300s: Do the Right Thing: Series Nonfiction on Character

Manners matter, and character counts, but imparting those lessons to children in an effective, interesting book can be a challenge. An engaging tale is an effective communication tool, but a lecture disguised as a story will not work. As more schools add character education to the curriculum, nonfiction resources for classroom use are needed. These series seek to guide children in learning right from wrong. All are well-intentioned, but not all achieve their goal with creativity and pizzazz.

MARSICO, Katie. Good Manners at Home. ISBN 978-1-60270-607-1. LC 2008036315.
––––. Good Manners at School. ISBN 978-1-60270-608-8. LC 2008036320.
––––. Good Manners in a Restaurant. ISBN 978-1-60270-609-5. LC 2008036319.
––––. Good Manners in Public. ISBN 978-1-60270-610-1. LC 2008036322.
––––. Good Manners on the Phone. ISBN 978-1-60270-611-8. LC 2008036323.
––––. Good Manners on the Playground. ISBN 978-1-60270-612-5. LC 2008036316. 
ea vol: illus. by John Haslam. 32p. (Good Manners Matter! Series). illus. appendix. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. ABDO/Magic Wagon. 2009. PLB $18.95.
Gr 1-3–This series points out the necessity of using good manners in a variety of situations. Though the word “manners” is not defined, the text is easy to read, and is surrounded by plenty of white space. Scenarios are presented–the phone rings, a waitress arrives to take an order, a new student wants to join in a playground game–and readers are invited to consider how they would respond. Behaviors explored in the narrative are listed numerically in a review section at the end. Appealing cartoons appear on one side of each spread, and the multiethnic characters’ features are exaggerated and/or off-kilter, creating a humorous appearance. While few children would choose to read these books on their own, these titles will be useful and effective as part of a classroom character-education study or to help model better manners.

TYM, Kate. Be Nice. ISBN 978-1-59566-590-4. LC 2008012600.
––––. Say Please. ISBN 978-1-59566-589-8. LC 2008021333.
––––. Tell the Truth. ISBN 978-1-59566-588-1. LC 2008021336.
––––. Time to Share. ISBN 978-1-59566-591-1. LC 2008021337. 
ea vol: 24p. (QEB Manners Series). illus. CIP. QEB. 2009. Tr $24.25.
K-Gr 1–These picture books try to show that having good manners, sharing, being nice, and telling the truth are important behaviors. Unfortunately, the lessons are given much more emphasis than the stories. The disjointed plots are too hard to follow for the intended audience and include random details that distract from the message. British spellings and word usages, such as “lift” instead of “elevator” and “budge up” instead of “move over,” will further confuse young children. The garishly bright pictures have a cotton-candy quality to them, bright and fluffy but without substance. A variety of textured fabrics has been incorporated into the images, resulting in compositions that look textured but are oddly flat.

RAATMA, Lucia. Caring. ISBN 978-1-60279-323-1. LC 2008032329.
––––. Citizenship. ISBN 978-1-60279-324-8. LC 2008031262.
––––. Fairness. ISBN 978-1-60279-322-4. LC 2008030910.
––––. Loyalty. ISBN 978-1-60279-326-2. LC 2008033134.
––––. Respect. ISBN 978-1-60279-320-0. LC 2008030560.
––––. Responsibility. ISBN 978-1-60279-321-7. LC 2008029290.
––––. Sportsmanship. ISBN 978-1-60279-325-5. LC 2008033136.
––––. Trustworthiness. ISBN 978-1-60279-319-4. LC 2008031777. 
ea vol: 24p. (21st Century Junior Library: Character Education Series). photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Cherry Lake. 2009. PLB $22.80.
Gr 1-3–A combination of concise text, plenty of white space, effective use of color, and crisp photography makes this series appealing and easy to read. After a definition of and discussion of the topic at hand (“What is Caring?”), real-world scenarios are described. Fairness, for example, may be an issue at home, during school, on the playground, or in sports. Children are asked to think beyond the text and bring in ideas from their own experiences. The color photographs show a multiethnic group of boys and girls. Boys wash dishes as well as play outside; girls shovel snow, play soccer, and cook. A “Find Out More” section at the end of each book lists two additional titles and two Web sites. Children will be able to understand the advice in these books and apply it to their own lives.

BAPTISTE, Tracey. Overcoming Prejudice. 128p. ISBN 978-1-60413-119-2. LC 2008025306.
CLARK, Kate Stevenson. Handling Peer Pressure. 112p. ISBN 978-1-60413-120-8. LC 2008025325.
KOELLHOFFER, Tara Tomczyk. Being Fair and Honest. 128p. ISBN 978-1-60413-118-5. LC 2008025307.
MURPHY, Alexa. Dealing with Bullying. 112p. ISBN 978-1-60413-121-5. LC 2008025327.
WELTY, Tara. Handling Teamwork and Respect for Others. 128p. ISBN 978-1-60413-117-8. LC 2008025308. 
ea vol: (Character Education Series). illus. photos. reprods. bibliog. further reading. glossary. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. Chelsea House. 2009. Tr $35.
Gr 6 Up–These well-written texts provide substantive advice on handling social issues. By combining examples from current celebrities and historical figures, the authors demonstrate how past problems have been solved and how some people have handled personal difficulties. The utilitarian book design includes photographs every two to three pages. Highlighted text boxes are also interspersed, but because they sometimes continue onto a second page, they break up the main narrative and can make it hard to follow for struggling readers. The information is well-researched and up-to-date, and each book includes an extensive bibliography. The volumes have a non-flashy, textbook-style appearance and will not attract teens on their own. Used as part of a character-education curriculum, however, they are solid resources.

Instead of the “QEB Manners” series, stick with picture books such as Laurie Keller’s Do Unto Otters (Holt, 2007) or Judy Sierra’s Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf (Knopf, 2007), which impart similar lessons with more creativity and more effective storytelling. The general concept of manners is thoroughly explored in “Good Manners Matter,” but appealing photography and easy-to-follow text make “21st Century Junior Library: Character Education” a stand-out option for the primary grades. Though it is dense, teenagers will gain useful information from Chelsea House’s “Character Education” series.