46 Books on doing your BEST and giving EFFORT for Elementary/Middle School

 Growth Mindset, a term coined by Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist, is the idea that when people change their beliefs about their own efforts, they can better adapt to create successful outcomes.  In other words, when you believe that you will succeed after practice and effort, your odds of doing so improve.

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Here are our school's favorite picture and chapter books that feature characters who overcome difficulties:

We are always looking for examples of more to add to our collection. If you have a favorite please add it in the comments!

52 Effort, Perseverance & Growth Mindset Books (Picture & Chapter)

 It's April and during a typical school year, this is the toughest time to keep students motivated to finish out the year on a strong note.  Now add to that the fact that this year was one full of uncertainty, trauma, different modes of instruction, and it is understandable that our students are having difficulty with showing effort during these last few months of school.  Using books can help students see others like them face difficult times and be resilient because of those circumstances.  

Picture Books

The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle

Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez and Rosie Revere, Engineer and Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet

The Bad Seed by Jory John and Pete Oswald

What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada and Mae Besom

Firebird by Misty Copeland and Christopher Myers

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds

The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein

The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel

Salt in His Shoes: Michale Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan, Rosalyn M. Jordan and Kadir Nelson

Flight School by Lita Judge

After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat

A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina's Dream by Kristy Dempsey and Floyd Cooper

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy

Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull and David Diaz

Brave Irene by William Steig

Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie DePaola

The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth by Kathleen Krull and Greg Couch

Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg

Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

Amazing Grade by Mary Hoffman and Caroline Binch

Today I Will Fly! by Mo Willems

The Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke and Kerstin Meyer

The Empty Pot by Demi

MunchA! MuncHa! MuNcha!  and Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming and G. Brian Karas

Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin

Between the Lines by Sandra Neil Wallace and Bryan Collier

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock and Mary Grandpre

Chapter Books

Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez

Jasmine Toguchi Drummer Girl by Debbi Michiko Florence and Elizabet Vukovic

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts 

Sahara Special by Esme Raji Codell

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Cleo Edison Oliver Playground Millionaire by Sundee T. Frazier

Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm

Lunch Money and Jake Drake Know-It-All by Andrew Clements

Little Shaq by Shaquille O'Neal and Theodore Taylor III

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Lulu Walks the Dogs by Judith Viorst and Lane Smith