Product Description:

Gr. 4-6.This title defines 10 positive character traits, and offers children practical ways to develop and strengthen them. Each trait is first illustrated by a true story featuring a child hero and is then defined in child-friendly terms, followed by simple activities, mnemonics, open-ended "what if?" questions, and bibliographies of fiction and nonfiction books on the theme. Open, honest communication is stressed throughout, and youngsters are urged to approach caring adults with problems. The intent is admirable, but the book's audience is unclear. The younger range of kids, aged 7-10, the readership targeted in the title, would find some of the material too difficult; most of the books mentioned in the chapter reading lists, which do include some well-considered choices, are for older readers, with comparatively few second-or third-grade titles cited. Character education is a growing trend in schools today, however, and practical, kid-centered books like this are needed. With its many activities, discussion springboards, and literature tie-ins, this offering will be especially useful to teachers or adult moderators.

Social-emotional learning, October 31, 2002
Reviewer: A reader
This book is definitely a plus for educators and requires adult facilitation, especially for the younger range. We use this book, along with the leader's guide (5 stars!) as a tool in our violence prevention curriculum in an after-school setting. Perhaps it's too "politically correct" to teach kids to respect each other and include others to build friendships, and to be reflective on their own behaviors, but some kids need to hear this message.

A "How- To" to help kids develop their character, June 24, 2000
Reviewer: Mary Ann Kalis (Illinois)
Character education is a hot topic, and this book provides activities and resources that educators can easily adapt for use in the classroom. At our school, we began to develop our own program and were looking for a way to continue our activities.
What I liked best about this book was its emphasis on having the child evaluate his or her own character, and then selecting those "character muscles" to develop further, such as caring, fairness, honesty, etc. It also included several self-assessments for the child to complete that help in determining strengths and areas for improvement. Our school plans to use this book as a resource for teachers and students this coming year, and we look forward to the release of the Leader's Guide.

I'd rate it 5 stars for educators, but fewer stars for parents. While its activities are certainly adaptable in either setting, I wonder how effective it would be for a parent to work from a book in teaching a child about character. I prefer stories to read with your child and then discuss. This seems too academic for home use. Would be interested to see what parents think who've used this.