Zest

Kids high in the character strength of zest have an energetic, and enthusiastic attitude toward life. They have natural enthusiasm for life and different situations, and are happy and energized. Underuse of zest may look like passivity, tiredness and lack of energy, and overuse of zest may come across as annoying or hyperactive.

Zest has been linked to high life satisfaction and a life of engagement, and may make kids less neurotic (more on this here). According to a study done from the VIA Youth Survey, zest, along with love of learning, perseverance and social intelligence, “showed the strongest positive relations to school-related positive affect.”

The children’s books curated below explore zest through a diversity of characters, life philosophies and situations.