Henry Fleming leaves his widowed mother behind and marches off to join a war that is tearing his country apart. His regiment has yet to be tested in the fire of battle. Together the soldiers wait while distant guns rumble and the lights of enemy campfires flicker on the hills beyond a darkened river. The young man recalls his childhood dreams of valiant combat. Will he pass the test and return home to tell others of his triumphs on the battlefield? Or will he flee at the first sign of real danger? And what of his fellow soldiers, whose lives are caught up with his once the fighting begins? Will they examine the young man for any sign of real courage – or will he slink away in shame? Real Reads are accessible texts designed to support the literacy development of primary and lower secondary age children while introducing them to the riches of our international literary heritage. Each book is a retelling of a work of great literature from one of the world’s greatest cultures, fitted into a 64-page book, making classic stories, dramas and histories available to intelligent young readers as a bridge to the full texts, to language students wanting access to other cultures, and to adult readers who are unlikely ever to read the original versions. "The Red Badge of Courage has long been one of the most popular novels of all time. It is a book children should read in order to make them aware of the real meanings of war so they may not be quite so eager to volunteer because it seems like a live video game. Kids today are somewhat unaware that in real war people who are killed or maimed do not rise up again as in a game. Today war may not be as glamorized as it once was because now we have all seen real killings and battles in the news. You can read this with your children and have intelligent discussions as to what stand they will take if it ever becomes necessary for them to make a choice. Excellent REAL READS!!!" Bonnie Neely, Real Travel Adventures Stephen Crane (1871-1900) was an American author, poet and journalist who is considered to be one of the greatest writers in the American realist or naturalist tradition. BRUNA NADALIN is an artist, illustrator, and active member of the burgeoning art community in Jersey City, New Jersey. His work has appeared in a variety of publications and venues including The Nation and WFMU, a free-form radio station. In addition to exhibiting many of his pieces in group shows at local galleries, Bruno recently contributed to a mural project as a part of a Jersey City city arts initiative, and in 2013 he was the Artist in Residence at New York’s Bryant Park. Raised and educated in Massachusetts, SEAN CONNOLLY now lives in Wiltshire, England, where he works as a writer and editor, specializing in children’s books. His best-known titles are The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science (2008, now in its eleventh printing), The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science, and Perfectly Perilous Math (2012).