I’m Gonna Push Through!

Jasmyn Wright, educator and founder of the Push Through Organization, encourages readers to explore their potential, stretching themselves beyond what may seem like impossibilities. “If someone tells you it’s too hard, don’t you ever listen. You tell them, I’m gonna push through!” The latter refrain, an empowering mantra the author developed for her third grade students, punctuates the text, which is more rallying cry than narrative (“What if it’s too hard? I’m gonna push through!”). Jasmyn highlights people who have persevered (“Barack Obama... He pushed through!”), and an index offers a short biography of each. Wright’s illustrations aptly relay the range of emotions felt in vulnerable situations, representing an inclusive array of figures flexing their stamina across obstacles such as math problems, sports, and making new friends. An emboldening read for managing self-efficacy. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)