Can we learn from studying the mistakes and successes of others?

Eighth grade students are currently reading in small literature circle groups from books they chose related to teens from other continents including Africa, Asia, North America, and Europe. All of the books and students (real ones and fictional ones) have one thing in common - they have all learned from a success they had or from a mistake they made.  Can we relate to the fictional lives of teenagers in other countries?  Can we learn anything from them based on the ways they solve their problems? Everyone in English class is about to discover the answer to this question. Here are some of the books being read in literature circles.  Pick one up and read it.  You will be glad you did and you just may learn something about the way someone on another continent thinks.