100+ Books That Build Character (+ Free Printable)

Literature has always been a key resource throughout our homeschooling journey. In fact, if I had the opportunity to start over again, I would use literature to teach every subject. Character building is an important part of your child’s education. Using books that build character is a wonderful way to incorporate quality literature into your homeschooling. 

If all we focus on teaching our children are things that can be found in a textbook then we will have failed as parents. The most important things in life aren’t found inside a textbook.

We should want…no, need to raise children that are kind, honest, forgiving, honorable and loving. This requires that we focus more on building our children’s character than we do on the lessons in our textbooks.

I’ve put together a list of over 100 books that build character that you can use with your children as you strive to instill quality character traits in them. It is likely that some of what you’re teaching them will rub off on you. Isn’t that one of the biggest blessings to homeschooling? You get to learn too!

100+ Books That Build Character

Brave
RedwallShop on AmazonBrave Irene: A Picture BookShop on AmazonToliver's SecretShop on AmazonChanges for Caroline (Carol...Shop on AmazonThe Scottish ChiefsShop on Amazon

Cheerful
The Gardener: (Caldecott Ho...Shop on AmazonPollyannaShop on AmazonRebecca of Sunnybrook FarmShop on AmazonChitty Chitty Bang Bang: Th...Shop on Amazon

Considerate
ChristyShop on AmazonThe Gift of the Magi (Holid...Shop on AmazonThe Story GirlShop on AmazonThe Golden RoadShop on AmazonGentle Ben (Puffin Modern C...Shop on Amazon

Content
Town Mouse, Country MouseShop on AmazonRooster's Off to See the Wo...Shop on AmazonThe Money TreeShop on AmazonPat of Silver BushShop on AmazonJust-alike princes (A Whitm...Shop on AmazonAdoniram Judson: Bound for ...Shop on AmazonThe Swiss Family Robinson (...Shop on AmazonThe Blue CastleShop on AmazonMy Side of the Mountain (Pu...Shop on AmazonThe Story of FerdinandShop on AmazonCharlie and the Chocolate F...Shop on Amazon

Courageous
Amos Fortune, Free Man (New...Shop on AmazonStone FoxShop on AmazonHelen KellerShop on AmazonGuns for General Washington...Shop on AmazonCarry On, Mr. Bowditch: A N...Shop on Amazon

Determined
Annie and the Wild Animals:...Shop on AmazonHannah (Stepping Stone, pap...Shop on AmazonA Question of Yams: A Missi...Shop on AmazonMisty of ChincoteagueShop on AmazonSam the Minuteman (I Can Re...Shop on AmazonRefined by Fire: A Family's...Shop on Amazon

Diligent
Halfway HerbertShop on AmazonFlicka, Ricka, Dicka Go to ...Shop on AmazonThe Very Busy SpiderShop on AmazonThe Adventures of Sherlock ...Shop on AmazonSoul Surfer: A True Story o...Shop on AmazonThe Prince WarriorsShop on Amazon

Faithfulness
Charlotte's Web: A Newbery ...Shop on AmazonSarah, Plain and Tall by Pa...Shop on AmazonThe Cat of Bubastes: A Tale...Shop on AmazonThe Lord of the Rings: 50th...Shop on AmazonThe Complete Tales of Winni...Shop on AmazonSense and Sensibility (Peng...Shop on Amazon

Forgiving
A Girl Of The LimberlostShop on AmazonJessica's Journey Dramatic ...Shop on AmazonAnne Frank: The Diary of a ...Shop on AmazonThe Scarlet LetterShop on AmazonSeasons of the Heart: Once ...Shop on AmazonThe Tale of Despereaux: Bei...Shop on Amazon

Generosity
Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and th...Shop on AmazonA Christmas CarolShop on AmazonThe Big Red Tractor and the...Shop on AmazonHarriet Tubman: Conductor o...Shop on Amazon

Gratefulness
Little House on the Prairie...Shop on AmazonDid I Ever Tell You How Luc...Shop on AmazonRobinson CrusoeShop on AmazonIt Could Always Be Worse: A...Shop on Amazon

Honesty
Max and the Big Fat Lie: A ...Shop on AmazonSanji's SeedShop on AmazonA Day's Work: A Tender Pict...Shop on AmazonMillion Dollar Arm: Sometim...Shop on AmazonKidnapped (Bantam Classics)Shop on AmazonAnd to Think That I Saw It ...Shop on Amazon

Honorable
Teddy's ButtonShop on AmazonBilly And BlazeShop on AmazonTreasure IslandShop on AmazonThe Chronicles of Narnia Bo...Shop on AmazonThe Red Badge of CourageShop on AmazonA Table in the Presence: Th...Shop on Amazon

