What a Character!

Preface
Why Character?
Nancy L. Roser, Miriam G. Martinez

Contributors

Part I: The Importance of Character

Chapter 1
The Centrality of Character
Donald H. Graves

Chapter 2
Students' Developing Understanding of Character
Miriam G. Martinez, Nancy L. Roser

Part II: Creating Characters

Chapter 3
Hey, Character, Where Did You Come From?
Katherine Paterson

Chapter 4
Finding My Own Stories, My Own Characters
Deborah Wiles

Chapter 5
Character Is the Engine
Kate DiCamillo   FREE!

Chapter 6
The Power of Small Moments
Kimberly Willis Holt

Chapter 7
The Shades of Character
Franny Billingsley

Chapter 8
Characters Crossing the Line
Edward Bloor

Chapter 9
The Poet as Creator of Character
Nikki Grimes

Part III: Supporting Children's Understanding of Characters

Chapter 10
Students Write Their Understanding of Characters—and Their Understanding Soars
Marjorie R. Hancock

Chapter 11
Exploring Characters Through Drama
Lee Galda

Chapter 12
Exploring Character Through Readers Theatre
Susan Keehn, Miriam G. Martinez, Nancy L. Roser

Chapter 13
Exploring Character Through Visual Representations
Caitlin McMunn Dooley, Beth Maloch

Chapter 14
Enhancing the Literature Experience Through Deep Discussions of Character
Karen Smith

Part IV: The Best of Character-Rich Books

Chapter 15
Looking Closely at Characters: How Illustrations Support Children's Understandings
Lawrence P. Sipe, Maria Paula Ghiso

Chapter 16
Bringing the Best of Characters Into Primary Classrooms
Junko Yokota, William H. Teale

Chapter 17
Bringing the Best Characters Into Middle School Classrooms
Janis M. Harmon, Terri Willeford, Michelle S. Kenney

Part V: Character Redux

Chapter 18
Toward a Theory of Character in Children's Fiction
Maria Nikolajeva

Conclusion
Where Do We Go From Here?
Miriam G. Martinez, Nancy L. Roser

Author Index

Subject Index