The Empowerment Series™
Where strong minds meet strong choices.
A life-skills collection that gives children the tools to recognize their own power, navigate feelings, think through decisions, and move through daily life with confidence. Not a lesson. A toolkit for becoming.
More Than Skills
This collection helps children recognize their skills as something they can practice, not something they’re expected to already have. Courage, boundaries, routines ~ they start to feel familiar and doable, giving children the tools to notice, try, and grow through their real-life moments.
As children meet each skill inside a story, they begin to recognize the same moments in their own lives ~ giving them a chance to pause, choose, and respond with clarity.
✨ Did You Know?
A child’s brain forms 1 million new neural connections every second between birth and age 3. The single biggest accelerator is the words spoken to them and the pages they share.
What This Collection Does
So many children grow up being told what to do without ever being shown how to do it. Empowerment was built for a different truth ~ that every child deserves to learn the skills that shape their own day, their own heart, their own choices.
Children begin to recognize the invisible muscles they use every morning ~ the courage to try, the pause before a reaction, the bravery of a boundary.
Parents and caregivers gain a way to teach without lecturing ~ turning everyday moments into gentle lessons that stay.
Families and classrooms grow into places where every skill is welcomed, named, and practiced. Knowing what you can do is strength, not pressure.
✨ Did You Know?
By kindergarten, every child has soaked in 30,000 messages about who they are. The right story rewrites hundreds of them, in their favor.
Why Self-Voice Forms Before Self-Esteem
By age 7, a child’s internal narrative is already 80% formed. The voices they hear most often become the voices they will use, internally, for the rest of their lives.
Decades of resilience research point to one factor that separates children who thrive after adversity from children who struggle: a strong inner sense that “I have something to say, and someone wants to hear it.” Empowerment is a literacy. It is taught.
Children who learn to self-advocate before age 8 are roughly 3x more likely to ask for help, set boundaries, and recover from setbacks throughout school and adult life. They become the leaders, not because they were born that way, but because someone read them stories that said, gently and often: your voice belongs in the room.
Two Sentences That Shape A Child's Whole Life.
In a now-iconic Stanford study, Dr. Carol Dweck and her team gave hundreds of children a moderately difficult puzzle. After they finished, half were told “You’re so smart!” The other half were told “You worked really hard.” Then both groups were offered a choice: an easier puzzle, or a harder one.
When researchers gave both groups a final, harder test, the kids praised for effort outperformed the kids praised for being smart by a wide margin. The smart-praised kids were also far more likely to lie about their score. Decades of follow-up have replicated this: how we praise children shapes whether they pursue challenge or hide from it ~ for the rest of their lives.
“The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.”
Dr. Carol Dweck · Mindset
How To Praise A Child Without Trapping Them
Empowerment is not a personality trait. It is a habit of language ~ both the language we use TO a child and the language they learn to use to themselves.
For Parents
You will say “good job” 10,000 times. Make it count.
- Praise the strategy, not the trait. “You tried three different ways” beats “you’re so creative” every time.
- Add “yet” to anything the child says they cannot do. “I can’t read this YET.” It is the most important word in early childhood.
- When they fail, narrate it as data, not identity. “That did not work. What might we try?”
- Avoid comparison praise (“better than your sister”). It teaches that worth is relative.
- Read stories where characters struggle, fail, and try again. The protagonist who never struggles teaches nothing.
For Coaches & Mentors
You see a child performing under pressure. Your words become their inner coach.
- Track effort metrics, not just outcomes. “You showed up to every practice” matters as much as wins.
- Normalize falling. The child who has never failed in front of you cannot trust your praise.
- Frame mistakes publicly as the team’s shared learning. The shame of a private mistake calcifies; the team’s mistake teaches everyone.
- Refuse to predict ceilings. “She’ll never be a strong reader” becomes self-fulfilling. So does “she could become anything.”
