Character Education Resources

                      located in the Curriculum Lab

JUVENILE PICTURE BOOKS

JPB    Alderson

Alderson, Sue Ann.  Ida and the wool smugglers.  Although her family thinks she is not big enough to participate in the annual sheep run, Ida proves she is big enough to outwit

the smugglers trying to steal her favorite sheep. c1988. Cleverness

JPB    Alexander

Alexander, Martha G.  Move over, Twerp.  Jeffrey shows his classmates that being younger and smaller doesn't mean he can be pushed around. c1981.

JPB    Alexander

Alexander, Sue.  Marc the Magnificent.  Marc fantasizes about his future as a world-renowned magician while trying to learn his first magic trick. c1978.Optimism

JPB    Alexander

Alexander, Sue,   Nadia the Willful.  When her favorite brother disappears in the desert forever, Nadia refuses to let him be forgotten, despite her father's bitter decree that his name shall not be uttered. c1983. Willfulness

JPB    Ancona

Ancona, George.  Helping out.  Explores in black-and-white photographs the special relationship between adults and children working together in many different settings. c1985.  Helping behavior

JPB    Auch

Auch, Mary Jane.  BANTAM OF THE OPERA.  Luigi the rooster wins fame and fortune when the star of the Cosmopolitan Opera Company and his understudy both come down with chicken pox on the same night. c1997. Courage

JPB    Baker

Baker, Betty.  And me, coyote!  The author retells material from Native American Creation legends in which World Maker, Blind Man, and Coyote shape the world and its inhabitants. c1982. Cleverness

JPB    Bang

Bang, Molly.  GOOSE.  Adopted by woodchucks at birth, a baby goose never feels she truly belongs--until the day she discovers she can fly. c1996. Loyalty

JPB    Bang

Bang, Molly.  WHEN SOPHIE GETS ANGRY--REALLY, REALLY ANGRY.  A young girl is upset and doesn't know how to manage her anger but takes the time to cool off and regain her composure. c1999. Forgiveness

JPB    Baumann

Baumann, Kurt.  The prince & the lute.  After exchanging clothes with a beggar and allowing him to be king in his place, a peace-loving prince goes to live in the mountains and constructs a lute that will bring his message of peace and harmony to all the people in the land. c1986. Kindness

JPB    Bemelmans

Bemelmans, Ludwig,  MADELINE'S RESCUE.  A hound rescues a schoolgirl from the Seine, becomes a beloved school pet, is chased away by the trustees, and returns with a surprise. c1953. Loyalty

JPB    Best

Best, Cari.  Shrinking Violet.  Violet, who is very shy and hates for anyone to look at her in

school, finally comes out of her shell when she is cast as Lady Space in a play about the solar system and saves the production from disaster. c2001. Shyness

JPB    Boynton

Boynton, Sandra.  If at first ...A determined mouse tries, tries, and tries again to move a lazy

elephant up a hill. c1980. Perseverance

JPB    Bridwell

Bridwell, Norman.  Clifford's good deeds.  Clifford, a very big dog who always overdoes his good deeds, finds something to do that is his size. c1975. Generosity

JPB    Bunting

Bunting, Eve.  A day's work.  When Francisco, a young Mexican American boy, tries to help his grandfather find work, he discovers that even though the old man cannot speak English, he has something even more valuable to teach Francisco. c1994.Honesty

JPB    Bunting

Bunting, Eve.  DECEMBER.  A homeless family's luck changes after they help an old woman who has even less than they do at Christmas. c1997.

JPB    Bunting

Bunting, Eve  SMOKY NIGHT.  When the Los Angeles riots break out in the streets of their neighborhood, a young boy and his mother learn the values of getting along with others no matter what their background or nationality. c1994. Courtesy

JPB    Bunting 

Bunting, Eve.  SO FAR FROM THE SEA.  When seven-year-old Laura and her family visit Grandfather's grave at the Manzanar War Relocation Center, the Japanese American child leaves behind a special symbol. c1998. Forgiveness

JPB    Carey

Carey, Valerie Scho.  The Devil & Mother Crump.  The Devil meets his match in a feisty old baker woman who tricks him into granting her three very strange wishes. c1987. Meanness

