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Each Kindness
Each kindness makes the world a little better
Chloe doesn't really know why she turns away from the new girl, Maya, when Maya tries to befriend her. And every time Maya asks if she can play with Chloe and the other girls, the answer is always no. So Maya ends up playing alone. And then one day she's gone.
When Chloe's teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the opportunity that's been lost. How much better could it have been if she'd just shown Maya a little kindness and opened her heart to friendship?
Newbery Honor-winning author Jacqueline Woodson and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator E. B. Lewis have created a beautiful, poignant picture book with a powerful message that will stay with readers long after they've put it down.
Chloe doesn't really know why she turns away from the new girl, Maya, when Maya tries to befriend her. And every time Maya asks if she can play with Chloe and the other girls, the answer is always no. So Maya ends up playing alone. And then one day she's gone.
When Chloe's teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the opportunity that's been lost. How much better could it have been if she'd just shown Maya a little kindness and opened her heart to friendship?
Newbery Honor-winning author Jacqueline Woodson and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator E. B. Lewis have created a beautiful, poignant picture book with a powerful message that will stay with readers long after they've put it down.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2012
86 people are currently reading
4805 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Woodson
80 books9,082 followersI used to say I’d be a teacher or a lawyer or a hairdresser when I grew up but even as I said these things, I knew what made me happiest was writing.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,680 reviews
February 12, 2013
My husband read this to my daughter's fourth grade class recently, and they were disappointed by the ending. I, however, think that is one reason it is such a great book. Not only does it demonstrate to kids that their actions have consequences, but it also shows them that sometimes you don't get a second chance to make things right when you make the wrong choice. Every time they leave a child out, it hurts.
I had personal experience with changing to a new school in fifth grade and being not only left out but teased cruelly about dumb things like my hair (curly and short -- they called me Squirrel). Thankfully, the teacher was kind and one girl -- one! -- was nice to me. Those two people were the only reason that year was bearable. It's been 38 years since I was in fifth grade and I still remember the sting like it was yesterday. The way kids choose to treat their classmates has far reaching results, and this book will hopefully make some kids think twice about their words and actions.
I had personal experience with changing to a new school in fifth grade and being not only left out but teased cruelly about dumb things like my hair (curly and short -- they called me Squirrel). Thankfully, the teacher was kind and one girl -- one! -- was nice to me. Those two people were the only reason that year was bearable. It's been 38 years since I was in fifth grade and I still remember the sting like it was yesterday. The way kids choose to treat their classmates has far reaching results, and this book will hopefully make some kids think twice about their words and actions.
January 8, 2018
I personally really do find Jacqueline Woodson's Each Kindness incredibly sad and even at times rather overly depressing, mostly because when we moved to Canada from Germany in 1976 (when I was ten), my experiences at school were definitely very much like Maya's. Although my teacher did everything she could to include me, to many of my so-called classmates (and unfortunately also to some of their parents, as I was also told by a number of fellow students that they supposedly were not allowed to converse or play with me) I was simply the little Nazi ( and of course, the fact that I was shy, a bit uncoordinated, spoke with an accent and also had the frustrating tendency to sometimes say the wrong things at the wrong times did not help matters either). And while I therefore do appreciate (and even with tears in my eyes manage to at least somewhat enjoy) Each Kindness (especially that and realistically there is no simple "happy ending" but that the bullies do, in fact, learn a valuable lesson) the bullying, resentfulness and deliberately being left out Maya experiences personally chafes and smarts and yes, I also cannot help but wonder a bit angrily why the teacher did NOT do her kindness project much earlier, like right when Maya first came to class as a new student (and I also fail to understand why she did NOTHING at all to intervene or even comfort Maya when it became rather painfully obvious the other children were at best shunning her, although I also do appreciate that Jacqueline Woodson has not sugar-coated the fact that teachers often do nothing, or at least not enough to fight against bullying, or as in the case of Maya's teacher, wait until it is a bit too late, for by the time Maya's teacher does her class lesson on kindness, Maya has been taken out of school by her parents).
And therefore although I think that Each Kindness is in many ways bit of a "must read" with an apt and centrally important theme and important lessons (as unfortunately, bullying seems as much of an issue now, as it was when I was a child, and at least I did not have to face the now seemingly all pervasive threat of cyberbullying), I would also like to point out that this is definitely a story that requires discussion and discretion. I read some very revealing musings on Amazon where a reviewer demonstrated rather painfully that certain children might react to this story quite negatively. For she read Each Kindness (without pre or post discussion) to her extremely shy granddaughter (who also has a bit of a speech impediment) and it not only made the little girl incredibly sad, but even more afraid of even trying to make friends, something to think about before sharing Each Kindness with children.
Now with regard to E.B. Lewis' accompanying illustrations, I have to admit that I really do not all that much remember their specific and minute details, except that I have generally found them to be an atmospheric and visually pleasing mirror of and to the narrative, of and to the author's text (and I for one am definitely pleased that the two main bullies are depicted as seemingly being of African-American persuasion, as I think it is very much important for children to realise that ANYONE can be a bully and that one's ethnic background does not preclude one from being nasty and vicious and vice versa).
And therefore although I think that Each Kindness is in many ways bit of a "must read" with an apt and centrally important theme and important lessons (as unfortunately, bullying seems as much of an issue now, as it was when I was a child, and at least I did not have to face the now seemingly all pervasive threat of cyberbullying), I would also like to point out that this is definitely a story that requires discussion and discretion. I read some very revealing musings on Amazon where a reviewer demonstrated rather painfully that certain children might react to this story quite negatively. For she read Each Kindness (without pre or post discussion) to her extremely shy granddaughter (who also has a bit of a speech impediment) and it not only made the little girl incredibly sad, but even more afraid of even trying to make friends, something to think about before sharing Each Kindness with children.
