Table of Contents

1. Awakening the Moral Imagination
2. On Becoming a Real Human Child: Pinocchio
3. Love and Immortality in The Velveteen Rabbit and The Little Mermaid
4. Friends and Mentors in The Wind in the Willows, Charlotte's Web, and Bambi
5. Evil and Redemption in The Snow Queen and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
6. Heroines of Faith and Courage: Princess Irene in The Princess and the Goblin and Lucy in Prince Caspian
Conclusion: A Bibliographical Essay

About the Author

Vigen Guroian is Professor of Religious Studies, University of Virginia.

Reviews

"Not since Chesterton have we seen such an open, affectionate, and brilliant analysis of fairy and fantasy tales. For parents, teachers, and clergy, here is a theological perspective on Beauty, Beast, Pinocchio, Bambi, Narnia, the Velveteen Rabbit (among others)--all as seedlings in growing a child's garden of morals and virtues. It is a fresh, embracing, and enlightening view, and, I might add, long overdue."-- Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud
Handbook
"Vigen Guroian's Tending the Heart of Virtue is a lucid, illuminating, and timely interpretation of the classics of children's literature. At a time when children are continuously assaulted by stories and products churned out by the morally vacuous purveyors of pop culture, Guroian reminds us just how essential great stories are in developing the human soul. Unlike many of the 'back to virtue' books on the market today, this study does not promote
tales which are sentimental, didactic, or merely conventional. Rather, Guroian demonstrates that the best children's stories combine an almost mystical love of goodness with a high degree of dramatic realism. Here
is a book that will not only evoke memories of beloved childhood reading experiences, but also spur us on ( as parents, teachers, and friends) to share these stories with the children we know and love."--Gregory Wolfe, coauthor of Books That Build Character
"This is a book written primarily for parents, though it may be read with prophet by others. It builds upon and answers to current interest in moral education and the rearing of children. And certainly, for parents looking for ideas about where to start reading to their children, Tending the Heart of Virtue will prove a good place to begin."--The University Bookman
"Of special note is Professor Guroian's bibliography essay that concludes this seminally informed and informative literary inquiry and study. Tending the Heart of Virtue is a welcome and highly recommended addition to academic and community library reference collections and supplemental reading lists in the fields of Literary Studies, as well as Philosophy and Ethics." --Midwest Book Review