diligence and work ethic

*William’s House by Ginger Howard

Wouldn't it make sense that a house built in the style of a home in England would work just as well in America? *William's House ...
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Labor Day: Books about Work

Readers: this is an adaptation of one of the first posts on Redeemed Reader, way back in 2011 (written by Emily Whitten, the "I" in ...
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Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille

What if God took the very instrument that caused your suffering and turned it into a tool of blessing for many? Six Dots: A Story ...
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The Dollar Kids by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

How a sensitive boy handles death and guilt is the subject of The Dollar Kids: one of our “discussion starter” titles.  Ages 10-15 The Dollar ...
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*New Shoes by Sara Varon

A delightful journey into the jungle awaits Francis the Donkey on his quest to make new shoes for his favorite Calypso singer. *New Shoes by ...
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*Sled Dog School by Terry Lynn Johnson

An academically-challenged boy gains confidence and learns responsibility when he opens a sled dog school. *Sled Dog School by Terry Lynn Johnson.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ...
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Labor Day Repost: Heart of a Shepherd

(Originally published on Labor Day 2012) Labor Day, according to Wikipedia, was born of the Management/Labor battles of the late 19th century--particularly the Pullman strike ...
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Let’s Talk It over: Honesty and Diligence in Literature

Janie: This week we’re taking up two major themes in Proverbs: honest work and honest words.  At first glance they may not seem to be that closely ...
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*Sam the Man and the Chicken Plan

Likeable characters and a gently-humorous style introduces early-elementary readers to the rewards of hard work and free enterprise. *Sam the Man and the Chicken Plan ...
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*The Boy Who Became Buffalo Bill by Andrea Warren

This accessible biography reveals the extraordinary, historically significant, and surprisingly admirable life of an American legend. *The Boy Who Became Buffalo Bill: Growing Up Billy ...
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The Magic Mirror by Susan Hill Long

A few language cautions aside, this medieval fantasy tale illustrates some profound truths about finding oneself in the journey.   The Magic Mirror: Concerning a ...
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Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg

Sweet Home Alaska by Carole Estby Dagg.  Penguin, February 2016, 296 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 Bottom Line: An ...
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*Gingerbread for Liberty! by Mara Rockliff and illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch

*Gingerbread for Liberty! How a German Baker Helped Win the American Revolution by Mara Rockliff and illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch. HMH Books, 2015. 32 ...
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*The Grasshopper and the Ants by Jerry Pinkney

*The Grasshopper and the Ants by Jerry Pinkney. Little, Brown, 2015. 40 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8 Recommended For: Ages 4-8 Vibrant, colorful ...
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One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul and Elizabeth Zunon

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. Millbrook, 2015. 32 pages. Reading Level: ...
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You Have a Brain by Ben Carson, M.D.

You have a Brain: a Teen’s Guide to THINK BIG by Ben Carson,M. D. (with Gregg and Deborah Lewis). Zondervan, 2015. 281 pages Reading Level: ...
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cover of New Shoes

New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer, illustrated by Eric Velasquez

New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer, illustrated by Eric Velasquez. Holiday House, 2015. 40 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8 Recommended for: Ages 4-8 ...
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cover of The Ordinary Princess

*The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye (Retro Reads)

*The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye. Puffin, 2002 (originally published in 1980). 128 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: Ages 8-10 ...
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*Faerie Gold edited by Kathryn Lindskoog and Ranelda Mack Hunsicker

*Faerie Gold: Treasures from the Lands of Enchantment edited by Kathryn Lindskoog and Ranelda Mack Hunsicker. P&R, 2005. 304 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages ...
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*Pioneer Girl: the Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder

*Pioneer Girl: the Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder (edited by Pamela Smith Hill). University of South Dakota Press, sale 2014. 400 pages. Reading Level: ...
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*Choo Choo by Virgina Lee Burton

This book is a "Best of the Best" pick from ourWinter Book Fair. CLICK HERE to see more gift ideas! *Choo Choo: The Story of a Little ...
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cover of Katy and the Big Snow

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton. HMH Books for Young Readers, 1943. 40 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8Recommended for: Ages ...
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*The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett

This book is a "Best of the Best" pick from our Winter Book Fair. CLICK HERE to see more gift ideas! *The Girl and the Bicycle by ...
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The Great Trouble by Deborah Hopkinson

The Great Trouble: a Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel, by Deborah Hopkinson. Knopf, 2013, 247 pages with historical notes. ...
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*Little Britches by Ralph Moody

*Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody. Bison Books, 1991. 260 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10, ages 10-12 and upRecommended ...
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Laboring and Resting: Books about Both!

In this digital world of ours, I can post this blog entry "on" Labor Day without having to do any work on Labor Day: I'm ...
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*Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens

Tops and Bottoms is a clever folktale that illustrates the wisdom of diligence and warning against laziness in the book of Proverbs. *Tops and Bottoms ...
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Proverbs, Tricksters and Fools

The book of Proverbs is full of instructions for the simple to obtain wisdom and avoid disaster. Stories about tricksters demonstrate common-grace examples of using ...
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cover of The Gardener

*The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and David Small

Lydia shares her efforts to bring beauty to the world around her in this epistolary picture book. *The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and David Small. ...
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A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole

A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home by Henry Cole.  HarperCollins, 2010, 336 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ...
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Close to Famous by Joan Bauer

Close to Famous, by Joan Bauer. Viking, 2011, 250 pages.  Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Recommended for: ages 11-13 Bottom Line: In this feel-good middle ...
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Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer

Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer. Speak, 2005. 208 pages Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12-16 Bottom Line: Good-hearted Jenna ...
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*The Year Money Grew on Trees by Aaron Hawkins

The Year Money Grew on Trees by Aaron Hawkins.  HMH, 2010. 301 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Recommended for: Ages 10-12 Bottom Line: Middle-grade ...
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*Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen. Random House (Wendy Lamb Books), 2007. 88 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Maturity Level: 4 (Ages 10-12) Bottom ...
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The king of mulberry street cover image

The King of Mulberry Street by Donna Jo Napoli

In The King of Mulberry Street a 9-year-old Italian immigrant realizes the American dream in 1890s New York through a combination of luck, ingenuity, and ...
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