Theme 1
The Lions team had a losing record. No matter how hard they tried, they could never win a game. The only stand-out was Karson, who played well at first base. Karson was so good in fact that other teams were constantly trying to recruit him. Even though it was tempting, Karson would never leave his team. The Lions were his friends & were the first baseball team on which he played. Karson was determined to stay with his team & to help make it better.
Loyalty
What is the theme?
These stories have characters that are brave enough to overcome a fearful or difficult situation or accept a challenge!
Courage
Every day Jamie dreaded the walk home from school. Jaime never knew which day Michael would be there…calling him names & chasing him down the sidewalk. In the past, Jamie would sneak through the back yards of the neighborhood to avoid Michael, but he knew that had to stop. Today, Jamie decided was going to be different. He didn’t cut through back yards. He walked straight down the sidewalk & stopped when he saw Michael. “Michael, what you are doing isn’t right. I need you to stop calling me names & chasing me.” To Jamie’s surprise, Michael didn’t say a word and let him pass right by.
Stand up for yourself & have courage!
What is theme?
The message or lesson in a story.
Everyone wore jeans & t-shirts to school except for Natalie. Natalie loved dresses, fancy dresses with glitter & flowers & bows. Natalie not only wore dresses to school each day but she coordinated her outfits with jewelry & accessories. Best of all, shoes to match! Natalie sometimes got teased for dressing that way but she didn't care. She loved dresses & no one was going to tell her otherwise.
Be yourself!
The old man lost his wife last year & he was all alone in the small but tidy home. In the autumn, the leaves started to fall & soon covered his lawn. Matt, who lived next door noticed this and without asking, raked the leaves & put them in the compost pile. He weeded the yard & was trimming the bushes when the old man came outside to greet him. After thanking Matt, the old man went inside & brought out a loaf of pumpkin bread for Matt to share with his family.
Kindness
Compassion
What is the theme?
These stories have characters that accept situations as they are.
Acceptance
Justin worked at the grocery store & one day his manager asked him to carry a heavy box to a customer's car. As the customer waited in her car outside, Justin tried to lift the box several times on his own but he knew he would end up dropping it. So Justin asked a few of his friends to help. Together, they were able to get the big box out to the woman's car.
Teamwork
What is the theme?
These stories have characters that treat others with value.
Respect
Rochelle begged & begged her mom for a new pet. Her mom was hesitant at first, since this was Rochelle's first pet but agreed in the end since Rochelle promised to take care of it. Rochelle brought her new puppy home from the pound & named it Patches. Patches was an active, sweet puppy but very untrained. The first day he chewed up Rochelle's new shoes & made chew marks on her furniture. Rochelle quickly found out that having a puppy wasn't everything she thought it would be.
Be careful what you wish for!
The vase was on the floor & it was broken. There was no denying that. Mom asked Taylor what had happened & since she was afraid that she would get into trouble, she lied & said that her brother broke the vase. Even though her brother denied it, Taylor's parents believed her & they grounded her brother for horsing around in the house. Watching her brother be punished every day for something Taylor did, made her feel guilty. She knew that she had to tell her parents the truth about what really happened.
Honesty
What is the theme?
These stories have characters that are considerate & caring towards others.
Kindness
The coach stormed out of the dugout & stood two inches from the umpire's face screaming at him. The coach continued to argue with the umpire & even called him names at one point. The umpire then threw the coach out of the game & told him he wouldn't be able to coach the team again until he got his temper under control.
Self Control
What is the theme?
These stories have characters that treat others fairly with the same rights.
Equality
“Has anyone found a bracelet?” Mrs. Smith asked the class. “Michelle lost her favorite bracelet at recess & she is very upset.” Rachel touched the small beaded bracelet under her shirt sleeve. She had found a bracelet outside. It was beautiful & she wanted it for herself. She knew that Michelle had plenty of bracelets. She would be fine without this one. That night, at home, Rachel didn’t feel quite right. Her stomach was turning & when she tried to sleep she couldn’t. She got out of bed & went to her jewelry box. She took the bracelet out & put it in her book bag. Tomorrow she would return the bracelet. She fell asleep right away.
You should do the right thing, even when it is difficult!
There were only six swings on the elementary school playground & every day, the same six kids would rush out to get them first. They would swing & swing & swing until the bell rang, leaving a small line of kids frustrated that they never got a turn. One day the principal noticed what was going on & asked the six kids to meet her in her office. The principal asked them to find a solution for the swings that would make things better. The next day, the teachers announced that in the spirit of making things more equal for everyone, that each child would get a few minutes on the swings, & then the next kids in line would have a turn.
Equality
What is the theme?
These stories have characters that care for & help those who are suffering.
Compassion
Marco noticed the teenager walking down the street. He took in his dark black hair, black fingernails, black clothing & his multiple piercings. An old woman was also walking down the street with a floral dress, gray hair wrapped in a bun & wearing glasses. The old woman was carrying a grocery bag when it slipped out of her hands & fell to the ground. Marco was surprised to see the teenager immediately rush to help the woman pick up her groceries.
Don't judge a book by its cover.
Don't judge others by the way they look.
What is the theme?
These stories have characters who have confidence in themselves.
Believe in Yourself!
Georgia decided to take a sewing class but felt very frustrated when she couldn’t sew a straight line on the first day. “This looks so easy, but it’s not! Clearly, I’m just terrible at sewing!” she complained. Even though she felt frustrated, she continued to go to class week after week. Each week, her sewing instructor helped her. By the last week of class, Georgia finally completed a project all by herself! She created a rectangular pillow for her bed...with four mostly perfect straight lines.
Hard work pays off!
Brittany was the most popular girl in school. She wore all the cutest clothes & had a smile that would shine on those she deemed worthy. She didn't care about anyone that wasn't popular but that didn't stop her from being admired by most of the girls at her school.
Mandy wore whatever was clean & hanging in her closet ready to wear to school each day. She also had a smile, but she shared her smile frequently as she was a generally happy person & was kind to everyone.
When Paige, the new girl, was looking for friends, she could tell right away that Mandy was her first choice.
Good Character
What is the theme?
These stories have characters that keep trying & never give up even when things do not work out at first.
Even though Greg had been looking forward to his best friend’s party for over a month, he knew his grandma would really love to see him. “It’s your choice, Greg. Grandma is really sick, but I know you’ve been very excited about this party,” said his mom. Most of his class was planning on going to the party & he knew it would be so much fun! After some thought, though, Greg knew exactly what he was going to do. “It’s not like this is the last party that I’ll ever be invited to & Grandma would be so sad if I didn’t come,” said Greg. “Plus, I always like making her smile.”
It is important to be there for your family!
What is the theme?
These stories have characters that have endurance in difficult situations. They understand not everything comes quickly.
Patience
Tiger, the family cat had been missing for three weeks now. Mom & Dad tried to comfort Alex & told him that maybe it was time to get another cat. Alex wouldn't give up on Tiger, though. Every day, he would stand in the backyard & call for her. Every night he would fill up her cat bowl with fresh food & water & leave it by the back door in case she happened to make her way home. Finally, on the first day of the fourth week, Alex heard a tiny meow at the back door. Tiger had come home!
Hope