38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Which Virtues book to buy, September 10, 2010
This review is from: The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories (Hardcover)
I bought the hardcover edition of Bennett's "Book of Virtues" after sorting through the many editions available. If it helps you choose, here's the deal. This 1993 reprint of the original edition is the full book, 800+ pages. It is intended for an adult audience, but in reality can be read with your children. There is a paperback version, but this book is pretty thick, and I imagine it would be difficult to read from that edition.
The Children's Book of Virtues is only 112 pages and intended for children ages 4-8. The stories are chosen for their appropriateness for this audience (many reviewers mention their dislike of some of the stories in the adult version) and include many familiar childhood stories, like George Washington and the Cherry Tree and The Tortoise and the Hare.
The Book of Virtues for Young People: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories is intended for an older audience of children 9-12 and is 384 pages long. It contains familiar childhood stories such as The Fox and The Crow, but also selections by beloved writers such as Walt Whitman, Tolstoy and Emily Dickinson.
The Book of Virtues for Boys and Girls: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories is also intended for children ages 9-12, but it is an abbreviated version of only 208 pages.
I thought I was going to buy the one for Boys and Girls, because the cover shows children playing baseball and the introduction is by Doug Flutie and would appeal to my sports-mad son. But in the end, I wanted more choice of stories, and that version just didn't have enough variety. As in all the books, the stories are grouped by theme (Honesty, Loyalty, Faith, Responsibility, etc.), and the Boys and Girls book has only five themes to choose from, half as many as this adult version.
If you want just inspiring stories of real and fictional heroes, Bennett has also collected such stories in
The Children's Book of Heroes, which is a brief book as well, just 112 pages and containing 18 stories. And,
The Children's Treasury of Virtues combines three of Bennett's books,
The Children's Book of America (American stories, poems and songs), The Children's Book of Virtues and The Children's Book of Heroes.
Hope this helps!
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43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Proof is in the pudding, September 23, 2004
This review is from: The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories (Hardcover)
After a long week of bike riding practice without the training wheels which culminated in a solo trip down the street, my 6 year old daughter made a proud, smiling request on the way up to bed. "Can we read 'Try try again' in the big green book?" She asked. The big green book is of course the Book of Virtues, and "Try try again" is one of the many poems and short stories that we read from it before bed each night. This book is full of life stories that kids can remember and apply as they grow. On several other occasions those stories have come into conversation as a reference point with my kids when facing life's experiences. Highly recommended.
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42 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspired writings, July 13, 2005
This review is from: The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories (Hardcover)
10 years ago, when I was 18, my father gave me this book as a gift the day my parents took me to college. Although I thought it was "uncool", I also understood the meaning behind the gift. He felt that this book could act as a moral guide when my parents could no longer be with me on a daily basis to be that moral compass. And through the years, it has served as a source of inspiration, strength and comfort. As an adult, I am more partial to the poetry and historical writings rather than the stories. But as an expectant first time mother, I am looking forward to sharing the children's stories with my son when he's born, and throughout his life. I think this book should be incorporated into children's lives from an early age, along with other children's stories. This is a book children can grow with and enjoy even as adults...the writings take on new meaning as we age. I highly recommend this book, despite Bill Bennett's personal mistakes. There is too much value in this compilation of writings to deny our children the benefit to spite Mr. Bennett.
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