Arnie’s Endeavors: Life Principle of Effort

Arnie’s Endeavors acquaints readers with what life is like for a truly amazing creature – the nine-banded armadillo. What exactly does it take to be an armadillo? Each armadillo must find thousands of insects a day to complete his diet; necessity can lead him to eat even fire ants. Burrows are a requirement for his safety so much tunnel digging is part of his routine. He always needs to be ready to flee from predators and to elude angry homeowners who find he has damaged a yard or garden in his endeavors to unearth grubs and worms to eat. Does all this sound like a requirement for much, continual effort? You are right, especially when you consider that it all must be done with very poor eyesight and while wearing a shell of protective armor!
Arnie, the armadillo, puts forth unflagging effort to attain life necessities, and as the story progresses, the reward of exerting effort becomes clear to readers. Studies show that the effort expended by a student is possibly the most important determinant of his academic success. Additionally, the value of effort continues for a lifetime; champion workers give maximum effort every day of their lives!
This book includes supplement pages for use by teachers and parents featuring quotations, enriched vocabulary from the text of the story, subject/content area integration points, critical thinking questions, and writing/storytelling prompts.