Grit, Perseverance, Resiliency

  His name means calm, but Jalen feels anything but mellow when it’s time to take a test. He struggles to live up to his name because tests make his insides mushy and his thoughts fuzzy.   Whether it’s a scheduled exam or a pop...

Ezekiel is such a sure-handed receiver, he’s always chosen first when teams are picked for football. He’s even earned the nickname EZ, short for endzone, because he catches so many touchdown passes. His good buddy, Joel, however, always gets...

Penny usually feels left out when she tries to hang with the Silver Coin Clique. The other coins, especially Quarter and Half Dollar who are best friends, do everything together and tell Penny she isn't worth much. One day, Penny lands in a pocket with...

Gabe is ready to give up… like always. But today, he’s in for a big surprise.   At breakfast, he wants to impress his mom by making mouthwatering pancakes and then flipping them onto her plate. But his flapjack-flipping skills are...

It has the silliest name ever - Unicorn YAK! This super-sweet slushy is made with cotton candy, topped with sprinkles, and is the most awesome treat Cora June has ever tasted! She can't wait to have another one... and that's the problem. When Mom...

Holly learns the hard way that crossing her fingers and hoping for the best is no strategy for success.     The night before an important English test, Holly socializes more than she studies. On the day of the exam, Holly hopes the...

Winner of the 2021 Counselor's Choice Award! It seems that the older Blake gets, the more he is expected to do!  Blake's baseball team is having a bake sale fundraiser, and he just can't wait for his mom to whip up a batch of her famous chocolate...

2023 Mom's Choice Award - Gold Medal Winner Holly is having a miserable, rotten day! She forgot her “show” for Show and Tell. She dropped her sandwich on the floor. She had to wait and wait and wait because Mom was the very last car in...

Multi-talented Brown is the luckiest pencil in the box! He gets to spend most of his time hanging out with the other pencils, who are all different but have something in common: they each have a talent to share with others that makes them a great friend:...

Molly’s mind is filled with dread and worry, leaving her shaky, sweaty, dizzy, and queasy. She feels like her body’s riding a streetcar that has completely careened out of control. It’s a feeling that comes anytime she’s about to...

Winner of the 2021 Counselor's Choice Award! Flexible thinking allows people to think about things in new ways or to incorporate new information into a specific plan or idea. Flexible thinkers are often able to come up with more than one solution to a...

Winner of the 2021 Counselor's Choice Award! Self-control is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior and to keep one's cool in the face of disappointment. But when children don't get what they want or expect, they often get upset...

Part of the Mom's Choice Award-Winning Best Me I Can Be Series &Recipient of National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval Introduce students in grades K through 6 to the most basic of social skills with this humorous story about RJ and his very rough...

Winner of the 2021 Counselor's Choice Award! Blake generally has a good time...until someone interrupts him and tells him he needs to do something RIGHT NOW! He doesn't understand why he has to clean his room THIS SECOND! And he'd much rather be doing...

Vinnie is fearless. He’s so fearless, everyone calls him Vinnie the Brave. He’s not afraid to climb way up high, capture creepy crawlies with his bare hands, or stare down ghostly looking things. But this courageous kid does have one giant...

Work hard until the job is done!  That is the message Isaac hears repeatedly from his teacher, his coach, and his mom. They have to keep reminding him to finish his tasks because Isaac always – always – puts fun first.  During math...