Top Children’s Books About Perseverance and Determination

Books have always been a huge part of our house. We spent endless hours reading to our children from birth. Books helped our children learn concrete concepts like numbers and colors, trees and dinosaurs. But they also taught them about things like love, trust, perseverance and determination.

This list of children’s books about perseverance and determination includes inspiring true stories, relatable children’s stories about humans and animals alike! There is something to fill the head and heart of any child with strong ideas for helping them build their grit and perseverance.

Children’s Books About Perseverance and Determination

• The Dot – Her teacher smiled. “Just make a mark and see where it takes you.”Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can’t draw – she’s no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. “There!” she says.That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds’s delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us.
• Drummer Girl – Year after year, in the blessed month of Ramadan, little Najma has happily arisen to the drum beat of her neighborhood’s musaharati. He walks through the streets of her small Turkish village, waking each family for the pre-dawn meal before the long day of fasting. Najma wants nothing more than to be a musaharati herself one day, but no girl has ever taken on the role before. Will she have what it takes to be the drummer girl of her dreams? Find out in this inspirational story of sincerity, determination, and believing in yourself.
• Galimoto – Kondi is determined to make a galimoto—a toy vehicle made of wires. His brother laughs at the idea, but all day Kondi goes about gathering up the wire he needs. By nightfall, his wonderful galimoto is ready for the village children to play with in the light of the moon.
• Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin – Hana Hashimoto has signed up to play her violin at her school’s talent show. The trouble is, she’s only a beginner, and she’s had only three lessons. Her brothers insist she isn’t good enough. “It’s a talent show, Hana,” they tell her. “You’ll be a disaster!” Hana remembers how wonderfully her talented grandfather, or Ojiichan, played his violin when she was visiting him in Japan. So, just like Ojiichan, Hana practices every day. She is determined to play her best. When Hana’s confidence wavers on the night of the show, however, she begins to wonder if her brothers were right. But then Hana surprises everyone once it’s her turn to perform — even herself! This inspiring book offers hope and confidence to all children who are yearning to master something difficult. Perhaps even more important, it allows children to see that there is more than one way to be successful at a task.
• Stuck – When Floyd’s kite gets stuck in a tree, he’s determined to get it out. But how? Well, by knocking it down with his shoe, of course. But strangely enough, it too gets stuck. And the only logical course of action . . . is to throw his other shoe. Only now it’s stuck! Surely there must be something he can use to get his kite unstuck. An orangutan? A boat? His front door? Yes, yes, and yes. And that’s only the beginning. Stuck is Oliver Jeffers’ most absurdly funny story yet. 
• Tilda Tries Again – Tilda doesn’t like change. Why would she, when her life is great just the way it is? But one day, Tilda’s world turns completely UPSIDE DOWN. All of a sudden, nothing feels right. Things that were once easy now seem incredibly challenging. Everything is just so different and hard. Can Tilda discover a way to move forward and embrace all this change? Bold, bright, and empowering, this inspiring story about coping with unexpected changes is perfect for helping children build resilience.
• Failure Friday – Meet Emma, who comes from a family of runners, but is not much of a runner herself. She joins the school’s running club and makes a mistake at an important relay, causing her team to lose. Emma is upset and thinks she’s a failure and wants to quit. She gets encouragement from her coach and her mom and after more practice, Emma learns that failure is not something to fear. “We never lose. We either win or we learn”⁠ Failure is an important part of life, through trial and error children become more resilient. When failure is feared it can cause shame and anxiety.⁠ This book teaches kids that you can learn from your failures, to keep improving.

True Stories About Perseverance

All these children’s books about perseverance share real life stories of men, woman, and children who showed grit and determination in their own lives.

• Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotton – This lyrical, loving picture book from popular singer-songwriter Laura Veirs and debut illustrator Tatyana Fazlalizadeh tells the story of the determined, gifted, daring Elizabeth Cotten—one of the most celebrated American folk musicians of all time. Elizabeth Cotten was only a little girl when she picked up a guitar for the first time. It wasn’t hers (it was her big brother’s), and it wasn’t strung right for her (she was left-handed). But she flipped that guitar upside down and backwards and taught herself how to play it anyway. By age eleven, she’d written “Freight Train,” one of the most famous folk songs of the twentieth century. And by the end of her life, people everywhere—from the sunny beaches of California to the rolling hills of England—knew her music.
• Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon – The true story of Fauja Singh, who broke world records to become the first one hundred-year-old to run a marathon, shares valuable lessons on the source of his grit, determination to overcome obstacles, and commitment to positive representation of the Sikh community.
• Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile – Dorothy’s dearest wish is to be a librarian in a fine brick library just like the one she visited when she was small. But her new home in North Carolina has valleys and streams but no libraries, so Miss Dorothy and her neighbors decide to start a bookmobile. Instead of people coming to a fine brick library, Miss Dorothy can now bring the books to them—at school, on the farm, even once in the middle of a river!
• Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 – The bold story of Katherine Johnson, an African-American mathematician who worked for NASA during the space race and was depicted in the film Hidden Figures. You’ve likely heard of the historic Apollo 13 moon landing. But do you know about the mathematical genius who made sure that Apollo 13 returned safely home? As a child, Katherine Johnson loved to count. She counted the steps on the road, the number of dishes and spoons she washed in the kitchen sink, everything! Boundless, curious, and excited by calculations, young Katherine longed to know as much as she could about math, about the universe.
• Snowflake Bentley – tells the inspiring true story of Wilson Bentley, a man with a lifelong passion for photographing snowflakes. Growing up in 19th-century Vermont, Bentley was fascinated by the intricate designs of snowflakes. Using a homemade camera setup, he devoted years to perfecting his technique, becoming the first person to capture snowflakes on film. His story beautifully demonstrates how genuine passion can drive someone to pursue their dreams, even in the face of skepticism and countless obstacles.
• The Librarian of Basra – In this incredible true story of a war-stricken country where civilians seem powerless in the face of battle, this feminist and inspirational tale about a librarian’s struggle to save her community’s priceless collection of books reminds us how, throughout the world, the love of literature can unite us all. 
• She’s Got This – From gold-medal-winning Olympic gymnast and bestselling author Laurie Hernandez comes a picture book about chasing your dreams and never giving up. Even Olympians have to start somewhere. And in this charming illustrated book, Laurie Hernandez tells the story of Zoe, a little girl who dreams of flying—and becoming a gymnast. When Zoe sees a gymnast on TV, she realizes that gymnastics is just like flying. But when she first goes to class and falls off the balance beam, she discovers that following her dreams is harder and scarier than she thought.
• Ready to Fly – is the true story of Sylvia Townsend, an African American girl who falls in love with ballet after seeing Swan Lake on TV. Although there aren’t many ballet schools that will accept a girl like Sylvia in the 1950s, her local bookmobile provides another possibility. A librarian helps Sylvia find a book about ballet and the determined seven-year-old, with the help of her new books, starts teaching herself the basics of classical ballet. Soon Sylvia learns how to fly—how to dance—and how to dare to dream.
• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba’s tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season’s crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family’s life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William’s windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land. Retold for a younger audience, this exciting memoir shows how, even in a desperate situation, one boy’s brilliant idea can light up the world. 
• Manjhi Moves a Mountain – Dashrath Manjhi used a hammer and chisel, grit, determination, and twenty years to carve a path through the mountain separating his poor village from the nearby village with schools, markets, and a hospital. Manjhi Moves a Mountain shows how everyone can make a difference if their heart is big enough.
• The Oldest Student: how Mary Walker Learned to Read – In 1848, Mary Walker was born into slavery. At age 15, she was freed, and by age 20, she was married and had her first child. By age 68, she had worked numerous jobs, including cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and selling sandwiches to raise money for her church. At 114, she was the last remaining member of her family. And at 116, she learned to read. This is the inspirational story of Mary Walker, a woman whose long life spanned from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, and who–with perseverance and dedication–proved that you’re never too old to learn.
• Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah – Born in Ghana, West Africa, with one deformed leg, he was dismissed by most people—but not by his mother, who taught him to reach for his dreams. As a boy, Emmanuel hopped to school more than two miles each way, learned to play soccer, left home at age thirteen to provide for his family, and, eventually, became a cyclist. He rode an astonishing four hundred miles across Ghana in 2001, spreading his powerful message: disability is not inability. Today, Emmanuel continues to work on behalf of the disabled.
• The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee – Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the US military. She was born fearless—she was not afraid of anything, and the moment she took her first airplane ride, she knew where she belonged. When people scoffed at her dreams of becoming a pilot, Hazel wouldn’t take no for an answer. She joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. It was a dangerous job, but Hazel flew with joy and boldness.
• Salt in His Shoes – Michael Jordan. The mere mention of the name conjures up visions of basketball played at its absolute best. But as a child, Michael almost gave up on his hoop dreams, all because he feared he’d never grow tall enough to play the game that would one day make him famous. That’s when his mother and father stepped in and shared the invaluable lesson of what really goes into the making of a champion—patience, determination, and hard work.
• Thank you, Mr. Falker – Patricia Polacco is now one of America’s most loved children’s book creators, but once upon a time, she was a little girl named Trisha starting school. Trisha could paint and draw beautifully, but when she looked at words on a page, all she could see was jumble. It took a very special teacher to recognize little Trisha’s dyslexia: Mr. Falker, who encouraged her to overcome her reading disability. Patricia Polacco will never forget him, and neither will we.
• She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World – This story is about thirteen American girls who overcame great obstacles to become amazing women who helped shape our country. They did this by persistently standing up and speaking out for the right thing even when it was hard or looked down upon. Chelsea Clinton’s book features Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Clara Lemlich, Nellie Bly, Maria Tallchief, Claudette Colvin, Ruby Bridges, Margaret Chase Smith, Sally Ride, Florence Griffith Joyner, Oprah Winfrey, Sonia Sotomayor, and one other inspirational woman. This book encourages young children, especially girls, to overlook their worries and always be courageous as they face adversity. Persistence is highlighted throughout the book through each of the women’s stories.

