Books+that+Build+Character

=This page is for educators to share books that encourage good character development in students.=

Please include title, author, & brief description
Berenstein Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstein(Random House). This book is an excellent book to use with kindergarten and first grade students. I read these books to my four year old. They teach good character development like responsibility,good manners,relationships,honesty,habits,etc. ABoylan

For primary kids, the Junie B. Jones series is good, because for one thing, they are so funny, and the kids love to hear what Junie B. does and says next. They enjoy the series format. I think that they are good for teaching character because so often Junie B. does and says things that **do not** exhibit good character, such as sneaking, lying, or smart-mouthing. After we read a chapter in a book, we discuss her actions and how they got her into trouble, and what a better idea would have been for her. EBranch

//Maniac Magee// by Jerry Spinelli. This one would be good for upper elementary/middle schoolers. The main character is Maniac Magee, a homeless boy who is legendary in the town for his athletic skills as well as his ability to get along with people, and his fearlessness. He makes himself at home in the black side of town, where he doesn't really fit in, and the book is about he and the people he gets to know get over their prejudices and become a family. This is an excellent book, and I could not recommend it more! EBranch

There is another great book by Jerry Spinelli that teaches good character development and that is //Stargirl//. I actually read this in a Literature for Adolescents course and it was really good. It is primarily for grades 4-8. It is about a girl who has been homeschooled many years of her education and then her family moves and she starts attending a public school her 10th grade year. She learns how people treat those that are different and others learn how one should be treated and that is with respect. ABoylan

A good book that teaches tolerance is //How My Parents Learned to Eat// by Ina Friedman. This book is about a sailor who dates a japanese schoolgirl. The sailor was hesitant to ask her out to dinner because he was afraid he would not be able to eat with chopsticks and as a result go hungry. She thought he didn't ask her out because he was ashamed of the fact that she would not know how to eat with a knife and fork. While dating they each decided to surprise the other by learning to eat like the other person. They each learn that it did not matter how they ate to the other person. KDavis

//The Hundred Dresses// by Eleanor Estes is the story of a little girl named Wanda who doesn't fit in at school because she comes from the poorest family in town. The other girls make fun of her because she only has one dress, and wears it every single day. The narrator of the story is one of the girls who didn't make fun, but who stood there and didn't defend Wanda. This girl feels horrible about the teasing, but never does anything about it. Wanda persists in telling everyone that she has a hundred dresses lined up in her closet at home. One day, she doesn't come to school. Her family has moved away from town. The class has been excited about a school art contest, and when the winners are announced, Wanda has won. Her drawings of one hundred fabulous dresses are lined up all around the classroom. Everyone realizes that she really did have one hundred dresses after all, although they were her own drawings. This story really gets kids thinking about what it's like to be poor, and what the right thing to do is when someone is being teased or bullied. I would suggest this book for 3rd-7th graders. EBranch

A all time classic that teaches character development is the book, //The Tortoise and the Hare// by Janet Stevens. It teaches children about determination and how to never give up just like the tortoise did in the story.ABoylan

A good book that can be used to teach acceptance is //The Bremen Town Musicians// by Eugene Evans. Its a tale about a group of misfit animals who set out individually for the town of Bremen. The each meet along the way and eventually decide to live together in an abandoned house. KDavis


 * Thanks girlies! I am familiar with most of these books. Sometimes, it just takes a gentle reminder to see what's right in front of you. I really appreciate the suggestions. The school where I am interning is trying to build their professional resources and character education books. I will definitely put these on the list.**