Books in Another Sommer-time Story series

Marcus and Marcella hate the noisy forest animals and the hard work in searching for food every day. Their eyes light up when a chipmunk tells them that the farm has no noise and lots of food. In spite of being warned by Mama Beaver, they immediately move to the farm. Their dreams come true. But their dreams are shattered when the farmer and his wife come home. The chase is on. After barely escaping, they quickly return to their forest home. They discover that even with all the noise and hard work, the forest is a wonderful place to live. In this delightful and inspiriting story, Carl Sommer shows the importance of tolerance, friendship, and appreciation. Grades K-3. Virtues: Tolerance/Friendship/Appreciation Other Virtues: Caring, Cheerfulness, Citizenship, Civic Virtue, Community Service, Compassion, cooperation, Diligence, Dignity of Labor, Friendship, Kindness, Patience, Peacefulness, Perseverance, Positive Mental Attitude, Peacefulness, Respect for Others, and Unity.

Mama and Papa have always told their chicks never to have anything to do with strangers. But the sly fox disguises himself as a little lamb, and tries to trick the chicks into going with him. His early attempts fail because Clucky listens to Papa and Mama. The fox finally succeeds by promising delicious corn to lure some of the chicks. After a horrifying experience, Clucky's sister Wendy escapes and realizes the importance of always listening to her parents and never talking to strangers. To help protect our children from unscrupulous strangers in today's society, Carl Sommer teaches the importance of trust, safety, and obedience to parents. Grades K-3. Virtues: Trust / Safety / Obedience to Parents Other Virtues: Caring, Cheerfulness, Compassion, Friendship, Generosity, Honesty, Integrity, Kindness, Respect for Parents, Self-Control, and Truthfulness.

Benny and Sally don't mind doing their farm chores and caring for their mules, but they absolutely refuse to share. Their mules, Bossy and Stiffy, imitate their owners' selfish ways by stubbornly refusing to let anyone else ride them, and fussing whenever they work together doing farm work. Dad needs to teach the mules a lesson. He ties them together which forces them to learn to cooperate in order to eat. After much struggling, the mules learn to work together, and teach their owners Benny and Sally that sharing brings happiness. This delightful story by Carl Sommer shows the importance of cooperation, tolerance and respect. Grades K-3. Virtues: Cooperation / Tolerance / Respect Other Virtues: Appreciation, Caring, Cheerfulness, Compassion, Courtesy, Fairness, Friendship, Humility, Justice, Kindness, Obedience to Parents, and Patience

Life couldn't have been better for Buzzie Bee, until she overhears some disturbing news. Buzzie became furious and started a revolt among the younger bees. The angry bees left the hive to start their own. In the new hive the young bees argue and fight over who should do the work. They finally discover that working together with a leader is the only way to have a happy hive. They return and follow the Queen Bee. This intriguing story demonstrates the influence of an angry thought and the power of a wise answer. Sommer teaches the importance of citizenship, teamwork and responsibility. Grades 1-4. Virtues: Citizenship/Teamwork/Responsibility Other Virtues: Appreciation, Caring, Cheerfulness, Civic Virtue, Cleanliness, Commitment, Community Service, Compassion, Cooperation, Courage, courtesy, Diligence, Dignity of Labor, Fairness, Forgiveness, Friendship, Humility, Kindness, Loyalty, Peacefulness, Positive Mental Attitude, Respect for Others, Respect for Law, Respect for Elders, Responsibility, Trust, and Unity

Trapped high on a mountain by deep snow, hungry townspeople wait desperately for one of the three big trains to bring them food, but they all refuse to go up the mountain. Seeing the desperate situation, The Little Red Train and a family of brave helpers decide to go up the mountain in spite of the ridicule from the big trains. The Little Red Train and it helpers overcome severe obstacles and save the people from starvation. In this exciting and vividly illustrated book, Carl Sommer shows the value of perseverance, compassion, and civic virtue, and children learn to sing the song: Try! Try! Try! Grades K-3. Virtues: Perseverance / Compassion / Civic Virtue Other Virtues: Appreciation, Assertiveness, Caring, Cheerfulness, Citizenship, Commitment, Community Service, Cooperation, Courage, Creativity, Diligence, Generosity, Initiative, Kindness, Patience, Positive Mental Attitude, Respect for Humankind, Responsible, and Self-Discipline

It was time for the beautiful princess Elizabeth to be married. Charming Simon and the strong, handsome Thomas came to ask her hand in marriage. And then there was John, the handsome but not-so-flashy commoner whom Elizabeth had first noticed helping an old man get his wagon out of a muddy ditch. Not sure about the true character of her three suitors, Elizabeth had them run a race to reveal what they were really like in difficult situations. Tempted by distractions planted by the wise king, two of the three runners failed to keep their eyes on their goal. But the commoner John stayed focused on the beautiful princess-he passed the test of the Great Royal Race. This inspiring story by Carl Sommer shows how goal setting, perseverance, and loyalty will bring success. Grades 1-4. Virtues: Citizenship / Caring / Community Service Other Virtues: Appreciation, Assertiveness, Caring, Commitment, Compassion, Courage, Courtesy, Diligence, Initiative, Integrity, Kindness, Loyalty, Obedience to Parents, Patience, Perseverance, Positive Mental Attitude, Purity, Respect, Self-Discipline, Self-Reliance, and Temperance.

The bear cub Teddy is a grumpy bear. Even though he had been a happy baby from a loving family, along the way he had lost his smile. He doesn't enjoy any of the things that usually make children happy, such as baseball, bike riding, rides at Playland, and swimming. Teddy tries real hard to find his smile, but nothing works, until he asks his grandpa for advice. Grandpa tells him that he can only get his smile back if he makes others happy. Teddy can't understand how this will help, but he's willing to try. He goes home and starts doing helpful things for his family and for his friends at school. He quickly discovers that Grandpa was right-happiness comes by helping others. In this moving story by Carl Sommer, children will learn about caring, citizenship, and about one of the most important principles of living a happy life--helping others. Grades K-3. Virtues: Caring / Cheerfulness / Citizenship Other Virtues: Compassion, Generosity, Kindness, Positive Mental Attitude, Respect for Old Age, Responsibility, and Self-Discipline.

Tombo the tadpole thinks he is the king of the pond. He brags that he is the biggest, the fastest, and the strongest tadpole, and teases and chases all the other tadpoles. However, while Tombo is showing off doing a triple flip, a boy catches him. The boy puts him into a fish tank and gives him fish flakes to eat, a food Tombo despises. When Tombo turns into a frog, the boy releases him back into his pond. Then Tombo discovers that he is no longer the biggest and fastest, but he does learn the value of friendship. In this superbly illustrated book, Carl Sommer reveals the importance of respect for others, forgiveness, and sportsmanship. Grades K-3. Virtues: Respect for Others / Forgiveness / Sportsmanship Other Virtues: Appreciation, Assertiveness, Caring, Cheerfulness, Citizenship, Civic Virtue, Compassion, Cooperation, Courtesy, Fairness, Friendship, Generosity, Humility, Justice, Kindness, and Tolerance