White's Charlotte's Web teaches more about the meaning of friendship than an explicit realistic story could ever do. In Jeri Massi's Bracken Trilogy, right always triumphs over wrong and leaves the reader with a sense of how good right is. Modern realism can support Christian values directly or indirectly. Patricia St. John's Treasures of the Snow teaches a child about bitterness and Christ's forgiveness in a way that he will not forget. The laughter and play that permeate Jeri Massi's Peabody series turns the growing up struggles of the characters into lessons that can be learned.
Animal realism appeals to nearly all children.
Meindert DeJong's Hurry Home, Candy and Julie Nye's Scout are both compelling stories in this category. Eleanore Estes' The Hundred Dresses, a strong piece of writing from a secular author, combines a compelling story and an urgently needed lesson in tolerance. Unhappily, a negative note must be made at this point. All books published for children are not equal in value. Secular children's literature, especially in recent years, contains many objectionable elements.