Welcome to booksbuildcharacter.com.  

No matter what the title or who the author is, books have the ability to build character.  

A hero is so much more than just the main character of a story.  He or she must possess extraordinary qualites, be forced to face hardships, and have goals that are virtuous.  

Kate DiCamillo, the wonderful writer and winner of two Newberry Medals, once said, "I would like to think that stories help us see the world more clearly and with more compassion.  We know for a fact that stories develop empathy... we need to be able to imagine our way into other lives."  It is my hope that by being able to imagine your way into the lives of these heroes, you will gain empathy and respect for the ways they display true character.

Using the acronym HERO, my annotations for the books I choose will discuss how the hero of each story displays the following: 

H= humility 

     E= endurance 

R= respect 

   O= optimism

Have fun exploring my annotations about characters who build character!