Helping Your Child Learn Responsible Behavior
with activities for children
By Edwin J. and Alice B. Delattre
Edited by Theodor Rebarber
U.S. Department of Education
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
U.S. Department of Education
Richard W. Riley
Secretary
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Emerson J. Elliott
Acting Assistant Secretary
This book is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in
whole or in part for educational purposes is granted.
Publication of this book was managed by the Office of Educational
Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. Listing of
materials and resources in this book should not be construed or
interpreted as an endorsement by the Department of any private
organization or business listed herein.
June 1993
Contents
Introduction
What Do We Mean By Responsibility?
How Can Parents Encourage Responsible Behavior?
Activities
Getting to Know Others
Magic Words, Caring Deeds
Gifts From the Heart
Honesty, the Best Policy
There's a Monster in My Room!
Bully
Helping Out
A Job Well Done
Our Heroes!
OOPS!
Will You Be My Friend?
Share a Story
Parents and the Schools
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Our children deserve to learn important lessons from us and to
acquire important habits with our help. They need help in learning what
matters to us. We want our children to grow up to be responsible adults.
We want them to learn to feel, think, and act with respect for
themselves and for other people. We want them to pursue their own
well-being, while also being considerate of the needs and feelings of
others.
Today, there is wide recognition that many of our children are not
learning to act responsibly while they are young. Studies show that many
children see nothing wrong with cheating on tests. Some see nothing
wrong with taking things that don't belong to
If proper attitudes and behavior are not learned early, problems
can mushroom with even worse consequences when children are older. As
crime has increased, teen-age offenders have shown less and less feeling
for their victims. But even for the youngsters who will never commit a
crime, it is better to learn responsibility when they are young, rather
than when they are older and they have to change bad habits.
This booklet focuses on practical suggestions for helping young
children appreciate the importance of acting responsibly in their
everyday lives. Further, it provides ideas on how to help them make
responsible choices, and stick with them, even when doing so is hard and
the material rewards are few.
Many parents will also want to share with their children deeply
held religious and moral convictions as a foundation for ethical
behavior. This booklet discusses habits of fairness, respect, courage,
honesty, and compassion that responsible people share, and it can be
used by parents with different beliefs.
As parents, we can give our children the best in us by helping them
acquire habits and character traits that they can rely on in their own
lives. If we help them lean to take pleasure in thinking and behaving
well, they will have the best chance to lead good lives as individuals
and as citizens in the community. This will be true no matter what
unpleasant situations or bad influences they come across.
What Do We Mean by Responsibility?
None of us is born acting responsibly. A responsible character is
formed over time. It is made up of our outlook and daily habits
associated with feelings, thoughts, and actions. Responsible people act
the way they should whether or not anyone is watching. They do so
because they understand that it's fight and because they have the
courage and self-control to act decently, even when tempted to do
otherwise.
We want our children to appreciate the importance of being
responsible. We also want them to develop the habits and strength to act
this way in their everyday lives. Learning to be responsible includes
learning to
* respect and show compassion for others;
* practice honesty as a matter of course;
* show courage in standing up for our principles;
* develop self-control in acting on our principles;
* maintain self-respect.
Respect and Compassion for Others
As part of bring responsible, children need to respect and show
concern for the well-being of other people. Respect ranges from using
basic manners to having compassion for the suffering of others.
Compassion is developed by trying to see things from the point of view
of others, and learning that their feelings resemble our own.
Daddy, why was Grandma crying?
She is very sad. One of her closest friends just died. Come and sit
with me. Do you remember how you felt when your gerbil, Whiskers, died?
I felt sad and lonely.
I'm sure Grandma feels that way, too. Maybe you can think of a way
to help her.
I could give her a hug...
That's a great idea! I'm really glad you thought of it.
Respect for others also includes the habit of treating people
fairly as individuals, regardless of race, sex, or ethnic group. As we
mature, respect includes realizing that not all our obligations to
others, such as caring for a family member who is sick, are chosen
freely. And it includes tolerance for people who do not share our
beliefs or likes or dislikes, as long as they do not harm others.
These habits are especially important because many of the wrongs
people commit result from indifference to the suffering they cause.
Honesty
Honesty means telling the truth. It means not misleading others for
our own benefit. It also means trying to make decisions, especially
important ones, on the basis of evidence rather than prejudice. Honesty
includes dealing with other people and being honest with ourselves.
To understand the importance of being truthful to others, our
children need to learn that living together depends on trust. Without
honesty, trusting each other becomes impossible.
Honesty with ourselves involves faring up to our own mistakes and
biases, even when we have to admit them to others. It includes
self-criticism. The point is to learn from our errors and to do our best
to correct them, not to dwell on them.
Courage
Courage is taking a position and doing what is right, even at the
risk of some loss. It means being neither reckless nor cowardly, but
faring up to our duties. It includes physical courage, intellectual
courage to make decisions on the basis of evidence, and moral courage to
stand up for our principles.
Courage does not mean never bring afraid. It can involve trying to
overcome our fears, such as a fear of the dark. But our children also
need to lean that sometimes it is all right to be afraid.
Daddy, a man showed us money by the school playground today.
What did you do?
We ran for the teacher.
Why did you do that?
We were scared. You and Mommy and our teacher Mrs. Jones said never
take anything from grownups we don't know. Run away. Go and tell
somebody we know.
Good for you. It was right to be scared. Lots of people are nice,
but some are very mean. They can hurt you. The mean ones sometimes try
to fool people by pretending to be nice. Now, tell me, what did the man
look like?
Courage becomes especially important by the time children become
teenagers. They often have to stand up against peer pressure to do the
wrong thing, such as using drugs.
Self-Control
Self-control is the ability to resist inappropriate behavior in
order to act responsibly. It relates to all of the different aspects of
responsibility mentioned so far, including respect and compassion for
others, honesty, and courage. It involves persistence and sticking to
long-term commitments. It also includes dealing effectively with
emotions, such as anger, and developing patience.
Self-Respect
People with self-respect take satisfaction in appropriate behavior
and hard-won accomplishments. They don't need to put others down or have
a lot of money in order to respect themselves. People who respect
themselves also view selfishness, loss of self-control, recklessness,
cowardice, and dishonesty as wrong and unworthy of them. As they mature,
if they have learned the lessons of responsibility, they will develop a
good conscience to guide them.
In addition, people who respect themselves respect their own health
and safety. Similarly, they are unwilling to be manipulated by others.
Patience or tolerance does not mean allowing others to mistreat us.
While we help children have high standards for themselves, we also
need to let them know that failure is no embarrassment when we have done
our best. For example, losing a game when we have played our best, and
our opponents have simply played better, is no disgrace.
How Can Parents Encourage Responsible Behavior?
Everyday Experiences
Especially when they are young, children learn best about
responsibility in concrete situations. What they do and what they
witness have lasting effects. Most of the activities described in this
book are for you and your child.
We are always teaching our children something by our words and
actions. They learn from seeing. They learn from hearing. They learn
from overhearing. They learn from us, from each other, from other
adults, and by themselves.
All of us acquire habits by doing things over and over again,
whether in learning to play a musical instrument, to pick up after
ourselves, to play games and sports, or to share with others. The best
way to encourage our children to become responsible is to act as
responsibly as we can in their presence. We must genuinely try to be the
sort of people we hope they will try to become.
We can show them by our words and by our actions that we respect
others. We can show them our compassion and concern when others are
suffering. They need to see our own self-control, courage, and honesty.
