My perspective as a parent, grandparent, and teacher has changed since I’ve read Mindset. I only wish I had heard about this book sooner. After I read Mindset, I felt like I had discovered the secret sauce for learning. As a teacher, I was always searching for new ways to motivate my students. I adopted innovative strategies and new trends that were engaging. As a result, I was named Teacher of the Year in my school district. Because Dweck’s messages about how the brain learns, the value of mistakes, and perseverance are key to improving a child’s achievement, I annually present this topic at both teacher conferences and parent meetings.
My perspective totally changed as a parent and teacher after reading, Mindset I thought I knew what a growth mindset was all about, but Dweck’s insightful research quickly changed my mind. A growth mindset is more than a “I can” mantra, or learning from mistakes, or persevering through challenges.
Dweck’s research explains how the brain is like a muscle that grows smarter due to its neuroplasticity. I became more intrigued when Dweck showed to school-aged students various brain scans of different brain regions “lighting up” during learning. After I read about Jimmy, I was hooked.
Knowing that our brains make new neural pathways when we are learning is very empowering. That is why we can get smarter, and that’s why I wrote my children’s book.
From the renowned psychologist who introduced the world to “growth mindset” comes this updated edition of the million-copy bestseller—featuring transformative insights into redefining success, building lifelong resilience, and supercharging self-improvement.
“Through clever research studies and engaging writing, Dweck illuminates how our beliefs about our capabilities exert tremendous influence on how we learn and which paths we take in life.”—Bill Gates, GatesNotes
“It’s not always the people who start out the smartest who end up the smartest.”
After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this…
I was like Rosie growing up. I loved to build with my brother’s Lincoln Logs, Legos, and blocks. I even tried my hand at building a tree “fort” once, quite unsuccessfully.
But unlike Rosie, I was creating for fun with no one around. Rosie, however, was showing her inventions to her uncle and aunt, and they loved them. She had a great imagination. I loved the book’s illustrations of Rosie’s gizmos and gadgets created out of treasures found in the recycling bins.
Even though her inventions often failed, her great, great aunt would exclaim it was a brilliant first flop…a perfect failure. But Rosie never quit. As a teacher I often select this book for a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) read-aloud, since it’s a great example for girls.
From the powerhouse author/illustrator team of Iggy Peck, Architect comes Rosie Revere, Engineer, another charming, witty picture book about pursuing your passion. Rosie may seem quiet during the day, but at night she's a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. When her Great, Great Aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal--to fly--Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt's dream come true. Her invention complete, Rosie attempts a test flight--but after a moment, the machine crashes to the ground. Discouraged, Rosie deems…
I like this book because it has humor, a lesson learned, and (spoiler alert) a happy ending.
The main character, Beatrice, is very serious about being perfect. In fact, she prides herself on being a perfectionist. She seems perfect in practically every way until one day when she enters a talent show. One can only imagine all the worries or fear that come to mind when about to perform in front of an audience.
That’s why I enjoyed this book, because many probably have the same worries or fear like Beatrice – what happens when I mess up? Beatrice’s fear unfortunately becomes a reality when she’s faced with that very problem. How Beatrice handles it at the end is both puzzling and exciting. Perhaps we all should be more like Beatrice.
Every student, teacher, and perfectionist needs to read this book about learning and growing from your mistakes! The perfect introduction to growth mindset, The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes is:
A growth mindset book for kids A teacher must-have for classrooms An educational book for ages 4-8 (and for everyone learning growth mindset!)
Beatrice Bottomwell has NEVER (not once!) made a mistake. She never forgets her math homework, she never wears mismatched socks, and she ALWAYS wins the yearly talent show at school. In fact, the entire town calls her The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes!
What kids don’t like stories about a dragon? I know my students did.
This book is one from a series of dragon books by Steve Herman that has rhyming lines and colorful illustrations that remind me of a comic book. I really like it because of its messages to kids about learning from mistakes. As a teacher, I have seen too many children who want to be perfect. I think stories like this can begin to normalize mistakes so that children will learn to accept them as a natural part of learning.
Diggory Doo the Dragon deals with a lot of mistakes that bring him blame, shame, and tears. He wants to quit but then realizes that such situations later prove to be just chances to do better next time.
The first two words of this book’s title “Everyone Can” got my attention. And as I flipped through the pages, I was really drawn to its brightly painted illustrations that reminded me so much of modern artwork.
This book is by a two-time Caldecott Medalist and was a Junior Library Guild Selection winner. Its theme is very relatable, for I myself endured the same challenges that many face when learning to ride a bike. The story includes training wheels, holding on, letting go, and of course, falling. (However, I sure don’t remember having the benefit of training wheels.)
There are lots of ups and downs in the story with encouraging words that can propel any child through their many attempts. Perhaps you can predict how this story ends.
“[Raschka's] marvelous sequences, fluid style, and emotional intelligence capture all of the momentum and exhilaration of this glorious accomplishment,” raves School Library Journal in a starred review.
Learning to ride a bike is one of the most important milestones of childhood, and no one captures the emotional ups and downs of the experience better than Chris Raschka, who won the 2012 Caldecott Medal for A Ball for Daisy. In this simple yet emotionally rich "guide," a father takes his daughter through all the steps in the process—from choosing the perfect bicycle to that triumphant first successful ride. Using very few…
Growing Smarter, winner of a Mom’s Choice Award Honoring Excellence, is a delightful story about a little owl whooo finds out that quitting is not an option when a mistake happens. In fact, making mistakes is only the beginning because there must be more effort, attempts, persistence, and perseverance before succeeding.
Little owl learns an amazing fact— that the brain is like a muscle that gets stronger and smarter. After trying again and again in somewhat humorous ways, the little owl feels proud about not giving up and even begins to accept challenges without fear of failing. In doing so, the little owl realizes the power of yet, solves a problem, becomes a critical thinker, and fosters a growth mindset that is beneficial for life.
I’m an OB/GYN, passionate about adventuring beyond what’s expected. This has led me to pivot multiple times in my career, now focusing on writing. I’ve written a play, The Post-Roe Monologues, to elevate women’s stories. I cherish the curiosity that drives outer and inner exploration, and I love memoirs that skillfully weave the two. The books on this list feature extraordinary women who took risks, left comfort and safety, and battled vulnerability to step into the unknown. These authors moved beyond the stories they’d believed about themselves–or that others told about them. They invite you to think about living fuller and bigger lives.
Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.
The team attempts a new route up the East Face without the use of supplemental oxygen, Sherpa support, or chance for rescue. When three climbers disappear during their summit attempt, Zieman reaches the knife edge of her limits and digs deeply to fight for the climbers’ lives and to find her voice.
The plan was outrageous: A small team of four climbers would attempt a new route on the East Face of Mt. Everest, considered the most remote and dangerous side of the mountain, which had only been successfully climbed once before. Unlike the first large team, Mimi Zieman and her team would climb without using supplemental oxygen or porter support. While the unpredictable weather and high altitude of 29,035 feet make climbing Everest perilous in any condition, attempting a new route, with no idea of what obstacles lay ahead, was especially audacious. Team members were expected to push themselves to their…
