Character building books provide an exciting, effective, and long-lasting exposure to character. That is, good character building books do that. Good character building books are fiction or nonfiction, but fiction can be much more effective for children, and for teens who have not reached adulthood. Fiction is received more readily, and perceived as entertainment rather than study. It presents little threat to students - little demand in an otherwise demanding atmosphere.

Small children are as ready for definitions in character building books as older children are. They are ready for accurate words, too, no matter how large they are. Submissiveness is great fun to say, and when you find that big word on the lips of a baby elephant, tears rolling down a trunk that will not submit, children are eager to hear more. They are happy when baby elephant's mother defines submissiveness, and they take it in like little sponges. Such an animal tale is non-threatening, and children learn character from it, repeating the lesson by begging to hear it again or, if they are beginning readers, by reading it again themselves.

Character building books for older children achieve the goal with human characters modeling the target lesson, but never lecturing to readers. Again, it is vital that the theme character trait be clearly defined within the book without disturbing the plot. It must not be left for students to "figure out" after reading. The book must be exciting enough to be valued for its entertainment factor, clear enough to be valued for its teaching factor.

Teens are often ignored when it comes to character building books, or given questionable reading matter from which they are urged to draw the lesson, but they profit from books that are purpose written to teach character. Avoiding sermonizing, such books weave clear character traits throughout their plots, and let realistic teen role models learn them in the context of realistic teen challenges.