Parent/Teacher Bibliography
New and Noteworthy
How to Raise Kind Kids: And Get Respect, Gratitude, and a Happier Family in the Bargain. Thomas Lickona. (Penguin, 2018)
Developmental psychologist Tom Lickona brings his decades of research, teaching, parenting and grand-parenting to this rich and practical book. Dive in at any chapter. If your interest is "how to give and get respect" from your kids, go straight to Chapter 6. For tips on creating a kindness-focused family culture, turn to Chapter 5 . Chapter 11 is "How to Talk About the Things That Matter" or cultivating the art of meaningful conversation in your family; that alone is worth the price of the book. Other chapters deal with discipline and screen time. Each is a stand-alone treasure trove of kindness-focused, hands-on wisdom combined with refreshing humility.
Developmental psychologist Tom Lickona brings his decades of research, teaching, parenting and grand-parenting to this rich and practical book. Dive in at any chapter. If your interest is "how to give and get respect" from your kids, go straight to Chapter 6. For tips on creating a kindness-focused family culture, turn to Chapter 5 . Chapter 11 is "How to Talk About the Things That Matter" or cultivating the art of meaningful conversation in your family; that alone is worth the price of the book. Other chapters deal with discipline and screen time. Each is a stand-alone treasure trove of kindness-focused, hands-on wisdom combined with refreshing humility.
Adler, Mortimer, Geraldine Van Doren. Reforming Education: The Opening of the American Mind.
Macmillan Publishing Co., 1988.
Not much of value has been said about education in the past decade that Mortimer Adler did not say 40 years ago. Of particular interest is Part Four in this book: Thinking About Moral Values and his essays: “Virtue and Happiness,” “A Sound Moral Philosophy,” and “Ethics: Fourth century BC and Twentieth Century AD.”
Bennett, William J., Chester E. Finn, Jr. and John T.E. Cribb, Jr. The Educated Child: A Parent’s Guide from Preschool Through Eighth Grade. The Free Press, 1999.
An excellent, if chunky, overview of what comprises a first-rate elementary school education. Contains sections on character education both for pre-school parents and parents of elementary school children. (See Chapter 13 - “Along with Academics”).
Coles, Robert. The Moral Intelligence of Children: How to Raise a Moral Child.
Random House, 1997.
In this most recent of his many fine books (The Moral Life of Children, The Call of Stories, The Spiritual Life of Children), Harvard psychiatrist Coles explores how character develops in children, specifically how moral conduct or behavior comes into being. How do we explain disparities between character and intellect?
Damon, William. Greater Expectations: Overcoming the Culture of Indulgence in America’s Homes and Schools. Free Press, 1995.
An incisive analysis of moral decline in the past thiry years, and of the misconceptions in parenting and education that have fostered the decline. Damon, professor of Education at Brown University, tackles ways in which parents, schools and communities can help change the tide and channel a child’s natural desire for responsibility and challenges into moral growth.
Emmons, Robert Ph.D. Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier.
Mariner Books, 2008.
Ancient virtue gets a thumbs-up from modern psychology. More than a self-help book, this volume by psychologist Robert Emmons (University of California, Davis) showcases “the new science of gratitude.” This focus in Positive Psychology has yielded extraordinary results, showing that people who practice gratitude (who intentionally cultivate thankfulness) live measurably happier lives – psychological, emotional, spiritual, and physical. His more practical self-help book for adults is Gratitude Works! A 21-Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity.
Glendon, Mary Ann and David Blankenhorn. Seedbeds of Virtue: Sources of Competence, Character, and Citizenship in American Society. Madison Books, 1995.
The best single anthology of articles on this subject from scholars in law, public policy, sociology, and theology. An excellent introduction to the topic from various disciplinary perspectives.
Himmelfarb, Gertrude. The Demoralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values. Alfred A. Knopf, 1995.
The intellectual historian’s assessment of a shift one hundred years in the making—a superb look at the historical roots of our contemporary predicament.
Kilpatrick, William. Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right from Wrong: The Case for Moral Literacy.
Simon and Schuster, 1992.
The most trenchant analysis of the crisis in moral education as it has evolved in the past 30 years. Kilpatrick makes a compelling case for literature-based character education.
Lickona, Thomas. Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility. Bantam, 1991.
Path-breaking at the time of its publication, this book mixes strong practical tips for teachers and schools with a solid understanding of the larger issues in character education.
Meilaender, Gilbert C. The Theory and Practice of Virtue.
University of Notre Dame Press, 1984.
An incisive collection of essays by one of the country’s leading moral philosophers. Chapters ranging from “Thinking About Virtue” to “Instructing the Conscience: Some Contemporary Views of Moral Education.” One of the most accessible presentations of Plato for laymen.
Nelson, Daniel Mark. The Priority of Prudence: Virtue and Natural Law in Thomas Aquinas and the Implications for Modern Ethics. Pennsylvania State University Press, 1992.
A serious work of moral philosophy, arguing for the revival of an ethics of virtue (courage, temperance, justice, prudence) centered on prudence. Nelson makes the case that “the vocabulary of the virtues provides an especially useful way of dealing with specific moral problems and that its emphasis on the relation between character and community productively challenges our contemporary moral situation.”
Popova, Maria& Claudia Bedrick. A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader.
Enchanted Lion Books, December 2018. Grades 4 to Adult....
Editor Maria Popova describes this stunning book as a "250 page love-letter to literature." She and co-editor Claudia Bedrick invited 121 "of the most interesting and inspiring human beings in our world" to write a letter to children about "why we read and what books do for the human spirit." This is an inspiring compendium of one-page letters accompanied by illustrations that bring the writer's words to life. Jane Goodall, Yo-Yo Ma, and Ursula Le Guin are among those who attest to a life shaped by literature, which - in the words of poet Gwendolyn Brooks - formed the "meat and medicine and flame and flight and flower" of her youth. English teachers will find much here to inspire compositions from their students. Parents will enjoy reflecting on their own devotion to timeless works. But mostly, this is for young readers, who easily lose themselves in the wondrous world of a good tale. They will discover in its pages, their tribe.
Pritchard, Ivor. Good Education: The Virtues of Learning.
Council for Basic Education, 1998.
Beginning with the assumption that it’s not whether we undertake moral education but how, Pritchard makes the case for an approach to moral education on the elementary school level that focuses on four moral virtues: friendship, honesty, courage, and justice.
Ryan, Kevin and Karen E. Bohlin. Building Character in Schools: Practical Ways to Bring Moral Instruction to Life. Jossey-Bass, 1999.
A gem of a book! This is a primer on the meaning of character education, the need to build communities of virtue in our schools, and the practical ways to instill in children love and knowledge of the good, as well as foment the habits of virtuous behavior.
Wilson, James Q. On Character.
Aei Press, 1995.Insightful essays by one of America’s leading political scientists on the necessity and manner of reviving public and private virtue.
Macmillan Publishing Co., 1988.
Not much of value has been said about education in the past decade that Mortimer Adler did not say 40 years ago. Of particular interest is Part Four in this book: Thinking About Moral Values and his essays: “Virtue and Happiness,” “A Sound Moral Philosophy,” and “Ethics: Fourth century BC and Twentieth Century AD.”
Bennett, William J., Chester E. Finn, Jr. and John T.E. Cribb, Jr. The Educated Child: A Parent’s Guide from Preschool Through Eighth Grade. The Free Press, 1999.
An excellent, if chunky, overview of what comprises a first-rate elementary school education. Contains sections on character education both for pre-school parents and parents of elementary school children. (See Chapter 13 - “Along with Academics”).
Coles, Robert. The Moral Intelligence of Children: How to Raise a Moral Child.
Random House, 1997.
In this most recent of his many fine books (The Moral Life of Children, The Call of Stories, The Spiritual Life of Children), Harvard psychiatrist Coles explores how character develops in children, specifically how moral conduct or behavior comes into being. How do we explain disparities between character and intellect?
Damon, William. Greater Expectations: Overcoming the Culture of Indulgence in America’s Homes and Schools. Free Press, 1995.
An incisive analysis of moral decline in the past thiry years, and of the misconceptions in parenting and education that have fostered the decline. Damon, professor of Education at Brown University, tackles ways in which parents, schools and communities can help change the tide and channel a child’s natural desire for responsibility and challenges into moral growth.
Emmons, Robert Ph.D. Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier.
Mariner Books, 2008.
Ancient virtue gets a thumbs-up from modern psychology. More than a self-help book, this volume by psychologist Robert Emmons (University of California, Davis) showcases “the new science of gratitude.” This focus in Positive Psychology has yielded extraordinary results, showing that people who practice gratitude (who intentionally cultivate thankfulness) live measurably happier lives – psychological, emotional, spiritual, and physical. His more practical self-help book for adults is Gratitude Works! A 21-Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity.
Glendon, Mary Ann and David Blankenhorn. Seedbeds of Virtue: Sources of Competence, Character, and Citizenship in American Society. Madison Books, 1995.
The best single anthology of articles on this subject from scholars in law, public policy, sociology, and theology. An excellent introduction to the topic from various disciplinary perspectives.
Himmelfarb, Gertrude. The Demoralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to Modern Values. Alfred A. Knopf, 1995.
The intellectual historian’s assessment of a shift one hundred years in the making—a superb look at the historical roots of our contemporary predicament.
Kilpatrick, William. Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right from Wrong: The Case for Moral Literacy.
Simon and Schuster, 1992.
The most trenchant analysis of the crisis in moral education as it has evolved in the past 30 years. Kilpatrick makes a compelling case for literature-based character education.
Lickona, Thomas. Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect and Responsibility. Bantam, 1991.
Path-breaking at the time of its publication, this book mixes strong practical tips for teachers and schools with a solid understanding of the larger issues in character education.
Meilaender, Gilbert C. The Theory and Practice of Virtue.
University of Notre Dame Press, 1984.
An incisive collection of essays by one of the country’s leading moral philosophers. Chapters ranging from “Thinking About Virtue” to “Instructing the Conscience: Some Contemporary Views of Moral Education.” One of the most accessible presentations of Plato for laymen.
Nelson, Daniel Mark. The Priority of Prudence: Virtue and Natural Law in Thomas Aquinas and the Implications for Modern Ethics. Pennsylvania State University Press, 1992.
A serious work of moral philosophy, arguing for the revival of an ethics of virtue (courage, temperance, justice, prudence) centered on prudence. Nelson makes the case that “the vocabulary of the virtues provides an especially useful way of dealing with specific moral problems and that its emphasis on the relation between character and community productively challenges our contemporary moral situation.”
Popova, Maria& Claudia Bedrick. A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader.
Enchanted Lion Books, December 2018. Grades 4 to Adult....
Editor Maria Popova describes this stunning book as a "250 page love-letter to literature." She and co-editor Claudia Bedrick invited 121 "of the most interesting and inspiring human beings in our world" to write a letter to children about "why we read and what books do for the human spirit." This is an inspiring compendium of one-page letters accompanied by illustrations that bring the writer's words to life. Jane Goodall, Yo-Yo Ma, and Ursula Le Guin are among those who attest to a life shaped by literature, which - in the words of poet Gwendolyn Brooks - formed the "meat and medicine and flame and flight and flower" of her youth. English teachers will find much here to inspire compositions from their students. Parents will enjoy reflecting on their own devotion to timeless works. But mostly, this is for young readers, who easily lose themselves in the wondrous world of a good tale. They will discover in its pages, their tribe.
Pritchard, Ivor. Good Education: The Virtues of Learning.
Council for Basic Education, 1998.
Beginning with the assumption that it’s not whether we undertake moral education but how, Pritchard makes the case for an approach to moral education on the elementary school level that focuses on four moral virtues: friendship, honesty, courage, and justice.
Ryan, Kevin and Karen E. Bohlin. Building Character in Schools: Practical Ways to Bring Moral Instruction to Life. Jossey-Bass, 1999.
A gem of a book! This is a primer on the meaning of character education, the need to build communities of virtue in our schools, and the practical ways to instill in children love and knowledge of the good, as well as foment the habits of virtuous behavior.
Wilson, James Q. On Character.
Aei Press, 1995.Insightful essays by one of America’s leading political scientists on the necessity and manner of reviving public and private virtue.