From Playtime to Persistence: Teaching Hard Work Through Children’s Literature

Kids and adults can learn the value of hard work through these inspiring stories

Working hard or hardly working? That witty phrase is more likely to be received with annoyance than to leave listeners suddenly motivated to work harder. The following books show characters who do work hard and who are rewarded for their efforts with inspiring—or tasty—results, as in the case of the “Little Red Hen.”

‘The Little Red Hen’ by Diane Muldrow (Editor) and J.P. Miller (Illustrator)

One day, the Little Red Hen finds something unusual: Instead of a tasty worm, she has stumbled upon a grain of wheat. Although she attempts to rally the help of the other farm animals, they are too lazy to take part in the planting, harvesting, and milling of the wheat. The industrious Hen takes it upon herself to carry out these tasks and eventually is treated to a loaf of tasty homemade bread, which the other animals don’t get to share.

Countless versions of this classic story can be found, all contrasting the fruits of hard work with the disappointment of the lazy animals. This Little Golden Books edition teaches the importance of helping others through delightful and colorful illustrations. This picture book is perfect to share with young children ages 2 to 5. (24 pages, Golden Books, 2001)

‘The Year Money Grew on Trees’ by Aaron Hawkins

Jackson’s dad tells him that this summer he needs to get a job. Coincidentally, his elderly neighbor suggests that he take over her deceased husband’s 300-tree apple orchard for a year. If he makes more than $8,000, then he’ll get whatever money is left over and possibly the deed to the land. Although Jackson is suspicious of what he might be getting himself into, his alternative is spending his summer at the scrap yard, working alongside the school bully. He agrees.

This delightful novel details the following months of hard work. Jackson convinces his siblings and cousins to work alongside him, and the six kids, ranging in age from 8 to 14, tackle pruning the trees, irrigating, shoveling manure, and finally picking the apples. Working off of some notes he made over a book about apple trees, the scattered knowledge his father and uncle have acquired from years of fixing broken-down cars, and the reluctantly shared wisdom of his Sunday school teacher, Jackson tackles unexpected obstacles with determination and resourcefulness.

A personal favorite, this story describes the impressive agricultural feat in such a way that readers will feel that with enough effort and determination they could also accomplish such a task. Written with a humorous tone, this book is perfect for middle schoolers and handles topics including family, growing up, and, of course, the value of hard work. (304 pages, HMH Books for Young Readers, 2010)

‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope’ by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

“If you want to make it, all you have to do is try” is the final line of this non-fiction work, and this message is clearly demonstrated throughout the pages of “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.” William Kamkwamba writes about his experiences growing up in the African country of Malawi. It is a story of incredible ingenuity and perseverance as he works toward the goal of making the lives of his family easier by bringing electricity to their family farm.

Kamkwamba brings the reader into his world by beginning the book with the legends and folklore that surrounded him as a young boy. He describes his family’s agricultural life and how the growing seasons dictate the patterns of daily life. When he is 13, famine and sickness strike the country. Dinners dwindle, and neighbors begin eating diets of grain and grasses fit for livestock. Young William is forced to drop out of school because without successful crops, his father can’t pay for tuition.

After a year of near starvation, William begins making trips to the local school’s library, hoping to be able to make up for the time he has lost in his studies. He discovers a textbook with a picture of a wind turbine on the cover. A childhood interest in building toy trucks and fixing broken radios resurfaces with the realization that providing electricity to his family would be a first step toward protecting them from ever experiencing the pain of starvation again. William dedicates his time to this project, scavenging in metal scrap yards and facing ridicule from incredulous neighbors.

This inspiring story brings to life a world that likely not all readers are familiar with through Kamkwamba’s conversational storytelling. Teenagers with an interest in how things work will be fascinated by Kamkwamba’s detailed descriptions of circuitry, motors, and energy. (320 pages, William Morrow, 2010)