Do The Right Thing (Kim Mitzo Thopson)

 

Even though the text of this story is very basic, I think it might be a great place to start when teaching about integrity. It's a tough topic  because integrity is actually many things....it's kind of all character virtues wrapped up into one.

I found this book on Epic.

Goodreads says:

Do the Right Thing! is a wonderful way to teach children what it means to have integrity. Children will encounter real-life examples of doing what's right, following rules, being honest, being accountable, having the courage to say no, keeping promises, being responsible, kind, patient, and trustworthy, and making good choices. Adorable art sweetly illustrates important life skills. Each book in this delightful series is perfect for home, childcare settings, and schools.

Faker (Gordon Korman)

 

In the midst of the American election fall out, this has been a really interesting read. With a majority of Americans choosing who they did in the election because he will bring them more money, this book was really timely. 

It was our Grade 3 Book Club read. I felt like it was a little old for our students and too difficult a read for many - but a few enjoyed it. It will make some good discussion questions about honesty and priorities, for sure!

I'm also reading this for my adult Children's Lit Book Club. It will be interesting to compare the discussions!

Book club activity ideas: "

• debate a topic in the book
• p.86 ...Robin Hood. You know, who lived in Sherwood Forest with his band of Merry Men. And they battle the evil Sheriff of Nottingham in the name of King Richard the Lionheart." "Robin Hood was the guy who stole from the rich to give to the poor," I put in
  "Exactly. So I ask you....was Robin Hood a good person?"
  "Of course," Kaylee replies. "He helped the needy. That's charity."
  "Yeah, but he steals," Teresa counters. "That's always wrong."
  "But where's he going to get the money if he doesn't steal it?" Logan argues. "The guy lives in a forest. Like my mom always says, money doesn't grow on trees."
  That gets a few Snickers, but mostly groans.
  "So now you see how complicated ethics can be," Mr. Novak announces. "Giving to the poor - great. Stealing - not so great. Is it ever okay to do something wrong n order to do something right?" 

• p. 100 In social studies, Mr. Novak has divided us up into teams so that we can debate ethical issues. For the first, we watched part of Disney's Aladdin - the scene near the beginning, where Aladdin is caught stealing a loaf of bread. Question: Is the theft justified because, without that food, his family might starve?

Notes (warning....full of spoilers!):

p. 190 I thought I'd sleep better once I learned the identity of I.C.All. Scratch that. Maybe I know more now, but the dilemma is the same. Arianna is just a younger, more extreme version of Dad. Our family is a runaway train chugging relentlessly toward a broken track over a cliff, yet we keep shoveling in more coal because that's all we know how to do.

p. 193 I guess my father is'nt the only con man who always "knows a guy." The Romanox know one too - an art forger, and a pretty good one at that. I think back to the ictures I took of the artwork in Logan's house back on the very first day Mona Lisa wandered up my driveway. Dad's art guy couldn't identify a single piece as fake.

p 206 Listen to yourself! Don't you understand what this means? You're just a kid! You'd be turning yourself into an orphan - a ward of the state for the next six years!"

The fact that he's speaking as my dad rather than a professional con man trying to wriggle out of a tight corner makes this ten times harder for me. But Ican't back down. Somehow I know that if I don't take this escape hatch now, I'll never get out.
...It's worth it. Even if you take away the Houdinis and the moving and the lost friends, it would be worth it to be able to look at myself in the mirror and see an honest face looking back at me."Goodreads says:

The story of a family of liars... and the son who wants to break the family tradition.

Trey knows the routine. His dad gets him into a school full of kids with rich parents. Trey makes friends, and his dad makes connections. Soon, there's the con, where Trey's dad suckers the other parents into investing in one of his schemes. Once the money's in the bank, Trey, his sister, and their dad are on the run... until they set up somewhere else and start again.

Trey believes his father when he says no one's getting hurt. After all, these parents have money to spare.

But Trey's starting to get tired of running... and lying... and never having a friend for longer than a few months. But how do you get your family to stop lying when your lives depend on it?

