text: Meet the Authors: Jim and Rick Autry — Iowa Center for the Book
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  Meet the Authors: Jim and Rick Autry
  In their first father/son collaboration, James and Rick Autry have released, Everyday Virtues: Classic Tales to Read with Kid, (Smyth & Helwys) a collection of stories gleaned from the world's folk tale traditions.
  "This book is intended to give parents, grandparents, and other caregivers a valuable tool in luring kids, even for a short while, away from their digital obsessions," explained Rick. James added that he felt there was "nothing more important for kids than to hear a story read by a trusted adult." Parents, grandparents, and caregivers will love sharing these entertaining and easily understood stories with children, ages 3 to 11.
  The book is divided into six virtues--compassion, justice, respect, humility, freedom, and courage--with each section containing four stories. Each story will be followed by a "virtue of the heart" that emphasizes the tale's lesson. The book also features story notes that explain the historical background of each story.
  James A. Autry, a former Fortune 500 executive, is an author, poet, and consultant whose work has had a significant influence on leadership thinking. He is the author of thirteen books, and his writings have appeared in many anthologies and magazines. He holds four honorary degrees and is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award for service to the humanities from the Iowa Humanities Board. Autry lives in Des Moines, Iowa, with his wife, former lieutenant governor of Iowa Sally Pederson, and their thirty-four-year-old son. He has two sons (one of whom is his co-author) by a previous marriage and is a grandfather of two.
  Rick Autry has been a lawyer working for the state of Iowa for more than thirty years. For seventeen years he was an Iowa assistant attorney general representing the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. He is a frequent speaker on employment law at legal seminars and author of Word Origins for Lawyers, published by the American Bar Association. He and his wife, Lyn, have been married for thirty-five years. Their two sons have graduated college and are both pursuing post-graduate education.