They need to learn that we treat ourselves, as well as others, with
respect, and that we always try to do our best. As they grow older, they
should have the chance to learn why we live as we do.
Daddy, why are you leaving that note on the garbage can?
There is broken glass inside, Matthew, and I don't want the garbage
collectors to get hurt because of me. I am warning them about the glass.
Are they your friends?
No. I don't know them.
But you don't want them to get hurt...
As our children watch us daily, as we talk to them, encouraging
their questions and trying to answer them thoughtfully, they begin to
understand us--and we begin to understand them. Understanding each other
well is the best way to teach our children respect for our ideals of
good character.
Using Literature and Stories
Children learn about responsibility through many activities,
including reading stories. They learn by identifying with individual
characters or because the message from a favorite story strikes a
particular chord. Children can be touched deeply by good literature, and
they may ask to have things read to them again and again.
Children can learn all sorts of lessons from stories. They might
learn about courage by reading about David standing up to Goliath. Or
they might learn the value of persistence and effort from The Little
Engine That Could.
When they are older, reading can help prepare children for the
realities and responsibilities of adulthood. It is usually better for
children to read a good book about such things as war, oppression,
suicide, or deadly disease before seeing these things up close.
When our children grow up they often remember stories that were
told to them by family members when they were young. When we tell
stories to our children, we should remember old favorites of ours, like
The Three Little Pigs, not leaving out a single time the wolf says,
"I'LL HUFF, and I'LL PUFF, and I'LL BLOW YOUR HOUSE IN!"
Developing Judgment and Thoughtfulness
Judgment on ethical issues is a practical matter. Children develop
their capacity for judging what is a responsible act, just as they come
to appreciate the meaning of responsibility, through practice.
Especially when they are young, children need to see moral questions in
terms that are meaningful to them.
We can also help our children develop good judgment by talking
through complicated situations with them. One way is to help them
understand the long-term consequences of different choices. If they tell
us about a story they have read, we might ask them to imagine what the
result might have been if a favorite character had acted differently.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to know the difference between
acting bravely and acting recklessly or how to balance duties when they
conflict. As parents, we can help by making it clear, through what we do
as well as what we say, that it is important in such situations to think
carefully and honestly about what should be done, as well as to keep in
mind how others will be affected by what we do.
Your child's ability to reason about different issues, including
ethical ones, will improve as your child matures. Just as reasoning can
lead to a more thoughtful understanding of responsibility, or what
actions to take in complicated situations, it may also become easier to
rationalize selfish or reckless behavior. But if you have helped your
young child develop strong habits of considering the welfare of others,
honesty, courage, and admiration for worthy accomplishments, your child
will have a solid foundation on which to build.
Activities
As parents, sometimes we think that we must set aside particular
times or create special situations in order to teach our children. But
that is far from the truth when it comes to learning about
responsibility. While it is important to have some times together when
you won't be disturbed, the most ordinary situations in everyday life
are filled with opportunities for sound teaching, if parents pay
attention to them.
This booklet contains activities to encourage habits of
responsibility in your child. Most of them are not, however, the kind of
activities that you can do together for half an hour once a week.
Instead, they are more like rules of thumb, ideas to build on. They
illustrate the concepts introduced in the previous sections. They should
stimulate your own thinking and your own ideas.
Just remember one thing: teaching our children about responsibility
doesn't mean that we can't laugh or that we have to be grim. Our
children should see that we can be serious about our principles, while
still being able to play and have fun.
Dad, can I show you what we did in ballet class today?
Sure.
It was hard. We had to get way up on our toes and then twirl around
like this.
Great. Let me try it. . .oops! Now, what's so funny about that?
Well, OK. I guess we aren't all as graceful as you are.
Getting To Know Others
Children need to be shown and taught respect for others. Other
people have feelings and hopes, just as we do. We have much to learn
from each other from people who live far away and from those who lived
long ago.
What to do
1. Set a good example by acting respectfully toward others. Always
make clear that prejudice is wrong and that all of us are equals,
no matter our color, gender, or background.
2. Show an interest in learning about and from others--from neighbors
and relatives, and from books about our own and other
civilizations. Tell your child interesting things you have learned.
3. Encourage your child to learn about many different lands and
people, to learn more than one language, and to read stories about
children from all over the world. Show your child how you try to
see things from the point of view of others.
4. Listen attentively when your child wants to tell you about
interesting things discovered about history, geography, religions,
art, and ways of life.
We can help our children understand that there are often things to
learn from those who lived in the past and from those whose lives are
different from our own. We can teach our children to behave respectfully
toward people and not pre-judge them. Sometimes, however, we must make
it clear that some people behave in ways that are harmful, and such
behavior should not be tolerated.
Magic Words, Caring Deeds
The magic words are "please" and "thank you." There are other
manners we are constantly teaching our children as well.
What you'll need
Chairs Table Paper Pen Crayons, markers Plates, cups, forks, spoons
What to do
1. Show your children the manners you expect at home first. The next
time you eat dinner together, have the children pretend they are
eating in a restaurant. How should they talk to each other? What
should they say when the waiter brings their food? Or have the
children pretend they are riding in a bus. What should they do if
the bus stops suddenly and they bump into someone? How should they
carry a large package on the bus?
2. The next time your children mention something nice that another
person did for them, suggest they write a thank you note. It
doesn't have to have a lot of words. It can have pictures as well.
3. You, too, can write short notes to your child to indicate your
appreciation for something done right.
Children need to learn that little signs of appreciation can be
very important to other people. And manners are a part of respecting and
caring for the feelings of others. If we turn the chore of learning
manners into a game, children will get the practice they need without
embarrassing us or themselves.
As you teach the importance of manners, you may need to be honest
about what your child can expect form others.
Mom, why do you make such a fuss when I chew with my mouth open?
Because it's ugly for other people to see. Good manners show
respect for other people.
What's respect?
It means caring how other people feel.
If I care about them, will they care about me?
Not always, Paul. Some people don't care and never will, no matter
how kind we are to them. But in our family, we do care.
Gifts From the Heart
Have your child give a gift of himself at the next holiday or any
time he wants to do something nice for someone else.
What you'll need
Crayons, pencils, paints, or other art supplies Paper Packaging from
around the house Your child's special gift
What To Do
1. Talk to your child about gift giving. What does it mean to give
something to someone else?
2. Instead of buying a gift, have your child make a gift. Does your
child have a special talent? Maybe your child would like to sing or
write a song for a relative? Is there a chore your child could do?
Maybe wash the dishes for a week. Is there a special toy that could
be loaned to a sister or brother for a week?
3. Use materials from around the house so that little, if any, money
is spent.
4. If the gift is an activity or chore, have your child make a card
with a note on it, telling what the gift will be.
5. Have your child use imagination in making an inviting package.
Perhaps your child could paint a small rock and wrap it in a big
box. Or make an envelope out of the comics from the Sunday
newspaper.
Most young children don't have money to buy a gift for a friend or
relative. You can teach your child that a gift that shows effort and
attention can mean more than a gift from the store.
Honesty, the Best Policy
Children need to learn that benefiting from manipulating or lying
to others is dishonest and unworthy of them.
What to do
1. Tell the story about the boy who cried "Wolf!" so many times to get
attention that when the wolf finally came, no one believed him.
2. Ask your child if anyone has ever lied to her. How did that make
her feel?
3. Be careful to follow through on things you say to your child.
Commitments that may seem minor to you can mean a lot to your
child. Make promises and keep them.
Our children need to learn about the importance of trusting each
other in our everyday lives. Without honesty, trust becomes impossible.
