Character Education Resources

Character Education Reading List for Educators
Prepared by the Boston University Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character

Allen, Sarah. The Way of Water and Sprouts of Virtue. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1997.
Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. (M. Oswald, Trans.) Indianapolis: Liberal Arts Press, 1962.
Arthur, James. Education with Character: The moral economy of schooling. London: RoutledgeFalmer, 2003.
Bellah, Robert, et al. Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1985.
Bellah, Robert, et al. The Good Society. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1991.
Bennett, William. The Book of Virtues. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994.
Bennett, William J. (Ed.) The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996.
Bennett, William J. (Ed.) The Moral Compass: Stories for a Life’s Journey. New York: Touchstone Books, 1996.
Benninga, Jacques. Moral, Character and Civic Education in the Elementary School. New York: Teachers College Press, 1991.
Brookhiser, Richard. Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington. New York: The Free Press, 1996.
Carr, David and Steutel, Jan. Virtue Ethics and Moral Education. London: Routledge, 1999.
Carter, Stephen L. The Culture of Disbelief: How American Law and Politics Trivialize Religious Devotion. New York: Basic Books, 1993.
Cheng, Nien. Life and Death in Shanghai. New York: Viking Penguin, 1988.
Coles, Robert. The Moral Intelligence of Children: How to Raise an Moral Child. New York: Penguin Putnam, 1998.
Coles, Robert. The Call of Stories. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 1989.
Coles, Robert. The Moral Life of Children. Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1986.
Comte-Sponville, Andre. A Small Treatise on the Great Virtues: The Uses of Philosophy in Everyday Life. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 2001.
Damon, William. (ed.) New Directions for Child Development: Moral Development. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1978.
Damon, William. The Moral Child. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1988.
Damon, William. Greater Expectations: Overcoming the Culture of Indulgence in America’s Homes and Schools. New York, NY: The Free Press, A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1995.
Damon, William. Bringing in a New Era of Character Education. Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, 2002.
Delattre, Edwin J. Education and the Public Trust: The Imperative for Common Purposes. Washington, D.C.: Ethics and Public Policy Center, 1988.
Delattre, Edwin J., and Russell, William E. (eds.) Journal of Education: Education and the Advancement of Ethics and Character. Vol. 175, No. 2, Boston: Boston University, 1993.
Denby, David. Great Books. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1998.
Durkheim, Emile. Moral Education: A Study in Theory and Application of the Sociology of Education. New York: Free Press, 1961.
Durst, Mose. Principled Education. Hayward: The Principled Academy, 1998.
Eberly, Don (Ed.). Content of America’s Character. Lantham: Madison Books, 1995.
Ellenwood, Stephan, et al. The Art of Loving Well: A Character Value-based Curriculum. Boston: Boston University, 1988.
Gauld, Joseph W. Character First: The Hyde School Difference. San Francisco: ICS Press, 1993.
Gibbon, Peter. A Call to Heroism: Renewing America’s Vision of Greatness. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2002.
Glendon, Mary Ann and Blankenhorn, David. Seedbeds of Virtue: Sources of Competence, Character and Citizenship in American Society. Lantham: Madison Books, 1995.
Gilligan, Carol. In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women’s Development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1982.
Goodlad, John I., Soder, Roger, and Sirotnik, Kenneth A. (ed.) Places Where Teachers Are Taught. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1990
Goodlad, J., Soder, R., and Strotnik, K. (Eds.) The Moral Dimensions of Teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1990.
Guroian, Vigen. Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child’s Moral Imagination. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Heath, Douglas. Schools of Hope. San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers, 1994.
Heath, Douglas H. Morale, Culture, and Character: Assessing Schools of Hope. Bryn Mawr: Conrow Publishing House, 1999.
Hibbs, Thomas. Shows About Nothing. Spence Publishing, 1999.
Huffman, H. Developing a Character Education Program: One School District’s Experience. Washington, DC: CEP Clearinghouse, 1995.
Hunter, James. The Death of Character: Moral Education in an Age Without Good or Evil. New York: Basic Books, 2000.
Jackson, Philip W., Boostrom, Robert E., and Hansen, David. T. The Moral Life of Schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993.
Jenkins, Carol Brennan (Guest Editor). Journal of Education: Fulfilling the Promise of Character Education in the Classroom, Part II. Vol. 179, No. 2, 1997.
Jenkins, Carol Brennan (Guest Editor). Journal of Education: Fulfilling the Promise of Character Education in the Classroom, Part II. Vol. 179, No. 3, 1997.