Picture Books on Perseverance

Children’s books about perseverance can be powerful tools for instilling determination and grit in children. Besides providing entertainment, they also serve to inspire by offering concrete examples of people (or sometimes animals) that achieve their goals through hard work and dedication. By seeing characters in books succeed by facing challenges with strength, children can internalize the message that hard work and resilience are important than simply being the best from the start.

• A Thousand No’s – This empowering picture book teaches readers that even great ideas sometimes get a NO―but that NO can actually help great ideas become the best ideas!
• The Curious Garden – One boy’s quest for a greener world… one garden at a time. While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.
• The Most Magnificent Thing – For the early grades’ exploration of character education, this funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. The girl’s frustration and anger are vividly depicted in the detailed art, and the story offers good options for dealing honestly with these feelings, while at the same time reassuring children that it’s okay to make mistakes. The clever use of verbs in groups of threes is both fun and functional, offering opportunities for wonderful vocabulary enrichment. The girl doesn’t just ”make“ her magnificent thing — she ”tinkers and hammers and measures,“ she ”smoothes and wrenches and fiddles,“ she ”twists and tweaks and fastens.“ These precise action words are likely to fire up the imaginations of youngsters eager to create their own inventions and is a great tie-in to learning about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
• Hooray I Can Do It! – In this story, we meet Max and his parents. It’s Max’s first day of swimming lessons, and he’s super excited. But, things don’t go too well on that first try. Feeling frustrated, Max wants to give up on his dream. Luckily, his parents are there to teach him how to win!
• Rosie Revere Engineer – Rosie is afraid of failure, so she hides her inventions under her bed. That is, until her great-great-aunt Rose (also known as Rosie the Riveter) pays her a visit. Aunt Rose teaches Rosie that the first flop isn’t something to fear; it’s something to celebrate. Failure only truly happens if you quit. And so, Rosie learns to embrace her passion, celebrate her missteps, and pursue her dreams with persistence. 
• Brave Irene – Brave Irene is Irene Bobbin, the dressmaker’s daughter. Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn’t feeling so well and can’t possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she’s made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that’s brewing– quite an errand for a little girl. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, as Irene proves in the danger-fraught adventure that follows. She must defy the wiles of the wicked wind, her most formidable opponent, and overcome many obstacles before she completes her mission.