JPB    Coplans

Coplans, Peta.  Spaghetti for Suzy.  Although she eventually tries other foods, a young girl still likes spaghetti best. c1993. Stubbornness

JPB    Cox

Cox, David.  Bossyboots.  Bossy Abigail infuriates her stagecoach companions, but when the

coach is held up by an outlaw, her bossiness comes in handy. 1987, c1985. Willfulness

JPB    Cuyler

Cuyler, Margery.  Fat Santa.  When Santa becomes stuck in Molly's chimney, she helps deliver

the rest of his gifts. c1987. Helpfulness behavior

JPB    Daly

Daly, Niki.  JAMELA'S DRESS.  Jamela gets in trouble when she takes the expensive material

intended for a new dress for Mama, parades it in the street, and allows it to become dirty and torn. c1999. Forgiveness

JPB    Day

Day, Alexandra. FRANK AND ERNEST.  An elephant and a bear take over a diner and find out about responsibility and food language. Responsibility

JPB    DePaola

De Paola, Tomie.  Marianna May and Nursey.  A little rich girl is miserable because she isn't allowed to do anything but sit still and keep her white dresses clean, until Mr. Talbot the iceman has a clever idea. c1983. Cleanliness

JPB    Doyle 

Doyle, Malachy.  JODY'S BEANS.  From spring to fall with the help of her grandfather, Jody learns to plant, care for, harvest, prepare, and eat some runner beans. c1999. Cooperation

JPB    Edwards

Edwards, Pamela Duncan.  HONK!   A ballet-loving swan wins acclaim when she manages to join the other dancers in a performance of Swan Lake. c1998. Hope

JPB    Ernst

Ernst, Lisa Campbell.  WHEN BLUEBELL SANG.  Bluebell the cow's talent for singing brings her stardom but she soon longs to be back at the farm--if she can get away from her greedy manager. c1989.Honesty

JPB    Fleischman

Fleischman, Sid.  The scarebird.  A lonely old farmer realizes the value of human friendship when a young man comes to help him and his scarecrow with their farm. [1988] Friendship,

JPB    Fleming

Fleming, Candace.  WHEN AGNES CAWS.  When eight-year-old Agnes Peregrine, an accomplished birdcaller, travels with her parents to the Himalayas in search of the elusive pink-headed duck, she encounters a dastardly foe. c1999. Justice

JPB    Fyleman

Fyleman, Rose.  A fairy went a-marketing.  A kindly fairy uses her purchases only for a short time, then releases them for their own good or the good of others. c1986. Kindness

JPB    Gackenbach

Gackenbach, Dick.  ALICE'S SPECIAL ROOM.  Alice tells her mother about her special room, where she can play with her cat who died, enjoy the warm beach in January, go sledding on a hot summer day, and do anything she has already done in the past. c1991. Generosity

JPB    Galbraith

 Galbraith, Kathryn Osebold.  LAURA CHARLOTTE.  A mother describes her love for a toy elephant she was given as a child, a gift she has now passed on to her daughter. c1990. Courage

JPB    Gantos

Gantos, Jack.  Rotten Ralph's rotten Christmas. Rotten Ralph, the cat, is not at all nice to the Christmas visitor. c1984. Meanness

JPB    Gantos

Gantos, Jack.  Rotten Ralph's show and tell.  Sarah takes her rotten cat Ralph to school for Show and Tell and he behaves terribly, as usual, by spoiling everyone's show. c1989.

Meanness

JPB    Ganto

Gantos, Jack.  Rotten Ralph's trick or treat!  Sarah's rotten cat Ralph goes to a Halloween costume party dressed as her and creates horrible mischief under the protection of his disguise. c1986. Meanness

JPB    Garner

Garner, Alan.  Little red hen.  A retelling of the story of a resourceful hen that not only makes her own food and eats it herself, but manages to outwit a hungry fox as well.

