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Morality Tales

No one wants their kids reading complete trash. It's pretty widely understood that what goes in comes out, and if kids consume a steady diet of books with bad morals, chances are they're going to retain those attitudes, regardless of the instruction they get at home. Wouldn't it be better to have them read books with clear messages of Christian virtue and well-behaved main characters?

Yes and no—obviously, we want good examples set for our children, and character-building stories often provide them. At the same time, they have a tendency to portray their heroes and heroines as too good, so that kids see a completely unrealistic picture of childhood which they consequently reject, if not at home, then later in life when it matters even more.

In the Bible, of course, Jesus Himself is presented as our example for leading a godly life. The difference is that these books are supposed to be representations of ordinary people, not the Son of God. To suggest that human beings (especially children!) can attain a state of near-sinless perfection is dangerously close to heresy.

That said, even stories of this kind are better than a lot of the available reading material for youngsters. If the goal is to raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, giving them an unattainable standard is superior to giving them one far too easily achieved, or none at all. Stories about selfish kiddos, kiddos who get their way, kiddos who are more wise than adults—these aren't the kind of stories our impressionable tykes need to read.

With that in mind, we offer this collection of morality tales, or wholesome fiction. A lot of these books are Victorian-era novels highly influenced by the moralist tones of the period, but many are also more recent ventures (and also a little more realistic). We suggest you not make a steady diet of these sorts of books (they don't typically feature the best writing), but every now and then it's not a bad idea to refresh your children's pool of good examples.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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59 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 1st grade (Ages 6-7), In-Stock Books & Materials
Among the Farmyard People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$12.95
Among the Forest People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$10.95
Among the Meadow People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$12.95
Among the Night People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$10.95
Among the Pond People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$10.95
Beacon First Reader
by James H. Fassett
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-2nd grade
in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
$16.11
BibleTime Series
by Carine MacKenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
BibleWise Series
by Carine MacKenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
Book of Legends
by Horace E. Scudder
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-5th grade
$8.46
Child's Book of Character Building - Book 1
by Ron & Rebekah Coriell
from Revell Publishing
for 1st-5th grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$4.80 (2 in stock)
Child's First Steps to Virtues
by Emily Hunter
from Harvest House
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Children's Book of America
by Edited by William J. Bennett and Illustrated by Michael Hague
1st edition from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Choice Stories for Children
Character Classics
by Ernest Lloyd (editor)
from A. B. Publishing, Inc.
for 1st-5th grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Cowboys with Penny the Mustang Pony
by Barbara Knight, Illustrated by Dale "Wink" Burgess
from Mustang Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Fairy Ring
by Kate Douglas Wiggin
from Yesterday's Classics
$20.36
Fifty Famous People
by James Baldwin
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-4th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$10.16
Fifty Famous Stories Retold
by James Baldwin
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-4th grade
$11.86
For the Children's Hour
by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, Clara M. Lewis
from Yesterday's Classics
for Nursery-1st grade
in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
$18.66
God's Happy Family
Little Jewel Books
by Edith Witmer, illustrated by Edith Burkholder
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
in Rod & Staff Fiction (Location: REA-R&S)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Great Truths for Little Children
Children's Heritage Series
by Anonymous
from Old Paths Gospel Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Helping Mother
Little Jewel Books
by Mary M. Landis, Illustrated by Michelle Beidler
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Rod & Staff Fiction (Location: REA-R&S)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Hive of Busy Bees
Stories That Help Build Character Volume I
by Effie Williams
from Sure Foundation
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Hurlbut's Story of the Bible
by Rev. Jesse Lyman Hurlbut
from Yesterday's Classics
for Preschool-6th grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$26.95
John the Baptist
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: BIBR-BTW)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Kindergarten Gems
by Agnes Taylor Ketchum, Ida M. Jorgensen
from Yesterday's Classics
for Preschool-1st grade
in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
$13.56
Learning My Numbers
Little Jewel Books
by Linda Null, illustrated by Donna Weaver
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for Nursery-1st grade
