Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle

Character
Stories
Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

Name _______________________________________ Comprehension
by Andrew Frinkle
Dean was friends with everyone in his class.

He was even friends with Scott, who was
really shy. No one else even talked to Scott,
but Dean always asked him what he thought.
He made sure to include him, too. After a
while, people started to see that Scott was a
really nice kid. It was all because Dean cared
about Scott.
Susan was friends with Joan. Joan was really
sick, and she was missing a lot of school.
Every day in class, Susan wrote an extra set
of notes for Joan. She visited Joan twice a
week to bring homework and notes to her.
Joan was so happy. When she got better, she
wasn’t behind in school, because Susan cared
about her.
How do you show caring?

Read the story and answer the questions:
I. Who is the shy boy in class?

a) Dean b) Scott c) Joan d) Susan
2. Who helps the sick girl?

a) Dean b) Scott c) Joan d) Susan
3. Scott was really …

a) mean b) angry c) shy d) tired
4. Joan doesn’t like being helped by Susan.

a) True b) False
5. Caring is… (Name 3 things)

by Andrew Frinkle

I. Whose family volunteers on weekends?

a) Sam b) Rob c) Chris d) Rachel
2. Who gets badges for helping out people?

a) Sam b) Rob c) Chris d) Rachel
3. Sam was a good …

a) boy b) citizen c) player d) student
4. Chris feels good about helping in his community.

[True / False]
5. Citizenship is… (Name 3 things)

Cleanliness by Andrew Frinkle
Cleanliness is keeping yourself and your

surroundings clean and organized. There are many
ways to be clean.

I. Who helps clean the desks in class?

a) Shelly b) Casey c) Chris d) Thomas
2. Who makes sure the lunch tables are clean?

a) Shelly b) Casey c) Chris d) Thomas
3. Thomas liked things nice and …

a) dirty b) filthy c) ugly d) clean
4. Casey often got sick.

[True / False]
5. Cleanliness is…

by Andrew Frinkle
Tommy liked to help people when they needed it.

He opened doors if someone’s hands were full.
If you dropped your stuff, he’d be the one to help
you pick it up. He didn’t laugh at people, because he
knew how it felt to be laughed at. Tommy was
great at showing kindness.

I. Who helps cheer up sad people?

a) Beth b) Joan c) Heather d) Jane
2. Who helps people when they need it?

a) Tommy b) Bobby c) Jimmy d) Ryan
3. Tommy was great at showing …

a) greed b) anger c) bitterness d) kindness
4. Compassion is being mean to other kids.

[True / False]
5. Compassion is…

by Andrew Frinkle

1) Cooperation is about ____________________

_______________________, __________________ _______________,
and being a _____________ __________________.
2) What did Nell do? Circle the correct answer:

a) She laughed at people.
b) She always cheers people on.
3) Nell helped children to work together.

[True / False]
4) Ricky was not a very funny kid. [Yes / No]
5) When Ricky’s friends argued he _____________________

___________________________________________________________.
6) Ricky is a good sport.

[True / False]

by Andrew Frinkle
There was one boy in Karl’s class that picked

on people when teachers weren’t around.
Sometimes it was at the bus stop or in the
hall. One day, Karl had heard too much. Karl
asked him to stop. No one had ever said that
to the boy before. The boy was embarrassed
and stopped picking on people. Karl showed
courage when he asked the boy to stop.
Kelly’s friend took things from other kids.
Sometimes it was just little stuff, but it
started to get worse! Kelly decided to give
her friend a choice: she had to stop stealing,
or stop being her friend. Her friend didn’t like
it at first, but she chose friendship
in the end. Kelly showed courage when
she talked to her friend about stealing.
How do you show courage?

1) Courage is being _______________ and _______________.
2) It takes courage to do the right thing.