Resourcefulness, Laziness

JPB    Hall

Hall, Donald.  OX-CART MAN.   Describes the day-to-day life throughout the changing seasons of an early 19th-century New England family. 1979. Resourcefulness

JPB    Hanhart

Hanhart, Brigitte.  Shoemaker Martin: based on a story by Leo Tolstoy.  After showing kindness towards three strangers, a Russian shoemaker learns that Jesus visited him three times. c1986. Kindness

JPB    Havill

Havill, Juanita.  Jamaica's find.  A little girl finds a stuffed dog in the park and decides to take

it home. c1986. Honesty

JPB    Hogrogian

Hogrogian, Nonny.  THE CAT WHO LOVED TO SING. A cat who loves to sing trades one thing for another until he finally gains a mandolin. 1988. Helpfulness

JPB    Jackson

Jackson, Ellen B.  The bear in the bathtub.  Andrew doesn't like to take baths, but when a bear comes to stay in the bathtub, he sincerely misses them. c1981. Cleanliness

JPB    Jones

Jones, Rebecca C.  The biggest, meanest, ugliest dog in the whole wide world.  Jonathan is terrified of the dog next door, until one day he throws his ball at it in defense and their relationship changes. c1982. Meanness

JPB    Jukes

Jukes, Mavis.  I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS.  A girl preparing to visit her seriously ill uncle in the hospital imagines being a skywriter and flying over his bed with a message of love. c1993.Courage

JPB    Krasilovsky

Krasilovsky, Phyllis.  The shy little girl.  Shy little Anne always did everything by herself until the new girl came to school. c1970. Shyness

JPB    Leodhas

Leodhas, Sorche Nic.  ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE.  In this Scottish folk song, a generous family always has room for another person and invites in everyone who passes by. Caldecott Medal, 1966.[1965] Generosity

JPB    Lester

Lester, Helen.  HOOWAY FOR WODNEY WAT.  All his classmates make fun of Rodney because he can't pronounce his name, but it is Rodney's speech impediment that drives away the class bully. c1999. Justice

JPB    Lorenz

Lorenz, Lee.  Big Gus and Little Gus.  When two friends go out into the world to seek their fortune, Big Gus is rewarded despite his foolishness. c1982. Laziness

JPB    Lindbergh

Lindbergh, Anne.  Tidy lady.  An unusually tidy lady is so obsessed with making her new home

neat that she rolls up the lawn, rakes down the stars, and removes the sky, to the dismay of the children next door. c1989. Orderliness

JPB    Mayer

Mayer, Mercer.  Just a mess.  A boy cleans up his messy room to try to find his baseball mitt. c1987.

JPB    McCully

McCully, Emily Arnold.  MIRETTE ON THE HIGH WIRE.  Mirette learns tightrope walking from Monsieur Bellini, a guest in her mother's boarding house, not knowing that he is a celebrated tightrope artist who has withdrawn from performing because of fear. c1992. Courage

JPB    McKissack

McKissack, Pat.  THE HONEST-TO-GOODNESS TRUTH.  After promising never to lie, Libby learns that it's not always necessary to blurt out the whole truth either. 2000. Honesty

JPB    Munsch

Munsch, Robert N.  Mud puddle.  A young girl has an adventure with a mud puddle. 1982, c1979. Cleanliness

JPB    Oppenheim

Oppenheim, Joanne.  "Not now!" said the cow.  In this story based on "The Little Red Hen," a little black crow asks his animal friends to help with the planting of some corn seed.  c1989. Meanness

JPB    Patz

Patz, Nancy.  Gina Farina and the Prince of Mintz.  The independent Gina Farina, one of a troupe of traveling players,  has a contest of wills with the grouchy Prince of Mintz when she refuses to follow his ironclad rules. c1986. Stubbornness

JPB    Pilkey

Pilkey, Dav.  THE PAPERBOY.  A paperboy and his dog enjoy the quiet of the early morning as they go about their rounds. c1996. Diligence

JPB    Potter

Potter, Beatrix.  TALE OF PETER RABBIT.  Mrs rabbit goes out on errands after admonishing her children to stay away from Mr. Mcgregor’s garden. [c1973?] Justice

JPB    Rathmann

Rathmann, Peggy.  OFFICER BUCKLE AND GLORIA.  The children at Napville Elementary School always ignore Officer Buckle's safety tips, until a police dog named Gloria accompanies him when he gives his safety speeches. c1995. Cooperation

