Books that Teach Honesty to Young Children

It is important to teach children how to be honest and fair. Stories include those about recognizing and understanding the difference between truth and lies. Some of the books show characters that deny doing wrong or blame their actions on other characters and experience the discomfort that dishonesty can bring. These great books which can help parents, caregivers, and teachers instill the quality of honesty in young children.

The Wolf Who Cried Boy by Bob Hartman is a great twist on the well known story. The Little Wolf has had enough lamburgers and sloppy does. He is ready to eat something new. However, when he fools his family into believing that there is a boy in the woods they all might miss their chance for a real feast.

Gullible's Troubles by Margaret Shannon is the story of a guinea pig visiting with his family. Gullible Guineapig feels very out of place and believes anything that his aunt, uncle, and cousin tell him. However, they do not trust his warning about what is hiding in their basement.

Jamaica's Find by Juanita Havill is the story of a young girl that finds a hat and stuffed dog at the park. She brings the hat to lost and found, but brings the dog home. She really wants to keep him, but listens to her conscience and is able to reunite the toy dog with his owner.

Louis' Dream Plane by Terry Milne is a similar story. Louis finds a toy airplane model at the playground. He takes it home, but soon feels very guilty about it and his guilt soon overwhelms his love for airplanes.

The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson invites the reader to read along as a father shares a story with his daughter. When the father was ten he accidentally damaged the tomato garden of his neighbor. He shares the story of what happened, and how he made things right with his neighbor.

It's Not My Fault! by Nancy L. Carlson tells the tale of a young boy evading responsibility. When George is called to the principal's office he immediately begins talking about how he was not at fault for any other the things that went wrong during the day.

A Big Fat Enormous Lie by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat is a great way to begin a conversation with a child about the consequences of telling lies. The story shows how simple lie can grow in epic proportions.

Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin shares the story of Ruthie, lover of all thing miniature. She finds a tiny little camera on the playground and is thrilled. However, when Ruthie lies and says that the camera is hers things start going wrong.

Would I Ever Lie to You? by Caralyn Buehner is a story that many children with older siblings or friends can relate to. An older cousin loves to tell a young boy stories. Some are fibs intended to tease, while other tidbits are true. How can the younger boy figure out what to believe?

Princess K.I.M. and the Lie that Grew by Maryann Cocca-Leffler is another story many children can relate to. Kim is starting in a new school and really wants the other children to like her. She lies and tells her classmates that she is from a royal family. The lie, and those that she tells to support it, quickly grow out of Kim's control.

Zip, Zip--Homework by Nancy Poydar shows readers Violet's great new backpack. It has wheels and zippers, lots of zippers. However, Violet gets distracted by all those packets and zippers and looses track of her homework. After lying about what happened, she receives a tougher assignment to replace the lost one.