Practice Tips #1: Children’s Books on Perseverance

Hello and welcome to Keeper of the Keys! Here, you’ll find my musings on everything from practice tips to gear and beyond.

This week, I’ve been thinking about how to encourage my students to keep practicing and continue with lessons, especially when things start getting more challenging. These books can help teach children the importance of perseverance, showing that sticking with a goal (like learning piano!) can pay off in the long run. They’re mainly meant for children between Pre-K through 3rd Grade but are certainly suitable for kids from 1 to 92. Enjoy!

Affiliate Disclosure: I only recommend products I actively use and love myself. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Five Children’s Books on the Value of Determination

1. Salt in His Shoes, by Michael Jordan (affiliate link)

This one is for all the little sports fans out there! When we think of Michael Jordan, we often imagine the professional athlete who has complete and total mastery of his craft, but in this book, we meet Michael as child. Michael is worried that he won’t be good at basketball because he’ll never be tall enough. But with encouragement from his parents, he learns that height isn’t everything: practice and determination are what make the difference.

2. The Most Magnificent Thing, by Ashley Spires (affiliate link)

A girl has a great idea: she’ll make the most magnificent thing! She already knows exactly how she will make it and how it will look. But executing the project is hardly easy at all, and she gets so frustrated and angry that she eventually quits. After her dog convinces her to take a walk, she returns to her project with a fresh perspective.

3. Flight School, by Lita Judge (affiliate link)

Little penguin is determined to learn how to fly like an eagle. With an exuberant sense of determination and a little help with the technicalities, he finally makes his dream a reality.

4. How to Catch a Star, by Oliver Jeffers (affiliate link)

A boy wants to catch a star and tries everything he can think of to get one down—jumping up and trying to grab one out of the air, lassoing it down, trying to climb to the top of the tallest tree. After all his efforts, the boy’s wish comes true, but in a different way than he had planned.

5. A Chair for My Mother, by Vera B. Williams (affiliate link)

After a fire destroys their home, Rosa and her family save up for a new chair her mother can enjoy after a hard day’s work as a waitress. At first, they can only place a few coins at a time into a big jar. Finally, after scrimping and saving, they are able to afford the chair they’ve dreamed of.

Hope you enjoy reading these to your little ones!

Happy practicing!