing up I went through this myself with the mean girls and the young men who just didn't care what they said or did as long as it didn't hurt them. The main character describes how he de ...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Rebecca Bryant rated it really liked it

In A Warrior's Soul we meet Luke a young boy who is being bullying and feels frightened and helpless. Though he has martial arts training he feels he is not capable of defending himself or his friends. Through his journey of self awareness and the building of confidence we see Luke not only find himself but his voice to take a stand against bullies.

As a mom of a middle school student I found this book very intriguing coming from the view of a young boy and his daily life. With bullying being su ...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Dianna (SavingsInSeconds blog) rated it it was amazing

There is a clear sense of right-from-wrong in this book; like most children, some of the characters don't fully realize the consequences of their actions.
At the end of book, there is a selection of excellent classroom discussion questions. Asking students to identify symbolism and perspective is a critical step to advanced reading. A Warrior's Soul gives teachers and parents the opportunity to discuss with children the ways to resolve serious situations. It's difficult to find a book that will h ...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Robin rated it it was amazing

I think this book should be read by young and old alike! It targets the subject of bullying of a 13 year old boy, something we see far too much of in society today. Why can't he stand up to his bully? He has been studying martial arts and he has reported the bully to the adults in his life at home and at school. Sounds all too familiar doesn't it? LOVE this book and highly recommend it!

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