"Short Stories for Success for Young Readers: A New Lexicon Unfolded" 

Everyone deeply desires to succeed in their life. People succeed because of one or more of their unique character or trait or attribute. One’s personality makes a difference between success and failure. Character and personality form very early in one’s life. Most children pass into their adolescence and then into young adulthood carrying with them all those personality traits – good or bad, helpful or harmful – that they have formed very early in their life with very little awareness about them. They succeed or get stuck because of these personality traits.

We have a lot to learn from our elders and forefathers and thus from our history. Their life and what they did during their lifetime can be a good lesson to every one of us for our own future. Epics and folk tales were told by sages, seers and wise men to inculcate good character in people for them to be happy in their life.

This book contains 26 short stories - each representing one English alphabet and depicting a unique helpful character or a trait representing one alphabet. This book was inspired by the poem collections: “Aathichoodi” by the renowned Tamil female Poet of Southern India, Avvaiyar of Sangam period (3^rd century B.C.E – 4^th century C.E). In her great work Aathichoodi, Avvaiyar has coined one moralistic verse for each Tamil basic alphabet and most children of Tamil Nadu in India are familiar with Aathichoodi and the value of her teachings.

Thus 26 short stories from history, mythology and folk tales represent the following 26 character traits to help small children understand their value towards happiness, peace and success:

A for Attitude                                                                                                   

B for Beliefs

C for Choice                                                                                                      

D for Determination

E for Empathy                                                                                                   

F for Faith

G for Gratitude                                                                                                

H for Habit

I for Integrity                                                                                                    

J for Judgment

K for Knowledge                                                                                             

L for Leadership

M for Magnanimity                                                                                       

N for Nobility

O for Optimism                                                                                       

P for Perseverance

Q for Quest                                                                                                       

R for Relationship

S for Sacrifice                                                                                                   

T for Truthfulness

U for Unity                                                                                                

V for Value and Victory

W for Wisdom                                                                                                 

X for eXtraordinary

Y for Young                                                                                                       

Z for Zeal