There's A Monster In My Room
Sometimes our children have needless fears that we can help them
overcome.
What to do
1. Listen when your child mentions a fear, even if it sounds silly to
you.
2. With your child, come up with a plan for facing up to the fear.
3. Go through the plan together. Let your child take the step that
confronts the fear, although it may be helpful for you to be there.
Children should learn not to allow others to mistreat them. At the
same time, we want them to learn how to reach understandings peacefully,
whenever possible.
Bully
Children should learn not to allow others to mistreat them. At the
same time, we want them to learn how to reach understandings peacefully,
whenever possible.
What to do
1. Listen to your child and find out if others are not treating your
child as they should. This will encourage your child to trust you
and come to you when there is a problem.
2. Help your child consider various ways of dealing with a particular
problem.
3. If the problem is the way another child is behaving, suggest
working out the problem by talking with the other child, or a
responsible adult.
4. If the problem is another adult, however, or if your child is
seriously threatened by other children, you will need to intervene
directly.
A part of self-respect is not tolerating mistreatment by others.
Finding appropriate ways to deal with unpleasant behavior by others is
an important, if sometimes difficult, part of growing up.
Helping Out
Our children need to learn that as they get older and can
contribute more, more will be expected of them.
What to do
1. As your child matures, consider additional ways your child can
contribute to the household.
2. Discuss the new duties with your child. Avoid describing them in
ways that seem like a punishment. Instead, you can imply that they
require a new level of ability, which your child now possesses.
3. With younger children, it helps sometimes if you do the chores
together and talk or make it fun. But don't do your child's work!
4. If possible, new tasks should stretch a child's abilities and
encourage satisfaction in good work. Praise something done well,
especially a new challenge.
Doing chores is a useful way to learn persistence and to learn that
when we live up to our responsibilities we enable others to trust and
rely on us.
A Job Well Done
We need to show our children that we take satisfaction in acting
properly and accomplishing difficult tasks.
What to do
1. Through your daily activities, show your children that you care
about a job well done.
2. Perhaps our children's most important tasks are to work hard at
school and do homework. When we check homework and point out
mistakes, we help them see how an error has arisen. When we let
them correct errors themselves, we inspire self-confidence. It is
also important for us to show them that we appreciate their good
efforts.
3. Teaching our children self-respect does not mean complimenting
everything they do. Our children also need our honest criticism
from time to time. When we do criticize, it should be of things
they have done, not them personally.
4. Most of all, we should help our children form the self-confidence
and self-respect that come from opportunities to do good work as
students or as family members.
Helping our children form self-respect is based on how we treat
them and our own example.
There are many opportunities to teach self-respect through our
actions:
Dad, nobody's going to see inside the model's wing. Why do you work
so hard with all those little pieces?
Because that's the right way to build the plane, Martha. It makes
the wing strong when the plane flies, and that's more important than
what people see. I want to make the best plane I can. Do you want to
help?
Our Heroes
Many children love to look at portraits or photographs, especially
if you can tell them stories about the people in the pictures.
What you'll need
Family photo album (or a box or bag of pictures you've been meaning
to put in an album)
Portraits of impressive individuals from books or from history
What to do
1. Select a photo of a person in your family with an impressive
quality or accomplishment. Tell your child about the person and
about what the person did. Perhaps your grandparents had the
courage to immigrate from another country or your parents
sacrificed in order to support you in school. Talk about the
results of these actions.
2. Collect photographs from newspapers or magazines about impressive
people in your community. With your child, talk about their actions
that merit admiration or praise.
3. In addition to relatives or others, you may want to display
portraits of other people who deserve our admiration and respect. A
picture of Anne Frank, a young girl who wrote a diary while she and
her family lived in hiding from Nazi Germans and who died in a
concentration camp, can inspire conversation about courage and
compassion for others. A portrait of Martin Luther King, a great
civil rights leader who believed in nonviolent change, can lead to
discussions of great accomplishment despite prejudice. Choose
people whom you admire and feel comfortable talking to your child
about.
By stories we tell about the people we admire, we can inspire
children and remind them of those qualities we think are important.
Oops!
Sometimes, as parents, we don't act the way we should in front of
our children.
What to do
1. Try to be honest with yourself and your child if you find that
you've done something that sets a bad example. Sometimes we need to
think a little about an event to realize that we've done something
inappropriate.
2. If your child has observed your behavior, it's especially important
that you be honest. A simple statement is appropriate in most
cases; there is no need to turn your admission into a major event.
3. Follow up with an apology to anyone you have treated badly and, if
possible, by making up for what you have done.
It's important that our children, especially older ones, see that
we face up to our own mistakes.
Will You Be My Friend
Our children need to learn to choose their friends wisely.
What to do
1. Talk to your child about what is important in a friend. In addition
to bring fun, what other qualities are important? What about
honesty, dependability, a real interest in your child's welfare?
2. Talk to your child about the type of friends to avoid. Ask if your
child can remember a friend who couldn't be counted on.
Our children should learn that it is important to choose friends
and companions who care about others and act responsibly.
Share a Story
One important way parents can help their children learn respect for
others, self-control, or other aspects of responsibility is through the
use of fables or stories. You can read to your child, you can read with
your child, and you can encourage your child to read on his own.
What you'll need.
Good stories, either from books such as those listed in the back of this
book or from your own experiences
What to do.
1. Turn off the TV or other distractions.
2. Find stories that exemplify important aspects of character and that
your child might enjoy.
3. Talk to your child about the behavior of different characters in
the story. Ask your child how some of the behavior might apply to
your own lives.
4. Share some stories or books that you have found meaningful with
your child. (It is important for your child to see you reading and
enjoying stories as well.)
5. Come up with your own stories. These can be family stories, such as
baby stories (when your child was little...) that can become a part
of your child's personal history.
Stories can be good ways to learn important lessons. Your child can
identify with characters in meaningful situations without your having to
lecture.
Parents and the Schools
Parents need to work with teachers and other parents to ensure that
children are brought up well. An African proverb says, "It takes an
entire village to raise one child." It is important for parents and
other adults to cooperate in order to have common goals for them. Close
communication is essential.
Parents can visit with teachers to discuss ways they and the school
can reinforce the same lessons about good character. Children are less
likely to do much homework, for example, if parents let them watch
television for hours.
Parents can learn from teachers what their children are studying
and what interests them. A teacher or school librarian can provide good
ideas for activities to do at home.
Parents can cooperate with each other, too. They can agree on
standards of supervision at parties and on entertainment. Some parents
may be free to escort children to museums, libraries, athletic events,
and extracurricular school activities, when others are not. Taking turns
can provide better opportunities for all the children.
Bibliography
Introduction
Reading to and reading with children can help them learn
responsible behavior. Finding good books, however, requires time and
thought. Librarians and teachers can offer valuable assistance.
This section is divided into three lists: Beginning (ages 1-6);
Intermediate (ages 6-9); and Advanced (ages 9 and up). The age levels
overlap and are only rough guides. Please note that some entries have
annotations identifying specific habits of character such as courage,
self-control, and responsibility.
Art and music also can enrich the lives of parents and children.
Parents and children can enjoy the illustrations in many of the books
listed here. They can find inspiration in the music on carefully chosen
records, tapes, and CDs. Audio recordings of the spoken word also can
fascinate children and include many dramatic readings, fairy tales, and
even whimsy. Magazines, encyclopedias, and a few movies are recommended
as well. Films can supplement lessons about responsibility found in the
many books listed below.
