Cheating can rear its ugly head out of nowhere, even amongst kids who have always been extremely honest about their actions. There are so many opportunities for little ones to cut a corner when no one is looking. A lot of times the motivation is to win a competition or sporting event, or get a high grade on a test. Whether it is a singular event or regular occurrence, reading books to kids about characters who get caught cheating can help.
A fast-paced illustrated chapter book for beginners highlights a common dilemma for many kids. Henry has been working hard at his soccer skills to secure a spot as the goalkeeper for the team. When a superstar newcomer threatens to take his position, Henry considers putting his magic to use. Following in the footsteps of his mother and sister, he wields special powers using a Book of Spells. He may get the coveted spot, but is it really worth cheating? A fun 128 page turner that raises some good ethical questions.
Children's Books Featuring Characters Who Are Cheaters
The thing about cheating is that it can start with something minor. Maybe a child moves a game piece ahead on the board when the opposing player isn't looking, and then lies about it when confronted. Or perhaps an older sibling manipulates a younger one into giving them something, using misinformation to make a case. Like trading a less valuable object (but claiming it is superior) for a more valuable one. In fact, when you examine a lot of interactions, exchanges, and competitions among little kids, you'll find quite a few examples of less than honest behavior. Reading stories about winning and losing can also help. Lots of children outgrow the problem as they mature and their sense of right and wrong becomes more cemented. However, as they progress through school and pressure mounts to earn good grades, the temptation to copy answers, plagiarize, or use artificial intelligence to complete assignments is real. Here are some fantastic children's books about cheating that will open up a conversation about this sticky subject.
You Can Follow the Rules: Cheat or Play Fair?
Kirsten and her sister are playing a game of Hide-and-Go seek, a game where preschoolers often experiment with cheating for the first time. As the story progresses, readers can choose from one of four different endings, with each one delivering a different outcome. An excellent tool for opening a conversation about making good, honest choices and the consequences when the wrong path is taken.
I Repeat, Don't Cheat!
Grab this book to read when your little students are getting ready for their first test or assessment in school. This story introduces an additional complication to copying test answers- when it's your child's best friend! In an all-too-common but rarely addressed scenario, the moral dilemma with cheating gets blurry, confusing, and emotional. It begins with Lizzie copying answers from Jessica's spelling test, and then progresses when she takes credit for a poem that Jessica wrote. Kids will learn quite a bit by how Jessica handles the situation while preserving her friendship with Lizzie.
The Homework Machine
Dan Gutman's story about four personalities who have developed the ultimate solution for avoiding homework is enormously popular amongst middle grade readers. The geek, the slacker, the teacher's pet, and the class clown all have their own reasons for hating homework, most of which will sound familiar. When the develop a machine that does all of the work for them, freeing up lots of time, suspicions and rumors circulate. They soon learn that doing the homework is a whole lot easier than covering up a lie.
Junie B. Jones: Cheater Pants
Junie tries to justify a variety of cheating scenarios, as do many kids when things seem a bit grey. For example, copying homework that isn't graded doesn't count. And when someone willingly shows you their answers, even when you didn't ask, this really isn't cheating. Kids will get a few chuckles reading about Junie's justification and ultimate realization that perhaps she is a cheater after all.
Fancy Nancy: Splendid Speller
Every high achiever will relate to the dilemma Nancy faces when her teacher surprises the class. Ordinarily scoring high grades on spelling tests, Nancy panics when her teacher throws some real zingers at them. She has to decide whether it is better to walk away with a poor grade or copy from a neighbor to get the score she wants.
Theodore Boone: The Scandal
Thirteen year old Theodore Boone is a super sleuth legal prodigy who has strong ties with all the police officers and judges in town. His reputation for solving complex cases is like none other, so when rumors of a potential cheating scandal surface, he jumps right in. Standardized scores at a middle school nearby have skyrocketed in a way that doesn't make any sense. This spike cannot be explained by anything other than fishy practices, like manipulating the scores. This fast-paced read is fun and relevant to the conversation around the undue pressure and displaced merit assigned to these types of assessments.
Why is Cheating Wrong?
There are no blurred lines in this nonfiction book with real photographs of children caught in the act of cheating. With just the right leveled reading for children in early elementary school, a variety of situations are explained in a no-nonsense manner. The author explains that most kids will be tempted to cheat in order to score high on a test or win at a sport, and that some feel no remorse while others carry the burden of guilt. The message is very clear in every one of these situations- cheating is never the right thing to do.
The Perfect Score
Meet five middle school students- Randi, Gavin, Natalie, Trevor and Scott- who are all dealing with personal struggles. Pressure to excel in sports, trouble at home, and learning disabilities are just a few of the burdens they carry. To add to the pressure, standardized testing is right around the corner. Tension builds in and outside of the classroom as the students hatch a plan for bolstering their scores by cheating. Each protagonist is faced with the dilemma between right and wrong against the backdrop of their own personal challenges. Lots of plots twists as the story plays out, with a surprise at the very end.
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