Sometimes You Win—Sometimes You Learn for Kids

November 4, 2013
In this inspiring guide, prolific business author Maxwell (The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth) focuses on the universal problem of setbacks and losses, both personal and professional. He concedes that losses often leave us mentally defeated and poised for even greater problems. To combat these reactions, Maxwell draws a roadmap comprised of 11 qualities, ranging from humility, reality, and responsibility to adversity, change, maturity, and beyond. He dedicates a chapter to each quality, addressing core intellectual and emotional attributes, including powerful and memorable stories that effectively illustrate his points. Maxwell's success comes not just from the astuteness of his ideas, but also from his understanding of how readers process and ingest information. As always, Maxwell has his finger on the pulse of how we tick, how we process our failures and losses, and how we can get over them, move on, and succeed.

November 15, 2015
"Try your best"; "Winning isn't everything"; "There's no I in teamwork"; "Be a good sport"--these are not the lessons that Maxwell presents here. Instead, he lays out a loose framework for how to win and, when that fails, how to turn losses into learning experiences. In rhyming verse that never falters (though is sometimes awkwardly phrased), Maxwell tells the story of two siblings who love to win. Their chosen sport is Woggleball, which appears to be a hybrid of lacrosse, basketball, and quidditch. But their first loss has Wendy giving up hope and Wade grumpy and discouraged. Their grandfather has some advice for them: "think positive thoughts," "winning takes effort," "win in small steps," "stretch to get better." Though none of Papa's advice is very specific, Wendy and Wade take it to heart. They don't win their next game but celebrate their marked improvement and practice hard, and the third game is a win. The text concludes with a note from Papa and an author's note to parents that focus on the importance of helping kids stay positive and learn from their mistakes. Bjorkman's pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations are bright and cartoony, full of exaggerated expressions and motion lines, depicting Wade and Wendy as white, with multiethnic teammates. While Maxwell's advice about winning is pretty general, his message to turn failures into opportunities to learn is a good one; here's hoping kids hear it in Wendy and Wade's tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

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