What Do You Stand For?: For Teens: A Guide to Building Character

by Barbara A. Lewis

Young people need guidance from caring adults to build strong, positive character traits—but they can also build their own. This book by the best-selling author of The Kid’s Guide to Social Action invites children and teens to explore and practice honesty, kindness, empathy, integrity, tolerance, patience, respect, and more. Quotations and background information set the stage. Dilemmas challenge readers to think about, discuss, and debate positive traits. Activities invite them to explore what they stand for at school, at home, and in their communities. True stories profile real kids who exemplify positive traits; resources point the way toward character-building books, organizations, programs, and Web sites.

Genres: Education, Parenting, Nonfiction

284 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 1997

About the author

Barbara A. Lewis is a national award-winning author and educator who teaches kids how to think and solve real problems. Her students at Jackson Elementary School in Salt Lake City, Utah, initiated the cleanup of hazardous waste, improved sidewalks, planted thousands of trees, and fought crime. They instigated and pushed through several state laws and an amendment to a national law, garnering 10 national awards, including two President's Environmental Youth Awards, the Arbor Day Award, the Renew America Award, and Pledge and a Promise Environmental Award. They have also been recognized in the Congressional Record three times.

Barbara has been featured in/on many national newspapers, magazines, and news programs, including Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, Family Circle, CBS This Morning, CBS World News, and CNN. She has also written many articles and short stories for national magazines. Her books for Free Spirit Publishing — What Do You Stand For? For Kids; What Do You Stand For? For Teens; The Kid's Guide to Social Action; Kids with Courage; The Kid's Guide to Service Projects; The Teen Guide to Global Action; and The Survival Guide for Teachers of Gifted Kids — have won Parenting's Reading Magic Award and been named "Best of the Best for Children" by the American Library Association, among other honors.

Barbara has lived in Indiana, New Jersey, Switzerland, Belgium, Utah, and Poland. She and her husband, Larry, currently reside in Park City, Utah. They have four children: Mike, Andrea, Chris, and Sam; five perfect grandchildren; and a forest of shy deer, a bold moose, busy squirrels, and feathered friends.

Reviews

[Daisy Arias]

How-to Book

The author Barbara A. Lewis a former teacher has created a wonderful book to help children and teens understand their purpose and society. The book titled, “What do you stand for? For Teens: A Guide to Building Character” is written to help our future generations with life lessons. The book is recommended for 8th graders and up, as they will have the ability to relate to the testimonies and life lessons. This book will introduce students to testimonies from other children and will teach them the power of kindness, honesty, and many more healthy traits. One strength of this book is the structure throughout. The reader will learn about kids experiences and will learn about the importance of multiple positive traits and how to apply those traits in various settings (school, house, and at social events). One suggestion for this book would be to add simple words and contextual connections to the younger crowd like eighth graders. This book is recommended for teens grades 8th and up, the book can be used as a leisure book, and or a group discussion activity. One remark would be to only use this book on the eight graders if they are prepared and capable of understanding all the powerful lessons presented by Mrs. Lewis.

[Mutiara Syafitri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saya membaca buku ini ketika di SMA. Buku ini memang buku yang bagus. Buku yang memberikan banyak contoh mengenai karakter-karakter positif dari mengenali dirimu sendiri hingga hikmat. Tidak seperti buku character building lainnya, buku ini menyuguhkan cerita di setiap subjudulnya. Saya sangat menyukai buku ini, mengenai seperi nasihat, buku yang bisa dibaca, dilema karakter, dan kegiatan. Salah satu subjudul yang saya sukai, yaitu karakter dalam aksi. Subjudul ini menceritakan contoh dari seseorang yang memiliki karakter positif yang sedang dijelaskan oleh penulis.

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I haven't read the whole thing, I've scanned through it and read pieces and this looks like a book that is helpful while still appealing to the target audience. There are all kinds of things covered including from the role of personal hygiene to activism to ideas about crime. It's well organized into sections that fit one idea such as humor, friendship, and tolerance. There are ideas about how to decided things, other teen's stories, and books for further information. It sounds like a textbook but it doesn't come across that way.

[nina wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

i had to read this for a high school club , honestly it took me so long and so many people in my class didn’t like it. i mean it’s not the ideal book for entertainment but i think it has great problem solving points and i like the activities. i rated it 3 just because i wouldn’t make my kid read this LOOOL