Book Recommendations to Support the Seven Habits
Being a Leader by Robin Nelson
303.3 NEL
A basic nonfiction book that looks at how children can be leaders at school, in their community, and at home.
Leadership by Kris Hirschmann
303.3 HIR
A more in-depth look at what leadership is, breaking down the elements that create effective leaders. Chapters cover such topics as: leading by example, taking charge, teamwork, being decisive, commitment, attitude, communication, consistency, flexibility, respecting others, and knowing your limits. Each topic is illustrated with examples of both historical and present-day leaders, including young people.
HABIT 1: BE PROACTIVE
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman E HOF
Grace truly wants to be Peter Pan in the school play, even though she is told that Peter Pan isn’t black and he was a boy! She decides to “go for it” anyway – with support from her family, true inspiration, and lots of hard work she makes her dream come true.
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper E PIP
Most are familiar with this classic tale of the engine that is too small, but when everyone else refuses to help get the toys over the hill to the children, the littlest engine keeps trying … “I think I can I think I can”… until she achieves her goal.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
B KAM
This true story of a boy who faces overwhelming odds in his home country, yet perseveres in his learning and brings electricity to his small village. Could be used with multiple habits - like Begin with the End in MInd.
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood E WOO
The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle E CAR
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss E KRA
Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen by Cari Best E BES
The Boy Who Lived with the Bears and other Iroquois Stories by Joseph Bruchac
398.2 BRU
Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull B RUD
When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry by Molly Bang
E BAN
Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan
E JOR
Someday a Tree by Eve Bunting
E BUN
On My Honor by Marion Bauer
F BAU
Arthur's Pet Business by Marc Brown
E BRO
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
E SEU
The Berenstain Bears and the messy room [electronic resource] by Stan & Jan Berenstain
E BER
HABIT 2: BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai by Claire A. Nivola B MAA
This true story of Wangari Maathai shows that one woman’s efforts and focus on her goal can change a nation. When Maathai returns to her beloved Kenya after schooling in the States, she is shocked by the destruction of the trees and land. She works with the women to begin by planting trees, one by one, to restore Kenya. Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts.
Mrs. Harkness and the Panda by Alicia Potter
599.789 POT
A true story of a young woman who heads to China in the 1930's to bring back a panda. The fact that she does this alone, in a time when young women were not given much respect or rights, shows her perseverance and commitment to the end that she and her former husband had in mind.
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle E CAR
Eric Carle’s tale shows the determination of the very busy spider as she continues to spin her web, without being distracted by those around her.
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle E CAR
Hermit Crab begins with his simple shell, but always has a vision for how it will look when he is done. He continues adding decorations along the way, and even though he must start all over at the end, he begins again with the end in mind.
Ryan and Jimmy: And the Well in Africa That Brought Them Together by Herb Shoveller
361.7 SHO
This true story follows the amazing gift that Ryan Hreljac gave to his friend Jimmy - a well that changed the lives of his village. When Ryan was only 6 years old, in first grade, he heard from his classroom teacher about the problems that people in other parts of world faced daily, such as lack of safe drinking water. Ryan didn't forget this lesson! He rose to the challenge and worked to raise the money necessary to build a well in Uganda,
The Three Little Pigs – any variation – compare how pigs each approached their task – the first two pigs are clearly focused on just getting their house built and getting on with their fun, while the third pig focuses on building a house that is safe and secure.
The Gingerbread Baby and The Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett E BRE
In this variation of the Gingerbread Boy, Maddie creates a gingerbread that predictably runs away. Rather than
chasing after the gingerbread, Maddie immediately starts making more gingerbread to attract the gingerbread baby to come home again (a house in the first story, and friends in the second).
The School Story by Andrew Clements F CLE
Where do you think you're going Christopher Columbus by Jean Fritz
B COL
Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin E CRO
Close to Famous by Joan Bauer F BAU
Bobby Baseball by Robert Kimmel Smith F SMI
Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats E KEA
Galimoto by Karen Lynn Williams E WIL
Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle E CAR
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
B COO
Franklin is Messy by Paulette Bourgeois
E BOU
HABIT 3: PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST
The Ants and the Grasshopper – Aesop 398.2GRA
This short fable exemplifies the habit to work first and play later, as the ants are busy storing up food and preparing for winter while the grasshopper plays. When winter arrives, they must take care of their ill-prepared friend.
The Little Red Hen – any variation 398.24 LIT
This classic folk tale shows that one must persevere and “put first things first” if one wants to enjoy the reward at the end.