JPB    Ross

Ross, Christine.  Lily and the present.  Lily searches the stores for the perfect big, bright, and beautiful present for her new baby brother. c1992. Generosity

JPB    Saltzman

Saltzman, David.  The jester has lost his jingle.  When they discover that laughter is missing from their kingdom, a jester and his helpmate set out on a quest to find it. c1995.  Optimism

JPB    San Souci

San Souci, Robert D.  Sukey and the mermaid.  Unhappy with her life at home, Sukey receives kindness and wealth from Mama Jo the mermaid. c1992. Kindness

JPB    Say

Say, Allen.  ALLISON. When Allison realizes that she looks more like her favorite doll than like her parents, she comes to terms with this unwelcomed discovery through the help of a stray cat. c1997. Discernment

JPB    Say

Say, Allen.  GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY.  A Japanese American man recounts his grandfather's journey to America which he later also undertakes, and the feelings of being torn by a love for two different countries. c1993. Discernment

JPB    Schotter

Schotter, Roni.  Captain Snap and the children of Vinegar Lane.  The children of Vinegar Lane discover that bad-tempered old Captain Snap has a wonderful secret. c1989. Friendship, Kindness

JPB    Sendak

Sendak, Maurice.  WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild thing s where he becomes their king. Caldecott Award, 1964. c1963. Forgiveness

JPB    Shannon

Shannon, Margaret.  GULLIBLE'S TROUBLES.  Although Gullible Guinea pig believes everything his aunt, uncle, and cousin tell him, they dismiss his warning about what is in the basement. c1998. Honesty

JPB    Sharmat

Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman.  Say hello, Vanessa.  Vanessa Mouse seems too shy to make any friends. c1979. Shyness

JPB    Shea

Shea, Pegi Deitz.  THE WHISPERING CLOTH: A REFUGEE'S STORY . A young girl in a Thai refugee camp finds the story within herself to create her own pa'ndau.c1995.  Fortitude

JPB    Silverstein

Silverstein, Shel.  The giving tree.  A young boy grows to manhood and old age experiencing the love and generosity of a tree which gives to him without thought of return. [1964] Generosity

JPB    Simmons

Simmons, Steven J.  Alice and Greta's color magic.  After Greta, a naughty witch, causes trouble by casting a spell that drains all color from the world, she must team up with

Alice, a kind witch, to set things right. c2001.Kindness

JPB    Snyder

Snyder, Dianne.  The boy of the three-year nap.  A poor Japanese woman maneuvers events to change the lazy habits of her son. c1988.

JPB    Stanley

Stanley, Diane.  RAISING SWEETNESS.  Sweetness, one of eight orphans living with a man who is an unconventional housekeeper, learns to read and writes an important letter to improve their situation. c1999.Kindness

JPB    Stanley

Stanley, Diane.  RUMPELSTILTSKIN'S DAUGHTER.  Rumpelstiltskin's daughter may not be able to spin straw into gold, but she is more than a match for a monarch whose greed has blighted an entire kingdom. c1997. Resourcefulness

JPB    Steig

Steig, William.  Spinky sulks.  c1988. Stubbornness

JPB    Steig

Steig, William.  SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE.  In a moment of fright Sylvester the donkey asks his magic pebble to turn him into a rock but then can not hold the pebble to wish himself back to normal again. [1969] Fortitude

JPB    Steptoe

Steptoe, John.  Mufaro's beautiful daughters: an African tale. Mufaro's two beautiful daughters, one bad-tempered, one kind and sweet, go before the king, who is choosing a wife. c1987. Kindness

JPB    Stevens

Stevens, Janet.  The emperor's new clothes.  Two rascals sell a vain emperor an invisible suit of clothes. c1985. Vanity

JPB    Stewart

Stewart, Sarah.  THE GARDENER.  A series of letters relating what happens when, after her father loses his job, Lydia Grace goes to live with her Uncle Jim in the city but takes her love for gardening with her Uncle Jim in the city but takes her love for gardening with her.c1997. Diligence, Patience

JPB    Taback

Taback, Simms.  JOSEPH HAD A LITTLE OVERCOAT.  A very old overcoat is recycled numerous times into a variety of garments. c1999. Resourcefulness

