How to Behave and Why
It's hard to be good. Especially if you don't really know what "being  good" means. Munro Leaf, beloved author ofThe Story of Ferdinand, decided  to try his hand at defining good behavior in his 1946 classicHow to Behave  and Why. The two biggest questions to ask ourselves in life, he says, are  "Are most of the people I know glad that I am here?" and "Am I glad that I am  here, myself?" If you want to make good friends and keep them, he says, "You  have to be HONEST. You have to be FAIR. You have to be STRONG and You have to be  WISE." This strangely charming life primer, illustrated with endearing stick  figures, goes on to explain why you have to be honest--how handy it is to be  trusted, for instance, when you need to borrow money. And if you lie too much,  "We can't believe ourselves or anyone else, because we don't really know what  the truth is any more than a penguin and that is a stupid way to live." Specific  reasons for not being a "lazy lump" or a liar or a cheat are outlined  matter-of-factly, as are basic lessons in how to be well and strong. Originally  published for the very young (it has an early-reader format with big type and  pictures), Leaf's how-to-be-good guidebook will probably be shared among adults  as a back-to-basics inspirational book with the same crossover appeal as Sandol  Stoddard Warburg'sI Like  You. A satisfying reflection of a time when what was right and wrong  seemed more black and white. (All ages)--Karin Snelson