Hillsdale College

Hope

Cling to what is good in the midst of sorrow and adversity.

Hope is the moral virtue that enables one to endure physical and moral suffering without becoming unreasonably discouraged or overwhelmed. Through the habit of hope, reason governs the passion of sorrow, ensuring that one neither endures evils unnecessarily through a lack of feeling, nor fails to strive for difficult goods through inordinate sadness or despair.

The virtue of hope gives us an inner strength that allows us to see and strive for good things despite the hardship, difficulty, discouragement, or despair (great sadness) we experience in life.

Featured Stories

The Velveteen Rabbit
Margery Williams
Grade K-2

Story

Charlotte’s Web
E.B. White
Grade 2-3

Story

The Princess and the Goblin
George MacDonald
Grade 3-5

Story

Anne of Green Gables
L. M. Montgomery
Grade 4-6

Story

The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Grade 4-6

Story


Featured Biographies

​Eleanor Roosevelt: Her Path to Kindness
Helaine Becker
Grade K-2

Biography

A Picture Book of Eleanor Roosevelt
David A. Adler
Grade K-3

Biography

Anne Frank: A Kid's Book About Hope
Mary Nhìn
Grade K-3

Biography

Bread for Words
Shana Keller
Grade K-4

Biography

Lives of Virtue

Frederick Douglass
For his unflinching honesty in sharing his life experience, for his courage in escaping injustice, and for his relentless pursuit of justice, Frederick Douglass exemplifies moral virtue.  
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln exemplified virtue through his steadfast commitment to justice and the preservation of the Union, guiding the nation with moral clarity and courage during its darkest hours.
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill was an exemplary leader and man of virtue, steadfastly leading Britain through the darkest days of World War II with unwavering resolve and inspiring optimism.
Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Anne Frank, the world-famous example of courage, provided us with one of the most important and powerful testaments to the human spirit in World War II.