in Rod & Staff Fiction (Location: REA-R&S)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Little Jewel Bird
Little Jewel Books
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Rod & Staff Fiction (Location: REA-R&S)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Little Medicine Carrier
Children's Heritage Series
by Anonymous
from Triangle Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Manual of Clay Modeling
by Hermione Unwin
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-12th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$11.95
Pattern Book for "Treasure Beyond Measure"
for Preschool-1st grade
in Rod & Staff Fiction (Location: REA-R&S)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Patty's Curiosity and Wants and Wishes
Children's Heritage Series
by Charlotte Elizabeth
from Old Paths Gospel Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Paul: Journeys of Adventure
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: BIBR-BTW)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Poems Every Child Should Know
by Mary E. Burt, ed.
from Yesterday's Classics
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$19.95
Reading-Literature: First Reader
by Harriette Taylor Treadwell, Margaret Free
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-2nd grade
in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
$11.01
Reading-Literature: Second Reader
by Harriette Taylor Treadwell, Margaret Free
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-2nd grade
in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
$11.86 $5.20 (1 in stock)
Reading-Literature: The Primer
by Margaret Free and Harriette Taylor Treadwell, illustrated by Frederick Richardson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
$11.01
Rescue with Penny the Mustang Pony
by Barbara Knight, Illustrated by Dale "Wink" Burgess
2nd printing, 2006 from Mustang Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Rob and Roland
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$6.76
Rob and Roland on the Farm
by Piet Prins
from Inheritance Publications
Realistic Fiction for Preschool-2nd grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$7.61
Saul
BibleWise Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: BIBR-BTW)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Simon Peter
BibleTime Books
by Carine Mackenzie
from Christian Focus Publications
for Nursery-2nd grade
in BibleTime & BibleWise Books (Location: BIBR-BTW)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Stories from the History of Rome
by Emily Beesly
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-4th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$12.95
Stories from the History of Rome
by Emily Beesly
from Purple House Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Ancient Rome (Location: HISW-ANRO)
$9.99
Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans
by Edward Eggleston
from Yesterday's Classics
Narrative History for 1st-4th grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
$10.16
Storm with Penny the Mustang Pony
by Barbara Knight, Illustrated by Dale "Wink" Burgess
from Mustang Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Storytime with the Millers
Miller Family Series
by Mildred A. Martin
from Green Pastures Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Miller Family Series (Location: SER-MILLER)
$3.60 (2 in stock)
Sweetest Fig
by Chris Van Allsburg
from Houghton Mifflin
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
This Is Mohan
Little Jewel Books
by Ella Grove, Illustrated by Edith Burkholder
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Rod & Staff Fiction (Location: REA-R&S)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Tract Primer
by American Tract Society
from Solid Ground Christian Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Morality Tales (Location: FIC-WH05)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Two Surprises
Little Jewel Book
by Lucy Ann Conley, illustrated by Edith Burkholder
from Rod & Staff Publishers, Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Rod & Staff Fiction (Location: REA-R&S)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories - 5 Volumes
by Arthur S. Maxwell
from Pacific Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$24.00 (1 in stock)
Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories - Volume 3
by Arthur Stanley Maxwell
from Pacific Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories - Volume 5
by Arthur Stanley Maxwell
from Pacific Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories - Volume 5
by Arthur Stanley Maxwell
from Review and Herald Publishing Association
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Uncle Arthur's Stories (Location: FIC-WH07)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories First Series Volumes 1-4
by Arthur S. Maxwell
from Review and Herald Publishing Association
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Uncle Arthur's Stories (Location: FIC-WH07)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Uncle Happy's Cat
by C. Quercia, designed by C. Mongo
from Daughters of St. Paul
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
West African Folk-Tales
by William H. Barker
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-6th grade
$9.31
Wild Life in Woods and Fields
Eyes and No Eyes #1
by Arabella B. Buckley
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-4th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$13.95 $7.50 (1 in stock)
Wisdom and the Millers
Miller Family Series
by Mildred Martin
Revised from Green Pastures Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Miller Family Series (Location: SER-MILLER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
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