Must-Have Books To Teach Character and Character Traits
Finding the right books to teach main character and character traits can be tricky! Don’t worry- I have compiled a list for you to hopefully help you with planning the right mentor texts. Click any of the photos below to take you to the affiliate link. Check out my list of must have books to teach character and character traits below!
The Panda Problem
This text is a new favorite of mine! The Panda Problem is a great mentor text for teaching story elements and narrator. It was a happy accident that I found this book. The book was propped up in the library and my two year old saw the panda and grabbed it. It goes over what a character, setting, problem, and solution is. Seriously, I cannot say enough great things about this text.
Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed To Open This Box
This book, Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed To Open This Box was another fun find from a great prop at the library. Ginny Goblin is a fun character to learn about character traits with. First, he’s not a human. Also, he is sneaky, mischievous, and silly. The kids will love him!
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
This is a classic. I bet you use Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse already, but it had to be mentioned in my blog post. Honestly, you could use nearly any book by Kevin Henkes for teaching about characters. His characters are strong with various character traits to talk about.
The Recess Queen
I love The Recess Queen for the beginning of the school year for teaching recess rules, but it’s perfect to read it again when teaching about character traits, how characters change overtime, and comparing characters.
Love, Z
Love, Z was another happy library accident! My two year old is currently obsessed with robots. I love anytime I can teach character with a character that is not a human or an animal.
Hooway For Wodney Wat
This is one of my favorite books. I love using Hooway For Wodney Wat for many different skills, but character traits is definitely one. Also, it’s another great text to compare characters in a story.
Spaghetti In A Hot Dog Bun
This book, Spaghetti In A Hot Dog Bun is another great book for the beginning of the school year, but is great to pull back out when teaching about character. The character is a strong character with many character traits to talk about.
We’re All Wonders
Auggie, the main character, says in this book, “I know I can’t change the way I look, but maybe people can change the way they see.” I think this is a powerful message in life obviously, but even when thinking about character traits in your lessons. It will teach children to really focus on the inside {internal} traits too. We’re All Wonders is a book you want in your classroom no matter what. I read it many times for many different reasons.
Ada Twist Scientist
Ada Twist, Scientist is a great book for many reasons. I love how this book is about an inquisitive young girl who is chasing her dreams. It leads to a whole new vocabulary when discussing inside traits. This is a great female main character that all students will enjoy.
A Bad Case Of Stripes
I love how A Bad Case Of Stripes easily leads to a discussion about outside {external} traits. However, it won’t be too difficult to dig deeper for a discussion on the inside traits as well.
The Invisible Boy
To end my list of favorite character books, I leave you with The Invisible Boy. I love the main character of this book. You might have someone in your class who feels invisible. I’m sure we have all felt invisible before. This character opens up a whole new way to think of characters and character traits. It also is another great one for teaching how characters change throughout a book.
How Do I Teach Character?
I hope you enjoyed my list of books to teach character and character traits! You can learn all about how I teach main character and character traits here. It’s one of my favorite reading units! You can use any of the books listed in this blog post with the activities in this reading unit.
Here’s what is included in the main character and character traits reading unit:
- 3 Lesson Planning Pages (use as you see fit… Teaching
- character will take you longer than 3 days, but these will
- help you along the way)
- Main Character Anchor Chart
- Character Traits Anchor Charts (2)
- Character Vs. Not A Character Sort Character Traits Sort
- Character Cards
- Reading Passages
- Mouse Character Craft
- Graphic Organizers
- Small Group Chit Chat Cards
- Centers
See it here on Missing Tooth Grins.
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