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To arrive in May—at long last May!—is to rejoice. Traditionally, May has been a time for festivity: May poles, May flowers, May devotions to the Virgin, all bespeak a tradition of hope renewed. It is to live in wonder at the world around us. Core Virtues celebrates that. Accordingly, we highlight the virtues of hope, joy, and wonder. It is our belief that parents and educators—who are responsible for forming the next generation of citizens—have a special responsibility to nurture the hope of our children. A great deal in our culture and media has the potential to turn children to cynicism, contempt, and despair. The “get-real” and “so what?” undertone of much pop culture is a very real threat to the innocence and promise of our children.
This tendency must be actively combated with its opposite— hope for the future, wonder at the unknown, and joy in the great gift of life. We ought to cultivate and nurture in our children the virtue that gives spring to their step and joy to their hearts: the gift of hope. To raise people who live in hope is not to create Candides. It is to form individuals who will engage. People who hope, like people who love, are catalysts for constructive change and a brighter future. Children intuit hope. Even in the toughest situations, they wake up with it most mornings. One of our most important jobs is to make sure they move through life with their hope for a brighter future in tact.
This tendency must be actively combated with its opposite— hope for the future, wonder at the unknown, and joy in the great gift of life. We ought to cultivate and nurture in our children the virtue that gives spring to their step and joy to their hearts: the gift of hope. To raise people who live in hope is not to create Candides. It is to form individuals who will engage. People who hope, like people who love, are catalysts for constructive change and a brighter future. Children intuit hope. Even in the toughest situations, they wake up with it most mornings. One of our most important jobs is to make sure they move through life with their hope for a brighter future in tact.
May Recommendations
The following books are a small sampling of the books recommended in the Resource Guide.
(grade levels indicated in parentheses)
Additional suggestions by virtue for K-3 ; Additional suggestions for 3-6
The following books are a small sampling of the books recommended in the Resource Guide.
(grade levels indicated in parentheses)
Additional suggestions by virtue for K-3 ; Additional suggestions for 3-6
Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen. Deborah Hopkinson.
Illustrated by Qin Leng. Balzer and Bray, 2018. (K-3) Wonder, Lives to Learn From
Long before children will read the great writer, they can learn an important lesson from her: pay attention to your childhood! In this engaging biography, Hopkinson takes us back to Jane Austen’s youth, growing up in a lively home with one sister, six “boisterous brothers plus packs of boys who came to live and study at their father’s boarding school,” scads of books, and a vivid imagination. Jane is observant, attentive to the personalities and quirks of each of the characters in her midst, and in her writing about the ordinary, conveys the extraordinary. Leng’s soft watercolor illustrations glow and bring the period to life.
Illustrated by Qin Leng. Balzer and Bray, 2018. (K-3) Wonder, Lives to Learn From
Long before children will read the great writer, they can learn an important lesson from her: pay attention to your childhood! In this engaging biography, Hopkinson takes us back to Jane Austen’s youth, growing up in a lively home with one sister, six “boisterous brothers plus packs of boys who came to live and study at their father’s boarding school,” scads of books, and a vivid imagination. Jane is observant, attentive to the personalities and quirks of each of the characters in her midst, and in her writing about the ordinary, conveys the extraordinary. Leng’s soft watercolor illustrations glow and bring the period to life.
Antsy Ansel: Ansel Adams, A Life in Nature. Cindy Jenson-Elliott. Illustrated by Christy Hale. Henry Holt, 2016. (Hope, Wonder, K-4)
American photographer Ansel Adams often captured the stillness and awe-inspiring majesty of nature, but his own nature was far from tranquil. This lyrical text chronicles the childhood of a boy who could not sit still. He sought out the gusts of the sea, the pound of the surf, the rush of water through canyons, and the glow of light on craggy peaks. He was “on fire for learning,” but his father realized that traditional schooling was not for Ansel; he needed to be outside. Jenson-Elliott captures the young boy’s exuberance, his wonder at all of nature (so evident in his photographs of the Sierra Nevadas, Yosemite, the Tetons). Christy Hale complements the text with her clean, striking, collage illustrations, including two vertical spreads mimicking Ansel’s Yosemite heights photos. An excellent introduction to the trail-blazing photographer, whose “awe before the unexplained” suffuses every photo. (The book will also reassure any child who has a hard time sitting still, and just might encourage restless kids to seek out the wonders of nature.)