Kilpatrick, William. Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right from Wrong. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992.
Kilpatrick, William, Wolfe, Gregory and Wolfe, Suzanne. Books That Build Character: A Guide to Teaching Your Child Moral Value Through Stories. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994.
Kurtines, William and Gewirtz, Jacob L., eds. Handbook of Moral Behavior and Development. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1991.
Lawrence-Lightfoot, Sara. Respect: An Exploration. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books, 2000.
Lawrence-Lightfoot, Sara. The Good High School: Portraits of Character and Culture. New York: Basic Books, 1983.
Lewis, Hunter. A Question of Values. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1990.
Lickona, Thomas. Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility. New York: Bantam Books, 1991.
MacIntyre, Alasdair. After Virtue. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1984.
Miller, William Lee. Lincoln’s Virtues: An Ethical Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.
Morley, Thomas. Discipline Through Virtue. Sugar City, ID: ThoMax, Inc. 1995.
Murphy, Madonna M. Character Education in America’s Blue Ribbon Schools: Best Practices for Meeting the Challenge. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2002.
Noblit, George W. and Dempsey, Van. O. The Social Construction of Virtue: The Moral Life of Schools. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1996.
Noddings, Nell. The Challenge to Care in Schools. New York: Teacher’s College Press, 1992.
Nord, Warren A. Religion and American Education: Rethinking a National Dilemma. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1995.
Nucci, Larry. Moral Development and Character Education: A Dialogue. Berkeley: McCutchan, 1986.
Palmer, Parker J. The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998.
Peters, R. S. The Moral and Spiritual Crisis in Education: A Curriculum for Justice and Compassion. Granby, MA: Bergin and Garvey, 1988.
Piaget, Jean. The Moral Judgment of the Child. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1997.
Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death. New York: Penguin Books, 1986.
Pritchard, Ivor. Good Education: The Virtues of Learning. Norwalk, CT: Judd Publishing Group, 1998.
Purpel, David. The Moral and Spiritual Crisis in Education: A Curriculum for Justice and Compassion. Granby, MA: Bergin and Garvey, 1988.
Ryan, Kevin and Bohlin, Karen. Building Character in Schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999.
Ryan, Kevin and Lickona, Thomas. Character Development in Schools and Beyond [2nd Edition]. Washington DC: Council for Researching Values and Philosophy, 1992.
Shattuck, Roger. The Forbidden Experiment: The Story of the Wild Boy of Aveyron. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1980.
Sichel, Betty. Moral Education: Character, Community and Ideals. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1988.
Simon, Katherine G. Moral Questions in the Classroom: How to Get Kids to Think Deeply About Real Life and Their Schoolwork. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001.
Sommers, Christina and Fred. Vice and Virtue in Everyday Life: Introductory Readings in Ethics. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1989.
Taulbert, Clifton. Eight Habits of the Heart. New York: Penguin Books, 1997.
Tigner, Steven S. (Guest Editor). Journal of Education: Cultural Foundations and Educational Heritage, Part I. Vol. 178, No. 3, Boston: Boston University, 1996.
Tigner, Steven S. (Guest Editor). Journal of Education: Cultural Foundations and Educational Heritage, Part II. Vol. 179, No. 1, Boston: Boston University, 1996.
Tigner, Steven S. The Founding Documents. Acton, MA: Copley Publishing Group, 1995.
Urban, Hal. Twenty Things I Want My Kids to Know. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992.
Vessels, Gordon G. Character and Community Development: A School Planning and Teacher Training Handbook. Westport: Praeger, 1998.
Vincent, Philip Fitch. Promising Practices in Character Education: Nine Success Stories from Around the Country. Chapel Hill, NC: Character Development Group, 1996.
Vincent, Philip Fitch Developing Character in Students. Chapel Hill, NC: New View Publications, 1994.
Wattenberg, Ben J. Values Matter Most. New York, Free Press 1995.
Welty, Eudora and Sharp, Ronald A. (Eds.). The Norton Book of Friendship. New York: W. W. Norton, 1991.
Wiley, Lori Sandford. Comprehensive Character-Building Classroom: A Handbook for Teachers. DeBary, Longwood Communications, 1998.
Wilson, James Q. The Moral Sense. New York: The Free Press, 1993.
Wright, Robert. The Moral Animal. New York: Random House, 1994.
Wynne, Edward and Ryan, Kevin. Reclaiming Our Schools: A Handbook for Teaching Character, Academics and Discipline. Columbus: Charles Merrill, 1992. Updated November 2002

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: A Selected Bibliography for Parents Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character Bennett, William J. The Book of Virtues. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993.

