Meet Piper, a rugged Pacific Northwest nature-loving 4th grader, who struggles in school. The numbers on her math quiz dance and prance all over the page until she feels like giving up. Though she is encouraged by her teacher to embody the word of the week “persevere,” it’s not until she’s on a backpacking adventure that she truly understands the work required to overcome a challenge. Join Piper as she trades her unlucky pencil for her beloved, muddy hiking boots, and heads out for an Olympic National Park coastal exploration. Usually, the woods is where she feels the most at peace, but this trip becomes more than towering Douglas Firs and chew chews of Northern Flickers when the unexpected sand wall she encounters forces her to grip a little tighter, and truly persevere.
Coming soon!
Meet Allison
WRITER | TEACHER | ADVENTURER | MOM | CAFFEINATOR
Allison is a writer, teacher, adventurer, and mom whose love of stories began with Beverly Cleary books and a winning entry in a young author’s contest. A Nationally Board Certified educator with 12 years of experience teaching around the world, she holds degrees in English Literature and Teaching from the University of Puget Sound. Raised in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest and now a mom of three, she finds joy in muddy hikes, homemade lattes, and helping kids believe they can do hard things.
What Teachers Are Saying
“Perseverant Piper” brings me right back to my fourth grade classroom. I relate with Piper in that, even in my thirties, the words, “timed math test” make me cringe. With a flushed face and a stomach ache, I spent the fourth grade dreading those tests to my core. With each test came tears and a devastating decrease in self-worth. Back then I never would have thought I’d grow up to be a math teacher. If I could have read about Piper when I was younger, I would have found comfort in the way that others kids were feeling the same as me. Piper shows us it is ok to be out of our element and “not good” at everything right away. So many concepts we learn in school are transferable to our lives outside of the classroom walls. Perseverant Piper is an inspiring story for us all, young and old, to remember that life is about having fun, trying our best and never giving up. ”
— Elizabeth
“This book spoke to my students on so many levels! They were able to relate to persevering through challenges, and feeling at home somewhere other than school. They adored the Pacific Northwest shout outs and learned new things about the area as well! This book works wonderfully as a read aloud, and could even function as a full unit of study! I can’t wait for more books from Rataezyk to share with my kids!”
— Quote Source
“Rataezyk's book, Perserverant Piper, is skillfully written for elementary students and an amazing resource to use when teaching about perseverance. The main character Piper is relatable across all grades with her honesty and raw feelings. I am so excited to add this book to my classroom library and encourage my next class of learners to believe in the amazing things they can do when they persevere. ”
— Quote Source