[True / False]
3) Karl showed courage when he asked the boy

to stop picking on other. [True / False]
4) Give a synonym from the text for the word:

ashamed: ____________________
5) What was Kelly’s friend doing wrong?
6) What did Kelly do about her friend’s bad

behavior?
____________________________________________________________

by Andrew Frinkle
Rita was a real stickler for the rules. Some

people complained about it, but she liked a
fair game. If she lost a game, she lost
because she didn’t play as well, not because
of cheating. The other kids called her “the
umpire” because she was so fair.
Ken was the classroom’s snack helper. He was
the best at making sure everyone got their
fair share. No one ever complained about not
getting as much as someone else. He was
very careful to give everyone the same
amount. Everyone liked that about Ken.
How do you show fairness?

1) Fairness is making things _____________ for

everyone. It is also about _____________ and
____________________________________ .
2) When you are a stickler for rules it means…

a) you like to follow rules.
b) you do not like to follow rules.
3) The other kids called Rita “the umpire” because

she was so unfair. [True / False]
4) To be fair you must give everybody the

________________ amount.
5) Who gave everyone a fair amount of snacks?

____________________
6) Give the antonym for unfairness.

____________________
by Andrew Frinkle
Andy always lent Seth money around lunch

time. His friend always forgot to repay him.
Andy knew that Seth’s family didn’t have that
much money, so Andy forgave Seth for not
paying back the money. Their friendship was
worth a LOT more than a few rand. Andy was
forgiving.
Joe ran into Sarah by accident in the hallway.
Sarah dropped her art supplies all over the
place. Sarah could have yelled or even gotten
in a fight about it. Joe helped Sarah pick up
her supplies, so Sara forgave her.
How do you show forgiveness?

1) When you show forgiveness you are showing

___________________ and ___________________.
2) It is important to forgive other. [True/False]
3) In what way did Andy showed his friend

mercy and kindness? ______________________________
__________________________________________________________
4) Give a synonym from the text for mishap.

_____________________
5) What did Sarah drop in the hallway?
_________________________
6) Who helped Sarah to pick up her art
supplies? ___________________
7) Sarah yelled at Joe for bumping into her.

[Yes / No]
8) Seth’s friendship was worth more to

Andy than money. [True / False]

by Andrew Frinkle
The bus was coming soon, and Ron didn’t have

his stuff packed up. He was having a hard
day. Tim and Dan helped Ron pack his stuff up
quickly, so he could make it to the bus on
time. They were showing their friendship for
Ron.
Karen’s best friend, Tara, was in the hospital.
She had all of her class make Tara get well
cards. Then she visited her friend in the
hospital. Tara’s other friends were scared to
see her when she was sick, but Karen cared
about Tara and stuck with her
no matter what! Karen was
a good friend.
How do you show friendship?

1) Friendship is ___________________ , ___________________ ,

and __________________________________
2) What was coming soon?

a) the bus b) the taxi c) the car
3) Why didn’t Ron have his stuff packed?

_________________________________________________________
4) How did Tim and Dan showed their friendship to

Ron? ___________________________________________________
5) Karen was a good …

a) student b) friend c) player d) athlete
6) Friendship is leaving your friends when they need

you. [True / False]

by Andrew Frinkle
Ronnie was the classroom’s money collector

for special events. Whenever the classroom
did a collection and gathered money, the class
trusted Ronnie to do it. If he found some
money on the floor, he tried to find the
owner. He wouldn’t take a cent that wasn’t
his! Ronnie was very honest.
Gretchen always told the truth, no matter
what. Gretchen wouldn’t even lie when a bully
wanted her to lie about what she’d seen her
do! All of Gretchen’s friends wouldn’t let
anything happen to her, either.
They all loved Gretchen for being
so honest.
How do you show honesty?

