Samurai Rising, a nonfiction warrior tale, is the true story of the greatest samurai in Japanese history. When Minamoto Yoshitsune was just a baby, his father went to war with a rival samurai family—and lost. His father was killed, his mother was captured, his surviving half-brother was banished, and Yoshitsune was sent away to live in a monastery. Skinny, small, and unskilled in the warrior arts, he still managed to escape the monastery and learn the ways of the samurai. When the time came for the Minamoto clan to rise up against their enemies, Yoshitsune answered the call, and his daring feats and impossible bravery earned him immortality.

Topics covered include grief/loss, death, survival, adventure, Samurai culture, and resilience.

Genre: Nonfiction

Lexile Measure: 950L

©2016. Middle school, high school. 6 x 9 inches. Hardcover. 256 pages.