John Cena’s Books: From the Wrestling Ring to the Bookshelf

When Charlie first began #Homeschooling I never thought #wrestling would play a part in his learning but it did in so many ways. From reading books to attending events hosted by our friend Lamont to starting a Wrestling Event here in Haltom City, Texas at the American Legion.

This is how wrestling took us from reading, to the best homeschool lesson because it started with something my child already loved. If you’ve been around wrestling for a while you know John Cena is someone most of us probably recognize first from the wrestling ring. But his career didn’t stop there.

John Cena has gone from professional wrestling into acting, entertainment, philanthropy, and writing. He is also the author of the Elbow Grease series, of children’s books including Be a Work in Progress, and Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day. Books Charlie and I haven’t had the opportunity to read but we plan on it soon and I may even purchase them for Charlie for Christmas.

And that gives us another reason to include John Cena in our 10-Minute Reading Challenge and our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List. As I help Santa load the Sleigh this year I want to make sure these books are included because while Santa is dropping Gifts off I can read the books to Charlie, David and the Reindeer.

But for me, there is another reason I wanted to write about him. It takes me back to our homeschooling years. Wrestling has been part of my life for a long time. I watched wrestling when I was growing up, Suzzane watched Wrestling and so did my mom and my grandma and I continued watching it after David and I got together. David grew up watching wrestling too, including the Von Erichs here in Texas.

Then Charlie came along. By the time Charlie was about two years old, he was obsessed with wrestling. John Cena became one of the wrestlers we followed throughout his career. We have attended many wrestling matches here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area over the years, but one thing we never got to do was see John Cena wrestle in person.

Now that Cena’s in-ring WWE career has ended, that is one of those things we may never get the opportunity to do.But I also believe that sometimes we have to accept that things don’t happen exactly when we want them to. Maybe it simply wasn’t the Lord’s will for us to see John Cena wrestle in person.

And who knows what the future may bring? John Cena’s wrestling career may have reached its final chapter, but there are still plenty of ways to learn from the things he has done. One of those ways is through his books and his movies he is in now that wrestling is over.

As I was preparing homeschool lessons over the years, I learned something that I think is important for every parent and teacher to remember: Children don’t have to learn only from the subjects we choose for them. Sometimes we can start with something they already love.

For Charlie, that could mean video games. It could mean technology. It could mean photography. And it could absolutely mean wrestling. Instead of saying, “Today we’re going to study this because it’s what is on the lesson plan,” we could ask: What are you interested in? Then we can build a lesson around it. That is one of the things I loved about homeschooling.

A child who loves wrestling can study history through wrestling. They can study geography by learning where wrestling events take place. They can study writing by creating their own wrestling character. They can study math by looking at statistics. They can study business by learning about entertainment companies. And they can practice reading by picking up a book written by someone they already recognize. That brings us to John Cena.

John Cena has written books for different ages and reading levels, so you don’t have to have a little child to find a book that fits your family. Elbow Grease is the first book in Cena’s children’s series about a little monster truck who wants to prove that he has what it takes. Elbow Grease is smaller than his brothers, but he wants to prove that being smaller doesn’t mean he can’t accomplish something big. That gives us a lesson children can understand at almost any age:

You don’t have to be the biggest to keep trying. After reading, ask:

• What did Elbow Grease want to accomplish?
• Was he the biggest?
• Did he give up?
• What does it mean to believe in yourself?
• Have you ever had to keep trying when something was difficult?

This is also an easy connection to the message many wrestling fans associate with Cena: Never Give Up. This book gives us another opportunity to talk about teamwork. After reading, ask your child: What are three things that are easier to accomplish with a team than alone? Then ask: What makes someone a good teammate?You could even turn this into a writing assignment: A good teammate is someone who…Let your child finish the sentence and explain why.

The Elbow Grease series gives young readers another opportunity to return to a familiar character. And that is something I love about a reading challenge. A child doesn’t have to find a completely different book every day. If they enjoy a character, let them follow that character. Read for ten minutes today which would get them a ticket in our 10 Minute Reading Challenge. Come back tomorrow. Read another ten minutes. Eventually, those ten-minute reading sessions can add up to an entire series.

Now this one fits our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List especially well. Elbow Grease Saves Christmas brings the familiar little monster truck into a Christmas story, making it a natural choice for a holiday book basket, stocking, or December reading challenge.