1) Honesty is telling the truth sometimes. [Yes / No]
2) Honesty is about being loyal? [Yes / No]

3) To be trust worthy means that you can be
trusted. [Yes / No]
4) Ronnie was the classroom’s ……………….
5) A money collector is somebody that ……………….
6) They all love Gretchen for being so …

a) clean b) pretty c) honest d) funny
7) People trust Ronnie because he’s honest.

[True / False]

by Andrew Frinkle
Kids started talking bad about John. Peter

was John’s friend. He could have laughed. He
could have joked along, because John wasn’t
there to hear it. He didn’t do that. Peter told
the people to stop talking about John,
because it wasn’t a nice thing to do. Peter
had integrity.
Jen liked to gossip. Candice was her best
friend. Candace didn’t like how Jen gossiped.
One time, the gossip was actually about Jen!
Jen saw how gossip hurt people’s feelings.
Candice helped her to stop gossiping. Jen
doesn’t gossip anymore, because
it’s not right.
How do you show integrity?

1) Integrity is being ………………………….……….., …………………….…….………..

and ………………………………………………….. .
2) Integrity is about doing the right thing when
someone is looking. [True / False]
3) There are a few ways to show integrity.

[True / False]
4) Is it a nice thing to do talk about other kids

behind their backs? [Yes/No] Why?
……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
5) What does it mean to gossip?
……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
6) What does gossip do to others?

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
7) Do you sometimes gossip about your friends?

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
by Andrew Frinkle
Mrs. Sanders did not play favourites. She did

not always call on the same students for help
or to answer questions. She had sticks with
names on them. If she needed an answer or
help, she picked a stick. Using sticks was fair.
Everyone got to take a turn that way.
Gary got angry at his team in class, because
he got a question wrong. However, it was his
fault for not studying enough or listening to
others. It was not right to blame others.
Gary got a bad grade. He finally admitted
that it was his fault. The next time, Gary
let his teammates help him, and he
did much better.
How do you show justice?

1) Justice is being …………………………………………………..
2) Justice is making ………………………………… that everything is

done ………………………………………………….. and …………………………………………………..
3) Mrs. Sanders did not play favourites?

[Yes /No]
4) How did Mrs. Sanders showed fairness in the

class? …………………………………………………………………..……………………………………………………..
……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
5) Why did Gary get angry?………………………………..……………..……………………

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
6) Why did he get the answer wrong? …..….…………………………………………

……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
7) Is it right to blame others for your mistakes?

[Yes / No] Why not? …..…………………………………………..…………..…………………
……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………

by Andrew Frinkle
Lauren loved her class. She especially loved

her classroom pet, Benny the Hamster. Every
day Lauren said hello to Benny. She was the
classroom pet helper. She fed Benny, cleaned
his cage, and gave him water. Lauren loved
and cared for Benny the Hamster.
John loved his class. He loved his teacher,
because she taught him so much. He loved his
classroom, because it had lots of cool stuff
in it. He loved his classmates, because they
were kind, helpful, and fun. John always did his
best to keep his class happy
and clean. That was how he
showed his love for his class.
How do you show love?

1) Love is … [Circle the correct answer]
a) caring and patience
b) taking care of things
c) being polite
d) all the above
2) Who is Benny the hamster?
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
3) Make a list of Lauren’s daily chores:

i ………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
ii ……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
iii ……………………………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
4) Why did John loved his teacher?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
5) Why did John love his classroom?
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
6) Why did John love his classmates?
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
7) How do you show love?
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
by Andrew Frinkle
Carol was starving. She was so hungry that

she thought she would actually faint. She
really wanted to run in front of everyone and
get her lunch first. She knew that other
people were probably hungry, too. So, she
waited, and she was just fine. She didn’t faint
from hunger after all. Carol was patient.
No one wanted to work with Norm in math
class. Norman took the longest on every
problem, test, and quiz. Everyone tried to be
patient, but it was hard. Greg was patient.
He waited for Norman. He showed him
shortcuts and tricks to get
done faster. Norman was so happy!
How do you show patience?