- Teach goal-setting that includes process: “What will you practice this week?” not just “what will you win?”
For Educators
A classroom is the place a child either learns to love hard things or to hide from them.
- Grade effort and revision, not just final products. The student who improved most is the success story.
- Show your own struggle in real-time. “I do not know this. Let me look it up.” Every adult struggle is a permission slip.
- Replace “smart” and “gifted” with descriptions of action. “She asks great questions” beats “she’s gifted.”
- Make redo culture standard. The first attempt is for learning, not for grading.
- Display student work that shows the mess of process: drafts, scratched-out math, the third try at a drawing.
For Anyone In A Child's Life
You do not need a title to shape a child’s inner voice.
- Listen to how a child talks to themselves out loud. “I’m so dumb” is a flag, not a personality.
- Tell stories about your own learning curves. Vulnerability is contagious.
- Use the phrase “I noticed” instead of “good job.” “I noticed you stayed with that even when it was hard” lands differently.
- When a child shows you something, ask one curious question instead of evaluating. Curiosity feels safer than judgment.
- Be the adult who says “I don’t know, but let’s find out.” That sentence raises lifelong learners.
Stories That Praise The Effort, Not The Easy
Every Empowerment Series story is built on the architecture Dweck spent forty years documenting: characters who try, fall, get back up, and notice what they tried.
The voice these stories teach a child is not “I am smart” or “I am brave.” It is something quieter and more durable: “I tried, and I can try again.” That sentence, once internalized, becomes the voice they use in every hard moment of their life.
We do not raise empowered children by telling them they are. We give them stories where they get to be.
Inside the World of Empowerment
Each book brings a skill to life inside a story children can actually feel ~ a pause that saves a conversation, a boundary that protects a friendship, a brave try that turns into a lesson. The skill stops being abstract and starts being something they recognize in their own day.
✨ Did You Know?
Kids who learn “I can do hard things” before age 8 are 4 times more likely to lead, invent, and rise as adults. We are starting the work at age 3.
Four Threads, One Toolkit
EACH WAVE OPENS A DOORWAY TO NEW FEELINGS
Part One
Personal Power & Growth
The heartwork of empowerment. Ten books on self-knowledge, courage, and the quiet muscle of growing. For the child already feeling, already trying ~ meet them here.
Part Two
Social & Emotional
The relational skills that shape every room a child walks into. Twelve books on kindness, boundaries, belonging, and the honest work of being with others.
Part Three
Thinking & Decision Making
Executive function, for kids. Eleven books on pausing, planning, reconsidering, and thinking about thinking. The tier that makes choices feel doable instead of overwhelming.
Part Four
Daily Life & Habits
The real-life closer. Ten books on routines, rhythms, and the small habits that shape a whole day. The skills that show up every morning, every bedtime, and everywhere in between.
Personal Power & Growth
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START HERE
Personal Power & Growth
THE HEARTWORK OF EMPOWERMENT
The quietest, bravest kind of growing ~ 10 books for the child already feeling, already trying. Courage, confidence, and the slow work of knowing yourself.
Coming Soon
The Voice Inside Me
SELF-KNOWLEDGE
The quiet voice every child carries. A story about listening in, trusting what you hear, and learning that the most important voice is the one no one else can hear for you.
Coming Soon
The Mistake Monster
SELF-COMPASSION
Mistakes stop being monsters when you turn around and meet them. A story about letting the flub be small, the try be big, and the child be whole either way.
Coming Soon
Courage Cookies
COURAGE
Courage isn’t a feeling ~ it’s a tiny recipe, baked one brave move at a time. A story about collecting your courage cookies, one wobbly try at a time.
Coming Soon
Goal Diggers
PERSISTENCE
Big dreams aren’t built ~ they’re dug for. A story about the happy grit of chasing a goal, one shovel-scoop of focus at a time.
