Kids Books About Determination

My kids are either super determined or completely apathetic. When either of them gets it in their heads that they want to learn something, to tackle it – nothing will stop them.

My son will work for several hours in a row on a complicated lego model, not stopping until it is done. This makes lego quite an expensive hobby, though he is now more motivated to complete chores to earn money to buy more lego models.

My daughter loves to craft and to try all the things. Her catchphrase is “Mom, I’ve got this.” If I try to help her it becomes “MOM, I’ve GOT this.” She is a real DIYer.

With other things, my kids are not so determined. When they have intrinsic motivation to complete something, like the characters in the stories recommended below, there is no stopping them. When there is no intrinsic motivation, I’m the one who has to be determined to continue on pushing them to learn, teaching, encouraging, reframing, praising…This determination is one of the more exhausting aspects of teaching for me.

What is determination?

Determination means to focus your energy on something until you’ve completed it. You don’t have to finish the job all in one sitting, but if you put it down and take a break, you come back to it consistently until it is finished. You don’t abandon or quit the project. Sometimes we need to use our willpower to strengthen our determination, especially when we don’t really like what we are having to work on, or the job is really hard for us.

Below are some books that feature characters that inspire me to determinedly keep plugging away at the difficult tasks of teaching writing and math, and my kids love them too. We can do hard things!

Manjhi Moves a Mountain by Nancy Churnin 

This is one of my all-time favourite children’s books. It tells the true story of Manjhi, a man who, over 22 years in his spare time, cut a path through a mountain with a chisel and a hammer to connect his village to medical care and education in the larger city on the other side. Sometimes the most worthwhile and impactful jobs (like homeschooling) take years and years to bear fruit.

Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse – Leo Lionni

In this story, Alexander determinedly figures out a way to bring his toy friend to life.

Mr. Archimedes’ Bath by Pamela Allen

Mr. Archimedes has a question – why does the bath water overflow the tub when he gets in? He tests hypotheses again and again until he comes up with an answer.

The Kite in the Frog and Toad Complete Collection by Arnold Lobel

Frog and Toad want to fly their kite but it will just not stay up! They are ready to give up after much determined effort, but they give it one more shot!

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

This tells the true story of a man who was determined to tight-rope walk between the world trade centers. Sometimes our determination can lead us to do some pretty dangerous and illegal things. This story can be a great conversation starter on that topic.

Hope you enjoyed these stories as much as we did!

Enjoyed this post? Check out some of my other recent posts!

• Making Homeschooling Work During Home Remodeling
• Why Halloween is Important for Kids
• Kids Books about Trustworthiness
• Having a Pet Hamster for Families
• Kids Books About Compassion

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