Integrity is a great character trait to instill at a young age, while being a rather complex term. These books can be used to teach integrity (and a whole lot of honesty) while also telling enjoyable stories.
1. Say Something by Peter H. Reynolds
Say Something teaches integrity by helping readers stand up for what they believe in. It lists all of the different ways that you can express yourself – both verbally and non-verbally. It has great art and a great message!
2. Lying Up a Storm by Julia Cook
Whenever Levi doesn’t like the truth, he comes up with little white lies to spare himself. But as his lies begin to build up, Levi must deal with the storm of guilt and shame as he gains a reputation for lying. Levi’s mother talks him through the importance of telling the truth for his “inside sun”. It’s got a bit too much of a picture-perfect ending, but it sends a good message!
3. One by Kathryn Otoshi
One tells the story of blobs of color, which is much more endearing than you would think. Red bullies Blue and makes him feel bad for being himself. When the other colors don’t speak up against Red, Red gets more and more powerful. One tells the story of how just one brave person can be the change needed to stand up to a bully.
4.The Empty Pot by Demi
The empty pot retells the Chinese story of an emperor who chooses his heir by giving each of the children in the land a seed and asking them to grow the best flower. Of course, the seeds are all duds and only the truly honest child has enough integrity to present an empty pot – exactly what the emperor was looking for! It’s got great art and is a fantastic story for teaching integrity at a young age.
5. If Everybody Did by Jo Ann Stover
This book poses the question – what would happen if everybody broke the rules? Making a little mess doesn’t seem like a big deal if one person does it, but if everyone made a little mess the whole world would be messy! The book helps kids understand the importance of following the rules when you are part of a bigger community, while being silly and fun!
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