Arthur S. Maxwell (1896–1970)

I have mixed feelings about Uncle Arthur. The positive values espoused in these books - kindness, charity, patience, etc etc, are what makes these stories worth reading, and sharing.

However, it is the year 2021, and these stories were published around the 40's-60's, if I recall correctly, so the stories also reinforce old-fashioned gender roles. (Uncle Arthur died in 1970)

As I said, the values presented in these stories are worthwhile, so if you're a parent, or guardian or another qualified show more person, these stories can be shared with the kiddos, but be prepared to have a talk about some of the old-fashioned stuff in there. Ultimately I chose to give this 4 stars because despite the old-fashioned values, the good qualities are worth sharing, and Uncle Arthur was simply a product of his time. show less

I remember reading this as a kid, and the morals and values that were highlighted in various stories. Many of the stories are now dated, and some can be quite sexist, but then the author himself died in 1970, so his stories are very much a product of the times he grew up and lived in.

I still think many of the stories have merit and should be shared with children, but parents and other adults who want to use this as a teaching tool should read the stories themselves, and 'update' the stories show more as needed. show less

Given the time period this book was written in, and the fact that it's obviously for people who like the Bible, I, as an atheist, am still giving this book 3.5 stars.

As a kid, I enjoyed the Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories (even though as a preteen, I could tell some of the stories were really dated!) so it was interesting to read this more adult-geared book. Overall, Arthur tries to espouse the best qualities of the Bible, such as loving your neighbor and so on (just as he did in his Bedtime show more Stories collection) so if I were to grade this book, I would give it a solid B. show less

It took me forever to track this set down because all I could recall, having been so mightily impressed by the first volume that I stole it from church when I was eight or ten, were the profuse illustrations, a woman in burnose telling stories, and that the spine was blue. I snuck the book back into St. Andrew's months or years later -a classic case of the more you put it off the worst it gets!- and glommed onto the set four decades later as a fine gift for the Neffies, who as of this show more writing range from two weeks to four years. Ethics and mythos primer, wonderful illustrations... And I love that '50s feel! show less