The Principles of Our World Book Series: Characters with Character

It wasn’t too long ago when children’s television and family sitcoms were full of teachable moments. Nearly every episode featured the characters encountering a situation that required them to make a moral or ethical decision of some kind. While these scenarios were usually lighthearted, they were designed to drive home valuable character lessons. They opened doors for family discussions and further thought about important topics.

Soon, those lessons cloaked in humor faded out and “very special episodes” became a trope associated with the past. The new generations of kids were thought to be too savvy to be preached to; they wanted sarcasm, attitude, and chaotic comedy. But is that what kids really need? Science shows that children’s needs haven’t changed that much. According to psychologists, children need guidance and boundaries in order to feel safe and secure. They need help understanding and navigating the challenges of life.

While interactive media has certainly changed the way children communicate and learn, it hasn’t lessened their need for loving support. That’s why character education is making a comeback in new and innovative ways that address kids’ need for guidance while taking into consideration new research regarding the way they learn about the world.

The Principles of Our World is a book series designed to help children develop a strong sense of character and ethics. Each book focuses on a different value, including Honesty, Compassion, Teamwork and Sacrifice. These virtues are represented as human characters. The books feature multiple stories about young people facing various moral and ethical dilemmas that relate to a particular virtue. The illustrations feature a multicultural cast of characters.

Older kids can read the stories independently and younger children can have mom or dad read the books to them. The series is meant as a way to provoke thought and inspire conversation about important issues. Parents can use the books as a springboard to discuss character virtues in an age-appropriate way. They can talk about the way these values figure into their family and faith traditions, and about their own childhood moral challenges.

Author David Esposito has made character education a priority in both his daily life and his entrepreneurial vision. As a father of four, a Gulf War veteran, and a businessman, he understands just how much a single decision can have on the future. Armed with the knowledge that strong values and leadership skills are best formed early, he focuses his products and charity projects on children.

In addition to his books, Esposito has also created two board games –– Abundant Harvest and Face to Face –– that center around character and ethics. He and his wife Tracy head up Harvest Time Partners, a non-profit organization that provides character-building opportunities for young people. The name of his company, Harvest Time Partners, is based on the principle of the law of the harvest, also known sometimes as karma or the law of reciprocity. This principle appears across many spiritual traditions and has been embraced as a common sense social strategy in secular circles as well.

This simple yet valuable law says that you “reap what you sow” and that people should take into consideration how their actions and decisions will affect their loved ones, their communities and the planet. The Principles of Our World books are sure to be favorites of families, schools, and faith-based organizations: www.harvesttimepartners.com