Serena Williams: A Kids Book About Mental Strength and Cultivating a Champion Mindset (Movers and Shakers Book 7)

Written by Mary Nhin

Illustrated by Yuliia Zolotova

This book is the latest release in the Mini Movers and Shakers series. It is a perfect choice for young tennis enthusiasts.

Nhin relates the story of Serena Williams and her family. Serena began playing tennis at about three years old. Her father thought it a way to develop strong physical, mental, and technical skills.

Readers learn how Serena and her sister, Venus, had to overcome discrimination and self-doubt. The positive self-affirmations and constant support of Serena’s family helped to develop the resilience she needed to succeed in all aspects of her life and career.

Simple but well-done illustrations accompany each page of the inspirational story for elementary and middle-grade readers.

If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right-hand corner of this page.

Check our learning opportunities for the whole family at http://www.LittleMissHISTORY.com

The Improbable Rise of Paco Jones

Written by Dominic Carrillo

A very well-written novel that traces the experiences of a Mexican-American eighth grader struggling to fit into an exclusive private school and falling in love for the first time. Paco Jones is taunted by his classmates as Taco Jones; he is unattractive, nonathletic, uncool and poor. Paco’s biracial parents are determined to see that their son has a chance of success and struggle to give him a good education. Paco wants to gain the acceptance of his peers and please his parents. To complicate his situation further, Paco falls desperately in love with a black girl named Naomi, who is dating Trent, one of the popular jocks at school. When Naomi becomes impressed with Paco’s intelligence and honesty; she takes him into her confidence and reveals her true feelings about Trent. Strangely enough, Trent also enlists Paco’s help in his effort to woo Naomi. Paco becomes trapped between his two friends, and almost gets expelled in the process. Despite the trouble in which Paco finds himself, he remains true to his principles revealing his real character.

This tale deals with many issues that young adult readers face. Paco faces racial discrimination, economic insecurity, first love issues and parental child responsibilities. He winds his way through a myriad of difficulties, only to find out that there is not always a simple solution or a rosy ending. Characters are well- developed multicultural, and multidimensional; readers empathize with Paco, find a strong female role model in Naomi, and discover the strengths and flaws in others like Trent and Mr. Holiday. As a bonus, the author/teacher provides discussion questions that align with the US common core standards. This book also provides a flashback for adult readers who may have forgotten those turbulent junior high days. Recommended for readers age twelve and older.

If you enjoyed reading this post, please subscribe by clicking on the word Follow or by hitting the orange RSS FEED button in the upper right hand corner of this page.