In the blog this week I’m doing something slightly different – 8 Top Growth Mindset Books for Children.

Now if you’ve been following me a while over on my social then you’ll know that I’m a massive book worm – and if you’re new here – hey I’m Vicki and I’m a massive book worm!

I did a great book review for female entrepreneurs back on 2017 and people loved it.

I was going to do my top 10 business books of the year however, for the last few months I’ve discovered some pretty incredible Top Growth Mindset Books for Children.

This is my wee dude – AJ…

2019 was full of change

You see, we’ve had big changes here in the Nicolson household in the last 6 months.

Hubby has changed jobs. We’ve moved house which in turn meant that my son, AJ, moved schools too.

So it’s been quite life changing in so many ways

Big happy changes but some days have been tough for AJ. We may have only moved a couple of miles into the little village up the road but to an 8 year old, it’s miles away!

The anxiety of 7 weeks off over the summer of him finishing his old school and starting his new school really set in and as the weeks fast approached towards the first day of a new year at his new school, well, AJ grew super anxious and worried.

A lot happened for the wee guy. New house. New village. New street. No friends. Eeekkk.

He was not quite himself and here’s where I kicked into the Mrs Positive Mum, “everything is ok, tell me how you feel, it will be alright I promise. All you need is just one wee friend.” #ohemgeewhathavewedone?

All the while inside I was worried and my heart was aching for him.

Luckily within three days of us moving he made buddies in the village and he was set for the summer, but he was so worried about starting school it didn’t matter what I said.

He was stuck in his mind and the worry just wouldn’t go away.

Now, I’m all about mindset – crikey I bang on about it all the time – mindset is literally the thing that changed my business and I work on mine daily – so I bolstered all the best tools and affirmations and chose my words carefully – but it was tough.

Rewrite the Story 

As a mum – I was a little lost.

AJ had already told himself a story.

So I made the decision. I would help him write a new one.

This is where these top growth mindset books for children came in to play.

I sought help in the form of Amazon!

AJ is a creative boy. He spends hours drawing and reading. So I knew I could totally work with his strengths.

I spent a few hours picking and choosing and ordered some of the best reviewed and top growth mindset books for children. I was also recommended a few from a couple of friends too.

They’ve played a huge part in getting AJs thoughts, worries, anxieties and anything he has been feeling on to paper, out in the open, talking about it, drawing it out, doodling, colouring in and thinking about things in a different way to help and support him to dial down his worries and feelings.

That’s why I’m writing this blog cause I want to share them with you… these books are not just for kids actually – they are superb for you too.

If you’re a quick grab and go help guide person then these books are definitely for you!

All the books are super creative and visual – fabulous for a right brain learner.

They are funny. Quirky. Simple and easy to understand. Quick to digest. Simple to apply.

I have loved them and I think you’re gonna love them too…

So let’s dig into the top growth mindset books for children…

8 Top Growth Mindset Books for Children

1. Hello Happy by Dr Sharie Coombes

Hello Happy is a joyful book that guides your child through a journey of where you are right now, and takes them on a ‘find your inner happy’ treasure hunt. Through the entire book there are little exercises, and heaps of space to write in, colour in and doodle, which eases them in gently, asking questions and encouraging them to draw things out. It subtly threads little and simple techniques and tools throughout to deal with a particular emotion, like time out to do some Buddy Breathing (inhale, exhale), writing down what makes them sad on a piece of paper and popping in the rubbish bin…. just lovely little things that have helped AJ lots.

It has really allowed AJ to explore how he feels and what happens when he feels sad or angry and most importantly, how his body reacts – something he never knew that happened but became aware of it when it was explained to him in the book.

There’s lots of space to create little characters which they ask you to do. AJ loved working his way through the pages. He couldn’t wait to do these at night before bed.

What I loved about doing this book in particular is that AJ really started talking to me. It opened a whole new world of chat.

AJ particularly loved the create what anger and sadness would look like if they were characters and gave them gorgeous names… Ratiotis and Crociwhaleisadee, just in case you’re curious!

He also creating his little jar of awesome where he started filling up great things that happened in his life, at school or awards he’d achieved.

Overall just such a great book for Helping to get AJ out of his head and on to paper. Click on the book image below to purchase:

2. No Worries by Dr Sharie Coombes

Next on the countdown of growth mindset books for children and following exactly the same format and principles as the book above actually, as it’s written by the same Doctor and from a series of these books all with different titles.

However this book focuses on anxiety and stress in particular – AJs anxiety levels in the few days leading up to starting his new school were at its peak – especially at night before bed.

So I chose to work through this book in particular for that period of time and we did it at night too, it was a great distraction, focussing AJ on positives – great place to be before bedtime too I reckon.

AJ particularly loved the Fly Away Your Worries exercise, where you write all your worries on a paper plane and send it into the sky.

Overall, much like Hello Happy, No Worries, is a wonderful little book that took AJ on a journey of exploration to open up how he felt at the time before starting a new school.

As a mum, I found the whole thing fascinating and I feel like I got to know what exactly was going on inside AJs head at the time.

Truly fascinating!  Click on the book image below to purchase:

3. Have You Filled a Bucket Today? By Carol McCloud

This book… well it’s super lush. It describes itself as, “A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids.”

