From Publishers Weekly
The authors, respectively founding director and assistant director of the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character at Boston University, clearly delineate the difference between the trendiness of current �values� education and the timeliness of moral instruction. �Socrates long ago stated that the mission of education is to help people become both smart and good. In recent decades the second part of that definition has suffered in American schools and colleges.� Steeped in classical and literary references, the book opens with a convincing and inspiring argument advocating character education in the public school system.
The authors move on to the roles played by parents, teachers and students in incorporating the tenets of moral instruction into the academic milieu. Too often character education is handled incorrectly, they say, offering elaborate examples of �personal relativism� and the dangers of teachers who fear imposing values on their students.
The authors argue that there are moral precepts accepted by society as a whole, and that adults should have the courage to teach them. Numerous appendices offer lists and descriptions of important virtues and ways of inculcating them through example and curriculum. Without preaching, Ryan and Bohlin have written a book that is important, enjoyable reading for anyone concerned with contemporary education.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.�This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Book Description
Young people in America today face a crisis of character. Traditional role models continue to disappoint the public, falling short of expectations and fostering cynicism rather than idealism. As a result, many young people struggle to distinguish right from wrong and seem indifferent to whether it matters. It clearly becomes the task of parents and schools to re-engage the hearts and minds of our children in forming their own characters. In Building Character in Schools, Kevin Ryan and Karen Bohlin draw from nearly fifty years of combined field experience to offer a practical guide to character education � designed to help children to know the good, love the good, and do the good.
Ryan and Bohlin provide a blueprint for educators who wish to translate a personal commitment to character education into a schoolwide vision and effort. They outline the principles and strategies of effective character education and explain what schools must do to teach students the habits and dispositions that lead to responsible adulthood � from developing curriculum that reinforces good character development to strengthening links with parents. A useful resource section includes sample lessons, program guidelines, and a parents' list of ways to promote character in their children.

Building Character in Schools clearly defines the responsibilities of adults and students in modeling and nurturing character and sets forth practical guidelines for schools seeking to become communities of virtue where responsibility, hard work, honesty, and kindness are modeled, taught, expected, celebrated, and continually practiced.