Beginning Ages
Aladdin. Retold by Andrew Lang. Illustrated by Errol Le Cain. New York:
Puffin, 1983. [Courage]
All Night, All Day: A Child's First Book of African-American Spirituals.
Selected and illustrated by Ashley Bryan. New York: Atheneum, 1991.
Andersen, Hans Christian. The Emperor's New Clothes. Illustrated by Anne
Rockwell. New York: HarperCollins, 1982. [Honesty]
Atwater, Richard & Florence. Mr. Popper's Penguins. Illustrated by
Robert Lawson. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1938. [Kindness; Humor;
Imagination]
Barrett, Judi. Animals Should Definitely Not Act Like People.
Illustrated by Ron Baffet. New York: Aladdin, 1988. [Self-Control]
Baylor, Byrd. I'm in Charge of Celebrations. Illustrated by
Peter Parnall. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1986. [Respect
for Home and the Natural World; Imagination]
Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline & the Bad Hat. New York: Puffin,
1977. [Humor]
Brott, Ardyth. Jeremy's Decision. Illustrated by Michael
Martchenko. New York: Kane-Miller, 1990.
Burleigh, Bob. Flight. Illustrated by Mike Wimmer. New York:
Putnam, 1991. [Courage; Aspirational]
Burton, Virginia L. Choo Choo: The Story of a Little Engine Who
Ran Away. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1988.
Katy & the Big Snow. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1971. [Perseverance]
Little House. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1978.
Mike Mulligan & His Steam Shovel. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1987.
Caseley, Judith. Dear Annie. New York: Greenwillow, 1991.
Childcraft. The How & Why Library. 15 Volumes. Chicago: World
Book, 1991. [For ages 4-10, fine illustrations. Volumes 1-3
contain literature from all ages and around the world. Volumes
4-14 teach children about living things, machines, the world
and its people, and about themselves. Volume 15 is for
parents.]
Cleary, Beverly. Henry Huggins series. Various editions.
Ramona series. Various editions.
Climo, Shirley. The Cobweb Christmas. Illustrated by Joe
Lasker. New York: HarperCollins, 1982. [Kindness]
Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius. New York: Viking, 1982.
De Brunhoff, Jean. The Story Babar. New York: Dragonfly Books,
1989.
Demi. The Empty Pot. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1990.
[Honesty]
De Paola, Tomie. The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard &
Her Dog. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1981.
Dr. Seuss. Horton Hatches the Egg. New York: Random House,
1940. [Dependability]
Dorros, Arthur. Abuela. New York: Dutton, 1991. [Family
Commitment]
Eastman, P. D. Are You My Mother? New York: Random House, 1986.
[Family Commitment]
Family Pictures--Cuadros de Familia. Illustrated by Carmen L
Garza. San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 1990. [Family
Commitment]
Flack, Marjorie. The Story About Ping. Illustrated by Kurt
Wiese. New York: Puffin, 1977.
Fox, Mem. Koala Lou. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,
1989.
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. Illustrated by Julie
Vivas. New York: Kane-Miller, 1985.[Kindness; Helping Each
Other; Friendship; Careful Thinking]
Freedman, Florence B. Brothers. New York: HarperCollins, 1985.
[Family Commitment; Religious Faith]
Gag, Wanda. Millions of Cats. New York: Coward, 1977.
Galdone, Paul. The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Boston: Clarion,
1981.
Gantschev, Ivan. The Christmas Train. Boston: Little, Brown &
Co., 1984. [Courage; Careful
Garfield, Leon. Fair's Fair. Illustrated by S.D. Schindler. New
York: Doubleday, 1983. [Friendship]
Greenfield, Eloise. Honey, I Love: And Other Love Poems.
Illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon. New York: HarperCollins,
1978. Includes a poem about Harriet Tubman.
Griffith, Helen V. Grandaddy's Place. Illustrated by James
Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow, 1987. [Family Commitment;
Respect for Home and the Natural World]
Grimm's Fairy Tales. Various editions. Includes "The Brave
Little Tailor"; "The Bremen Town Musicians"; "Cinderella";
"The
Elves & the Shoemaker"; "The Fisherman & His Wife"; "Hansel
&
Gretel"; "Rapunzel"; "The Sleeping Beauty"; "Snow White
& Rose
Red"; "Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs"; "The Twelve Dancing
Princesses"; and others.
Hendershot, Judith. In Coal Country. Illustrated by Thomas B.
Allen. New York: Knopf, 1987. [Work Well Done; Family
Commitment]
Henkes, Kevin. Chrysanthemum. New York: Greenwillow, 1991.
[Courage; Self-Respect]
Hoban, Russell. A Baby Sister for Frances. Illustrated by
Lillian Hoban. New York: HarperCollins, 1976. [Love]
Hoffman, Mary. Amazing Grace. New York: Dial Books for Young
Readers, 1991.
The Hole in the Dike. Retold by Norma Green. Illustrated by
Eric Carle. New York: Crowell, 1975. [Courage; Perseverance]
Howard, Elizabeth F. Chita's Christmas Tree. Illustrated by
Floyd Cooper. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1989.
Jakes, John. Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story. San Diego:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1986. [Courage]
Joosse, Barbara M. Mama, Do You Love Me? Illustrated by Barbara
Lavallee. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1991.
Keats, Ezra J. The Snowy Day. New York: Puffin, 1976.
Lasky, Kathryn. Sea Swan. Illustrated by Catherine Stock. New
York: Macmillan Child Group, 1988. [Aspiration]
Leprince de Beaumont, Marie. Beauty & the Beast. Various
editions.
Lester, Helen. The Wizard, the Fairy, & the Magic Chicken.
Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.,
1988. [Friendship]
Lionni, Leo. A Color of His Own. New York: Pantheon, 1976.
It's Mine. New York: Knopf, 1986.
Nicolas, Where Have You Been? New York: Knopf, 1987.
Swimmy. New York: Pantheon, 1968.
Lobel, Arnold. Fables. New York: HarperCollins, 1980.
Frog & Toad Are Friends. New York: HarperCollins, 1970.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Hiawatha. Illustrated by Susan
Jeffers. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1983.
Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China. Translated &
Illustrated by Ed Young. New York: Putnam, 1989. [Careful
Thinking Humor; Courage]
Luttrell, Ida. Three Good Blankets. Illustrated by Michael
McDermott. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1990. [Kindness;
Helping Each Other]
MacDonald, Betty. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. Illustrated by Hilary
Knight. New York: HarperCollins, 1957.
Martin, Bill, Jr. & John Archambault. Knots on a Counting Rope.
Illustrated by Ted Rand. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1987.
[Courage; Family Commitment]
McCloskey, Robert. Blueberries for Sal. New York: Puffin, 1989.
Make Way for Ducklings. New York: Puffin, 1991.
McGuire, Leslie. Baby Night Owl. Illustrated by Mary Szilagyi.
New York: Random House, 1989.
McKissack, Patricia C. Flossie & the Fox. Illustrated by Rachel
Isadora. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1986.
[Self-Reliance; Self-Knowledge; Careful Thinking; Humor]
Lost! Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1990.
McQueen, Lucinda. Little Red Hen. New York: Scholastic, 1985.
Miles, Miska. Annie & the Old One. Illustrated by Peter
Parnall. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1972. [Family Commitment;
Respect for Home and the Natural World]
Milhous, Katherine & Alice Dalgliesh. The Turnip: An Old
Russian Folktale. Illustrated by Pierr Morgan. New York:
Putnam, 1990. [Cooperation]
Milne, A. A. Winnie-the-Pooh. Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard.
