Books about Grit, Passion, Resilience and Perseverance for Teens

When it comes to parenting and educating my kids, one of the things I want to do is give them the skills they need to tackle anything that comes at them in life. Some those skills include grit, passion, resilience, perseverance and a belief in their own capabilities. One of the ways I hope to instill these skills in my children is through quality books, both fiction and non-fiction, that will help illustrate these skills, how to apply them and how they look in real life. Below I’ve gathered up some books that I hope will inspire and teach my children.

BOOKS TO EMPOWER TEENS TO BE RESILIENT THROUGH THE TOUGH STUFF

What you will discover in this article!

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When it comes to teens there is such a diversity in their mental growth over the years. No one will argue that a 13 year old has a very different mindset and view of the world than a 19 year old. At 19 we are very much into young adulthood. And let’s face it, some 13 year olds are still incredibly young mentally, while others have already started taking the weight of the world onto their shoulders.

When teaching life skills it is important that we ensure we are teaching where the person is at in their maturity and growth. I’ve provided a large variety of materials here so there is something for everyone. Just remember, if you provide your child with one of these books and they really don’t get “into it”, don’t fret, try a different one and put the original one away for a future day.

One of my biggest tips for using these books effectively with teens is for you to read them yourself first before giving them to your teen. One of the big things most teens want is to feel like they are being heard and understood. For them to really internalize these concepts they will likely want to talk about them with you. So make sure you have done your homework and can be an intelligent and informed participant in those discussions.

A lot of these books are available as audiobooks too! You can also find lots of them on Hoopla where you can check them out for free with your library card.

Teaching Books To Help Teens Master Resilience, Perseverance and Grit

These are books that explicitly set out to teach important life skills to the reader. Often they include exercises and activities to help readers understand the lessons being taught. Often called a self-help book, these books are a great way to bring these lessons in teens lives in a more formal way.

Non-Fiction True Story Books That Educate Teens About Grit and Resilience

Non-fiction books are a great way to see how real life people used important skills like grit, resilience, passion and perseverance to get through incredibly hard situations. These stories are true stories and with that comes a sense of truth and immediacy that can really resonate with teens. Where available I have included various versions of stories, such as an adult and young adult version.

Fiction Books To Teach Life Skills To Teens

To teach, a book doesn’t need to be a textbook or workbook, or the real life story of some amazing person. Some of the greatest lessons we learn can come from fiction books with fictional characters. Where we can be truly immersed in the world, emotions and thoughts of the characters. Modeling strong life skills in books is a great way to help teens see these skills at work and learn how they can adapt them into their own lives. And let’s face it, lots of teens prefer fiction books that are so completely different from what they normally read at school.

Where available I have included unit study and teacher resources to help with adapting these books for lessons.