JPB    Tapio

Tapio, Pat Decker.  The lady who saw the good side of everything.  A woman's blithe spirit never wavers, despite the growing disasters that sweep her and her cat from their comfortable home and carry them half-way around the world. c1975.Optimism

JPB    Tolstoy

Tolstoy, Aleksey.  The enormous turnip.  A cumulative tale in which the turnip planted by an old man grows so enormous that everyone must help to pull it up. c2002.  Cooperativeness

JPB    Van Allsburg

Van Allsburg, Chris.  THE POLAR EXPRESS.  A magical train ride on Christmas Eve takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus. c1985. Caldecott Medal, 1986. Hope

JPB    Van Allsburg

Van Allsburg, Chris.  THE SWEETEST FIG.  After being given two magical figs that make his dreams cometrue, Monsieur Bibot sees his plans for future wealth upset by his long-suffering dog. c 1993. Justice

JPB    Ward c.3

Ward, Lynd.  THE BIGGEST BEAR.  Johnny goes hunting for a bearskin to hang on his family's barn and returns with a small bundle of trouble. 1952. Courage

JPB    Watson

Watson, Clyde.  How brown mouse kept Christmas.  On Christmas Eve the mice feast and make merry around the family's Christmas tree, in full view of the sleeping cat, and Brown Mouse inadvertently does a kindness for the family. c1980. Kindness

JPB    Winter

Winter, Paula.  Sir Andrew.  A very dapper but very vain donkey takes an eventful promenade

one windy day. c1980. Vanity

JPB   Yolen

Yolen, Jane.  OWL MOON.  On a winter's night under a full moon, a father and daughter trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl. c1987.Empathy

JPB    Yorinks

Yorinks, Arthur.  HEY, AL. Al, a janitor, and Eddie, his faithful dog, live together in a crowded single room where they are dissatisfied with their lot until a mysterious bird offers them a change of fortune that soon makes them ling for their old life. c1986. Courage

JPB    Zemach

Zemach, Harve.  DUFFY AND THE DEVIL; A CORNISH TALE.  The spinning and knitting the devil agrees to do for her win Duffy the Squire's name and a carefree life until it comes time  for her to guess the devil's name.  [1973] Resourcefulness

JUVENILE & YOUNG PEOPLE NONFICTION

J    170    K99ho

Kyle, Kathryn.  HONESTY.  Easy-to-read scenarios, such as telling a store clerk that you received too much change or telling your mother you fed your broccoli to the dog, provide lessons in honesty. c2003. Honesty.

J    398.2    D419li

De Paola, Tomie.  THE LEGEND OF THE INDIAN PAINTBRUSH.  Little Gopher follows his destiny, as revealed in a Dream-Vision, of becoming an artist for his people and eventually is able to bring the colors of the sunset down to the earth. c1988. Diligence, Loyalty

J     398.2    G555ko

Gleeson, Brian.  KOI AND THE KOLA NUTS.  Cheated of his rightful inheritance, a chief's son uses a bunch of kola nuts to gain a happy new life. , c1992. Generosity

J   398.2095    M898f 

Mosel, Arlene.  THE FUNNY LITTLE WOMAN.  While chasing a dumpling, a little lady is captured by wicked creatures from whom she escapes with the means of becoming the richest woman in Japan.   Caldecott Medal, 1973. [1972]Justice

J    398.2096    H168s

Haley, Gail E.  A STORY, A STORY; AN AFRICAN TALE.  Recounts how most African folk tales came to be called "Spider Stories." [1970] Resourcefulness

J    398.20966    D536ma

Diakite, Baba Wague.  The magic gourd.  Brother Rabbit and Chameleon teach a greedy king the importance of generosity and friendship. c2003. Generosity

J    398.21    G864fa

Grimm, Wilhelm.  The falling stars.  A poor child who possesses nothing but the clothes on her back gives everything away to others who are suffering and receives a reward from the heavens. c1985. Generosity

J    398.21   H772tw

Hong, Lily Toy.  TWO OF EVERYTHING: A CHINESE FOLKTALE.  A poor old Chinese farmer finds a magic brass pot that doubles or duplicates whatever is placed inside it, but his efforts to make himself wealthy lead to unexpected complications. c1993. Resourcefulness