Animal Stories About Perseverance

• Giraffes Can’t Dance – a touching tale of Gerald the giraffe, who wants nothing more than to dance. With crooked knees and thin legs, it’s harder for a giraffe than you would think. But with some words of encouragement from an unlikely friend, he might just find the courage to be himself on the dance floor. With light-footed rhymes and high-stepping illustrations, this tale is gentle inspiration for every child with dreams of greatness.
• Gobi: A Little Dog with a Big Heart – Prepare to fall in love with the heartwarming and true story of Gobi and Dion. Gobi, a scrappy little stray dog, latches onto a man named Dion and keeps pace alongside him as he runs his way across China in a long 155-mile race. Through cold nights and raging rivers, with little food and water, and through a long, hard journey, these two create a bond unlike any other.
• Train Your Dragon To Do Hard Things – Having a pet dragon is so much fun. He can sit, roll over, and play…He can candle a birthday cake, lit a campfire, or so many other cool things…But what if your dragon is always afraid of doing Hard Things? What if he gives up easily on anything that’s hard? What if he ALWAYS says Yes to everything just because it’s easy to do so? What if he’s afraid to stand up for his friend just because it’s easier to stay quiet? What if he can’t persevere through anything that’s difficult? What should you do? You train him to do Hard Things!
• Gritty Kitty – “Gritty Kitty, stumble and fall, stand back up—no problem at all!” Young readers will see themselves in Gritty Kitty when Gritty takes a tumble on the playground, struggles to wait patiently for a turn with a favorite toy, and experiences other everyday hurdles. But through grit and resilience, Gritty Kitty learns to get right back up again. With gentle humor, this book encourages young readers to find their own inner strength.
• After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again – This tale follows Humpty Dumpty, an avid bird watcher whose favorite place to be is high up on the city wall―that is, until after his famous fall. Now terrified of heights, Humpty can longer do many of the things he loves most. Will he summon the courage to face his fear? After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) is a masterful picture book that will remind readers of all ages that life begins when you get back up.
• The Little Engine That Could – The kindness and determination of the Little Blue Engine have inspired millions of children around the world since the story was first published in 1930. Cherished by readers for ninety years, The Little Engine That Could is a classic tale of a little engine that, despite her size, triumphantly pulls a train full of wonderful things to the children waiting on the other side of a mountain. 
• You Can Do It! A Little Book about the Big Power of Perseverance with Elmo – Featuring beloved Sesame Street characters, this empowering picture book shows kids that even if they can’t do something YET, they can do it with practice and perseverance! When Elmo tries to write his name but keeps messing up the letters, his mom reminds him that it’s okay! He might not know how to write his name yet, but with more practice, he can do it. This inspiring message continues throughout Sesame Street in a pay-it-forward way as Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and more friends support one another through activities like counting, tying shoes, matching shapes, and more. 

Practical Books for Helping Kids with Perseverance and Determination

Perseverance is my Superpower – Through vibrant illustrations and captivating rhymes, your child will learn: the magic of perseverance and resilience in conquering their dreams, how to conquer challenges with unwavering courage and determination, the art of patience and practice in mastering new skills, the joy of embracing failure as a vital part of their growth and the invigorating mantra of “Yes, I can!” in the face of life’s trials.

I Choose to Try Again – In this rhyming story, Kiara learns how to keep going even when things get too hard. Through colorful illustrations and rhythmic rhymes, Kiara reflects on her mistakes and realizes that mistakes help her grow. Instead of avoiding them, she learns from them so she can improve.

A Little Spot of Perseverance – A story about not giving up! Join a little SPOT of Perseverance as he shows two young kids all the times they were able to succeed when they just kept trying.

I Can Do Hard Things: Mindful Affirmations for Kids – What kids tell themselves matters! It becomes their inner voice. It helps them connect to their power within. Help your child learn to tap into their inner strength and resilience when challenges arise. This book introduces children to the practice of using mindful affirmations for support and encouragement when they need it. It is a vivid and empowering book reflects the beautiful diversity in our world.

Themed Book Lists for Your Homeschool

Themed Book Lists for Your Homeschool – I know that especially when my children were younger, I spent countless hours searching for and collecting books to sit and read with them, or to leave around so they could pick up and read them.

Books on bees, flowers, trees, frogs or the human body for science. Books about composers and artists, or poetry. Of course we can’t forget all the holiday books! (Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s and so many more!)

Here are a few themed book lists from our archives {Including some from our sister sites!}. Also stay tuned as we add more themed book lists such as winter, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, frogs, sharks and more!