Fantastic Failures: True Stories of People Who Changed the World by Falling Down First

by Luke Reynolds (Author)

Fantastic Failures: True Stories of People Who Changed the World by Falling Down First
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade

Even the most well-known people have struggled to succeed! Find out what they learned and how they turned their failures into triumphs with this engaging and youthful guide on how to succeed long term.

There is a lot of pressure in today's society to succeed, but failing is a part of learning how to be a successful person. In his teaching career, Luke Reynolds saw the stress and anxiety his students suffered over grades, fitting in, and getting things right the first time. Fantastic Failures helps students learn that their mistakes and failures do not define their whole lives, but help them grow into their potential.

Kids will love learning about some of the well-known people who failed before succeeding and will come to understand that failure is a large component of success. With stories from people like J. K. Rowling, Albert Einstein, Rosa Parks, Sonia Sotomayor, Vincent Van Gogh, Julia Child, Steven Spielberg, and Betsy Johnson, each profile proves that the greatest mistakes and flops can turn into something amazing. Intermixed throughout the fun profiles, Reynolds spotlights great inventors and scientists who discovered and created some of the most important medicines, devices, and concepts of all time, including lifesaving vaccines and medicines that were stumbled upon by mistake.

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School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up--This collection highlights the times when high achievers either failed outright or faced drastic setbacks in achieving their goals. Each chapter opens with the idyllic and humorous story of a particular person's road to success. This book communicates well that failure is an important part of growth and achievement. The breadth of different people and fields of study covered is a positive. Readers will connect to the challenges of Duke Kahanamoku, a champion swimmer and actor who popularized the sport of surfing in the 1930s and 1940s; Om Prakash Gurjar was forced into helping his parents pay back their debts at the age of five. He went on to advocate for children forced into labor and eventually won the International Children's Peace Prize. These stories serve as a model and send the message that success is rare at first attempt and failure is necessary to succeed. The text is well written and engaging. VERDICT An entertaining pick for biography collections.--Patricia Feriano, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes


Luke Reynolds
Luke Reynolds taught in public schools for many years before becoming an assistant professor of education at Endicott College. He is the author of the Fantastic Failures books, Surviving Middle School, The Looney Experiment, Braver Than I Thought, and the picture books If My Love Were a Fire Truck and Bedtime Blastoff!. He and his wife, Jennifer, have four sons, and they live in Massachusetts, where they endeavor to be outside and exploring as much as possible.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781582706658
Lexile Measure
1080
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Aladdin Paperbacks
Publication date
September 11, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF061010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Technology | Inventions
JNF007000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | General
JNF025000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | General
Library of Congress categories
Celebrities
Success
Failure (Psychology)
Successful people

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