How To Be A Positive Leader (Jane E Dutton Gretchen M Spreitzer)

 

There are actually many many authors of this book:

Oana Branzei
Kim Cameron
Jane E Dutton
Karen Golden-Biddle
Adam M Grant
Erika Hayes James
Shirli Kopelman
Ramaswami Mahalingam
David M Mayer
Christine Porath
Robert E Quinn
Gretchen Preitzer
Laura Morgan Roberts
Scott Soneshein
Anjan V Thakor
Lynn Perry Wooten
Amy Wrzesniewski

They authors are  all PhDs and leaders in business and leadership research.  The forward is by Shawn Anchor, who is well known for writing The Happiness Advantage and Before Happiness

They're all really great and wise people!! I can see that this could be a group book study to do over a year and work on implementing many of their suggestions. I can see how the organization I work for has many of these things in place. There are things I could do though to make my work life better. I decided first to focus on high quality connections. I'm tracking my efforts each day in May.

Table of Contents:

1. Foster Positive Relationships

    1. Build High-Quality Connections
    2. Outsource Inspiration
    3. Negotiate Mindfully

II. Unlock Resources From Within
    4. Enable Thriving at Work
    5. Cultivate Positive Identifies
    6. Engage in Job Crafting

III. Tap Into The Good

    7. Activate Virtuousness
    8. Lead an Ethical Organization
    9. Imbue the Organization with a Higher Purpose

IV. Create Resourceful Change

    10. Cultivate Hope: Found, Not Lost
    11. Create Micro-moves for Organizational Changes
    12. Treat Employees as Resources, Not Resisters
    13. Create Opportunity From Crisis

Goodreads says:

Positive leaders are able to dramatically expand their people’s—and their own—capacity for excellence. And they accomplish this without enormous expenditures or huge heroic gestures. Here leading scholars—including Adam Grant, author of the bestselling Give and Take ; positive organizational scholarship movement cofounders Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn; and thirteen more—describe how this is being done at companies such as Wells Fargo, Ford, Kelly Services, Burt’s Bees, Connecticut’s Griffin Hospital, the Michigan-based Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, and many others. They show that, like the butterfly in Brazil whose flapping wings create a typhoon in Texas, you can create profound positive change in your organization through simple actions and attitude shifts.

Alex Did It

 

The little hares think they've found a good way to get out of trouble...until they run into a rabbit named Alex! My class gasped when he was introduced :) 

Goodreads says:
Three boisterous little hares come up with what they think is a clever way to make all kinds of mischief without getting into trouble with the other animals. They just blame their misdeeds on an imaginary hare named Alex. Then one day a new hare arrives in the forest-a hare named Alex! What are the three little hares going to do now?

Little Fires Everywhere (Celeste Ng)

 

This was a really enjoyable read. It's kind of an adult approach to the concepts in The Giver. Shaker Heights is this place where everything is just right, especially in Mrs. Richardson's world. However, the more she digs, the more problems come to light. Her youngest daughter, who she has a difficult relationship with, sees through all this and cannot stand the cognitive dissonance. There are current tales and tales in the past that all weave together to make it quite a compelling story.

Goodreads says:
Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down.

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother – who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother–daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

When old family friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town – and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at an unexpected and devastating cost . . .

Miss Nelson Has A Field Day (James Marshall)

 

It was great to read Miss Nelson is Missing and this one back to back because they felt so clever realizing that it was Miss Nelson being the coach. They were surprised at the end! 

The story led to a good discussion about showing integrity no matter who is coaching (teaching, parenting...etc) and even in our every day work. You can go through a work out and not really work out and you can also go through a workout and do your very best....and it is the same with school work.

Sometimes the simplest stories have the best lessons.

Goodreads says:

In this companion to Miss Nelson Is Missing and Miss Nelson Is Back, the notorious Miss Swamp returns to Horace B. Smedley School to coach their failing football team. Includes bonus downloadable audio.

