family,  parenting

Empower Kids with These Two Great Books

It’s important to empower kids. As parents and adults in general, it’s our job to help today’s youth grow up to be confident, well-adjusted members of society. One of the ways we do that is to empower kids by nurturing creativity and self esteem. I’m a big believer in this, and recently a couple of books that do just that caught my eye.

empower_kids_books

Empower Kids with Learning and Creativity

Although these books are quite different, their outcome is the same. They empower kids to use their minds and teach them that any goal that they set for themselves is achievable. While one book does this in a fairly straightforward fashion and one is more of a tool towards that goal, both of them help give children a foundation to build on for future success.

[tweetthis]You Got This by Maya S Penn is inspiration for a teen girl for any occasion. #affiliate #ad http://amzn.to/2jHo5gF[/tweetthis]

You Got This!

You Got This! is a book written by 16 year old, Maya S. Penn. At 16, she’s already the CEO of her own company, Maya’s Ideas, and has been named to Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100. Not only is she an accomplished young businesswoman, she’s also an animator and film maker, artist, illustrator, philanthropist, girls’ rights activist, and environmentalist. She’s also been featured on or in Forbes, CNN, TIME Magazine, The View, NPR, Wired, Essence, The Steve Harvey Show, and more.

With all of this success, Maya is still not satisfied. She’s released the book, You Got This!, to help empower both youth and adults to reach their full potential and achieve their goals. And with all that she’s done, it’s worth reading! Her message is simply this: We all have magic inside of us, and we can all use it to follow our dreams and accomplish our goals.

This impressive young woman has given three Ted talks and created an eco friendly fashion line. In addition to that she has made several animated films. Back at that age I was dreaming of changing the world, while working at Harvey’s part time and doing teenage girl stuff like shopping and dating. Sometimes I think this generation of teenagers has way more on the ball that we ever did.

Although this is a great message for anyone, I am particularly focused on this book to help empower my daughters. The world today is full of messages that tell our kids to look, be, and act a certain way or they’re not good enough. You Got This! is a great read to show kids that the only message they need to listen to is the one in their heart.

The LEGO Animation Book

The LEGO Animation Book is what I would call a resource for empowering creative kids. Although the message of the book may be animation, the knowledge and the spark of imagination that kids get from it can certainly help empower them. Knowing they have a vast well of creativity within them that they can draw on at any time, is valuable. Both of my kids are creative. Animation is a growing industry where I could easily see one building a rewarding career in future. Here’s a tool that nurtures that interest.

[tweetthis]Check out the Lego Animation Book for youth – > http://amzn.to/2iK3o4o #affiliate[/tweetthis]

The book is written by professional LEGO animators, David Pickett and David Pagano. It’s a guide for LEGO lovers to help them bring their creations to life. This book shows kids how to animate their LEGO characters and creations using stop-motion animation. Readers follow step-by-step instructions to make their first animation, and along the way, they learn about everything from storyboarding to post-production including:

  • How to create special effects such as explosions and flying
  • Methods of giving a sense of action and emotion
  • How to design animation sets for maximum impact
  • Proper lighting and framing to capture great shots
  • Ways to build in different scales to bring extra detail and scope
  • Build camera dollies and rigs out of LEGOs
  • Choosing the right cameras, software, and other animation tools

Empower Kids with Two Books That Focus on Imagination and Motivation

These books are great gifts and a super way to empower kids. You Got This! focuses squarely on teaching kids how to reach for and capture their dreams. The LEGO Animation Books encourage creativity and imagination. All of these concepts are important to empower kids to be their best, and I highly recommend both of them to any parent.

I received product for consideration here on this site. This post may also contain affiliate links meaning I make a small percentage of sales directly from the purchase via the links here. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.

19 Comments

  • Alli Smith

    My 10-year-old grandson would love The Lego Animation Book. He’s crazy for Legos and I know he would love learning all the ins and outs. I’m so impressed with 16-year-old Maya Penn. Wow! She’s accomplished so much at such a young age.

    • Paula

      Wait, how is it possible that you have a grandson who is 10?? Wow. I know my daughter was using this book already yesterday with her friend who is about 8. I think they were making a minions film again. LOL.

  • Jeanette

    This is definitely something I would like my son to read. I need him to feel empowered and self-confidence. He is a very talented child but sometimes he does not have the confidence to go with it. I will definitely be showing him these books.

  • Jacqui @FlightsFancyMom

    My daughter tends to feel empowered enough for several teens lol. She’s very confident and knows what she wants. Until she really starts thinking about the fact that she goes to college in a couple of years and then she freaks lol. These are great choices!

  • candy

    I think the lego book would be a big hit around my grandchildren homes. My granddaughter is on 11 months so not nearly ready for the other book. Congratulations to the young girl who has done well, I am sure her parents and other adults helped her accomplish so much.

  • Pam Wattenbarger

    The Lego animation book sounds really cool! My son used to be obsessed with Legos and Lego movies and video games.

  • Marysa

    Those both sound like great books for kids. It is so important to inspire kids and for them to realize they can accomplish so much when they put their mind to it.

  • Chloe

    Oh my goodness, Maya sounds like a super woman! I want to read her book, if I could even have a tiny bit of her success I would be happy!

  • Stephanie jeannot

    The lego animation sounds fascinating. I’m sure you could encourage a kid just by giving him or her your time by sitting and playing that with him or her. Time is more encouraging to a child than anything else you could give them.

  • Rebecca Swenor

    Both these books are great books for kids to read. They both have a purpose and I believe all kids books should be fun to read but contain a leason the child should know. Empowering our youth is what we as adults all need to teach our children in my opinion.

  • Jenn @ EngineerMommy

    My kids love reading and these sound like two great books to check out. I am always looking for books that empower and encourage my kids to reach their full potential. Thanks for the recommendation.

  • Mimi Green

    I love this, Maya sounds amazing that is an excellent book for my daughter. My son is a lover of creativity and Lego’s the other book would be perfect for him.

  • Kita Bryant

    I love any book that teaches our children to work and reach goals for themselves. I think too often kids are raised with things being handed to them only to have harsh reality hit. It’s a good thing to learn early on!