American photographer Ansel Adams often captured the stillness and awe-inspiring majesty of nature, but his own nature was far from tranquil. This lyrical text chronicles the childhood of a boy who could not sit still. He sought out the gusts of the sea, the pound of the surf, the rush of water through canyons, and the glow of light on craggy peaks. He was “on fire for learning,” but his father realized that traditional schooling was not for Ansel; he needed to be outside. Jenson-Elliott captures the young boy’s exuberance, his wonder at all of nature (so evident in his photographs of the Sierra Nevadas, Yosemite, the Tetons). Christy Hale complements the text with her clean, striking, collage illustrations, including two vertical spreads mimicking Ansel’s Yosemite heights photos. An excellent introduction to the trail-blazing photographer, whose “awe before the unexplained” suffuses every photo. (The book will also reassure any child who has a hard time sitting still, and just might encourage restless kids to seek out the wonders of nature.)
The Amazing Air Balloon. Jean Van Leeuwen.
Illustrated by Marco Ventura. Phyllis Fogelman Books, 2003 (Wonder, K-4)
The inspiring story of Edward Warren, the orphaned thirteen-year-old apprentice, who became the first American to ascend in a hot air balloon. Set in colonial times and brought to life with vibrant oil paintings, Jean Van Leeuwen’s story reinforces the themes of wonder and passionate pursuit of one’s dreams. The wiry teenager is able to take this flight because the balloon’s creator, Peter Carnes, is too heavy to take it up! Evocative illustrations bring the period to life.
Illustrated by Marco Ventura. Phyllis Fogelman Books, 2003 (Wonder, K-4)
The inspiring story of Edward Warren, the orphaned thirteen-year-old apprentice, who became the first American to ascend in a hot air balloon. Set in colonial times and brought to life with vibrant oil paintings, Jean Van Leeuwen’s story reinforces the themes of wonder and passionate pursuit of one’s dreams. The wiry teenager is able to take this flight because the balloon’s creator, Peter Carnes, is too heavy to take it up! Evocative illustrations bring the period to life.
Antelope, Bison, Cougar. A National Park Wildlife Alphabet Book.
Steven P. Medley. Illustrated by Daniel San Souci. Yosemite Association, 2001 (Wonder K-3)
Daniel San Souci’s vivid watercolors capture the majesty of America’s national parks and the grace of the wild ones who call them home. Steven Medley’s richly informative text serves up intriguing detail on critters known and unknown. Did you know that the 2000 pound bison in Theodore Roosevelt National Park (ND) is a very good swimmer, who keeps his head, hump and tail above water as he paddles? Have you ever met the javelina in Chiricahua National Monument (AZ)? The text provides basic and not-so-basic information on animals and their national park habitats. The book will captivate third graders as well as Kindergartners, inspire wonder, curiosity, and an appreciation for the beauty and diversity of the land children call home.
Steven P. Medley. Illustrated by Daniel San Souci. Yosemite Association, 2001 (Wonder K-3)
Daniel San Souci’s vivid watercolors capture the majesty of America’s national parks and the grace of the wild ones who call them home. Steven Medley’s richly informative text serves up intriguing detail on critters known and unknown. Did you know that the 2000 pound bison in Theodore Roosevelt National Park (ND) is a very good swimmer, who keeps his head, hump and tail above water as he paddles? Have you ever met the javelina in Chiricahua National Monument (AZ)? The text provides basic and not-so-basic information on animals and their national park habitats. The book will captivate third graders as well as Kindergartners, inspire wonder, curiosity, and an appreciation for the beauty and diversity of the land children call home.
The Seashore Book. Charlotte Zolotow.
