Books That Build Character

William Kilpatrick's recent book Why Johnny Can't Tell Right from Wrong convinced thousands that reading is one of the most effective ways to combat moral illiteracy and build a child's character. This follow-up book--featuring evaluations of more than 300 books for children--will help parents and teachers put his key ideas into practice..

Young people need guidance from caring adults to build strong, positive character traits—but they can also build their own. This book by the best-selling author of The Kid’s Guide to Social Action invites children and teens to explore and practice honesty, kindness, empathy, integrity, tolerance, patience, respect, and more. Quotations and background information set the stage. Dilemmas challenge readers to think about, discuss, and debate positive traits. Activities invite them to explore what they stand for at school, at home, and in their communities. True stories profile real kids who exemplify positive traits; resources point the way toward character-building books, organizations, programs, and Web sites..

Honesty, respect, responsibility, compassion, self-discipline and perseverance-the building blocks of character are the topics of this book. Introduce the theme with a great book and reinforce it with a variety of meaningful and creative follow-up activities..

The invaluable grade-by-grade guide (kindergarten—sixth) is designed to help parents and teachers select some of the best books for children. Books to Build On recommends: • for kindergartners, lively collections of poetry and stories, such as The Children’s Aesop, and imaginative alphabet books such as Bill Martin, Jr.’s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Lucy Micklewait’s I Spy: An Alphabet in Art • for first graders, fine books on the fine arts, such as Ann Hayes’s Meet the Orchestra, the hands-on guide My First Music Book, and the thought-provoking Come Look with Me series of art books for children • for second graders, books that open doors to world cultures and history, such as Leonard Everett Fisher’s The Great Wall of China and Marcia Willaims’s humorous Greek Myths for Young Children • for third graders, books that bring to life the wonders of ancient Rome, such as Living in Ancient Rome, and fascinating books about astronomy, such as Seymour Simon’s Our Solar System • for fourth graders, engaging books on history, including Jean Fritz’s Shh! We're Writing the Constitution, and many books on Africa, including the stunningly illustrated story of Sundiata: Lion King of Mali • for fifth graders, a version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream that retains much of the original language but condenses the play for reading or performance by young students, and Michael McCurdy’s Escape from Slavery: The Boyhood of Frederick Douglass • for sixth graders, an eloquent retelling of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and the well-written American history series, A History of US . . . and many, many more!.

Locating worthwhile books for kids can be a challenge in our contemporary culture. How can a teacher, catechist, or parent find reading material these days that reflects moral values and/or teaches something about God? In Really Good Books For Kids, catechist and author Janaan Manternach meets that need head on by providing an invaluable reference that presents an outstanding selection of children's books, along with valuable reviews of their entertainment and educational value. She has organized this guide to help readers locate books by subject matter (e.g., Books That Raise Moral Consciousness, Bible Storybooks, and Poetry) or by religious theme (e.g., Resurrection Stories, Christmas Stories). This unique reference is an ideal resource for parents and for anyone else entrusted with the care and upbringing of kids--especially teachers and catechists looking for the right books to read to their pupils and add to their fibraries. And Really Good Books For Kids is a perfect Baptism or First Communion gift for parents..

The author introduces his Character Education program, designed to give parents and teachers the essential tools and strategies for raising responsible, conscientious, and compassionate children..

This book gives you 80 powerful, classroom-tested lesson plans. A complete program for helping your students gain self-esteem and improve relationships with peers, teachers and adults outside of school..

A practical guide to help modern parents provide religious and moral influence for their children, whether or not they are actively religious..

Can you teach a child to be kind? This vital question is taking on a new urgency as our culture grows ever more abrasive and divided. We all want our kids to be kind. But that is not the same as knowing what to do when you catch your son being unkind. A world-renowned developmental psychologist, Dr. Thomas Lickona has led the character education movement in schools for forty years. Now he shares with parents the vital tools they need to bring peace and foster cooperation at home. Kindness doesn’t stand on its own. It needs a supporting cast of other essential virtues—like courage, self-control, respect, and gratitude. With concrete examples drawn from the many families Dr. Lickona has worked with over the years and clear tips you can act on tonight, How to Raise Kind Kids will help you give and get respect, hold family meetings to tackle persistent problems, discipline in a way that builds character, and improve the dynamic of your relationship with your children while putting them on the path to a happier and more fulfilling life..

Carol Newsom illuminates the relation between the aesthetic forms of Job and the claims made by its various characters. Her innovative approach makes possible a new understanding of the unity of the book that rejects its dismantling in historical criticism and the flattening of the text that characterizes many final form readings. Additionally, she rehabilitates the moral perspectives represented by certain voices of the book that modern critics have treated with disdain..

This book helps parents understand the potential of important windows of learning opportunities and how to capitalize on each window -- language, musical, logical, mathematical, curiosity, emotional, spiritual, physical, and values. Formerly titled Through the Learning Glass..

In an annotated list including movies such as High Noon and Glory, and books such as The Giving Tree and To Kill a Mockingbird, therapist and educator Gurian highlights the particular ethical lessons two hundred great stories can impart to boys and young men..

In this engaging and practical book Mark Pike and Thomas Lickona show how C.S. Lewis' wisdom for nurturing good character, and his much-loved Chronicles of Narnia, inspire us to virtue. Drawing upon the Judeo-Christian virtues of faith, hope and love and 'Narnian' virtues such as courage, integrity and wisdom, they present an approach to contemporary character education validated by recent research. An introduction to C.S. Lewis' thought on character and faith is followed by practical examples of how to use well-known passages from the Narnia novels as a stimulus for rich character development at home and in the classroom..

49 original essays on the essential terms and concepts in children's literature.

An investigation into how constructions of character in children's literature become cultural imprints that serve a functional purpose in the wider context of race and power..

At last—a resource for librarians who wish to build or develop their nonfiction collection and use it to better serve the needs of adult Christian readers. Covering the three major branches of Christianity (Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox), the author organizes more than 600 titles into subject categories ranging from biography, the arts, and education, to theology, devotion, and spiritual warfare. Award-winning classics are noted. Introductory narrative frames the literature, and helps librarians better understand Christian literature; and learn how to establish selection criteria for building a Christian nonfiction collection..

The physician's guide to diagnosing and treating learning disabilities in children 1 in 10 Canadians have a learning disability, and doctors must be able to identify, diagnose, treat, and manage children who are struggling in school. The first book specifically tailored for the needs of physicians working with kids with learning disabilities, Children With School Problems: A Physician's Manual covers such important areas as child development, diagnosing learning disabilities (including data gathering, screening and assessment, and physical examinations), management (medication, behavioral management, and educational interventions), and prevention (including literacy promotion). Written by trusted experts from the Canadian Paediatric Society, Children With School Problems is filled with practical tools and resources that physicians—including paediatricians, family physicians, and paediatric learners—can use to diagnose and treat children with learning disabilities. The only book on learning disabilities in children specifically designed for physicians Written by trusted experts from the Canadian Paediatric Society Covers important issues including literacy promotion, screening for disabilities, medication options, and much more Gives physicians the tools they need to help children with learning disabilities Physicians want to know more about learning disabilities, and parents want their pediatricians and family physicians to provide more help when their kids struggle in school. Children with School Problems provides that information, making it an invaluable resource for any doctor working with kids..