The Smedley Tornadoes haven't won a game all year and the entire school is down in the dumps. There's only one person tough enough to turn things around in time for the big Thanksgiving game! 

3rd Grade Angels

 

We read this aloud last year in my classroom but I just realized I did not blog about it. It was the first read aloud for this year and was a big hit. The kids seem to connect well to it, it has a good message and just the right amount of funny stuff to keep everyone hooked. 

Turns out Jerry Spinelli actually wrote 4th Grade Rats first and later wrote this as a prequel.

Goodreads says:

The long-awaited prequel to the bestseller FOURTH GRADE RATS

George, aka "Suds," has just entered third grade, and he's heard the rhyme about "first grade babies/second grade cats/third grade angels/fourth grade rats," but what does this mean for his school year? It means that his teacher, Mrs. Simms, will hold a competition every month to see which student deserves to be awarded "the halo" - which student is best-behaved, kindest to others, and, in short, perfect. Suds is determined to be the first to earn the halo, but he's finding the challenge of always being good to be more stressful than he had anticipated. Does he have to be good even outside of school? (Does he have to be nice to his annoying little sister?) And if Mrs. Simms doesn't actually see him doing a good deed, does it even count?

A warm, funny return to elementary school from master storyteller Spinelli.

Becoming (Michelle Obama)

 

My big take away from this book is that Michelle Obama is really a good person who works hard to become the best person she can be. She's someone I'd want to have in my life. Imagine if she was part of our Mastermind Group?  Bottom line: She is smart and fun and someone who makes me want to be a better person.

On Goodreads I often read the people who give a book just one star. Not surprisingly, most of them are people who can't get past the politics. They are determined to not like anyone who isn't part of their party. 

Some quotes:

p. 75 On finding your place amongst people: 

It's hard to put into words what sometimes you pick up in the ether, the quiet, cruel nuances of not belonging - the subtle cues that tell you to not risk anything, to find your people and just stay put.

p. 81 On accepting differences:

...thanks to Suzanne [her friend at University that was opposite of her in so many ways, yet they had a great friendship], I am still coexisting with that guy to this day. This is what a control freak learns inside the compressed otherworld of college, maybe above all else: there are simply other ways of being.

p. 283 On being married to a leader:

There is no handbook for the incoming First Ladies of the United States. It's not technically a job, nor is it an official government title. It comes with no salary and no spelled out est of obligations. It's a strange kind of sidecar to the presidency, a seat that by the time I came to it had already been occupied by more than forty-three different women, each of whom had done it in her own way.

[It's just like women in the church! So many roles with no handbook]

p. 407 On the decline of civility since Donald Trump came on the scene:

Since childhood, I'd believed it was important to speak out against bullies while also not stooping to their level. And to be clear, we were now up against a bully, a man who among other things, demeaned minorities and expressed contempt for prisoners of war, challenging the dignity of our country with practically his every utterance. I wanted American to understand that words matter - that the hateful language they heard coming from their TVs did not reflect the true spirit of our country and that we could vote against it. It was dignity I wanted to make an appeal for - the idea that as a nation we might hold on to the core thing that had sustained my family, going back generations. Dignity had always gotten us through. It was a choice, and not always the easy one, but the people I respected most i life made it again and again, every single day. There was a motto Barrack and I tried to live by, and I offered it that night from the stage: When they go low, we go high.

p. 408 On reporting on Trump's Access Hollywood tape reporting:

In the end, the standards of decency were simply lowered in order to make room for the candidate's voice.

p. 411 On the 2016 election:

In the end,Hillary Clinton won nearly three million more votes than her opponent, but Trump had captured the Electoral College thanks to fewer than 80,000 votes spread across Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. I am not a political person, so I'm not going to attempt to offer an analysis of the results. I won't try to speculate about who was responsible or what was unfair. I just wish more people had turned out to vote. And I will always wonder about what led many women, in particular, to reject an exceptionally qualified female candidate and instead choose a misogynist as their president. But the result was now ours to live with.

p. 414 On her goals as First Lady:
....we'd focused ourselves on doing more than trending for a few hours on Twitter. And we had results. 45 million kids were eating healthier breakfasts and lunches; 11 million tsudents were getting 60 minutes of physical activity every day through our Let's Move! Active Schools program. Children overall were eating more whole grains and produce. The era of supersized fast food was coming to a close.

