Good Life Award
Get inspired to live your own good life!
Check out these great books and movies for some inspirational stories and some good suggestions on how to be good, do good, have fun, and be happy.
Movies:
Amazing Grace
Based on the life of William Wilberforce, his passion, and perseverance to pass a law ending the slave trade in the late 18th and the people, including his minister, who pushed him to pursue it to the end.
Bee Movie
A bee, disillusioned by having only one career choice, honey, ventures out of the hive into the world of humans. Upset that humans steal and eat honey, he fights back, until he realizes that he's disrupted the balance of nature and works to make things right again.
Charlotte's Web
With the help of Charlotte, a spider, a young farm girl rescues a pig from death and develops a special bond.
Happy Feet
A tap-dancing penguin helps save his colony from famine.
Pay It Forward
Inspired by an assignment from his teacher, a young boy attempts to make the world a better place by doing good deeds for three strangers, paying them "forward" instead of paying someone back.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Chris Gardner, a struggling salesman, becomes inspired to try for a stockbroker internship, which may or may not lead to a better career. Although this causes him to lose many things he cares about, he keeps working toward his goal.
Raise Your Voice
Terri is a small town girl with talent: she can sing. When an exclusive Los Angeles music school offers her the chance to achieve her dream and continue to sing, she competes with several others for the sole scholarship.
Rudy
Growing up in a working class family, Rudy is expected to follow his father's footsteps and work in a factory. He has a different goal, however: to play football for Notre Dame. Overcoming the odds, including his background and his small stature, Rudy makes the team...but will he get to play?
Fiction Books:
All of the Above by Shelley Pearsall
What do you get when you combine one math teacher, four middle schoolers, and 16,384 folded pieces of paper? An after school project, some new friends, and the world’s largest tetrahedron. Get immersed in the tale of how these inner-city kids banded together to break a world record and learned something about themselves and each other in the process. Based on a true story.
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
Tenacious 12-year-old Margaret Rose escapes summer camp with the help of her two uncles. When neighbors complain that the towers in the uncles’ backyard are eyesores and not “pieces of art”, Margaret launches a campaign to save them and their beauty. She takes on the neighbors and city hall to win over the people and keep the 40 year old project from demolition.
Peak by Roland Smith
Mountain-climbing genes run in 14-year-old Peak's family, so he's thrilled when his dad asks him to tag along as he leads a group of climbers up Mt. Everest. Hard work and perseverance pay off when Peak discovers that if he reaches the summit, he will be the youngest person ever to do so. Will he survive his days on the mountain and reach the top?
Two-Minute Drill by Mike Lupica
A high school football star has dyslexia and struggles in school. A brainiac is secretly an expert kicker but fails miserably when he tries to play the game. They team up to help each other overcome their hurdles and build their self esteem.
Nonfiction Books:
CosmoGirl! Secrets of Success: 38 Leaders Tell You How to Achieve Your Dreams by the Editors of CosmoGirl!
A compilation of articles by 38 successful women. They talk about how they achieved their goals, share inspirational stories, and serve as role models, with the aim of encouraging teens to chart their own paths to success.
If You Could Be Anything, What Would You Be? A Teen's Guide to Mapping Out the Future by Jeanne Webster
Not sure what you want to do in the future? Or maybe you have an idea of where you'd like to go but don't know where to start? Check out this book for tips on how to make informed decisions and achieve your potential.
Teens Can Make it Happen by Stedman Graham
Businessman and author Stedman Graham outlines nine steps for success, such as "develop a travel plan" and "build your dream team," to help teens gain a better understanding of themselves. He encourages teens to use these steps to devise plans and ultimately achieve their goals.
What Teens Need to Succeed: Proven, Practical Ways to Shape Your Own Future by Peter Benson
Research has revealed that there are a number of assets that teens need in order to succeed in life. Psychologist Peter Benson outlines these 40 internal and external assets, like responsibility and peer groups, to help teens discover their potential.