Sign-In
Cart
The Beginning of Wisdom: A Teen's Journey from Cleverness to Compassion
Paperback
Series: #Ya Inspiration #Ya Motivation #Selfhelp #Ya Fiction #From Arrogance to Empathy
Please select the version of book you would like to purchase.
ISBN13: 9798247030652
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Feb 5 2026
Pages: 40
Weight: 0.19
Height: 0.10 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Feb 5 2026
Pages: 40
Weight: 0.19
Height: 0.10 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
A cinematic, emotional coming of age story about a teenager who believes knowledge is power until life teaches them that kindness is the first step toward true wisdom. Through conflict, embarrassment, humor, hope, and setbacks, the protagonist learns to trade cleverness for compassion and discovers that real success grows from changed habits, braver choices, and steady, kind actions.
Eli begins as a brilliant problem-solver who measures worth by correctness. When he volunteers to tutor younger students, his plans collide with lives that are messy and urgent. He learns, painfully and beautifully, that being right is not the same as being helpful. Embarrassment, doubt, and the fear of quitting push him to choices that feel risky: apologizing in public, sharing leadership, and deferring personal prestige to strengthen a fragile community. Each setback becomes a lesson: old flaws are named, humility is practiced, and new behaviors- listening first, asking before correcting, and teaching others to lead- produce real results. By the end, success is not a trophy but a living network of people who help one another, and Eli discovers that recognizing kindness as the root of wisdom is the bravest, smartest thing he ever learned.
Also from
Phan, Cong
Begin Again Braver - A Teen's Journey of Smart Comebacks and Courage: Every setback is a step forward
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$14.39
Clear Water - Clear Heart: A Teen's Journey Toward Courage, Kindness, and Inner Peace
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$19.19
When Promises Learn to Stay: A Story About Promises, Courage, and Becoming the Person You Say You Are
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$13.80
The Room Where Better Decisions Are Made: Why do smart people keep making bad decisions?
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$14.39
Marie Curie: Life From The Invisible: From a Secret Classroom to World-Changing Discoveries
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$21.59
One Small Accident, One Giant Discovery: The Story of Penicillin and the People Who Refused to Quit
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$20.39
Proof Over Fear: Edward Jenner's Fight for Evidence, Truth, and the First Vaccine
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$14.39
Face the Storm Together: A Journey of Courage, Companionship and Choosing the Right People
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$26.40
The Quiet Power of Thank You: A Dramatic Journey of Gratitude, Courage, and Becoming
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$19.19
Where the Ground Never Breaks: A Teen's Story of Knowledge, Friendship and Finding Strength
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$22.79
Where the Future Begins: A Story About Identity, Character, and the Power of Tiny Choices
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$20.39
Forgive to Breathe: A Journey from Anger to Peace Nine Steps Toward Courage, Failure, and Growth
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$13.19
Orbit of Courage: A Young Adult Sci-Fi Romance About Strength, Love, and Becoming Brave
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$15.59
When Vision Becomes Gravity: A Teen's Journey from Midnight Ideas to Morning Courage
Phan, Cong
Paperback
$17.40
Also in
Young Adult Fiction
The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel: (A Modern Visual Adaptation of Homer's Epic Tale of Greek Mythology for Young Adults)
Hinds, Gareth
Paperback
$17.99
Piper at the Gates of Dusk: (A Young Adult Dystopian Adventure of Survival, Identity, and a Divided Future World)
Ness, Patrick
Hardcover
$17.99
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (National Book Award Winner)
Alexie, Sherman
Paperback
From $9.99
Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories
Hart, Kate
Gansworth, Eric
Smith, Cynthia Leitich
Hardcover
$18.99
Once Upon a Broken Heart Collector's Edition: [Limited Stenciled Edge Edition]
Garber, Stephanie
Hardcover
$35.15