With so much going on in the world, it can be hard to feel brave. I want my kids to know just how strong they are. That despite their size, they can find the courage to face their fears. Sometimes I like to turn to a book when I can’t find the words myself. Here are some great books about bravery and courage.
You can click on any of the titles below to learn more about each book or find all of these children’s books about bravery and courage on my Amazon page.
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CHILDREN’S BOOKS ABOUT BRAVERY AND COURAGE
When You Are Brave
by Pat Zietlow Miller
Saying goodbye to neighbors. Worrying about new friends. Passing through a big city. Seeing a dark road ahead. In these moments, a young girl feels small and quiet and alone. But when she breathes deeply and looks inside herself, a hidden spark of courage appears, one she can nurture and grow until she glows inside and out.
Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave
by Jessica Hische
Tomorrow I’ll be all the things I tried to be today:
Adventurous, Strong, Smart, Curious, Creative, Confident, & Brave.
And if I wasn’t one of them, I know that it’s OK.
Journey through a world filled with positive and beautifully hand-lettered words of widsom, inspiration, and motivation. As this book reminds readers, tomorrow is another day, full of endless opportunities–all you have to do is decide to make the day yours.
The Day You Begin
by Jacqueline Woodson
There will be times when you walk into a room
and no one there is quite like you.
There are many reasons to feel different. Maybe it’s how you look or talk, or where you’re from; maybe it’s what you eat, or something just as random. It’s not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it.
There Might Be Lobsters
by Carolyn Crimi
Lots of things at the beach scare Sukie. Lots. Because she is just a small dog, and the stairs are big and sandy, and the waves are big and whooshy, and the balls are big and beachy. And besides, there might be lobsters. With endearing illustrations and a perfectly paced text that captures a timid pup’s looping thoughts, here is a funny and honest read-aloud about how overwhelming the world can be when you’re worried — and how empowering it is to overcome your fears when it matters the most.
Jabari Jumps
by Gaia Cornwall
Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He’s finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he’s a great jumper, so he’s not scared at all. “Looks easy,” says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. He needs to figure out what kind of special jump to do anyway, and he should probably do some stretches before climbing up onto the diving board. In a sweetly appealing tale of overcoming your fears, newcomer Gaia Cornwall captures a moment between a patient and encouraging father and a determined little boy you can’t help but root for.
Flight School
by Lita Judge
Although little Penguin has the soul of an eagle, his body wasn’t built to soar. But Penguin has an irrepressible spirit, and he adamantly follows his dreams to flip, flap, fly! Even if he needs a little help with the technical parts, this penguin is ready to live on the wind.
Ron’s Big Mission
by Rose Blue
Nine-year-old Ron loves going to the Lake City Public Library to look through all the books on airplanes and flight. Today, Ron is ready to take out books by himself. But in the segregated world of South Carolina in the 1950s, Ron’s obtaining his own library card is not just a small rite of passage—it is a young man’s first courageous mission. Here is an inspiring story, based on Ron McNair’s life, of how a little boy, future scientist, and Challenger astronaut desegregated his library through peaceful resistance.
The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do
by Ashley Spires
Lou and her friends run FASTER than airplanes. They build MIGHTY fortresses. They rescue WILD animals. Lou is brave enough for anything! That is, until her friends decide to climb a tree. Lou has never climbed a tree before. She doesn’t think she can do it. She likes her adventures to be DOWN, not UP.
But when the excuses run out, it’s time to face facts: this adventure looks like FUN! If only Lou could climb trees! Is she brave enough to TRY?
What Do You Do with a Chance?
by Kobi Yamada
In this story, a child is visited by his first chance and unsure what to do with it, he lets it go. Later on, when a new chance arrives he reaches for it, but this time he misses and falls. Embarrassed and afraid, he begins ignoring each new chance that comes by, even though he still wants to take them. Then one day he realizes that he doesn’t need to be brave all the time, just at the right time, to find out what amazing things can happen when he takes a chance!
Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun
by Maria Dismondy
How can Ralph be so mean? Lucy is one of a kind and Ralph loves to point that out. Lucy’s defining moment comes when Ralph truly needs help. Because she knows what she stands for, Lucy has the courage to make a good choice. This charming story empowers children to always do the right thing and be proud of themselves, even when they are faced with someone as challenging as Ralph.
After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)
by Dan Santat
Everyone knows that when Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. But what happened after?
Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat’s poignant tale follows Humpty Dumpty, an avid bird watcher whose favorite place to be is high up on the city wall―that is, until after his famous fall. Now terrified of heights, Humpty can longer do many of the things he loves most.
Will he summon the courage to face his fear?
Brave
by Stacy McAnulty
Superheroes seek adventure, never give up, and stay calm when others are
afraid. Superheroes are brave. But they aren’t the only ones.
Kids are brave every day. When they are told they are too little, but accomplish something big. When they check for monsters under the bed, just in case. When they face something uncertain, whether a thunderstorm or a hospital visit. When they stand up for what’s right, even when it means facing consequences.
Like superheroes, brave kids can save the world, just by being brave.
Truman
by Jean Reidy
Truman the tortoise lives with his Sarah, high above the taxis and the trash trucks and the number eleven bus, which travels south. He never worries about the world below…until one day, when Sarah straps on a big backpack and does something Truman has never seen before. She boards the bus!
Truman waits for her to return.
He waits.
And waits.
And waits.
And when he can wait no longer, he knows what he must do.
Even if it seems…impossible!
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns about Courage
by Howard Binkow
In this book, Howard learns how to work with fear issues.
Scaredy Squirrel
by Mélanie Watt
Scaredy Squirrel never leaves his nut tree. It’s way too dangerous out there. He could encounter tarantulas, green Martians or killer bees. But in his tree, every day is the same and if danger comes along, he’s well-prepared. Scaredy Squirrel’s emergency kit includes antibacterial soap, Band-Aids and a parachute.
Day after day he watches and waits, and waits and watches, until one day … his worst nightmare comes true! Scaredy suddenly finds himself out of his tree, where germs, poison ivy and sharks lurk.
But as Scaredy Squirrel leaps into the unknown, he discovers something really uplifting …
The Kissing Hand
by Audrey Penn
School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called the Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary.
Sheila Rae, the Brave
by Kevin Henkes
“I am very brave,” Sheila Rae said, patting herself on the back. She wasn’t afraid of anything—not thunder, not lightning, not the big black dog at the end of the block. And when she wanted to walk home a new way and Louise wouldn’t, she called her sister a scaredy-cat and set out alone. But all the bravado in the world failed to help when Sheila Rae found herself lost. Luckily, her sister was not far behind.
Brave Irene
by William Steig
Brave Irene is Irene Bobbin, the dressmaker’s daughter. Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn’t feeling so well and can’t possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she’s made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that’s brewing– quite an errand for a little girl.
But where there’s a will, there’s a way, as Irene proves in the danger-fraught adventure that follows. She must defy the wiles of the wicked wind, her most formidable opponent, and overcome many obstacles before she completes her mission.
Brave Little Bear
by Steve Small
It’s time for Arlo the bear and his family to leave their winter den and journey to Spring Valley, but he doesn’t feel ready for the big departure from the home he likes just the way it is. Sometimes Arlo wishes he could be brave like his sister, Eva. But when a snowstorm hits and separates the family as they travel through the Great Wood, Arlo finds that being brave when you’re afraid is the bravest brave of all.
Do you have a favorite book about bravery and courage? I’d love to check it out!
Be sure to check out these Growth Mindset Books for Kids.
All of my book lists can be found here.
Happy Reading!
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