New York: Dutton, 1988. [Friendship; Helping Each Other; Humor]
Mosel, Arlene. Tikki Tikki Tembo. Illustrated by Blair Lent.
New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1968. [Humor, Family Commitment]
Mother Goose. Various editions, for example:
The Just Right Mother Goose. Selected and illustrated by
Arnold Lobel.
Mother Goose. Selected and illustrated by Tomie De Paola.
The Real Mother Goose. Selected and illustrated by Blanche
F. Wright. Lakewood, Ohio: Smarty Pants.
Murphy, Jill. Five Minutes' Peace. New York: Putnam, 1989.
[Generous Understanding]
Olson, Arielle N. The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter. Illustrated
by Elaine Wentworth. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1987.
[Courage; Unselfishness; Dependability; Responsibility]
Piper, Watty. The Little Engine That Could. Various editions.
Polacco, Patricia. Babushka's Doll. New York: Simon & Schuster,
1990.
Chicken Sunday. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991.
[Family Commitment]
Porter, Sue. Little Wolf & the Giant. New York: Simon &
Schuster, 1990.
Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit. London: Warne, 1902.
Rey, H. A. Curious George. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1973.
Ringgold, Faith. Tar Beach. New York: Crown Publishers Inc.,
1991. [Self-Reliance; Concern for Others]
Rylant, Cynthia. When I Was Young in the Mountains. Illustrated
by Diane Goode. New York: Dutton, 1985.
San Souci, Robert D. The Talking Eggs. Illustrated by Jerry
Pinkney. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1989.
Scarry, Richard. What Do People Do All Day? New York: Random
House, 1968.
Schindel, John. Who Are You? Illustrated by James Watts. New
York: Macmillan Child Group, 1991. [Family Commitment; Concern
for Others; Humor]
Schwartz, David. Supergrandpa. New York: Lothrop, 1991.
Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. New York:
HarperCollins, 1988.
Singer, Isaac Bashevis. Why Noah Chose the Dove. Illustrated by
Eric Carle. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1974.
[Dependability; Justice]
Steig, William. Brave Irene. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux,
1986. [Perseverance; Courage]
Sylvester & the Magic Pebble. New York: Simon &
Schuster, 1988.
Steptoe, John. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale.
New York: Lothrop, 1987. [Kindness; Helping Each Other;
Justice]
Stevenson, Robert Louis. A Child's Garden of Verses. Various
editions.
Thayer, Ernest L. Casey at the Bat. Illustrated by Wallace
Tripp. New York: Putnam, 1980. [Self-Knowledge; Humor]
Watson, Jane W., et al. Sometimes I Get Angry. Illustrated by
Irene Trivas. New York: Crown, 1986.
Williams, Vera B. Cherries & Cherry Pits. New York:
Greenwillow, 1986. [Careful Thinking; Imagination; Kindness;
Helping Each Other]
More More More, Said the Baby. New York: Greenwillow,
1990.
Yashima, Taro. Crow Boy. New York: Viking, 1955.
[Responsibility; Self-Control]
Zemach, Margot. It Could Always Be Worse. New York: Farrar,
Straus & Giroux, 1990.
Intermediate
Ages 6-9
Aesop's Fables. Various editions. [Careful Thinking; Work Well
Done]
& the Pea"; "Thumbelina"; "The Little Mermaid"; "The
Steadfast
Tin Soldier"; "The Ugly Duckling";"The Red Shoes"; "The
Little
Match Girl"; "The Marsh King's Daughter."
Snow Queen. Illustrated by Susan Jeffers. New York:
Dial Books for Young Readers, 1989.
Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting. New York: Farrar, Straus &
Giroux, 1975. [Self-Respect; Careful Thinking; Generous
Understanding]
Barbour, Karen. Mr. Bow Tie. San Diego: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, 1991. [Generous Understanding; Compassion]
Blos, Joan W. A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's
Journal, 1830-32. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1979.
[Family Commitment; Friendship; Perserverance; Humor]
Blume, Judy. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Illustrated by
Roy Doty. New York: Dutton, 1972. [Family Commitment; Humor]
Bond, Carol Taylor. A Book of Famous Black Americans.
Illustrated by Joyce Beecher King With bibliography and
activities. Livonia, Michigan: Partner Press, 1989. Includes
Marian Anderson, Jesse Owens, Guion S. Bluford, Sojourner
Truth, Booker T. Washington, Althea Gibson, Martin Luther King,
Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Wilma Rudolph, George Washington
Carver, Phillis Wheatley, Shirley Chisholm, Ralph Bunche,
Jackie Robinson, Louis Armstrong.
Brink, Carol R. Caddie Woodlawn. Illustrated by Trina Schart
Hyman. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1973. [Family
Commitment; Respect for Home and the Natural World; Humor]
Burnett, Frances Hodgson. Little Lord Fauntleroy, New York:
Dell, 1986. [Generous Understanding; Justice]
The Secret Garden. Various editions. [Self-Knowledge;
Generous Understanding; Respect for Home and the Natural World]
Burnford, Sheila. The Incredible Journey. Illustrated by Carl
Burger. New York:bantam, 1990. [Perseverance; Friendship;
Self-Reliance; Courage]
Chaikin, Miriam. Exodus. Illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak. New
York: Holiday House, 1987.
Cleary, Beverly. Dear Mr. Henshaw. Illustrated by Paul O.
Zelinsky. New York: Dell, 1984. [Divorce]
Cohen, Barbara. Thank You, Jackie Robinson. Illustrated by
Richard Cuffari. New York: Lothrop, 1988.
Conrad, Pam. Pedro's Journal. A Voyage with Christopher
Columbus. Philadelphia: Boyds Mills Press, 1991. [Courage;
Self-Reliance; Work Well Done]
Dahl, Ronald. James & the Giant Peach. Illustrated by Nancy E.
Burkert. New York: Knopf, 1962.
Dalgliesh, Alice. The Courage of Sarah Noble. Illustrated by
Leonard Weisgard. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1986.
[Courage; Respect for Home and the Natural World]
D'Aulaire, Ingri & Edgar P. D'Aulaire. Book of Greek Myths. New
York: Doubleday, 1980.
DeJong, Meindert. The House of Sixty Fathers. Illustrated by
Maurice Sendak. New York: HarperCollins, 1987. [Kindness;
Helping Each Other; Courage; Family Commitment]
Wheel on the School. Various editions.
De Paola, Tomie. Bonjour, Mister Satie. New York: Putnam, 1991.
Du Bois, William P. The Twenty-One Balloons. New York: Puffin,
1986. [Courage]
Estes, Eleanor. The Hundred Dresses. Illustrated by Louis
Slobodkin. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974.
[Imagination; Courage]
Farley, Walter. The Black Stallion. Illustrated by Keith Ward.
New York: Random House, 1977. MOVIE: "The Black Stallion",
1979.
Field, Eugene. Poems of Childhood. New York: Airmont, 1969.
The Gingham Dog & the Calico Cat. Illustrated by Janet
Street. New York: Putnam, 1990.
Wynken, Blynken, & Nod. New York: Putnam, 1986.
Fisher, Aileen. Always Wondering: Some Favorite Poems.
Illustrated by Joan Sandin. New York: HarperCollins, 1991.
Fitzgerald, John. The Great Brain. Illustrated by Mercer Mayer.
New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1985. [Family
Commitment]
Freedman, Russell. Lincoln: A Photobiography. New York: Ticknor
& Fields, 1987. [Justice; Courage; Responsibility; Aspiration]
Fritz, Jean. The Great Little Madison. New York: Putnam, 1989.