Coming Soon
The Grit Garden
RESILIENCE
Some things only grow when you keep showing up. A story about the patient work of growing what matters, rain, shine, and “I can’t do it yet.”
Coming Soon
Humble Bumble
HUMILITY
A tiny bee-sized lesson about small wins, big hearts, and why bragging never tastes as sweet as sharing. Humility feels easier when it looks this cute.
Coming Soon
The Fear Fairy
BRAVERY
Fear isn’t the enemy ~ it’s a nervous little fairy trying to keep you safe. A story about thanking fear, then walking forward anyway.
Coming Soon
Ziggity-Zag! The Change Game
ADAPTABILITY
Change doesn’t go in a straight line, and neither should you. A story about the joyful ziggity-zag of growing up and all the plans that change along the way.
Coming Soon
Brag Tags and Boasts
CONFIDENCE VS. BOASTING
There’s a difference between confidence and collecting yourself into a stack of brags. A story about celebrating without crowding, and why quiet knowing travels farther than loud telling.
Coming Soon
The Spark in My Chest
INNER SPARK
Something bright lives in every child, quiet and warm, waiting to be noticed. A story about learning to cup your own spark with both hands.
Social & Emotional
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START HERE
Social & Emotional
SKILLS FOR EVERY ROOM THEY WALK INTO
The relational skills that shape every hello, every goodbye, every shared snack. 12 books on kindness, boundaries, belonging, and the honest work of being with others.
Coming Soon
Feelingville
EMOTIONAL AWARENESS
A whole town inhabited by feelings, each with its own name and neighborhood. A story about getting to know the emotional landscape that lives inside you.
Coming Soon
The Talk That Walked Away
COMMUNICATION
Some conversations don’t finish ~ they walk off, trailing unsaid things behind them. A story about going back, trying again, and saying what you meant to say.
Coming Soon
Kindzilla
KINDNESS
Kindness can feel enormous ~ loud, contagious, almost impossible to contain. A story about big-hearted children who let their kindness stomp around in plain sight.
Coming Soon
How Can I Make It Better
REPAIR
When something breaks between people, the best question isn’t “whose fault?” ~ it’s “how can I make it better?” A story about tending small ruptures with big care.
Coming Soon
The Mirror Says Me Too
EMPATHY
The mirror of empathy reflects not just your own face, but the feelings of the person standing across from you. A story about the quiet magic of saying “me too.”
Coming Soon
Bubble Space and Boundaries
BOUNDARIES
Everyone has a bubble ~ an invisible ring of “this is mine.” A story about noticing your own bubble, respecting someone else’s, and how to ask before popping in.
Coming Soon
Teamwork Taco Tuesday
COLLABORATION
Taco Tuesday only works if everyone brings their piece. A story about shared jobs, fair turns, and the delicious reward of working together.
Coming Soon
Grumpypants and the Gratitude Goggles
GRATITUDE
When you’re wearing grumpy pants, the world looks smaller. But gratitude goggles? They reveal the bright bits hiding in plain sight.
Coming Soon
The Interrupting Idea Bug
LISTENING
That little bug that wiggles into your mouth right when someone else is talking ~ he has a name. A story about the gentle patience of waiting your turn.
Coming Soon
Belonging: A Tale of Being Seen
BELONGING
Belonging isn’t fitting in ~ it’s being seen. A story about the moment a child realizes they were welcome from the start.
Coming Soon
Boundaries Are Brave
BOUNDARIES
Saying “no thank you” is one of the bravest things a small person can do. A story about the everyday courage of protecting your own peace.
Coming Soon
My Grown-Up’s Boundaries Matter Too
MUTUAL RESPECT
Boundaries aren’t just for kids ~ the grown-ups in your life have them, too. A story about respect that moves in both directions.
Thinking & Decision Making
Coming Soon
START HERE
Thinking & Decision Making
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, FOR KIDS
11 books on pausing, planning, reconsidering, and thinking about thinking. The tier that makes choices feel doable instead of overwhelming.