Bennett, William J., Finn Jr., Chester E., and Cribb, Jr., John T.E. The Educated Child: A Parent’s Guide from Preschool Through Eighth Grade. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000.
Brazelton, T. Berry and Greenspan, Stanley I. The Irreducible Needs of Children: What Every Child Must Have to Grow, Learn, and Flourish. Cambridge: Perseus Publishing, 2000.
Coles, Robert. The Moral Intelligence of Children: How to Raise a Moral Child. New York: Random House, 1997.
Covey, Sean. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1998.
Covey, Stephen R. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families. Golden Books Publishing Co., 1997.
Damon, William. Greater Expectations: Overcoming the Culture of Indulgence in Our Homes and Schools. New York: Free Press, 1995.
Delattre, Edwin J. and Alice B. Helping Your Child Learn Responsible Behavior. US Department of Education, 1993.
DeMarco, Donald. The Heart of Virtue: Lessons from Life and Literature Illustrating the Beauty and Value of Moral Character. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1996.
Dorsett, Lyle W. and Mead, Marjorie Lamp (eds.) C.S. Lewis Letters to Children. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1996.
Elkind, David. The Hurried Child: Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon. Reading: Perseus Press,1989.
Greer, Colin and Kohl, Herbert (eds.) A Call to Character: A Family Treasury of Stories, Poems, Plays, Proverbs, and Fables to Guide the Development of Values for You and Your Children. New York: HarperPerennial, 1995.
Gurian, Michael. From Boys to Men: All About Adolescence and You. New York: Price Stern Sloan Publishers, 1999.
Gurian, Michael. The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors, and Educators Can Do to Shape Boys into Exceptional Men. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1996.
Isaacs, David. Character Building: A Guide for Parents and Teachers. Four Courts Press, 1993.
Kilpatrick, William. Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right from Wrong: And What We Can Do About It. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992.
Kilpatrick, William, Wolfe, Gregory, and Wolfe, Suzanne. Books That Build Character: A Guide to Teaching Your Child Moral Values Through Stories. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1994.
Lickona, Thomas. Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility. New York: Bantam Books, 1991.
Lickona, Thomas. Raising Good Children: From Birth to the Teenage Years. New York: Bantam Books, 1983.
Medved, Michael and Medved, Diane. Saving Childhood: How to Protect Your Children from the National Assault on Innocence. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1998.
Paterson, Katherine. A Sense of Wonder: On Reading and Writing Books for Children. New York: Plume Publishers, 1995.
Pipher, Mary. Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. New York: Ballantine Books, 1995.
Pollack, William S. Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood. Random House, 1999.
Ryan, Kevin and Bohlin, Karen. Building Character in Schools: Practical Ways to Bring Moral Instruction to Life. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998.
Snow, Misti. Take Time to Play Checkers: Wise Words from Kids on Their Parents, Friends, Worries, Hopes, and Growing Up. New York: Viking, 1992.
Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character 2002

High School Booklist

Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character, 2002

CITIZENSHIP

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave.
Nelson, Marilyn. Carver: A Life in Poems.

COMPASSION

Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights.
Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities.
Sedgwick, Catharine Maria. Hope Leslie.

COURAGE

Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage.
Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl.
Krisher, Trudy. Spite Fences.
Philip, Neil. The Tale of Sir Gawain.
Sender, Ruth Minsky. The Cage.
Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver’s Travels.
Tolkein, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings (series).
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

RESPECT

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird.Thomas, Rob. Slave Day.

DILIGENCE

Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front.
Gibson, William. The Miracle Worker.
Hemingway, Earnest. The Old Man and the Sea.
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath.

RESPONSIBILITY

Eliot, George. Silas Marner.
O’Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried.

SELF-MASTERY

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice.
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment.
Frankl, Victor. Man’s Search for Meaning.
Homer. The Odessey.
Knowles, John. A Separate Peace.

JUSTICE

Beals, Melba Pattillo. Warriors Don’t Cry.
Bell, William. Forbidden City.
Cox, Clinton. Fiery Vision: The Life and Death of John Brown.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible.

Seventh and Eighth Grade Booklist

Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character, 2002