A partial republication of a 100-year-old work by Thomas W. Shannon with text added in by the folks at Pearables, Personal Help for Boysis intended as a guide for young men aged nine and up toward a path of manly virtue. Because Shannon's original language and turn-of-the-century attitudes are largely retained you may want to update with cautions or paraphrases of your own.
Boys are confronted right away with injunctions never to swear or use tobacco, and while these are probably good reminders, they seem like an odd foundation for a Christian book about character. Most of the virtues are supported with Scripture and there is constant reference to Christ throughout the chapters, however, and this is an unquestionably Christian volume.
Twenty-three chapters are addressed directly to kids, though the authors strongly advise parents (especially fathers) to work through them with their sons and discuss each topic. The gamut of good character is presented, from observing good table manners to being industrious to reading the Bible and praying regularly. There is an emphasis on avoiding specific habits and activities; some families may not be equally convinced of the detrimental effects of all of these.
There seems to be a strong pietistic bent throughout the Pearables books, but it is especially present here. If you're looking for this kind of character curriculum for young men, this could be what you want. A better text (in our opinion) is Thoughts for Young Menby J.C. Ryle. For a more contemporary volume designed to help lead fathers and sons to lives of manly virtue and Christian responsibility, you might try Doug Bond's Stand Fast in the Way of Truthand its sequel, Hold Fast in a Broken World.
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