Coming Soon
What If, What Then
ANTICIPATION
The two smallest words in planning ~ and the two most powerful. A story about imagining the road ahead before you step onto it.
Coming Soon
The Brain Parade
COGNITIVE LOAD
Thoughts don’t line up politely ~ they march, honk, and wave banners. A story about watching the parade pass without trying to catch every float.
Coming Soon
Captain Clarity
FOCUS
When thinking gets foggy, Captain Clarity shows up with a spyglass. A story about finding the one clear thing when everything feels cluttered.
Coming Soon
Plan It, Scan It, Can It
PLANNING
A three-step rhythm for anything that feels too big: plan it, scan it, and can it ~ yes, you absolutely can. A story about turning “too much” into a doable list.
Coming Soon
Oops, Try Again
LEARNING FROM MISTAKES
The tiniest, kindest two-word reset in the world. A story about closing one attempt and opening the next without dragging the flub along.
Coming Soon
Yes, No, Maybe So
DECISION-MAKING
Not every answer is yes or no ~ sometimes it’s “maybe so, give me a second.” A story about the honest middle space where real choices get made.
Coming Soon
Detour the Doubt Dragon
OVERCOMING DOUBT
Doubt is a dragon that blocks the path ~ but you can go around. A story about finding the detour when your first try runs into your own not-yet.
Coming Soon
Pause Power
SELF-REGULATION
The tiniest, mightiest skill a child can grow: the pause before the reaction. A story about what becomes possible when you wait one breath.
Coming Soon
What Else Could Be True
PERSPECTIVE-TAKING
A question that quietly flips any hard moment on its head. A story about the curious, compassionate act of looking twice.
Coming Soon
I Can Think About My Thinking
METACOGNITION
The superpower no one tells you about ~ watching your own mind work. A story about stepping back from your thoughts long enough to notice them.
Coming Soon
Consequences Count
CAUSE & EFFECT
Every choice has an echo, and learning to hear the echo before you choose is the whole trick. A story about the honest link between action and outcome.
Daily Life & Habits
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START HERE
Daily Life & Habits
THE SKILLS THAT SHOW UP EVERY DAY
The real-life closer. 10 books on routines, rhythms, and the small habits that shape a whole day ~ the skills that show up every morning, every bedtime, and everywhere in between.
Coming Soon
Brush, Flush, Wash Hands, Zip and Zoom
MORNING RHYTHM
A bouncy, no-nonsense rhythm for every morning: brush, flush, wash hands, zip, and zoom. A story about making the routine feel like a tiny dance.
Coming Soon
Lunchbox Logic
SELF-CARE
What goes in the box matters more than any lunchtime grown-up ever told you. A story about choosing your food like you choose your friends ~ with care, curiosity, and a little joy.
Coming Soon
Sleepyland Express
BEDTIME
All aboard the train that only runs after toothbrushing. A story about climbing into bed like you’re boarding somewhere worth going.
Coming Soon
The Chore-O-Saur
RESPONSIBILITY
A giant, friendly beast who only shows up when chores do. A story about meeting the dinosaur of responsibility eye-to-eye ~ and maybe scratching him behind the ears.
Coming Soon
Tidy Up Tango
ORGANIZATION
Tidying is more fun when it has a beat. A story about the silly, satisfying dance of putting things back where they belong.
Coming Soon
Screen Machine
DIGITAL BALANCE
The screen is a machine ~ not a monster, not a magnet, just a machine with an off button. A story about being the one who decides when to press it.
Coming Soon
Toothpaste and Time Travel
TIME MANAGEMENT
Ever notice how two minutes of toothbrushing feels like twenty? A story about how time bends, stretches, and how you can learn to steer it.
Coming Soon
Shoes on the Wrong Feet
SELF-CORRECTION
Sometimes the day starts with shoes on the wrong feet ~ and that’s information, not failure. A story about noticing, switching, and carrying on with a grin.
