Materials
- Children's books
- computer with a database program, optional
What to do
1. Compile a list of easy-to-find children's books that teach values.
2. Jot down the title and author when you find a book that supports any of the following themes: acceptance, compassion, cooperation, courage, cultural diversity, fairness, friendship, generosity, hard work, helpfulness, honesty, kindness, love, patience, peace-making, perseverance, respect for the environment, respect for others, responsibility, self-discipline, self-esteem, sharing, unconditional love, and so on.
3. The books on this list can be used to support your character education program. By using your computer to store the list, you can refer to it as needed and update it throughout the year.
4. Following are a list of books that teach values:
Reading List for Character Education
Title / Author / Thematic Units
Alexander the Wind-Up Mouse / Leo Lionni / Mice, Value of friendship
A Bargain for Frances / Russell Hoban / Friendship, Value of fairness/Honesty
Brave Irene / William Stieg / Snow, Value of courage and responsibility
The Bremen-town Musicians / Ruth Belov Gross / Farm/Value of friendship
The Carrot Seed / Ruth Krauss / Plants, Food, Value of perseverance
A Chair for My Mother / Vera B. Williams / Mother's Day, Value of cooperation
The Chicken Book / Garth Williams / Spring, Value of work
Courtney / John Burningham / Pets, Value of respect
Crow Boy / Taro Yashima / Value of respect for diversity and kindness
Eggbert -The Slightly Cracked Egg / Tom Ross / Individuality, Eggs, Value of self-esteem
Finders Keepers / William Lipkind / Value of sharing
Frederick / Leo Lionni / Seasons, Fall/Mice, Value of respect
Frog and Toad Are Friends / Arnold Lobel / Frogs, Value of friendship, Kindness
George and Martha / James Marshall / Value of friendship
I Know a Lady / Charlotte Zolotow / Friends, Value of kindess, Empathy
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie / Laura Numeroff / Mice, Value of kindness, Patience
Inch by Inch / Leo Lionni / Value of respect
Ira Sleeps Over / Bernard Waber / School begins, Value of friendship, Cooperation
Just for You / Mercer Mayer / School begins/Value of helpfulness
Knots on a Counting Rope / Bill Martin, Jr. / American Indians, Value of compassion
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush / Tomie de Paola / Plants, Value of respect
The Little Black Truck / Libba Moore Gray / Transportation, Value of perseverance
Little Blue and Little Yellow / Leo Lionni / Value of perseverance
The Little Engine That Could / Watty Piper / Transportation, Value of perseverance
The Little House / Virginia Lee Burton / Seasons, Community, Value of perseverance
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear / Don and Audrey Wood / Mice, Food, Value of sharing
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything / Linda Williams / Halloween, Value of courage
Little Toot / Hardie Gramatsky / Transportation, Value of responsibility
Loudmouth George and The Big Race / Nancy Carlson / Value of self-discipline
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel / Virginia Lee Burton / Value of perseverance
Miss Nelson Is Missing / Harry Allard / School begins, Value of cooperation
Miss Rumphuis / Barbara Cooney / Flowers,Value of respect
The Mother's Day Mice / Eve Bunting / Mother's Day, Value of kindness
My Friends / Taro Gomi / Family and friends, Value of friendship
My Red Umbrella / Robert Bright / Rainy days. Value of friendship
Over in the Meadow / John Langstaff / Value of responsibility
Petunia / Roger Duvoisin / Safety, Value of humility, Honesty
The Pied Piper / Alan Benjamin / Value of honesty
Pigsty / Mark Teague / Value of honesty
A Pocket for Corduroy / Don Freeman / Teddy bears, Value of helpfulness
The Quarreling Book / Charlotte Zolotow / Feelings, Value of peacemaking, Kindness
The Runaway Bunny / Margaret Wise Brown / Easter, Rabbits, Value of love
Song and Dance Man / Karen Ackerman / Grandparents, Value of kindness
Stellaluna / Janell Cannon / Bats, Value of respect
The Story of Ferdinand / Munro Leaf / Flowers, Value of respect, Diversity
Swimmy / Leo Lionni / Water animals, Value of cooperation
Three Little Kittens / Paul Galdone / Mittens, Value of responsibility
A Tree Is Nice / Janice May Udry / Arbor Day, Value of respect for the environment
The Velveteen Rabbit / Margery Williams / Rabbits, Value of love, Friendship
Where the Wild Things Are / Maurice Sendak / Feelings, Value of unconditional love
The Wild Christmas Reindeer / Jan Brett / Christmas, Value of kindness
William's Doll / Charlotte Zolotow / Feelings, Value of respect
The Worst Person's Christmas / James Stevenson / Christmas, Value of generosity
-Jackie Wright, Enid, OK
