Rating: 
Summary: Superb collection of stories
Review: What a great book. The amount of stories is immense. No matter what your political or social views are, you will find stories for you and your family to enjoy. It is great to read aloud and to discuss the stories with your family and decide what are the important meanings of them. I would recommend this book to anyone with eyes or ears to enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Bravo!
Review: Virtue? Imagine that. What a concept. Bennett does an excellent job selecting a wide range of stories that exemplify those qualities which define a civilized society. Qualities which seem to be sorely lacking in literature these days. These are the stories that Grandma told you on a rainy Saturday afternoon. They are entertainment and education all wrapped up in one package. Forget buying the kids the newest power-super-robot-talking baby for Christmas. Buy them something of substance...this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good idea didn't come out too well
Review: Celebrating virtue is a good thing. Compiling stories in praise of them is also good. Bennett's approach though leaves alot to be desired, labeling many things virtues on which others might disagree (cleanliness is on par with honesty??). A better job of editing and selecting stories would have made this well-meaning project much more enjoyable.I am a bit confused by other reviewers' comments that Bennett pushes a conservative ideology here. His right-wing views are well-known but don't come across in the book. I am a liberal but found nothing "conservative" about his selections. Bennett specifically states at the start that good, moral people can be liberal or conservative, which I thought was very virtuous of him.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent collection of stories
Review: This book is an excellent collection of stories. The virtues he speaks about in this book sound almost archaic given what is going on in today's society. Self- discipline - does the "me first" genreation even know what that means? Compassion - doesn't exactly equate with "3-strikes you're out." Responsibility - How many dead-beat dads are out there? How many families are putting career first and leaving their children with strangers? These virtues and the others compiled in this book are worthy of being study throughout a lifetime of study. Mr. Bennett has done a great service. One wonders if this is on the reading stand in the White House?
Rating:
Summary: An Immensely Useful and Practical Resource
Review: I found this book in the local library a few years ago and as it was not otherwise available locally, imported my own copy (at considerable expense!). I use this volume with my own children, to teach and frequently for my own reference! A number of my friends and associates have borrowed it, then bought their own and it is now being commercially imported here. Some of the nursery rhymes may seem a little dated to modern ears. However, the more mature material is frequently most apt, Mr. Bennett's introductions illuminating and I find myself thankful that such stories are being rescued from the shrouds of antiquity to once again be put to use.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read book for the young and young at heart.
Review: It's a compilation of all the stories you want your children to hear. The stories, essays, and poems are simple yet rich in teachings. It's a collection of lessons both children and adults can learn from. If you want to nourish that seed of joy and kindness in your heart, you better get hold of this wonderful book of Mr. Bennett
Rating:
Summary: Great book for the family
Review: This book is great to teach your kids morals in a fun and interesting way. A lot of the stories are ones that I read as a kid - i.e., Aesop's fables and other great tales
Rating:
Summary: Should be on every family's bookshelf!
Review: This is an excellent book. Besides being a great collection
of stories, each story has a commentary to highlight the
virtue (or vice) that is being illustrated. My three
boys love this book. It has been used in my oldest son's
classroom and I use it with my cub scouts. Who doesn't love a good story?
Rating:
Summary: A hearty recommendation!
Review: It is this very elixer of truth that all of us must drink. Would it only be possible for all of America to see the truth contained in this brilliant and optimistic book, we would truly shine only brighter. For too long has America's counterculture dragged us down to lower standards, our youth despoiled and undiciplined. Mr. Bennett has performed a national service by this book, and one we should all repay by immediately committing to heart its contents and message. Let us all be more virtuous, day by day, slowly, slowly.
Rating:
Summary: In the classroom
Review: As a special education teacher, I work with students who have issues with social skills (getting along with each other, etc.) as well as below-grade-level reading skills. I plan on purchasing copies of the book and using selected stories as part of my reading program.
I had to make a decision: I could have my kids read stories such as "The Lost and Found" where three kids fall inside the Lost and Found Box and explore a hidden world, learning nothing that can be applied to their personal lives. Or, I could have them read stories dealing with issues of character.
I chose the latter. To test my theory, I found a version of "Stone Soup" on the Web and created a weeklong unit around the story with vocabulary, writing, and comprehension lessons. They loved it!
This tells me that they will enjoy this book. Are some of the stories simplistic? Perhaps. Are they edited? Other people seem to think so. All I know is that my special-needs kids need the "Basics" and "black-and-white" moral issues are exactly what is required.
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