Illustrated by Wendell Minor. Trophy Books, 1992. (Wonder K-2)
A mother explains to her son what its like at the sea’s edge, where the sky meets the sea, and the “swishswashing sound” of the waves lulls you to sleep on golden sand, and “two little gray sandpipers run past you … and when you wake up, you …see their claw prints like pencil lines in the sand. You rub your eyes and it seems there is nothing in the world except the sound of the wind and the rising and falling of the waves.” As children look longingly toward summer, this beautifully illustrated work will inspires hope and wonder.
Illustrated by Wendell Minor. Trophy Books, 1992. (Wonder K-2)
A mother explains to her son what its like at the sea’s edge, where the sky meets the sea, and the “swishswashing sound” of the waves lulls you to sleep on golden sand, and “two little gray sandpipers run past you … and when you wake up, you …see their claw prints like pencil lines in the sand. You rub your eyes and it seems there is nothing in the world except the sound of the wind and the rising and falling of the waves.” As children look longingly toward summer, this beautifully illustrated work will inspires hope and wonder.
Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphics James Rumford. HMH Books, 2003. (Wonder, K-5)
In this fascinating volume Rumford chronicles the untiring efforts of nineteenth century Frenchman, Jean-Francois Champollion to decode Egyptian hieroglyphics or picture writing. The scholar’s interest in Egypt was awakened as a boy when Napoleon marched into Egypt. Champollion’s childhood fascination grew to an adult passion, as he learned of the discovery of the Rosetta stone, and eventually cracked the code. Rumford’s illustrations and story are a complete delight, proving once again that “wonder is the first step on the path to knowledge.”
In this fascinating volume Rumford chronicles the untiring efforts of nineteenth century Frenchman, Jean-Francois Champollion to decode Egyptian hieroglyphics or picture writing. The scholar’s interest in Egypt was awakened as a boy when Napoleon marched into Egypt. Champollion’s childhood fascination grew to an adult passion, as he learned of the discovery of the Rosetta stone, and eventually cracked the code. Rumford’s illustrations and story are a complete delight, proving once again that “wonder is the first step on the path to knowledge.”
Silent Lotus. Jeanne M. Lee.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994. (Hope, Joy K-3)
Lotus is a gentle Cambodian child, born deaf and mute, but has a knack for imitating the graceful steps of the heron and egrets that live near her home. She is shunned by other children, growing up both lonely and longing for more. Her parents take her to the temple of the gods, hoping for a sign, and Lotus is mesmerized by the temple dancers. The king notices her grace and offers her the chance to learn the court dances, and in time she becomes the leading dancer of the Khmer kingdom. This is a stirring and superbly illustrated story of a child who, though different, realizes her talents, and through them hope and joy.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994. (Hope, Joy K-3)
Lotus is a gentle Cambodian child, born deaf and mute, but has a knack for imitating the graceful steps of the heron and egrets that live near her home. She is shunned by other children, growing up both lonely and longing for more. Her parents take her to the temple of the gods, hoping for a sign, and Lotus is mesmerized by the temple dancers. The king notices her grace and offers her the chance to learn the court dances, and in time she becomes the leading dancer of the Khmer kingdom. This is a stirring and superbly illustrated story of a child who, though different, realizes her talents, and through them hope and joy.
Traveling Man. The Journey of Ibn Batutta, 1325-1354.
James Rumford. Houghton Mifflin, 2001. (Wonder, Hope 3-6)
Less well known than Marco Polo, the fourteenth century Moroccan-born traveler Ibn Batutta, undertook equally exciting and perilous journeys. He spent nearly three decades traveling the world, leaving a rich account, which is brought to life in this eloquent and elegant picture book. The book inspires not just wonder for the vast world and its unknown marvels, but for the whole experience of travel. While the text is simple, the material is rich and the thoughts run deep. (“Traveling – it gives you a home in a thousand strange places, then leaves you a stranger in your own land.”) This book is a wonderful complement to any study of the late Middle Ages. Profitably read by fourth and fifth graders who may know more of the geography. A fine map at the end shows his journeys through Africa, Arabia, Asia Minor, Russia, India, and China.