[I wonder how Melania feels about her Be Better campaign...considering her husband's tweets and name-calling]

Goodreads says:

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.

Backcourt Battle (Rich Wallace)

Now that we are no longer at school, reading with my students, especially my struggling readers is a struggle. I've adapted by having a "Morning Warm up" activity each day where I ask them a simple questions or two or have them write something. I always ask the question, "What are you reading today?". I vary the questions:

What are you reading?
What page are you on?
What last happened in your book?
When do you think you'll finish this book?
What do you plan to read next?

I ask those questions because my training has told me that those are the things people who love to read know....they read every day, they can tell you what's happening in their book and they have a rough idea of how long it'll be before they're finished and what they're going to move on to next. 

I had a student who would tell me each and every day that he didn't like to read and didn't have a book and wasn't planning to read a book. After a few weeks of that, I told him that was no longer okay and that I expected him to read (you can do that when you teach 8 year olds....I don't recommend it for older kids LOL). I asked him to pick a book from Epic, a platform that we all have access to while schools are shut down. He picked this book. Each day we each read a chapter independently and would talk about it on Google Meet the next day. The first day he couldn't really tell me anything that happened in the first chapter and my attempt at a conversation went nowhere. We re-read the first chapter together and it was interesting the see the concepts he didn't understand about basketball. He likes to play basketball in the courtyard at recess - but that doesn't mean he knows about shot clocks and 3 point lines and more. We discussed some of those things. After that, he started to take it a little more seriously and we had some good discussions each day! 

This story has a good character lesson and is fun because you get to pick the ending. We had a good debate about which would be the best ending. I think a book like this would also be a good way to talk to students about revising that authors do with their stories. 

Goodreads says:

After the starting point guard sprains his ankle during a game, Jamere steps in until his rival teammate returns for the championship. But with both boys expecting to start in the final game, their coach asks Jamere to decide who will play. The ending is Up2U.

Two (Kathryn Otoshi)

So many puns and so much fun. We loved Zero and One. This is a great one too.

Goodreads says:

Two is best friends with One. Whenever they'd get the chance, they'd dance! She'd sing and snap. He'd tappity-tap. What a pair they made! At the end of each day, they'd always say, "ONE, TWO, I'll count on you, 'til the end, we'll be best friends." Until Three jumps in between them . . . Suddenly One only wants to play with Three. "ONE, THREE, odds we'll be!" they chant. Two feels left out. But what can she do? Another character-building counting book by award-winning author Kathryn Otoshi, Two is a powerful story of friendship, loss, letting go, and self-discovery.

Cool Bean (Jory John)

We had read The Bad Seed and The Good Egg. I was so excited when I saw this one. My students were too. And it did not disappoint. I'm so impressed that my public library had it so soon. It just came out in December!

This might be a great story to share at our integrity assembly next year.


Goodreads says:
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

AN AMAZON BEST BOOKS OF THE MONTH (DECEMBER 2019) SELECTION!

The “too-cool-for-school” third picture book from the #1 New York Times bestselling creators of The Bad Seed and The Good Egg, Jory John and Pete Oswald

Everyone knows the cool beans. They’re sooooo cool.

And then there’s the uncool has-bean . . .

Always on the sidelines, one bean unsuccessfully tries everything he can to fit in with the crowd—until one day the cool beans show him how it’s done.

With equal measures of humor, wit, and charm, the #1 New York Times bestselling duo Jory John and Pete Oswald craft another incredible picture book, reminding us that it’s cooler to be kind.