1) Patience is ………………..……………… and taking ………………..……………….
2) Patience is trying ………………..…………………….…… and

………………….…………..……………… until you get it right.
3) When you are starving, you are very

………………..…………….………
4) Carol showed patience by pushing everyone

out of the way to get to her lunch fast.
[Yes / No]
5) Why didn’t anyone wanted to work with

Norman in math class? ………………..……..…………………………………………
……………..…………………………..………………………………….…………………..…………………………………………
6) How did Greg help Norman?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
7) How do you show patience in your class?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
by Andrew Frinkle
Dean really liked Mr. Mathews’ math class.

Mr. Mathews knew a LOT about math. Dean
showed Mr. Matthews respect by listening
attentively and paying attention in his class!
He would keep trying. He really appreciated
how Mr. Mathews answered his questions,
even after class.
Gina loved figure skating. Part of it was
because she had the best coach ever!
Gina’s coach was great at skating,
so she understood exactly what
Gina went through as she learned.
Gina respected her coach’s abilities
and advice.
How do you show respect?

1) ………………..…………………………..……… is showing appreciation.
2) When you listen to other you show ………………..……………………..
3) Showing respect is not really important.

[True / False]
4) Mr. Matthew taught …

i) Science ii) English iii) Mathematics
5) How did Dean show Mr. Mathews respect?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
6) Gina loved ………………..………..…………………..………
7) How do you show respect to your parents?

………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
by Andrew Frinkle
Jackie had a temper. Little things made her

angry. She tried really hard to control it.
Her teacher showed her how to count to 10
before saying something when she got angry.
It saved her from saying a lot of unkind
things that she really didn’t mean!
Jackie was learning self-control.
Henry loved to eat sweet stuff. His mom
didn’t let him have too much, though.
He only got to eat cookies and cake on rare
occasions, so when he got some, he ate it
slowly. He saved some for the next
day and the next. He didn’t want
to eat it all at once, or it’d be gone.
Henry had self-control.
How do you show self-control?

1) Self-control is ………………..………..……………………..………..………………………..………..
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
2) What does it mean when we say someone

has a temper ………………..………..……………………..………..………………………..………..
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
3) What can Jackie do to help her control her

temper? ………………………….…..………..……………………..………..………………………..………..
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
4) When you lose your self-control it is easy to
say unkind things to your friends.
[True / False]
5) Henry loved to eat …………….………..…………………………..…………………………
6) Eating a lot of sweet stuff is healthy.

[Yes / No]
7) Do you show self-control? How?
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
………………..…………………………..…………………………………………………..…………………………………………
by Andrew Frinkle
Helen trusted her friends. She didn't keep

secrets from them. She shared her things
with her friends. She knew they would do the
right thing and not betray her trust. She
tried hard to be the kind of friend that they
could trust, too. Trust works both ways, and
Helen was trust worthy.
Nick let his friends borrow his stuff all the
time. He didn't even remember who had what.
Whenever he needed something back, he just
asked all of his friends who had his game or
his book. They always gave it back, because
they liked how nicely he shared.
He could always borrow his friends'
games and books, too.
Nick trusted his friends.
How do you show trust?

1) Trust is showing ……..……………………………….…………, ……..……………………………

and ……..…………………………………. .
2) Trusting someone means to keep secrets from

them. [True / False]
3) When you betray someone’s trust…

a) you hurt their feelings.
b) you are trustworthy.
4) Helen could be trusted because she was

……..……………………………………………..… .
5) When you borrow stuff from your friends you

must always remember to ……..…………………..………………………………..…
……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………
6) Are you trustworthy? Why?

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………
……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………
by Andrew Frinkle
Pete knew that he didn't know everything.

