The Value of Patience: The Story of the Wright Brothers (Valuetale)

In this installment of the ValueTales series, Spencer Johnson examines the role that patience played in the lives of Orville (1871-1948) and Wilbur (1867-1912) Wright. The book tells about the lives of brothers Orville and Wilbur, who dreamed as boys of building a machine that could fly people through the air. They learned to fix machines like printing presses and bicycles--and they learned that it can take a long time to make something work right. They worked a long time on their flying machine, too. They learned about kites and gliders and light-weight engines. And they build model after model that did not work. But they kept at it. Finally one of their designs worked. They had invented the first airplane! Like other books in the ValueTales series, this book uses a real-life person to exemplify an important value. It is suitable for reading by children in the later elementary school grades. A "Historical Facts" section at the book's end summarizes the Wright Brothers' lives in a single-page bio form suitable for adults. Closing quote: "Of course, you can't invent the first airplane. That has already been done. And what you may want to do may be very different indeed, But you might like to think about how having patience can help you. Then perhaps you can be happier doing what you want to do...just like our patient friends the Wright brothers." (pp. 59-60)