James Rumford. Houghton Mifflin, 2001. (Wonder, Hope 3-6)
Less well known than Marco Polo, the fourteenth century Moroccan-born traveler Ibn Batutta, undertook equally exciting and perilous journeys. He spent nearly three decades traveling the world, leaving a rich account, which is brought to life in this eloquent and elegant picture book. The book inspires not just wonder for the vast world and its unknown marvels, but for the whole experience of travel. While the text is simple, the material is rich and the thoughts run deep. (“Traveling – it gives you a home in a thousand strange places, then leaves you a stranger in your own land.”) This book is a wonderful complement to any study of the late Middle Ages. Profitably read by fourth and fifth graders who may know more of the geography. A fine map at the end shows his journeys through Africa, Arabia, Asia Minor, Russia, India, and China.
Marco Polo. Demi.
Two Lions Publishing, 2012 (Wonder, 3-6)
Demi’s lush, intricate illustrations immerse young readers in “a seamless tale of wonder,” as Barbara Auerbach described it. In 1254 the young Venetian, Marco Polo, embarked on a world journey that led him to China, Persia, the Holy Land, India, Arabia, Egypt, and then home. Twenty-four years and thirty-three thousand miles later, Polo had served as an advisor to China’s Kublai Khan; an ambassador for him abroad, and an explorer par excellence. Marco Polo survived deserts, monsoons, and dust storms; climbed mountains and battled bandits, pirates and cannibals. He was open to and awed by what he encountered, and he lived to tell his tales back home. Whether he exaggerated has always been a matter of dispute, but this rendering, with Demi’s exquisite illustrations, captures his own quest for knowledge and wonder before the unexplained.
Two Lions Publishing, 2012 (Wonder, 3-6)
Demi’s lush, intricate illustrations immerse young readers in “a seamless tale of wonder,” as Barbara Auerbach described it. In 1254 the young Venetian, Marco Polo, embarked on a world journey that led him to China, Persia, the Holy Land, India, Arabia, Egypt, and then home. Twenty-four years and thirty-three thousand miles later, Polo had served as an advisor to China’s Kublai Khan; an ambassador for him abroad, and an explorer par excellence. Marco Polo survived deserts, monsoons, and dust storms; climbed mountains and battled bandits, pirates and cannibals. He was open to and awed by what he encountered, and he lived to tell his tales back home. Whether he exaggerated has always been a matter of dispute, but this rendering, with Demi’s exquisite illustrations, captures his own quest for knowledge and wonder before the unexplained.
Gregor Mendel. The Friar Who Grew Peas. Cheryl Bardoe.
Illustrated by Jos. A. Smith. Abrams, 2015. (Wonder, Diligence, 4-8)
This extraordinary picture book presents the compelling life of one who wondered fearlessly. As a child growing up on a farm in (what is now) the Czech republic, Gregor Mendel wondered why two kinds of apple trees grown in proximity produced better fruit than a single type grown alone or why breeding two different kinds of sheep yielded thicker wool. Mendel’s curiosity and wonder propelled him to seek an education despite his family’s poverty, enter religious life where he had access to libraries and scholarship, and then conduct his own meticulous experiments with 28,000 pea plants. Through patient experimentation he discovered certain rules for passing on what he called “dominant” and “recessive” traits. Friar Gregor is now known as the world’s first geneticist, and “Mendel’s laws” (1865) are foundational to the modern science. The Friar’s life provides additional lessons in the virtues of persistence and humility: though he published his work and attempted to disseminate it, fellow scientists ignored him. “Mendel’s laws” lay unnoticed until 1900, when three scientists interested in precisely these questions, happened upon his paper, and the rest is history (or genetics)... Gorgeous illustrations, beautifully told, but because of the science involved, this is an older child’s book.
