Welcome to booksbuildcharacter.com.  

No matter what the title or who the author is, books have the ability to build character.  This website was created for the sole purpose of encouraging middle school students to read for enjoyment and to be inspired by heroic stories within the world of sports.  You'll hear about heroic athletes who faced challenges in many different areas and came out the other side not only as better athletes, but also as better human beings.

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 Newberrfy 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!  

And just case you have any doubts about the power of books building character, check out this article:  chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.storytelgroup.com/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/10/the-2026-story-report-by-storytel-260624.pdf?ck_subscriber_id=2454672174&utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Good%20news%20for%20audio-bibliophiles%20-%2022639500