AJ and I both adore this book. It features wonderful bright rainbow coloured illustrations by David Messing.

The whole book focuses on the principle that we all have an invisible bucket.

It’s always full but if we do or say something mean or be unkind, or make bad decisions, we become “bucket dippers” – dipping into your own bucket and others around you – implying that when your bucket has been dipped into it makes you and others around your feel sad.

It teaches that when we are kind we fill people’s buckets up – making us “bucket fillers” and increasing happiness and kindness levels.

It’s such a heartwarming feel good book.

It’s not just for kids either… definitely one for all the family! Click on the book image below to buy:

4. Ruby’s Worry by Tom Percival

In at number four on the list of growth mindset books for children is Ruby’s Worry.

I was recommended this by a friend and my goodness I’m so grateful for that.

A gorgeous short and sweet book that illustrates and drives home the message that it’s ok not to be ok and that each and every one of us has worries.

In the book it describes how Ruby is a happy little girl until one day she has a worry, and it grows and grows… she discovers a way to figure out how to shrink her worry… by talking to others.

What AJ loved about this book was how big the worry got from page to page. He was so concerned about how Ruby felt.

When I asked AJ how big his worry was he was able to pinpoint it on one of the pages.

Overall, an ace book to help your child see that it’s normal to feel worried, that everyone has them and that it’s good to talk.

Click on the book image below to buy:

5. Diary of a Brilliant Kid by Andy Cope, Gavin Oates and Will Hussey

Activity come journal come self help book. That’s the only way to describe this laugh out loud funny guide for kids.

AJ laughed at the many silly words in this book. It has a lot of toilet humour in it too and AJ was captivated by how silly it all was.

Every page tells a story and paints a picture.

It’s visually captivating from the opening page, AJ loved all the gorgeous bright and creative illustrations on the pages.

It also helps that it’s written in a fabulous handwritten font – so it looks like it’s been written by a kid too which AJ found super easy to read.

Overall it’s – as we say in Scotland – a belter! 10/10.

Click on the book image below to buy:

6.   The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager by Andy Cope, Andy Whittaker, Darrell Woodman and Amy Bradley

Now whilst AJ is not a teenager – he is a super switched on – I kid you not AJ was like a 6 month old when joined this world – he was raring to go. So I picked this book because I just knew he would get it – he always gets the joke!

This book is written by the same two guys above and again, it’s very visual, full of silly and funny words but a little more grown up than Diary of a Brilliant Kid. There were a few things I needed to skip questions on – like “why do people bleach their bum hair?.”

EEEKKK Sooooooooooooooo moving on (skip page 62 if you wanna avoid that question!)….

It’s a fabulous wee bookie all about being a brilliant teenager and about how to be yourself, set yourself up for any mean encounters with unkind kids along the way and as the guys who write it say, “how to become your very best self.”

It covers how to tackle homework, friends, teachers, relationships – basically anything that is thrown at our kids these days – wow the pressure that they endure during exams etc – this book is preparing  them for those pressures and how to cope with them in a positive way.

A must buy for sure. There a whole series of these books for adults and teachers too! All brilliant and were in fact what started my very first journey into positive mindset when I was working corporate.

Click on the book image below to purchase:

7. The You Are Awesome Journal by Matthew Syed

This journal is much like the first two books reviewed above but unlike all the other books this one is black and white inside, whilst the other two books are full colour.

This didn’t put AJ off and and he loved this book from the outset.

What did surprise me was that he identified himself as being a place of a fixed mindset and then turned to me and said, “I’m not in a growth mindset, yet, mum, but I will be.”

Wow – so smart  – well I am biased!

In particular AJ loved learning about how the brain works – this he found fascinating. Making him think about stretching his brain and confidence, how to free up your brain, get rid of negative thoughts and how to help others with their growth mindset too.

It’s a super clever book – which I reckon is more of a scale up from Hello Happy and No Worries and whilst not written by the same people it just reinforces the messages and trains of thought to further bolster the teachings in those two books.

Click on the book image below to purchase:

8. Become a Teen Boss by Kevin Speights

Now this one you may think – why has Vicki mentioned this one? This isn’t a growth mindset book for children!

But this book I bought as a distraction.

It was a distraction from all the mindset exercises and learning.

What it did do was to get AJ to think differently about what he would do if he had all the confidence, ability and a massive growth mindset NOW.

His idea from this book?

“Well mum there are a lot of men on the building site here (we’ve moved into a new build in the summer) so I think I should go and make lemonade and sell it to them.”

That’s ma boy! He saw an opportunity right on his doorstep.

This lovely wee book took AJs thoughts and energy away from his feelings and emotions and he got focussed on a few ideas… I put his brain to work – distraction. Brilliant!

Top Growth Mindset Books for Children Summary…

There are soooo many books out there to help your children with growth mindset but there are just the ones that I have found to be of most value to AJ whilst transitioning to a new school, friends and home.

I’d love to know what are your favourite growth mindset books for children? I am always after new recommendations.

Are you buying any for your children year? I’d love to know.

Pop your comments below.

Vicki x

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Want more great mindset book suggestions? Pop over to read My top 10 female entrepreneurs books blog: CLICK HERE