What a character! : character study as a guide to literary meaning making in grades K-8 / Nancy L. Roser, Miriam G. Martinez, editors ; with Junko Yokota and Sharon O'Neal.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Part I. The importance of character. The centrality of character / Donald H. Graves -- Students' developing understanding of character / Miriam G. Martinez and Nancy L. Roser -- Part II. Creating characters. Hey, Character, where did you come from? / Katherine Paterson -- Finding my own stories, my own characters / Deborah Wiles -- Character is the engine / Kate DiCamillo -- The power of small moments / Kimberly Willis Holt -- The shades of character / Franny Billingsley -- Characters crossing the line / Edward Bloor -- The poet as creator of character / Nikki Grimes -- Part III. Supporting children's understanding of characters. Students write their understanding of characters: and their understanding soars / Marjorie R. Hancock -- Exploring characters through drama / Lee Galda -- Exploring character through readers theatre / Susan Keehn, Miriam G. Martinez, and Nancy L. Roser -- Exploring character through visual representations / Caitlin McMunn Dooley and Beth Maloch -- Enhancing the literature experience through deep discussions of character / Karen Smith -- Part IV. The best of character-rich books. Looking closely at characters: how illustrations support children's understandings / Lawrence R. Sipe and Maria Paula Ghiso -- Bringing the best of characters into primary classrooms / Junko Yokota and William H. Teale -- Bringing the best characters into middle school classrooms / Janis M. Harmon, Terri Willeford, and Michelle S. Kenney -- Part V. Character redux. Toward a theory of character in children's fiction / Maria Nikolajeva -- Conclusion: Where do we go from here? / Miriam G. Martinez and Nancy L. Roser.