Book excerpt: Bless the Beasts and Children is the story of six 'misfit' boys who leave their childhood behind and set off on a mission with deadly consequences. Along the way, despite society's narrow view of success, they learn something about what it means to be a man. It is the story of transformation. This group of boys - nicknamed The Dings by fellow campers- discover that they are not the flawed and faulty children they've been deemed by others but are in fact powerful beings with the opportunity to make a difference and that they don't need to be cowboys or soldiers to show real bravery. The story's unexpected climax is designed to encourage us to take action to protect the voiceless the powerless and the doomed.