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

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.