He liked to get advice from his grandpa,
especially when he was having a hard time
getting along with people. Even then, he had
to take that advice and make good choices.
Part of being wise is learning when to listen
and when to act.
Naomi had a big project to get done. She also
wanted to play with her friends. She had to
plan her time wisely, or she couldn't do both.
She knew that too much playing would mean
she'd get a bad grade. She managed her time
wisely, so she could get a good
grade and still play.
Naomi was being wise.
How do you show wisdom?

1) When you apply what you know to your daily life,

you are being wise. [Yes / No]
2) Wisdom helps you make [good / bad] choices.
3) Pete got advice from his…

a) teacher b) uncle c) grandfather
4) Part of being wise is learning when to

………………..……………..……………… and when to ……..…………………………………… .
5) Why did Naomi have to plan her time wisely?

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………
6) Too much playing would mean…

a) she get a good grade b) she get a bad grade.
7) How can you show wisdom?

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………
……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………
by Andrew Frinkle
Brent was a hard worker. He always tried to

get his work done before he got home. He
always got his assignments done on time, too.
He also liked doing his part to keep the
classroom clean. Brent was great with a
broom! He was the leader of the classroom
cleaning crew.
Rhonda was very organized. She was very
helpful, too. It only made sense then when Mrs.
Francis made her the classroom librarian. She
was great at putting all the books back just
right and keeping them in the right
categories. Rhonda had a great
work ethic.
How do you show
work ethic?

1) Work ethic is pitching sometimes in to help.

[True / False]
2) Work ethic is …………………………………..…………………………………………..…………………

and ………………………..……………..……………..……… and ………………………..……………..……
………………………..……………..……………..……… .
3) Brent always tried to get his ………………………..…………..………

before done before he got ………………………..……………. .
4) Brent was the leader of the classroom …

a) cleaning crew b) art crew c) book crew
5) A librarian works with …

a) art supplies b) books c) stationary
6) How do you show work ethic at school?

……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………
……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………
7) How do you show work ethic at home?
……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………
……..……………………………………………..……………………………………………..………………………………………

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Character

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

Dean was friends with everyone in his class.

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

I. Who is the shy boy in class?

2. Who helps the sick girl?

3. Scott was really …

4. Joan doesn’t like being helped by Susan.

5. Caring is… (Name 3 things)

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

I. Whose family volunteers on weekends?

2. Who gets badges for helping out people?

3. Sam was a good …

4. Chris feels good about helping in his community.

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

Cleanliness by Andrew Frinkle

Cleanliness is keeping yourself and your

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

I. Who helps clean the desks in class?

2. Who makes sure the lunch tables are clean?

3. Thomas liked things nice and …

4. Casey often got sick.

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

Tommy liked to help people when they needed it.

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

I. Who helps cheer up sad people?

2. Who helps people when they need it?

3. Tommy was great at showing …

4. Compassion is being mean to other kids.

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

1) Cooperation is about ____________________

2) What did Nell do? Circle the correct answer:

3) Nell helped children to work together.

4) Ricky was not a very funny kid. [Yes / No]

5) When Ricky’s friends argued he _____________________

6) Ricky is a good sport.

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

There was one boy in Karl’s class that picked

How do you show courage?

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

1) Courage is being _______________ and _______________.

2) It takes courage to do the right thing.

3) Karl showed courage when he asked the boy

4) Give a synonym from the text for the word:

5) What was Kelly’s friend doing wrong?

6) What did Kelly do about her friend’s bad

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

Rita was a real stickler for the rules. Some

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

1) Fairness is making things _____________ for

2) When you are a stickler for rules it means…

3) The other kids called Rita “the umpire” because

4) To be fair you must give everybody the

5) Who gave everyone a fair amount of snacks?

6) Give the antonym for unfairness.

Andy always lent Seth money around lunch

Character Stories by Andrew Frinkle www.myklaskamer.co.za

1) When you show forgiveness you are showing

2) It is important to forgive other. [True/False]

3) In what way did Andy showed his friend

1) Courage is being _ and _.

1) Friendship is _ , _ ,