Covey's+Corner

Book Recommendations to Support the Seven Habits

**  Habit 1 Be Proactive // Amazing Grace // by Mary Hoffman 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 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.

Habit 2 Begin with the End in Mind // Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai // by Claire A. Nivola 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.

// The Very Busy Spider // by Eric Carle 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 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.

// 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 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).

Habit 3 Put First Things First

The Ants and the Grasshopper – Aesop 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 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 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.

Habit 4 Think Win-Win

// Rainbow Fish // by Marcus Pfister 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.

Habit 5 Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

// The Runaway Bunny // by Margaret Wise Brown “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.) Habit 6 Synergize

// Swimmy // by Leo Lionni “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.) // The Crayon Box that Talked // by Shane Derolf ** 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 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.

Habit 7 Sharpen the Saw

// The Napping House // by Audrey Wood This playful story shows the importance of resting.

// The Snowy Day // by Ezra Jack Keats “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 **