[Careful Thinking; Aspiration; Justice]
The Double Life of Pocahontas. Illustrated by Ed Young.
Putnam, 1983. [Courage]
George, Jean C. My Side of the Mountain. New York: Dutton,
1988.
Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. Various editions.
[Friendship]
Hahn, Mary D. Stepping on the Cracks. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Co., 1991. [Generous Understanding]
Haviland, Virginia. Favorite Fairy Tales Told Around the World.
Illustrated by S. D. Schindler. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.,
1985.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Wonder Book. New York: Airmont.
Henry, Marguerite. Misty of Chincoteague. Illustrated by Wesley
Dennis. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1990. [Respect for
Home and the Natural World]
Homer. The Children's Homer; The Adventures of Odysseus and the
Tale of Troy. Retold by Padraic Colum. Illustrated by Willy
Pagany. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1982. [Careful
Thinking; Imagination; Perseverance; Respect for Home and the
Natural World; Family Commitment]
The Return of Odysseus. Adapted by I.M. Richardson.
Illustrated by Hal Frenck. Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll
Associates, 1984. [Family Commitment; Courage; Perseverance;
Love]
The Wooden Horse. Adapted by I.M. Richardson.
Illustrated by Hal Frenck. Mahwah, New Jersey: Troll
Associates, 1984. [Careful Thinking; Imagination]
Howe, Deborah & James. Bunnicula; A Rabbit Tale of Mystery.
Illustrated by Alan Daniel. New York: Macmillan Child Group,
1979. [Humor]
Jennings, Judi. Why Work? Lexington, Kentucky: University Press
of Kentucky, 1989. [Work Well Done; Self-Control &
Responsibility; Self-Knowledge]
Kipling, Rudyard. The Jungle Book. Various editions.
Kuskin, Karla. Dogs & Dragons, Trees & Dreams: A Collection of
Poems. New York: HarperCollins, 1980.
Lamb, Charles & Mary. Tales from Shakespeare. Various editions.
Lang, Andrew. The Blue Fairy Book. Various editions.
Lawson, Robert. Ben & Me. New York: Dell, 1973.
Rabbit Hill. New York: Puffin, 1977.
L'Engle, Madeleine. Time Trilogy: A Wrinkle in Time; A Wind in
the Door; A Swiftly Tilting Planet. New York: Farrar, Straus &
Giroux, 1979. [Family Commitment; Courage; Self-Reliance]
Lewis, C. S. The Chronicles of Narnia (Lion the Witch & the
Wardrobe) series. Various editions [Friendship; Courage;
Unselfishness; Self-Knowledge]
Little, Jean. Hey, World, Here I Am. Illustrated by Sue
Truesdell. New York: HarperCollins, 1989.
Stars Come Out Within. New York: Viking, 1991.
[Self-Reliance; Courage]
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Paul Revere's Ride. Illustrated by
Nancy W. Parker. New York: Greenwillow, 1985. [Courage]
Lovelace, Maud H. Betsy-Tacy. Illustrated by Lois Lenski. New
York: HarperCollins, 1966. A series: Betsy, Tacy & Tib; Betsy &
Tacy Go Over the Big Hill; Betsy & Tacy Go Downtown; Heaven to
Betsy; Betsy in Spite of Herself; Betsy Was a Junior; Betsy &
Joe; Betsy's Wedding. [Family Commitment; Friendship;
Self-Knowledge; Aspiration]
Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.,
1989. [Justice; Courage; Family Commitment; Self-Knowledge]
MacDonald, George. Princess & the Goblin and The Princess &
Curdie. Various editions. [Courage]
MacLachlan, Patricia. Sarah, Plain & Tall. New York:
HarperCollins, 1985. [Courage; Family Commitment]
Maestro, Betsy & Giulio. A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our
Constitution. New York: Morrow, 1990. [Justice; Perseverance]
Mattingley, Christobel. The Miracle Tree. Illustrated by
Marianne Yamaguchi. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1986.
[Justice; Concern for Others]
McKissack, Patricia and Frederick. Frederick Douglass: The
Black Lion. Chicago: Children's Press, 1987. [Justice; Courage]
Mary McLeod Bethune: A Great Teacher. [Helping Each
Other; Aspiration]
Merriam, Eve. Fresh Paint: New Poems. Illustrated by David
Frampton. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1986.
Halloween A B C. Illustrated by Lane Smith. New York:
Macmillan Child Group, 1987. [Poems]
Montgomery, L. M., Anne of Green Gables. Series. MOVIE: "Anne
of Green Gables", also "Anne of Avonlea", Wonderworks.
My Book House. Illustrated. Edited by United Educators Staff.
Lake Bluff, Illinois: United Educators, Inc., 1920.12 Volumes.
[Contains a bibliography of character traits.]
Myers, Walter D. Now is Your Time! The African-American
Struggle for Freedom. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. [Courage]
O'Hara, Mary. My Friend Flicka (first of a trilogy;
Thunderhead, Son Flicka and The Green Grass of Wyoming). New
York: HarperCollins, 1988.[Courage; Loyalty; Family Commitment]
Osborne, Mary P. George Washington: Leader of a New Nation. New
York: Dial, 1991. [Careful Thinking; Aspiration]
Park, Barbara. Don't Make Me Smile. New York: Knopf, 1981.
Paterson, Katherine. The Great Gilly Hopkins. New York:
HarperCollins, 1978. [Generous Understanding; Serf-Knowledge]
The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks. Illustrated by Leo and
Diane Dillon. New York: Dutton, 1990. [Kindness]
Petry, Ann. Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground
Railway. New York: HarperCollins, 1955. [Courage; Justice;
Self-Sacrifice]
Philip, Neil. The Tale of Sir Gawain. Illustrated by Charles
Keeping. New York: Putnam, 1987. [Courage; Loyalty]
Pyle, Howard. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. New York:
Dover, 1968. [Justice; Humor, Courage]
Rawls, Wilson. Where the Red Fern Grows. New York: Bantam,
1974. [Perseverance; Courage; Family Commitment]
Rockwell, Thomas. How to Eat Fried Worms. Illustrated by Emily
McMully. New York: Watts, 1973. [Humorl
Sandburg, Carl. Rootabaga Stories. Illustrated by Michael
Hague. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1988.
Selden, George. The Cricket in Times Square series. Illustrated
by Garth Williams. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1960.
[Friendship; Humor; Kindness]
Sewall, Marcia. The Pilgrims Plimoth. New York: Macmillan Child
Group, 1986. [Courage; Perseverance; Justice; Kindness; Helping
Each Other]
Shura, Mary F. Gentle Annie: The True Story of a Civil War
Nurse. New York: Scholastic, 1991.
Sis, Peter. Follow the Dream. New York: Knopf, 1991. [Courage]
Skira-Venturi, Rasabianca. A Weekend with Renoir. New York:
Rizzoli, 1992. [Careful Thinking; Imagination]
Speare, Elizabeth George. The Sign of the Beaver. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 1983. [Self-Reliance; Dependability; Generous
Understanding; Respect for Home and the Natural World]
Spyri, Jobanna. Heidi. Various editions. [Love; Respect for
Home and the Natural World; Generous Understanding; Kindness]
Stanley, Diane & Peter Vennema. Good Queen Bess: The Story of
Queen Elizabeth I of England. New York: Macmillan Child Group,
1991. [Justice; Self-Control & Responsibility]
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Black Arrow. Various editions.