I especially like the idea of making this part of a 10-Minute Christmas Reading Challenge. Read a Christmas story. Set the timer. Read for ten minutes. Then talk about what happened. Another book in the series gives children another chance to continue reading about a character they already know. And that is really the point. If one book grabs their attention, don’t stop there. Look for another. Then another. Reading can grow from one book into an ongoing interest.

If your child enjoys Elbow Grease, there are additional books in the series, including:

• Driving School
• Elbow Grease: Fast Friends
• Elbow Grease: Teamwork Wins!
• Elbow Grease: Cleanup Crew
• Elbow Grease Saves Christmas
• Happy Birthday, Elbow Grease!

There are also Spanish-language editions and different formats, giving families more ways to find a version that works for their child.

John Cena’s books aren’t limited to preschool and elementary readers. That is another reason I wanted to include him in our reading challenge. A child doesn’t have to outgrow the author just because they outgrow picture books. Be a Work in Progress is different from the Elbow Grease books.

The book collects Cena’s thoughts about being bold and open-minded, embracing discomfort, and making the most of opportunities. That gives us an opportunity to take the reading challenge beyond younger children. Read for ten minutes. Then ask: What does it mean to be a work in progress?

Nobody starts out knowing everything. Nobody gets everything right. We are all learning. We are all changing. And learning doesn’t stop simply because someone graduates from high school learning should happen each and ever day not only with children but adults as well.

That can be a pretty good lesson for teenagers. And honestly, adults might need the reminder too. Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day Yes, that really is the title. Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day is an illustrated book of encouragements aimed at elementary and middle-school readers, although its messages can be enjoyed by readers of different ages. This gives us another opportunity to talk about effort. What does doing your best actually mean? Does doing your best mean being perfect?

Or does it mean:

• Giving an honest effort?
• Learning from mistakes?
• Asking for help?
• Trying again?
• Practicing?
• Refusing to quit simply because something is difficult?

Those are conversations worth having with our children.

One of the reasons I love our 10-Minute Reading Challenge is because reading doesn’t have to become a huge production. You don’t have to read an entire book in one sitting. You don’t have to finish a chapter. You don’t even have to finish a story. Just start. One page at a time.

Here’s How It Works

1. Choose a John Cena book or any book of your choice.
2. Set the timer for 10 minutes.
3. Read.
4. When the timer goes off, stop and talk about what you read.
5. Come back tomorrow and do it again.
6. Don’t forget to collect your Ticket in our Reading Challenge.

For Younger Readers: After reading for ten minutes, ask your child to:

• Draw their favorite character.
• Tell someone what happened.
• Name one thing the character learned.
• Tell their favorite part.
• Draw what they think happens next.

For Beginner Readers:

• Read aloud for ten minutes.
• Choose a word you don’t know.
• Find a word you recognize.
• Tell who the story was about.
• Retell the story in your own words.

For Older Children?

• Write five sentences about what you read.
• Choose one new vocabulary word.
• Write down one question you still have.
• Explain what lesson you think the author wanted readers to learn.

For Teens:

• Write a short response to what you read.
• Identify the author’s main idea.
• Explain one lesson from the book.
• Research something mentioned in the book.
• Find another reliable source that teaches you more about the subject.

This is where I think John Cena becomes especially interesting for families who homeschool. You don’t have to make the entire lesson about the book. You can use the book as your starting point. Language Arts: Read for ten minutes and write a response about what you read.

Creative Writing; Create your own monster truck or wrestling character.

Give the character:

• A name
• A personality
• A goal
• A problem
• A solution

Art: Draw your character and design a logo for it.

Math: Create a pretend wrestling tournament.

Ask:

• How many wrestlers would you need for 4 matches?
• How many would you need for 8 matches?
• How many rounds would there be?
• How would the number change if you doubled the participants?

Geography

Choose five cities where professional wrestling events have taken place.

Find them on a map.

What states are they in?

How far apart are they?

History:

Research wrestling in Texas.

This would be a particularly fun direction for our family because of David’s memories of growing up watching the Von Erichs.

Compare wrestling from David’s childhood with professional wrestling today.

What has changed?

What has stayed the same?

Business:

How does a professional wrestler become a brand?

What does an author do?

What does an actor do?

