bkpan Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Ds has always enjoyed fantasy, but I am hoping to broaden his interests a bit, especially titles that encourage heroism, integrity, courage, sacrifice, etc. I would love ideas in any areas - biographies, fiction, historical novels, etc. I have not tried the Henty books yet. I seem to have read a lot of negative opinions of them, so I am kinda scared off. Thanks for any ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 My ds is the same way. I did "assign" this book. It wasn't as impactful as I had hoped, I must say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 I always liked the book "Freckles" when I was a kid. Here's a description from amazon: Freckles (1904) by Gene Stratton Porter is the uplifting story of a plucky waif without a name and without one hand, disabled since infancy. Raised in a Chicago orphanage, he survives abuse and harsh circumstances and grows up a brave, loyal, and hardworking young man with a true capacity for self-sacrifice. Freckles becomes a timber guard in the Limberlost swamp in Indiana and exhibits extraordinary courage and resourcefulness on the job. He also falls in love with the Swamp Angel, a young girl whose beauty and kindness bring out the best in others. A beloved turn-of-the-century Indiana classic for all ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classical Katharine Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 I would recommend two books by Peter Masters, Men of Destiny and Men of Purpose. Each one contains chapter-long biographies of a great variety of interesting Christian men, from scientists to businessmen to converted crooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 My Bondage, My Freedom by Frederick Douglass. This autobiography shows what education, hard-work, and a nobility of spirit can accomplish even in the most unpromising of circumstance. It's an inspiring work. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, my newest favorite books. DS 11 claims they are the best books ever. Alex Rider series - junior James Bond, my former favorite book series. Roll of Thunder, Hear my cry is another great title. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in WI Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Here's a list that I recently compiled based on suggestions on just this topic from a blog I frequent: The Horatio Hornblower series (11 books) & The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forester Have Space Suit, Will Travel & Tunnel in the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling Home of the Brave by Caspar Weinberger Watership Down by Richard Adams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtmcm Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Two inspiring men we have recently learned about are Sgt. Alvin York (WWI) and Dr. Ben Carson (Head of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins). Both overcame tempers and bad behavior to become great men with strong moral character and earn success through hard work and prayer. There are a number of books available on Ben Carson, including several he's written. He is truly inspiring. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=ben+carson&x=0&y=0 I have to admit, for Sgt York we watched the movie with Gary Cooper, but there are several books on him. This one looks pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/Sergeant-York-American-David-Lee/dp/0813190282/ref=pd_sim_b_2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Gene Stratton Porter is absolutely one of my favorite authors. My favorites by her are Keeper of the Bees and A Girl Of the Limberlost. My grandmother read Limberlost as a child and it is still a favorite at 86. My grandpa had me read Keeper because it was a favorite of his. I was about the age of your son when I discovered nonfiction and biographies. Even if they were not people I had studied, I found that I enjoyed reading them more than fiction. You may also find that he can read some of James Thurber's works. It is just too funny! Some has to do with the battle of the sexes, but most is just hilarious chains of events in the lives of supposedly common people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Carry On, Mr. Bowditch Year of Impossible Goodbyes Hero Over Here Robert Fulton, Boy Craftsman almost all of the titles at Bethlehem books:http://www.bethlehembooks.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixie Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Just David by Eleanor H. Porter It can be purchased through Amazon, read online at The Baldwin Project, or listened to via a free MP3 download. Dixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Oh yes! I second, third, and fourth Watership Down! A wonderful story of leadership and courage, and one of ds's all-time favorite books. He pestered me for weeks to read it myself after he'd finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Wm Bennet's Book of Virtues. DS loves The Dangerous Book for Boys. It's full of all sorts of wonderful stuff including stuff about heroes, etc. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Famous Men of Rome has numerous stories of bravery, courage and integrity. It can be found online for free, but if he likes the stories, I would encourage getting the Memoria Press - - quality paper, nice layout, interesting color pictures. My dds have both enjoyed many of the stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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