William Kilpatrick's recent book Why Johnny Can't Tell Right from Wrong convinced thousands that reading is one of the most effective ways to combat moral illiteracy and build a child's character. This follow-up book--featuring evaluations of more than 300 books for children--will help parents and teachers put his key ideas into practice.

The book's primary purpose is to introduce novels that show strength of character. It offers guidance for opening a dialogue about character issues through the included texts. While looking for books with strong character traits the authors also sought to include award-winning titles from authors whose general bodies of work have been acclaimed.

A comprehensive reference to 50 titles that will help children cultivate ethics, assume personal responsibility, and practice moral judgment in unfamiliar cultural contexts.

Offering guidance to teachers on including character education within their lessons, this book shows how teachers can provide an encounter with literature that enables students to be more responsive to ethical themes and questions.