Check out John and Oswald’s other books for children:

The Bad Seed

The Good Egg

That’s What Dinosaurs Do

When We Were Alone (David A Robertson)

I started out by asking my students what they knew about Orange Shirt Day. No one really knew anything except for one student. His brother had read something about Orange Shirt Day and he had quite a lot of knowledge. I started off by telling them that this was historical fiction. The characters in this story might not be real, but what happened to them was real. As we read the story my class  became more and more troubled. We have been learning about integrity and how to stand up for something when no one else does. Learning about racism, segregation and residential schools is troubling but necessary. Like Number the Stars as a great way to introduce WWII, the holocaust and all that happened then, this is a similar gentler way to introduce the topic to children.

Goodreads says:

When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother's garden, she begins to notice things that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long braided hair and beautifully colored clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where all of these things were taken away. When We Were Alone is a story about a difficult time in history and, ultimately, one of empowerment and strength. 

The Whopper (Rebecca Ashdown)

In my class, we have been talking about how you feel when you do what you know you should versus how you feel when you don't do what you know you should. This book was a great connection to that story. In this story, adults can't see The Whopper but it slowly becomes a big monster that takes over Percy's life.

Goodreads says:

This humorous, quirky story is about a little boy who tells a lie, only to be followed around by his guilt in the form of the Whopper, a hungry and persistent monster. As Percy's guilt grows, so does the Whopper, until finally the Whopper EATS Percy! Percy at last realizes that he must tell the truth in order to keep the Whopper from growing any bigger. An appealing and warmhearted story about how a little lie can quickly grow out of control.

Stand Tall! A Book About Integrity (Cheri J Meiners)

This was a great book to read and discuss as we read. The “Ways to Reinforce the Ideas in Stand Tall!” was really great too. I've had trouble finding books directly about integrity.


Goodreads says:

Integrity is an important trait for children to develop—especially as they grow, learn, and have more opportunities to make choices for themselves. With this encouraging book, support children in knowing right from wrong, making positive decisions, keeping promises, and staying true to themselves. Back matter includes advice for teaching integrity at home, at school, and in childcare.

Being the Best Me Series:
From the author of the popular Learning to Get Along® books comes a one-of-a-kind character-development series. Each of the first six books in the Being the Best Me! series helps children learn, understand, and develop attitudes and positive character traits that strengthen self-confidence and a sense of purpose. Each book focuses on a specific attitude or character trait—optimism, self-esteem, assertiveness, resilience, integrity, and forgiveness. Also included are discussion questions, games, activities, and additional information for adults. Filled with diversity, these social story books will be welcome in school, home, and childcare settings. 

Miss Nelson is Missing (Harry Allard)

How did I not know about this book?? One of my colleagues sent me a video to watch. After watching the video I had to go find the book....then I had to share it with my class. Love it! I'm thinking this should be one to read at the beginning of the school year! The kids are misbehaving for their lovely good natured teacher. As a result, a nasty substitute teacher, Miss Viola Swamp comes and teaches them all  a lesson!


We read the story then watched the video. The kids loved it. We discussed what was the same, what was different, and what a great job the class did.

Reread May 2022: Good connection to integrity (do what you're supposed to do even when no one is looking....or you'll get the mean teacher!)

Goodreads says:

Miss Nelson was the nicest teacher in the school. She never yelled and she gave the easiest assignments. She was always smiling and cheery, even when her students cut up in class or would not open their arithmetic books nor pay attention during story hour.

Until one day Miss Nelson did not come to school – a substitute teacher came instead. What an opportunity for everyone to be even more naughty. Not so! Miss Swamp immediately laid down the law – no talking, no goofing off in class – and she gave every student loads of homework.

Where was Miss Nelson? Where was the wonderful unappreciated Miss Nelson? And so the students hunted for her high and low, with the dubious help of detective McSmogg.

Harry Allard and James Marshall, with their incisive feel for the nuances of relationships, point out with imagination and humor the folly of being inconsiderate or unappreciative.