Perserverence in Literature by Darlene Beck Jacobson

 Perseverance. Sticking to something even when we fail. Even when it's hard. Even when it seems impossible. Many of us have had to persevere as writers after many manuscript rejections. Learning a new skill such as skiing, surfing, watercolor, even baking, requires that  we keep on practicing to improve and get to the level of competence.

There are plenty of stories for middle grade that have themes of perseverance. Many of them feature themes of survival against all odds. Here is an oldie but goodie:

THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE by Avi is one such book.

 

A tale of a unique and unlikely thirteen-year-old upper-class girl who finds herself the only female aboard a ship sailing from Liverpool to America in 1852. Terror, courage, and intrigue meet the unpredictability of the high seas as Charlotte discovers herself and what it really means to be free. Survival requires not only courage, but perseverance against prejudice, acts of nature, and our own expectations. A wonderful classic from 1990.

 

 ALONE by Megan E. Freeman  is another:

 When twelve-year-old Maddie hatches a scheme for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking up to a nightmare. She’s alone—left behind in a town that has been mysteriously evacuated and abandoned.

With no one to rely on, no power, and no working phone lines or internet access, Maddie slowly learns to survive on her own. Her only companions are a Rottweiler named George and all the books she can read. After a rough start, Maddie learns to trust her own ingenuity and invents clever ways to survive in a place that has been deserted and forgotten.

As months pass, she escapes natural disasters, looters, and wild animals. But Maddie’s most formidable enemy is the crushing loneliness she faces every day. Can Maddie’s stubborn will to survive carry her through the most frightening experience of her life?