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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
Jacqueline Woodson is a young and very prolific writer so I wanted to explore her work. I picked up this book for children and found it lovely.
It's about a new girl who comes to school and, despite many efforts, is not accepted by others. But the book is not written from the new girl's point of view. It's from the view of one of the many children who did not welcome that new girl. And it's about the missed opportunity to show kindness.
The books is a short, powerful lesson. There's no happy ending. It would spark wonderful conversations between a parent and child. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
It's about a new girl who comes to school and, despite many efforts, is not accepted by others. But the book is not written from the new girl's point of view. It's from the view of one of the many children who did not welcome that new girl. And it's about the missed opportunity to show kindness.
The books is a short, powerful lesson. There's no happy ending. It would spark wonderful conversations between a parent and child. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Awesome story! My students loved it. Great way to talk about empathy and choices at all can make.
packs a punch for a kids picture book-
recommend for all my teacher friends :)
recommend for all my teacher friends :)
informative
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am planning on using this story in December with my middle school classroom. It is more for lower grades, but I hope incan rope them in with it being an easy read.
A sad story but one to make kids think about the the things they say and do and how their actions affect others.
This is a children’s picture book about a young girl and her regrets over not treating one of her classmates kindly when the other girl was just looking for a friend.
One of my favorite books of 2012 is Jacqueline Woodson's Each Kindness, and now, I am happy to say, it has won the 2013 Charlotte Zolotow Award given by the Cooperative Children's Book Center.
The story begins one snowy, wintry day when a new girl named Maya is introduced to Chloe's elementary school class. The first thing Chloe notices is that Maya's clothes are shabby and she has on spring shoes in winter. Sitting next to Chloe, Maya makes one friendly overture after another but each time Chloe turns aways and rebuffs her.
Even in the schoolyard, whenever Maya comes over and asks Chloe and her friends to play jacks, jump rope, pick up sticks, they turn their backs on her and walk away. Maya is different from everyone else, she's the girl with funny food, second hand clothes and shoes, not the kind of person they want to associate with.
Then one day, Maya doesn't come to school. That morning the teacher gives her students a lesson on kindness. and the ripple effect our actions have in the world. She tells the class the Each little thing we do goes out, like a ripple, into the world. Each child is give a stone to drop into a bowl of water to see its ripple effect and to tell of a act of kindness they have recently done. Even small things count, the teacher tells Chloe, but sadly, she has not a single kindness to report and has to give up her stone.
After a few days absence, the teacher announces that Maya has moved and will not be returning to the class. In the afternoon, walking home from school, Chloe has a lot on her mind, thinking about what the teacher had said about kindness and how she had missed her chance with Maya and now, it was too late.
But what about the future...?
What a powerful book this is. Told completely from the point of view of the person refusing to be kind to a person who could really use some kindness, we see her thinking process. Even though she doesn't say exactly why she turned away from Maya, the reader can see that she had judged Maya by the way she looked and not who she was - a lonely little girl who only wanted to be friends.
Set against the beautiful soft watercolor illustrations by E.B. Lewis, and using language to match, Woodson gives a hard cruel picture of what unkindness can look it. What makes this a really powerful book, however, is that there is no sweet resolution at the end. This may be hard for kids to take, but it should generate all kinds of discussion in school, at home or the library about Chloe's behavior as well as her regrets. Chloe has missed her chance, Maya is gone. The question that remains is what will Chloe do next time.
I can't praise Each Kindness enough. What a very different world this might be if we all acted with kindness each time the opportunity presents itself. And as we learn in Woodson's story, even small things count.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was borrowed from Webster Branch of the NYPL
The story begins one snowy, wintry day when a new girl named Maya is introduced to Chloe's elementary school class. The first thing Chloe notices is that Maya's clothes are shabby and she has on spring shoes in winter. Sitting next to Chloe, Maya makes one friendly overture after another but each time Chloe turns aways and rebuffs her.
Even in the schoolyard, whenever Maya comes over and asks Chloe and her friends to play jacks, jump rope, pick up sticks, they turn their backs on her and walk away. Maya is different from everyone else, she's the girl with funny food, second hand clothes and shoes, not the kind of person they want to associate with.
Then one day, Maya doesn't come to school. That morning the teacher gives her students a lesson on kindness. and the ripple effect our actions have in the world. She tells the class the Each little thing we do goes out, like a ripple, into the world. Each child is give a stone to drop into a bowl of water to see its ripple effect and to tell of a act of kindness they have recently done. Even small things count, the teacher tells Chloe, but sadly, she has not a single kindness to report and has to give up her stone.
After a few days absence, the teacher announces that Maya has moved and will not be returning to the class. In the afternoon, walking home from school, Chloe has a lot on her mind, thinking about what the teacher had said about kindness and how she had missed her chance with Maya and now, it was too late.
But what about the future...?
What a powerful book this is. Told completely from the point of view of the person refusing to be kind to a person who could really use some kindness, we see her thinking process. Even though she doesn't say exactly why she turned away from Maya, the reader can see that she had judged Maya by the way she looked and not who she was - a lonely little girl who only wanted to be friends.
Set against the beautiful soft watercolor illustrations by E.B. Lewis, and using language to match, Woodson gives a hard cruel picture of what unkindness can look it. What makes this a really powerful book, however, is that there is no sweet resolution at the end. This may be hard for kids to take, but it should generate all kinds of discussion in school, at home or the library about Chloe's behavior as well as her regrets. Chloe has missed her chance, Maya is gone. The question that remains is what will Chloe do next time.
I can't praise Each Kindness enough. What a very different world this might be if we all acted with kindness each time the opportunity presents itself. And as we learn in Woodson's story, even small things count.
This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was borrowed from Webster Branch of the NYPL
I read this book for National day of Kindness - 20 times and each time, it made me teary. Actually I listened while Jacqueline Woodson read it.
This story makes you feel the real pain of never getting to correct your mistake, your meanness. And how each kindness matters.
This year, I got my own copy to read with students - along with Woodson. One of my very favorite books for older students. Younger ones might enjoy it, but older ones GET it.
This story makes you feel the real pain of never getting to correct your mistake, your meanness. And how each kindness matters.
This year, I got my own copy to read with students - along with Woodson. One of my very favorite books for older students. Younger ones might enjoy it, but older ones GET it.