Illustrated by Jos. A. Smith. Abrams, 2015. (Wonder, Diligence, 4-8)
This extraordinary picture book presents the compelling life of one who wondered fearlessly. As a child growing up on a farm in (what is now) the Czech republic, Gregor Mendel wondered why two kinds of apple trees grown in proximity produced better fruit than a single type grown alone or why breeding two different kinds of sheep yielded thicker wool. Mendel’s curiosity and wonder propelled him to seek an education despite his family’s poverty, enter religious life where he had access to libraries and scholarship, and then conduct his own meticulous experiments with 28,000 pea plants. Through patient experimentation he discovered certain rules for passing on what he called “dominant” and “recessive” traits. Friar Gregor is now known as the world’s first geneticist, and “Mendel’s laws” (1865) are foundational to the modern science. The Friar’s life provides additional lessons in the virtues of persistence and humility: though he published his work and attempted to disseminate it, fellow scientists ignored him. “Mendel’s laws” lay unnoticed until 1900, when three scientists interested in precisely these questions, happened upon his paper, and the rest is history (or genetics)... Gorgeous illustrations, beautifully told, but because of the science involved, this is an older child’s book.
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Lynn Curlee.
Atheneum, 2002. (Wonder, 4-6)
To leave something that will last forever… Art historian Lynn Curlee brings his formidable talents to the world of antiquity and looks at the seven wonders of the ancient world renown for their “size, beauty, grandeur and perfection.” The pyramid at Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus at Rhodes, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and others are explored with an eye toward all that makes us marvel. This work, illustrated by Curlee’s fabulous paintings, excites intellectual curiosity and wonder.
Atheneum, 2002. (Wonder, 4-6)
To leave something that will last forever… Art historian Lynn Curlee brings his formidable talents to the world of antiquity and looks at the seven wonders of the ancient world renown for their “size, beauty, grandeur and perfection.” The pyramid at Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Colossus at Rhodes, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and others are explored with an eye toward all that makes us marvel. This work, illustrated by Curlee’s fabulous paintings, excites intellectual curiosity and wonder.
Charlotte’s Web. E.B. White.
Illustrated by Garth Williams and Rosemary Wells. Harper Collins, 1952 and 2001. (3-6)
Beloved by generations, Charlotte’s Web is the story of a runt-of-the-litter pig named Wilbur, adopted by a farm girl named Fern, and befriended by a spider named Charlotte. In this magical barn kingdom, Wilbur can talk to both Fern and all the farm animals. When Fern learns that her adorable pet pig is to be fattened for someone’s dinner, she is devastated, but Wilbur even more so. Charlotte, the wise, enterprising and resourceful spider, weaves a pattern in her web that ensures his survival. The pure joy, delight, and wonder of this book, with its extraordinary characters and very right ending have made it a classic for generations.
Illustrated by Garth Williams and Rosemary Wells. Harper Collins, 1952 and 2001. (3-6)
Beloved by generations, Charlotte’s Web is the story of a runt-of-the-litter pig named Wilbur, adopted by a farm girl named Fern, and befriended by a spider named Charlotte. In this magical barn kingdom, Wilbur can talk to both Fern and all the farm animals. When Fern learns that her adorable pet pig is to be fattened for someone’s dinner, she is devastated, but Wilbur even more so. Charlotte, the wise, enterprising and resourceful spider, weaves a pattern in her web that ensures his survival. The pure joy, delight, and wonder of this book, with its extraordinary characters and very right ending have made it a classic for generations.
Bound for Oregon. Jean Van Leeuwen.
Puffin, 1996. (Hope, Perseverance, 3-6)
This slender historical novel shows the power of hope and determination in one of the most trying adventures of the mid-nineteenth century – the 2000 mile trek across the Oregon Trail. A pioneer’s story told from the vantage point of a nine-year old girl, Mary Ellen Todd. Well researched and hugely reaffirming of the human spirit.
Puffin, 1996. (Hope, Perseverance, 3-6)
This slender historical novel shows the power of hope and determination in one of the most trying adventures of the mid-nineteenth century – the 2000 mile trek across the Oregon Trail. A pioneer’s story told from the vantage point of a nine-year old girl, Mary Ellen Todd. Well researched and hugely reaffirming of the human spirit.
For an extensive bibliography of quality children's literature exemplifying these virtues,
see the Core Virtues Resource Guide.
Additional suggestions by virtue for K-3 ; Additional suggestions for 3-6
see the Core Virtues Resource Guide.
Additional suggestions by virtue for K-3 ; Additional suggestions for 3-6