courage resources
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A CHANCE?
This is another incredible book for children (and adults!) by Kobi Yamada. When presented with an extraordinary opportunity or a "chance," this child does not know what to do with it, and thus the “chance” passes by. The next time the child decides to go for this "chance" and yet he misses it, leading to feelings of vulnerability and embarrassment, and so comes the temptation to avoid, not try, and ignore other chances. This child realizes over time that ignoring chances is not the solution and that with courage, he can try again to take the opportunities that come his way. With this comes great freedom and the potential to lead to something amazing and remarkable.
HENRY’S FREEDOM BOX
This is a beautiful and heart-wrenching story about slavery and Henry Brown's courageous journey to freedom. Henry was a slave, who after his wife and children were taken from him and sold to a new owner, knew that enough was enough. He longed to be free, and it was time to take action. With the help of two others, a creative idea was born that involved Henry being mailed to freedom in Philadelphia. Imagine the courage it takes to want freedom so badly that you are willing to be mailed in a box to a place where you can be free? This powerful story provides both an opportunity to talk more with children about courage and the realities of slavery and the Underground Railroad.
MIRETTE ON THE HIGH WIRE
This story elevates trying new things that interest you even if they are out of the box and outside the norm. For Mirette this involves learning to walk across a high wire, which naturally involves many falls and yet continuing to try again. As Mirette grows in competence and continued courage, she has an opportunity to help the great Bellini continue to be courageous when fear was weighing heavily on him. While we want to encourage our kids to be safe especially if reading this in a school setting, this is a story that inspires bravery of all sorts even in the simplest of ways and beyond encouraging a child to literally follow in Mirette's footsteps.
BRAVE CHARLOTTE AND THE WOLVES
This is a sweet story about a brave sheep named Charlotte who faces what others are afraid of. Upon facing the threat of wolves, Charlotte learns that what everyone is so afraid of is not actually what they thought it was. By facing the fear, she actually is able to find out what was really going on and save the day by rescuing an animal in need through her courage. Younger children may especially enjoy this story.
DISCLAIMER: Elizabeth is a member of Amazon Affiliates. If you choose to buy a product from any of these links, Burton Counseling will receive a small portion of the proceeds. You may choose instead to support your local bookstore and buy directly from them. These are book recommendations with therapeutic and character education themes that may or may not be helpful. This is not therapy itself.
Elizabeth B. Burton is a licensed professional counselor and life coach with Burton Counseling, PLLC. Elizabeth lives just outside of Chattanooga, TN., and you can learn about Elizabeth here. You can learn more about working directly with Elizabeth here. Elizabeth also provides support to individuals and groups through an online course on Coping with Anxiety & Stress and through providing workshops. Elizabeth communicates about mental health and well-being through both the Narrating Hope newsletter and podcast as well as through her writing. Elizabeth would love to connect with you and welcomes you to sign up for the newsletter, listen in to the podcast, reach out about working together, and connect on social media.