Coming Soon
The Snack That Screamed No
HUNGER AWARENESS
Sometimes your tummy isn’t hungry for the snack your hand grabbed. A story about listening to your body’s honest answers, even when they surprise you.
Coming Soon
Calendar Catastrophe
SCHEDULING
A tiny chaos story about what happens when everyone forgets the calendar. A story about the magic of writing things down and trusting the page.
Start the Journey
Every book brings a new life skill into your child’s world. Start with Personal Power & Growth and let the journey begin.
How The Magic Works
The Science Behind the Stories
01
Meet The Skill
Each skill becomes a story ~ a named moment, a relatable scene, a choice that carries weight. Courage. Boundaries. Follow-through. These aren’t lectures. They are entry points into real life.
02
Watch It Play Out
Stories show the skill doing its real work ~ messy, small, honest. Children see a character pause, try, stumble, adjust, and grow. The skill stops feeling abstract and starts feeling doable.
03
Use It In Real Life
When the skill shows up in real life, children finally have language for it. They can say “I’m using my Pause Power,” or “that’s a Grit Garden moment,” and suddenly the story becomes a tool they carry into their own day.
✨ Did You Know?
Children fed omega-3 rich foods, leafy greens, and stable protein in early childhood show measurable advantages in attention, memory, and language. Food is brain fuel, literally.
Extend The Connection
Additional materials designed to support and deepen understanding beyond the story.
Every book in the series comes with companion resources designed to deepen understanding and spark conversation.
Printable Activity Packs
Hands-on activities that reinforce learning through drawing, writing, and creative play.— one per book.
Reflection Prompts
Thoughtful prompts that help children connect each story to their own experiences and emotions.
Parent & Educator Guides
Conversation starters and context for adults to guide children through each story's themes.
Free Companion Worksheets
Character cards, Quotes, & Coloring Sheets that help the lesson land and last. hese are included in the Paid for Activityy Packs.
✨ Did You Know?
A strong inner voice is the single biggest predictor of who a child becomes. We are building it, one rhyme at a time.
When It Starts To Click
As children become familiar with the skills, they begin to recognize those same moments in themselves. A tricky choice becomes something they can pause through. A tough feeling becomes something they can work with. A habit becomes something they can choose.
✨ Did You Know?
Repetition is not boredom for a child. Hearing the same story 30 times wires the language regions of the brain in ways that 30 different stories cannot. The “read it again” instinct is brain-building.
For Parents & Educators
“When a child learns to say ‘I’m using my Pause Power,’ or ‘that was a Grit Garden moment,’ something quietly powerful happens. The skill is no longer an idea someone taught them. It becomes a tool they carry inside them, ready for the next real moment that needs it.”
~ MAISEL MCLAULA
This series was built for the adults in a child’s life ~ the ones who want language for the hard moments, tools for the tough patches, and a gentler way to guide a child through everyday skills. Each story is grounded in developmental psychology, shaped by practical wisdom, and told with the warmth of someone who believes every child can grow into their own strength.
Thank You For Hearing Them.
Whether you are the parent who asks “what do you think?” before telling them what to think, the coach who treats every kid like a leader-in-training, the social worker rebuilding a child’s belief that they matter, or the librarian who handed a quiet kid a loud book ~ thank you. The adult who listens raises children who speak.
Children with one consistent adult who treats their voice as worth hearing are 4x more likely to advocate for themselves and others as adults. Empowerment is taught one conversation at a time.
You are the reason a child will one day say “no” when they need to and “yes” when they can. That voice was built. By you. In small, repeated moments that felt like nothing.
Stay In The Loop.
Subscribe to the NextGen Learners Newsletter for stories from Maisel, behind-the-scenes peeks at upcoming books, free printable surprises, and the occasional very gentle reminder that bedtime stories are still the best technology ever invented.
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