[Friendship; Courage; Justice; Serf-Knowledge]
Treasure Island. Illustrated by N. C. Wyeth. New York:
Macmillan Child Group, 1981. [Justice; Courage; Generous
Understanding]
Stolz, Mary. Barkham Street Trilogy: Dog on Barkham Street;
Bully of Barkham Street; Explorer of Barkham Street. New York:
HarperCollins, 1989. [Self-Knowledge; Courage]
Taylor, Mildred D. Let the Circle Be Unbroken. New York:
Puffin, 1991. Sequel to Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. New York: Dial Books for
Young Readers, 1976. [Family Commitment; Justice; Self-Respect]
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit.. Illustrated by Michael Hague.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1984. [Justice; Courage;
Kindness]
Tooze, Ruth. Our Rice Village in Cambodia. Illustrated by Ezra
Jack Keats. New York: Viking, 1963.
Viorst, Judith. Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,
Very Bad Day. Illustrated by Ray Cruz. New York: Macmillan
Child Group, 1976. [Humor]
Vo-Dinh. Toad is the Emperor's Uncle: Animal Folktales from
Viet-Nam. New York: Doubleday, 1970.
Voight, Cynthia. Dicey's Song. New York: Macmillan Child Group,
1982. Sequel to Homecoming.
Homecoming. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1981.
[Self-Control & Responsibility; Careful Thinking; Family
Commitment]
Watkins, Yoko K. So Far from the Bamboo Grove. New York:
Lothrop, 1986. [Courage; Concern for Others]
White, E. B. Charlotte's Web. Illustrated by Understanding;
Imagination]
Stuart Little. Illustrated by Garth Williams. New York:
HarperCollins, 1945. [Self-Knowledge]
The Trumpet of the Swan. Illustrated by Edward
Frascino. New York: HarperCollins, 1973. [Family Commitment;
Respect for the Natural World; Humor]
Wiggin, Kate D. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. New York:
Scholastic, 1988. [Self-Knwoledge; Generous Understanding;
Aspiration; Work Well Done; Friendship; Family Commitment]
Wilde, Oscar. Stories for Children. Illustrated by P. J. Lynch.
New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1991.
Complete Fairy Tales. Afterword by Jack Zipes. New
York: Dutton, 1990.
The Happy Prince. Illustrated by Ed Young. New York:
Simon & Schuster, 1989.
The Nightingale & the Rose. New York: Oxford University
Press, 1981.
The Selfish Giant. Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger. New
York: Scholastic, 1991. [Unselfishness; Generous Understanding]
Wilder, Laura Ingalls. Little House series. Illustrated by
Garth Williams. New York: HarperCollins, 1975. [Family
Commitment; Perseverance; Honesty]
Advanced
Ages 9 and Up
Alcott, Louisa May. Eight Cousins. Various editions.
Little Women. Various editions. MOVIE: "Little Women",
1933, 1949. [Family Commitment; Self-Control; Humor]
Avi. Nothing But the Truth. New York: Orchard Books, 1991.
[Justice; Resisting Peer Pressure; Self-Control &
Responsibility]
WolfRider: A Tale of Terror. New York: Macmillan Child Group,
1988.
Bauer, Marion D. On My Honor. New York: Ticknor & Fields, 1986.
[Courage; Honesty]
Brooks, Bruce. The Moves Make the Man. New York: HarperCollins,
1987.
Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Tarzan of the Apes series. Various
editions. [Careful Thinking; Self-Reliance; Self-Knowledge]
The Constitution of the United States of America. Especially
the "Preamble." Various editions. [Justice; Aspiration]
Crowe-Carraco, Carole. Women Who Made A Difference. Lexington,
Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 1989.
Danziger, Paula. The Cat Ate My Gymsuit. New York: Dell, 1980.
Defoe, Daniel. Robinson Crusoe. Various editions, including
abbreviated. [Self-Reliance; Careful Thinking; Imagination]
de Saint-Exupery, Antoine. The Little Prince. Various editions.
[Friendship; Self-Knowledge; Self-Control & Responsibility]
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. Various editions.
[Generous Understanding; Justice]
David Copperfield. Various editions. See also "David
Copperfield and Little Emily", in My Book House collection.
[Friendship]
Oliver Twist. Various editions. [Justice; Aspiration;
Self-Knowledge]
Dodge, Mary M. Hans Brinker: The Silver Skates. New York:
Puffin, 1985.
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick
Douglass: An American Slave. Preface by W. L. Garrison. New
York: Dutton, 1968. [Courage; Aspiration]
Doyle, Arthur Conan. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Various
editions. [Careful Thinking; Imagination; Honesty; Justice]
Forbes, Esther. Johnny Tremain. Illustrated by Lynd Ward. New
York: Dell, 1969. [Courage; Friendship; Self-Reliance]
Fox, Paula. One-Eyed Cat. Illustrated by Irene Trivas. New
York: Macmillan Child Group, 1984.
The Village by the Sea. New York: Orchard, 1988.
Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. Various
editions. [Self-Knowledge; Justice; Family Commitment;
Aspiration; Friendship]
Franklin, Benjamin. Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Various
editions. [Careful Thinking; Self-knowledge; Aspiration]
Freedman Russell. Indian Chiefs. New York: Holiday, 1987.
[Justice; Careful Thinking; Generous Understanding]
The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane.
Photographs. New York: Holiday, 1991.
Frost, Robert. Poems. Various editions.
Glenn, Mel. Class Dismissed! High School Poems. Photographs by
Michael J. Berstein. New York: Ticknor & Fields, 1988.
Haggard, H. Rider. King Solomon's Mines. Various editions.
Hamilton, Virginia. Anthony Burns: The Defeat & Triumph of a
Fugitive Slave. New York: Knopf, 1988.
The House of Dies Drear. New York: Macmillan Child
Group, 1984. [Courage, Justice]
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the
World. Illustrated by Barry Moser. New York: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich, 1988.
M. C. Higgins, the Great. New York: Macmillan Child
Group, 1974.
The People Could Fly. Illustrated by Leo and Diane
Dillon. New York: Knopf, 1985.
The Planet of Junior Brown. New York: Macmillan Child
Group, 1986.
Henry, O. Stories. Various editions. See especially "Gift of
the Magi."
Heyerdahl, Thor. Kon-Tiki. Various editions. [Courage; Careful
Thinking; Imagination]
Ho, Minfong. The Clay Marble. New York: Farrar, Straus &
Giroux, 1991.
Irving, Washington. Rip Van Winkle & The Legend of Sleepy
Hollow. Various editions.
Janeczko, Paul B. Poetspeak: In Their Work, About Their Work: A
Selection. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1983.
Jones, Diana W. Dogsbody. New York: Greenwillow, 1988.
[Friendship]
Keller Helen. Story of My Life. Various editions. [Courage;
Friendship; Careful Thinking; Perseverence]
Kipling, Rudyard. Captains Courageous & Other Stories.
Including "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" and "The Maltese Cat". New York:
Dodd, Mead, and Co., 1959. MOVIE: "Captains Courageous", 1937.
Lasky, Kathryn. Pageant. New York: Dell, 1988. [Self-Knowledge;
Humor]
Lincoln, Abraham. The Gettysburg Address. Various editions.
[Courage; Aspiration]
Lincoln, Jack. The Call of the Wild. Illustrated by Karel
Kezer. New York: Macmillan Child Group, 1970. [Self-Reliance;
Self-Knowledge; Respect for the Natural World]
White Fang. Various editions. [Respect for the Natural
World]
McCord, David One at a Time. Illustrated by Henry B. Kane.
Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1986. Poems.
McKinley, Robin. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty &
the Beast: Pocket, 1985.
The Blue Sword. New York: Greenwillow, 1982.
Outlaws of Sherwood. New York: Greenwillow, 1988.
Merriam, Eve. If Only I Could Tell You: Poems for Young Lovers
& Dreamers. Illustrated by Donna Diamond. New York: Knopf,
1983.
O'Dell, Scott. Sing Down the Moon. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Co., 1970.
Orczy, Emmuska. The Scarlet Pimpernel (first of trilogy).
Various editions. [Justice; Courage; Careful Thinking;
Imagination]
Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. Illustrated by Donna
Diamond. New York: HarperCollins, 1977. Frieland, Joyce and
Rikki Kessler. Bridge to Terabithia: A Study Guide. New, York:
Learning Links, 1982. MOVIE: "Bridge to Terabithia",
Wonderworks.
Jacob Have I Loved. New York: HarperCollins, 1980.
MOVIE: "Jacob Have I Loved", Wonderworks.
Lyddie. New York: Dutton, 1991.
Of Nightingales That Weep. New York": HarperCollins,
1989. [Self-Knowledge]
Sook, Nyul Choi. Year of lmpossible Goodbyes. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Co., 1991.
Speare, Elizabeth G. The Witch of Blackbird Pond. New York:
Dell, 1972. [Generous Understanding;, Friendship; Resisting
Peer Pressure]
Twain, Mark. Various editions. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,
Huckleberry Finn, The Prince & the Pauper.
Magazines and Encyclopedias
Cricket. (Ages 6-12). Literary magazine for children. Well
known authors and artists.
Highlights for Children. (Ages 4-10). Includes "Guide for
Parents and Teachers," stories, poems, craft ideas, cartoons.
Kid City (Ages 6-10). For graduates of Sesame Street. Items
about popular culture as well as serious issues such as racial
inequalities and handicaps.
KidSports. (Ages 8-14). Contains advice from professional
athletes and stresses practice. Many articles focus on "When I
Was Your Age" (a column title).
Ladybug. (Ages 2-7). Literary magazine for younger children.
From the publishers of Cricket. Includes a parent's supplement.
National Geographic World. (Ages 8-13). A variety of subjects
including other children, games, projects, a large pull-out
poster.
Seedling Series: Short Story International. (Ages 8-12).
Contains short stories from around the world, often with a
moral or message.
Sesame Street. (Ages 26). Educational magazine that draws from
the television show. Emphasizes letters and numbers with games
to cut out. Every issue includes a read-aloud piece about a
serious topic such as starting school. Comes with a guide for
parents.
Zillions. (Ages 8-14). Consumer Reports for kids. Helps
children make wise judgments about the quality and value of
items for sale.
Compton's Encyclopedia. Illustrated. 26 volumes. Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 1992. Bound and on compact disc.
New Book of Knowledge. Illustrated 21 volumes. Grolier, 1992.
Written for elementary school children.
Oxford Children's Encyclopedia. Illustrated. 7 volumes. Oxford
University Press, 1991.
Random House Children's Encyclopedia. Illustrated. Random
House, 1991.
World Book. Illustrated. 22 volumes. World Book, Inc., 1991.
Appropriate for elementary school students and as a general
family reference.
Other Booklists
Best of the Best for Children. Reference book compiled by the American
Library Association. Gives titles with descriptions of books, magazines,
videos, and computer software. New York: Random House, 1992. Available
in many libraries.
Books for Children. List of more than 100 of the best children's books
recently published. Compiled by the Library of Congress. Available for
$1 from the Consumer Information Center, Pueblo, Colorado 81009. Item
101Z.
Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsene Guide, by Betsy Hearne.
Revised, expanded, and updated. New York: Delacorte, 1990.
The Human Family...Learning To Live Together. Annual listing of
children's books that portray relationships among people of different
cultural backgrounds, races, and religions. Available free from the
National Conference of Christians and Jews, Inc., 71 Fifth Avenue, Suite
1100, New York, New York 10003.
The New Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease. 2nd revised edition. New
York: Penguin, 1989.
The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children. Edited
by Eden Ross Lipson. New York: Random House, 1991. [Special subject
indexes include such topics as "Family Life and Problems";
"Friendship";
"Growing Up"; "Holidays"; "Immigrants"; "Manners";
"Myths"; "Religion";
"War and Peace"; and others.]
Timeless Classics. List of nearly 400 books published before 1960 for
children of all ages. Compiled by the National Endowment for the
Humanities. Available for $.50 from the Consumer Information Center,
Pueblo, Colorado 81009. Item 419Z.
Acknowledgements
This booklet has been made possible with help from the following
people who reviewed early drafts, provided materials and suggestions,
and generously contributed from their own experience: Ruth Pilsbury,
Steven Tigner, Marty Sears, Miriam Marecek, Anne Ilacqua, Lee Delattre,
Julie Boothby, April Supple, Judith Schickedanz, Joan Dee, Thomas
Culliton, Scott and Victoria Stripling, Roselmina Indrisano, Richard
Chambers, John Burkett, Roger Shattuck, Leon Kass, Maria Brisk, William
Bennet, Jayne Karsten, Myles Striar, William and Jan Russell, Andrew
Oldenqist, Edward Styles Peter Losin, Betsy Speicher, Charles Glenn,
Victor Kestenbaum, Charles Griswold, Jane O'Hern, David Kahn, Sydney
Eisen, Kevin Ryan, Carolyn Gecan, Gary Edwards, Robert Fullinwinder,
Charles Karelis, James Herbert, Mary Minner, and many individuals within
the Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
Mark Travaglini and Mamie Brown copyedited this book with
production assistance from Torey Evans. Jaine Shattan reviewed the
bibliography and Michael Patrick Hearn advised on the use of artwork
that is in the public domain.
Edwin J. Delattre is Dean of Boston University's School of
Education, Olin Scholar in Applied Ethics, and Professor of Philosophy
in the College of Liberal Arts. He is President Emeritus of St. John's
College in Annapolis, MD, and Santa Fe, NM, and the author of two books
and numerous articles on ethics in education, business, government, and
law enforcement. He holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia and a
Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
AliceB. Delattre has worked as a cataloguer at the Tompkins-McCaw
library of the Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University and
in the Catalogue Department of the Main Library, University of Texas at
Austin, and she has served as a volunteer in the Concord Free Public
Library in Concord, Massachusetts. She holds a B.A. from Longwood
College in Farmville, Virginia, and did graduate study in library
science at The University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio.
Nancy Ione Young drew the cover illustration.
Illustrations from classic children's books include: pages 3, 5,
and 9 by W.W. Denslow in Thw Onderful Wizard of Oz and pages 20, 26, 30,
and 44 by Arthur Rackham in Sleeping BEauty.
The illustration of the book on the inside back cover is by Brian
A. Griffin.
What We Can Do To Help Our Children Learn:
Listen to them and pay attention to their problems.
Read with them.
Tell family stories.
Limit their television watching.
Have books and other reading materials in the house.
Look up words in the dictionary with them.
Encourage them to use an encyclopedia.
Share favorite poems and songs with them.
Take them to the library--get them their own library cards.
Take them to museums and historical sites, when possible.
Discuss the daily news with them.
Go exploring with them and learn about plants, animals, and local
geography.
Find a quiet place for them to study.
Review their homework.
Meet with their teachers.
Do you have other ideas?
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