Humility
The True PrincessShop on AmazonJane Eyre (Penguin Classics...Shop on AmazonFritz and the Beautiful Hor...Shop on AmazonYertle the Turtle and Other...Shop on AmazonLes Miserables (Signet Clas...Shop on Amazon

Humor
Pippi LongstockingShop on AmazonThe Story of Doctor Dolittl...Shop on AmazonMr. Popper's Penguins (Newb...Shop on AmazonThe Middle MoffatShop on AmazonMcBroom's Wonderful One-Acr...Shop on AmazonThe Original Adventures of ...Shop on Amazon

Joyful
The Rag CoatShop on AmazonMiss RumphiusShop on AmazonPaul BunyanShop on AmazonMary PoppinsShop on Amazon

Kindness
DoggerShop on AmazonSuzy Swoof: A Book About Ki...Shop on AmazonLillian Trasher: The Greate...Shop on AmazonA Little PrincessShop on AmazonMake Way for DucklingsShop on AmazonHorton Hears a Who!Shop on Amazon

Loving
No Matter WhatShop on AmazonThe Princess Bride: S. Morg...Shop on AmazonThe Giving TreeShop on AmazonWhere the Red Fern GrowsShop on AmazonAdam Raccoon and the King's...Shop on AmazonHow the Grinch Stole Christ...Shop on Amazon

Loyalty
Black Beauty (Dover Childre...Shop on AmazonLassie Come-HomeShop on AmazonIsland of the Blue DolphinsShop on AmazonJohnny Tremain: A Newbery A...Shop on AmazonOld Yeller (Perennial Class...Shop on Amazon

Meekness
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Chri...Shop on AmazonWar Horse (Scholastic Gold)Shop on AmazonMansfield Park (Penguin Cla...Shop on AmazonKilmeny of the OrchardShop on AmazonFlorence Nightingale (On My...Shop on Amazon

Obedience
The Autobiography Of George...Shop on AmazonSir Maggie the Mighty: A Bo...Shop on AmazonJoan of ArcShop on AmazonDog JackShop on AmazonThe Weed with an Ill NameShop on Amazon

Patience
Pancakes, Pancakes!Shop on AmazonFollow My LeaderShop on AmazonThe Secret GardenShop on AmazonHatchetShop on AmazonThe Wright Brothers: How Th...Shop on Amazon

Perseverance
The Kid Who Changed the Wor...Shop on AmazonKate Shelley and the Midnig...Shop on AmazonEncyclopedia Brown Box Set ...Shop on AmazonOh, the Places You'll Go!Shop on AmazonThe Door in the Wall: (Newb...Shop on AmazonAmazing Grace: William Wilb...Shop on Amazon

Reliable
Stone Soup (Aladdin Picture...Shop on AmazonThe First DogShop on AmazonTwo Mighty Rivers: Son of P...Shop on AmazonThe Door in the Dragon's Th...Shop on AmazonZathuraShop on AmazonFrank Einstein and the Anti...Shop on Amazon

Respectful
Marguerite Makes a BookShop on AmazonMary Slessor: Forward into ...Shop on AmazonSnipp, Snapp, Snurr and the...Shop on AmazonMeet SamanthaShop on AmazonBilly Graham: A Biography o...Shop on Amazon

Responsible
Baby IslandShop on AmazonKeep the Lights Burning, Ab...Shop on AmazonBy the Great Hornspoon!Shop on AmazonThe Whipping BoyShop on AmazonHappy Birthday, Kirsten: A ...Shop on AmazonThe LoraxShop on Amazon

Sincere
Little WomenShop on AmazonHero Tales: A Family Treasu...Shop on AmazonThe Hiding PlaceShop on AmazonThe Blind SideShop on Amazon

Teachable
Hitty Her First Hundred Yea...Shop on AmazonJulie of the Wolves (Harper...Shop on AmazonWatership Down: A NovelShop on AmazonThe Hobbit: The Classic Fan...Shop on AmazonThe Borrowers: A Carnegie M...Shop on AmazonGreen Eggs and HamShop on Amazon

Trustworthy
Trusty, Tried and TrueShop on AmazonThe Witch of Blackbird Pond...Shop on AmazonHans Brinker or The Silver ...Shop on AmazonThe Cat in the HatShop on AmazonGeorge Washington (The Amer...Shop on AmazonSquanto, Friend Of The Pilg...Shop on Amazon

What are your family’s favorite character building books? I’d love to add them to my list!