J    398.21    R212f

Ransome, Arthur..  THE FOOL OF THE WORLD AND THE FLYING SHIP; A RUSSIAN TALE.A third son, little revered by his family, manages to win the Czar’s daughter through God’s favor of loving the simple folk.[1968] Kindness

J    398.21    S197ta

San Souci, Robert D.  The talking eggs: a folktale from the American South.  A Southern folktale in which kind Blanche, following the instructions of an old witch, gains riches, while her greedy sister makes fun of the old woman and is duly rewarded. c1989. Greediness

J    398.21    W815go

Wisniewski, David.  GOLEM.  A saintly rabbi miraculously brings to life a clay giant who helps him watch over the Jews of sixteenth-century Prague. c1996. Helpfulness

J    398.24    A113bo

Aardema, Verna.  BORREGUITA AND THE COYOTE: A TALE FROM AYUTLA, MEXICO.  A little lamb uses her clever wiles to keep a coyote from eating her up. c1991. Courage

J    92    B477ma

Martin, Jacqueline Briggs.  SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY.  A biography of a self-taught scientist who photographed thousands of individual snowflakes in order to study their unique formations. c1998. Diligence

J     92    B647p

Provensen, Alice.  THE GLORIOUS FLIGHT: ACROSS THE CHANNEL WITH LOUIS BLERIOT, JULY 25, 1909. A biography of the man whose fascination with flying machines produced the Bleriot XI, which crossed the English Channel in thirty-seven minutes in the early 1900's.c1983. Fortitude

JUVENILE & YOUNG PEOPLE FICTION

J     B942tr

Bunting, Eve.  TRAIN TO SOMEWHERE.  In the late 1800s, Marianne travels westward on the Orphan Train in hopes of being placed with a caring family. c1996. Courage, Empathy

J    B993c

Byars, Betsy Cromer.  THE CYBIL WAR.  Simon learns some hard lessons about good and bad friendships when his good friend Tony's stories involve him in some very troublesome and complicated situations. Loyalty

J     C877ra

Cox, Judy.  RABBIT PIRATES: A TALE OF THE SPINACH MAIN.  Two old rabbit friends disagree about many things, including when and how to deal with the tricky fox who threatens to ruin the business at their restaurant in Provence region of France. c1999.Loyalty

J     D366b

Delton, Judy.  Back yard Angel.  Although ten-year-old Angel loves her little brother Rags dearly, the constant responsibility of taking care of him weighs heavily on her young shoulders. c1983. Responsibility

J     L345ma

Lasky, Kathryn.  MARVEN OF THE GREAT NORTH WOODS.  When his Jewish parents send him to a Minnesota logging camp to escape the influenza epidemic of 1918, ten-year-old Marven finds a special friend. c1997. Diligence, Empathy

YP     M694fl

Moeri, Louise.  First the egg.  In Sarah's senior high school Marriage and Family class, the students are paired, and each pair is assigned an egg to tend for a week as if it were an infant.c1982. Responsibility

J      O23is 1987

O'Dell, Scott.  Island of the Blue Dolphins.  Records the courage and self-reliance of an Indian girl who lived alone for eighteen years on an isolated island off the California coast when her tribe emigrated and she was left behind. 1987, c1960. Courage

J      S257go

Saunders, Susan.  The golden goose.  Simpleton's generosity helps him gain a princess for his bride. [1988], c1987. Kindness, Giving

J     S632a

Slepian, Jan.  The Alfred summer.  Four preteen outcasts, two of them handicapped, learn lessons in courage and perseverance when they join forces to build a boat. c1980.

J     S274te

Say, Allen.  TEA WITH MILK.  After growing up near San Francisco, a young Japanese woman returns with her parents to their native Japan, but she feels foreign and out of place. c1999. Empathy

YP     W566ho

Whelan, Gloria.  HOMELESS BIRD.  When thirteen-year-old Koly enters into an ill-fated arranged marriage, she must either suffer a destiny dictated by India's tradition or find the courage to oppose it. c2000. Courage

Created by Donna Wallach,  June 2004

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