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez byKathleen Krull B CHA
This biography of Cesar Chavez shows how he dedicated his life to enacting change by convincing one person at a time to join his cause, and fighting for small changes that added up to large social change.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle E CAR
Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World by Mildred Pitts Walter F WAL
Begin at the Beginning: A Little Artist Learns About Life by Amhy Schwartz E SCH
Alejandro's Gift by Richard E. Albert E ALB
Jamaica's Find by Juanita Havill E HAV
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan F RYA
The TV Kid by Betsy Byars F BYA
Small Steps: the Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret B KEH
Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London E LON
HABIT 4: THINK WIN-WIN
Monkey & Robot by Peter Catalanotto
F CAT
This short chapter book is about two very different friends. "Monster Movie" is a great example of how 2 friends can think win-win. Robot loves scary movies & Monkey hates them. Robot thinks of ways to encourage Monkey to watch with him (cover your head with a blanket, eat popcorn, etc)... The result is 2 happy friends.
Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister E PFI
The rainbow fish believes that he is the most beautiful fish in the whole ocean. When he realizes that he has no
friends and is all alone, he seeks advice and learns to share his beautiful scales with everyone. It turns out to be a “win-win” situation for all involved.
The Art of Miss Chew by Patricia Polacco
F POL
This autobiographical book explores the childhood of Patricia Polacco, a gifted author and illustrator, who faced a difficult childhood due to her dyslexia. Trisha struggles with learning in class, but her beloved teacher sees her artistic talent and provides her learning opportunities with the high school art teacher, Miss Chew. When Trisha almost loses this opportunity when a substitute arrives, teachers step in to find a win-win solution for Trisha.
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse by Leo Lionni E LIO
The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins E HUT
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle by Eric Carle E CAR
Let's Be Enemies by Janice May Udry E UDR
The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss E SEU
Dragon Stew by Tom McGowen E SMA
HABIT 5: SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown E BRO
“The Runaway Bunny follows the thoughts of the little bunny who thinks he would like to run away. By
Seeking First to Understand, Mother Rabbit truly listens to her little bunny. She then Seeks to Be Understood by offering assurance that she will always come and find him.” (Covey, n.d.)
Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
371 MOR
This children's adaptation of Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson shares how Dr. Greg changed the lives of children in Korphe, Afghanistan by learning to listen and observe the villagers. This story also demonstrates synergy as the villages work together with Dr. Greg to build a bridge and a school for the village.
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon E CAN
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka E SCI
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman E EAS
Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino E GUA
Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare F SPE
Rules by Cynthia Lord F LOR
Corduroy by Don Freeman
E FRE
Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel
E LOB
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema
398.2 WHY (also available in DVD)
Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard
E ALL
Hey Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose
782.42 HOO
HABIT 6: SYNERGIZE
Swimmy by Leo Lionni E LIO
“Swimmy is a little fish swimming alone in the ocean. He finds a school of fish like him and encourages them to come with him to see the other amazing ocean animals- but they are too scared. Swimmy uses synergy and leadership to come up with a plan.” (Covey, n.d.)
Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed Their World by Allan Drummond
333.9 DRU
"The island of Samso in Denmark was once a very ordinary place, and the people who lived there were ordinary too. In fact, the only thing that made Sanso unusual at all was that it was very, very windy. Then the ordinary citizens of this ordinary island decided to do something extraordinary: they drastically reduced their carbon emissions and became almost completely energy independent. And they did it all with the help of the wind! This inspiring true story proves that, with a big idea and a lot of hard work, anyone can make a huge step toward energy conservation." The members of Samso, both children and adults, synergize to save their community.
The Crayon Box that Talked by Shane Derolf E DER
This book begins with all of the crayons arguing about which color is better, until the narrator draws an illustration and makes each color realize that they all are important to the final picture.
Stone Soup - any retelling 398.2 MUT
This folk tale shows how the soldiers “trick” the townspeople into synergizing and creating a product that is
better than any one family could create on their own. Each person contributes to the soup, making a soup that is delicious and shared by all.
Seven Spools of Thread by Angela Shelf Madearis E MED
Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall E HAL
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams E WIL
How the 2nd Grade Got $8205.50 to Visit the Statue of Liberty by Nathan Zimelman E ZIM
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konisgburg F KON
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle F LEN
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech F CRE
The Chalk Box Kid by Clyde Robert Bulla F BUL
Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco E POL
The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy
E FLO
HABIT 7: SHARPEN THE SAW
The Napping House by Audrey Wood E WOO
This playful story shows the importance of resting.
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats E KEA
“Peter finds all kinds of imaginative things to do in the snow and even puts some snow in his pocket for later. Peter shows us how playing in the snow, being imaginative and taking a warm bath afterwards are all part of being a leader and sharpening our saw.”(Covey, n.d.)
It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw E SHA
This playful story shows the value of imagination.
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen E YOL
Don't Let the Pigeon Stay up Late! by Mo Willems E WIL
Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D.B. Johnson E JOH
Me I Am! by Jack Prelutsky 811 PRE
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg E VAN
Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen by DyAnne DiSalvo Ryan E DIS
The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky 811 PRE
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein 811 SHE