Search - Book of Virtues

There are lots of stories and poems that I'd love to read aloud to my 2nd grade classes, but I don't know how many I will be able to read with a straight face. EXAMPLE:

John was a bad boy, and beat a poor cat
Tom put a stone in a blind man's hat,
James was the boy who neglected his prayers,
They've all grown up ugly, and nobody cares.

Unless we had a discussion about the nature of beauty and ugliness first, this may be teaching them something else other than virtue.

A massive book at over 800 pages! Lots of good stuff. The cover jacket has some slight water damage, but otherwise it's in perfect shape.

This book is a collection of stories - both fiction and non-fiction which have character traits as their theme. Self-Discipline; compassion, responsibility, friendship, work, courage, perseverance, honesty, loyalty and faith are the chapter titles.

This book is a great book to read with your family. There are many different stories that will help teach your family moral values.

Book Description
Responsibility. Courage. Compassion. Honesty. Friendship. Persistence. Faith. Everyone recognizes these traits as essentials of good character. In order for our children to develop such traits, we have to offer them examples of good and bad, right and wrong. And the best places to find them are in great works of literature and exemplary stories from history.

William J. Bennett has collected hundreds of stories in The Book of Virtues, an instructive and inspiring anthology that will help children understand and develop character -- and help adults teach them. From the Bible to American history, from Greek mythology to English poetry, from fairy tales to modern fiction, these stories are a rich mine of moral literacy, a reliable moral reference point that will help anchor our children and ourselves in our culture, our history, and our traditions -- the sources of the ideals by which we wish to live our lives. Complete with instructive introductions and notes, The Book of Virtues is a book the whole family can read and enjoy -- and learn from -- together.

The principled former secretary of education has culled a selection of poems and stories to be read aloud in hopes of passing on specific virtues to the younger generation. The selected works appear under chapter titles such as "Compassion"; "Responsibility"; "Friendship"; "Courage"; "Perseverance"; and "Faith." As artificial or perhaps self-righteous as this project may seem, it is effective. The old stories from the Bible, from great authors, and from folklore do exert a charm and send a message that will stir families to discuss or contemplate the issues set forth. It truly is a treasury, with some tales so brief they can be read at the dinner table. Perfect bedtime, anytime family reading.

A treasury of great moral stories. Parents will read them to their children, and find much inspiration in the pages for themselves.