How are those careers different?

How can one person have more than one career?

Media Studies:

John Cena moved from professional wrestling into acting and publishing.

Research one of his movies and one of his books.

Compare the two forms of storytelling.

What is different about telling a story through a movie compared with telling one through a book?

For older students, you can turn this into a complete research project.

Student Assignment

1. When and where was John Cena born?
2. When did his professional wrestling career begin?
3. What made him famous in WWE?
4. What championships did he win?
5. What movies or television programs has he appeared in?
6. When did he begin publishing children’s books?
7. What is the Elbow Grease series about?
8. What is Be a Work in Progress about?
9. What is Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day about?
10. How has Cena’s career changed over time?
11. What can you learn from following one person’s career through different forms of entertainment?

Bonus Question the End of An Era: John Cena’s final WWE match took place on December 13, 2025, against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C.

Have your student research:

• Where the match took place.
• Who John Cena’s opponent was.
• Why the match was significant.
• How long Cena had been wrestling professionally.
• What other careers Cena has pursued.

This gives students a very clear historical marker. They aren’t only researching someone from the past. They are documenting a career that recently reached a major turning point.

Our John Cena 10-Minute Reading Challenge Choose One:

☐ Elbow Grease — younger readers

☐ Elbow Grease: Teamwork Wins!

☐ Elbow Grease: Cleanup Crew

☐ Elbow Grease Saves Christmas

☐ Happy Birthday, Elbow Grease!

☐ Driving School

☐ Elbow Grease: Fast Friends

☐ Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day

☐ Be a Work in Progress

Then:

☐ Set the timer for 10 minutes.

☐ Read.

☐ Write down one thing you learned.

☐ Talk about it.

☐ Come back tomorrow and read for another 10 minutes.

That’s it. Ten minutes at a time. Because reading doesn’t have to be a race. It just has to become part of the day.

One of the reasons I love putting books into our Christmas Gift Guide is because a book can be both a gift and an invitation. A child who already loves John Cena might see an Elbow Grease book and think: “That’s for me!” And that’s where we can start. Maybe they read Elbow Grease.

Maybe that leads to another book. Maybe they become interested in monster trucks. Maybe they want to learn about wrestling. Maybe they become interested in biographies. Maybe they want to know how movies are made. Maybe they discover that someone they knew as a wrestler also became an author.

That is what I love about following a child’s interests. You never really know where that first question is going to lead. A Christmas gift doesn’t have to end when the wrapping paper comes off. Sometimes the best gifts give us something to do afterward. Read it. Talk about it. Learn something. Ask another question. And then do it again tomorrow.

When I look back at homeschooling Charlie, I don’t remember every worksheet. I don’t remember every lesson plan. But I remember the things he loved. I remember the interests that made his eyes light up. And wrestling was one of those things. John Cena was part of that.

So when I see that John Cena has become an author, I don’t just see a celebrity who wrote some children’s books. I see another opportunity to show our children that learning doesn’t have to stay inside a textbook. Sometimes learning begins with something they already love.

For Charlie, that was wrestling. For another child, it might be dinosaurs. Or horses. Or video games. Or cooking. Or cars. Or music. Or superheroes. Or monster trucks. Start there. Then find the books. That’s the beauty of thinking outside the box and getting our children to read..

John Cena’s in-ring WWE career reached its final chapter in December 2025, but his story didn’t end when he left the ring. He has continued into acting, writing, children’s books and other projects. And for our family, that makes him an especially interesting person to study.

We watched him when Charlie was little. We watched his career change. And now we can pick up one of his books and keep learning. That is one of my favorite things about a good homeschool lesson. Sometimes the lesson isn’t really about the person or the book. Sometimes the lesson is about teaching a child that the things they love can become the doorway to learning. And maybe, just maybe, ten minutes of reading today will lead to something much bigger tomorrow.

Greatful Moments Note: We use books, family interests, and everyday experiences as starting points for our homeschool lessons. You don’t have to follow this lesson exactly. Take the part that fits your child and make it your own

Okay, then do it.

Affiliate Disclosure; Some of the books mentioned in this post may be linked through our Amazon affiliate relationship. If you purchase through one of our links, Greatful Moments may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. We appreciate your support of our family website and our continued 10-Minute Reading Challenge.

Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.

GreatfulMoments.com

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates