Citizenship »

Character Counts! has become the most widely implemented approach to character education in America. Utilized in thousands of schools and by more than 7 million students, Character Counts! uses at its foundation the Six Pillars of Character (see titles below). The six books in this important new collection address a great demand as they foster good citizenship and values in young people. Created and produced in partnership with Josephson Institute, this unique series is a valuable tool in character education.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6

These titles introduce the qualities emphasized in the "Character Counts" program, used in many schools around the country. Each title is divided into three chapters; the first defines the trait and gives examples of kids, famous people, or organizations that demonstrate it-for example, Caring highlights Princess Diana. The second chapter explains the importance of the characteristic in both history and contemporary society; Citizenship, for instance, discusses the Boston Tea Party and today's voter turnout. The final section shows how the quality under discussion is important in students' own lives, explaining what steps they can take to develop it. Each book has the same introduction by the founder of Character Counts, as well as an identical section on decision making at the end. Some topics, such as the responsibility for the Holocaust, are definitely aimed at older readers, and it is disappointing that there are some punctuation and capitalization errors, and misspellings. All titles are illustrated with color photos and contain lists of recommended Web sites and fiction and nonfiction books related to the pillars that teachers will appreciate. Although the format and writing style are unlikely to attract students on their own, the books could be useful in schools that employ the Character Counts program.

Introduction Michael Josephson 4

Chapter 1 What Is Citizenship? 10

Chapter 2 The Importance of Citizenship 22

Chapter 3 Citizenship in Your Life 32

Glossary 47

Resources 47

Index 48

Photo Credits 48