Character Issues

General

Character is most often talked about as a collection of important personal values kids should have. Here are a couple of books that address character in older kids. Parenting books on teen character development are hard to find.

Borba, Michelle. Building Moral Intelligence. New York: Josey Bass, 2002.

Brown, Nadine. How to Have Kids with Character. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1990

Forni, P. M. Choosing Civility: The 25 Rules of Considerate Conduct. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2003.

Josephson, Michael S. Making Ethical Decisions. Los Angeles, CA: Josephson Institute of Ethics, 2002.

Lewis, Barbara A. What Do You Stand For? For Teens: A Guide to Building Character. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Press, 2005.

McGowan, Dale and Shermer, Michael. Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion. New York: AMACOM, 2007.

Popov, Linda. The Family Virtues Guide. New York: Plume, 1997.

Nerburn, Kent. Simple Truths: Clear and Gentle Guidance on the Big Issues in Life. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2005.

Unell, Barbara and Wykoff, Jerry. 20 Teachable Virtues. New York: Perigee Trade, 1995

Attitude

Kastner, Laura S. and Wyatt, Jennifer. Getting to Calm: Cool-headed Strategies for Parenting Tweens and Teens. Seattle, WA: Parent Map, 2009.

Cheating

Weinstein, Bruce and Russell, Harriet. Is it Still Cheating if I Don’t Get Caught? New York: Flash Point, 2009.

The Greater Good. Raising Cheaters. (This website is a wonderful resources on happiness, balance and character.)

Josephson Institute. Center for Youth Ethics.

Gratitude

Emmons, Robert. Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier. New York: Mariner Books, 2008.

Ryan, M. J. The Giving Heart: Unlocking the Transformative Power of Generosity in Your Life. Newburyport, MA: Conari Press, 2000.

A Network for Grateful Living. Index of Gratefulness Topics. (ANG*L is an organization that provides education and support for the practice of grateful living as a global ethic. There are lots of resources for fostering gratitude.)

The Gratitude Challenge. Gratitude Calendar. (This website was created by a group of bloggers who believe that sharing gratitude for everyday experiences can revitalize our commitment to living life. They have a calendar to 21 days of gratitude.)

Gratitude Revealed. A website with resources and brief, beautiful videos on gratitude and other important character traits.