Book Review: What’s Under Your Cape? by Barbara Gruener: A Must Read for Character Education

Discover key takeaways from What’s Under Your Cape? by Barbara Gruener, a powerful book on character education for teachers. Learn how to integrate service, empathy, perseverance, and more into your classroom.

This month, I had the joy of reading What’s Under Your Cape? Superheroes of the Character Kind by the inspiring Barbara Gruener. I first connected with Barbara years ago on Twitter, and she’s been a consistent source of positivity, wisdom, and character education strategies ever since. Barbara was also a guest on the EduMagic Podcast (check out Episode 6), where we talked about kindness, character, and her incredible book. She even gave away two signed copies to our listeners!

Today, I’m sharing a few of my favorite takeaways from her book—but trust me, you’ll want to read the whole thing to soak in all the goodness.

What’s Under Your Cape? Key Takeaways

Barbara Gruener uses the acronym S.U.P.E.R.H.E.R.O.E.S. to guide readers through essential character traits every student (and teacher!) should develop. Here are a few highlights that stood out to me:

S – Service

This chapter emphasizes cultivating a servant’s heart in the classroom. Barbara shares practical ways to integrate service learning and leadership roles into your daily routines, no matter the grade level. It reminded me of a powerful moment from EduMagic, where one of my students, Abbey Mae, connected with Teacher of the Year Mike Soskil via Twitter for a Skype interview. She brought his real-world service learning experience into our classroom discussion. That’s the power of being a connected educator!

Reflection Prompt: How can you incorporate service learning into your classroom this year?

U – Unconditional Love

Unconditional love isn’t just for faith-based settings it belongs in our classrooms, too. Barbara reminds us that the students who are hardest to love often need it the most.

One of my favorite parts of this chapter is her concept of the “Most Valuable A’s”—a fresh take on what really matters in learning. In EduMagic, I echo this sentiment: “It’s not about the grade—it’s about the growth.”

P – Perseverance

Cue the 90s anthem: “I get knocked down, but I get up again…” 🎶 This chapter is all about grit, resilience, and mindset. Barbara encourages educators to model perseverance and help students develop it through challenges and setbacks.

Classroom Tip: Use real-life stories and music to spark conversations about perseverance with your students.

E – Empathy

This chapter reminded me of Kristen Nan’s powerful post, Creating Impact: Take a Walk in My Shoes. Barbara and Kristen both emphasize the importance of teaching empathy through storytelling, perspective taking, and intentional classroom practices.

R – Respect

Respect is foundational to any classroom community. Barbara offers practical strategies for teaching respect even to our youngest learners through books, discussions, and modeling.

One of my favorite parts of this chapter is how she explores respect from multiple perspectives, helping students understand its value in every relationship.

More Character Traits to Explore

Barbara’s book doesn’t stop there. She also dives into:

• Honesty

• Enthusiasm

• Responsibility

• Obedience

• Encouragement

• Self-discipline

Each chapter is packed with lesson ideas, book recommendations, and real-world examples that bring character education to life.

Dr. Sam Fecich reading What's under your cape by Barbara Gruener

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