Now with regard to E.B. Lewis' accompanying illustrations, I have to admit that I really do not all that much remember their specific and minute details, except that I have generally found them to be an atmospheric and visually pleasing mirror of and to the narrative, of and to the author's text (and I for one am definitely pleased that the two main bullies are depicted as seemingly being of African-American persuasion, as I think it is very much important for children to realise that ANYONE can be a bully and that one's ethnic background does not preclude one from being nasty and vicious and vice versa).
June 14, 2013
What I love about this book is that it doesn't have a happy ending. To open this lesson I had the students take out a piece of paper and then crumble it up. Then I asked them to smooth it out so that there were no wrinkles. Then we discussed how the wrinkles are like imprints. That when we insult and hurt it leaves wrinkles and no matter how many "sorries" or things we do to "smooth it out" the scars are still there. At the end of the book we had a brief discussion about kindness, but also our reputation. I used this with 5th grade so we discussed how we want to be remembered when we leave to go to middle school, what legend do we want to leave? To end I had them each drop a pebble into a fishbowl. They walked up one by one and I asked as they dropped their stones into the water to think of the stone as their actions and to look at the ripples. I asked them to think about what ripples they made this year, good and/or bad.
A book for every classroom teacher.
I also, think you could have a great discussion about the courage it takes to stand up and like someone even when no one else does.
A book for every classroom teacher.
I also, think you could have a great discussion about the courage it takes to stand up and like someone even when no one else does.
December 13, 2012
Love Jacqueline Woodson. Did not like this book.
I think I'm the only one.
From page one, the tone of this book put me off. Even though she wasn't making a speech, it felt so didactic I just couldn't like it. In my mind, the narrator droned on in a depressing monotone. The story was entirely hopeless. There was no spark of light at the end, no spot of hope. My imaginary last line was, "And then the entire rest of my life sucked, too."
Harsh. Yes, I know. It felt harsh when I read it. It's The 100 Dresses in picture book form, but with no understanding of the situation's cause and with no hope at the end. Maya was just gone, and there was nothing to be done. If Chloe had had another chance to be kind to someone who was an outcast, it might've made the book more cliche, but would've added some hope, too. As it is, I was left wondering whether she would be kind next time, or would just wallow in self-loathing for a while.
Now, this is not to say that this is a bad book and shouldn't be utilized, because I do think teachers and counselors could use it. Some of our students certainly need it. As long as it's followed-up with discussion about how Chloe could've handled things differently, why she treated Maya the way she did, why she couldn't find courage to do the right thing, whether they see things like this happening at their school, and what they can do to make a difference, share it.
I also think Language Arts teachers could use this effectively when teaching tone. 'Cause this is one DE-pressing book, and it all comes from the narrator's tone.
I think I'm the only one.
From page one, the tone of this book put me off. Even though she wasn't making a speech, it felt so didactic I just couldn't like it. In my mind, the narrator droned on in a depressing monotone. The story was entirely hopeless. There was no spark of light at the end, no spot of hope. My imaginary last line was, "And then the entire rest of my life sucked, too."
Harsh. Yes, I know. It felt harsh when I read it. It's The 100 Dresses in picture book form, but with no understanding of the situation's cause and with no hope at the end. Maya was just gone, and there was nothing to be done. If Chloe had had another chance to be kind to someone who was an outcast, it might've made the book more cliche, but would've added some hope, too. As it is, I was left wondering whether she would be kind next time, or would just wallow in self-loathing for a while.
Now, this is not to say that this is a bad book and shouldn't be utilized, because I do think teachers and counselors could use it. Some of our students certainly need it. As long as it's followed-up with discussion about how Chloe could've handled things differently, why she treated Maya the way she did, why she couldn't find courage to do the right thing, whether they see things like this happening at their school, and what they can do to make a difference, share it.
I also think Language Arts teachers could use this effectively when teaching tone. 'Cause this is one DE-pressing book, and it all comes from the narrator's tone.
May 16, 2020
Another fantastic book to read to young children, not only during Kindness Week, but anytime of the year!
May 8, 2017
This story is incredibly mournful and poignant. I was near tears throughout this book; I would have been as deeply affected when I was a child. It reminded me so much of the short children’s novel The Hundred Dresses, which touched me deeply as an elementary school student. Maybe it’s because I just read this picture book, but at the moment it feels like an even more powerful story to me.
I do wish the teacher had done the kindness exercise earlier, preferably immediately noticing what was happening with her newest pupil. And I like to think things are better now than when I was young, but I know in many cases they’re not, and in some cases they’re even worse. This is a powerful story because I know how realistic it is. Unfortunately.
Very sensitive children might feel devastated by this book so I’d like to think parents, teachers, and other older children and adults will be there for support, and to listen and to discuss any feelings and thoughts that come up. I think most readers will be pensive after reading this; I certainly am. I like that the story is told first person by a girl who is not perfect, who ends up having regrets.
I think the conversations that can happen when a bunch of kids have read the story, or had it read to them, could be really helpful and lead children to behave more kindly to everyone. So, I highly recommend it to everybody 5 and up. I think it’s a great book to read at the beginning of a school year or immediately before any activity where children will be meeting new children, particularly if there will be any children different in some way from them. I also recommend it to all adults who have contact of various sorts with children. I’m hopeful they can use it to become more aware and encourage kindness in the children they know. Individuals a part of groups behave differently than individuals on their own, so this kind of awareness is particularly helpful when relating with groups of children.
Sad! Sad! Sad! But it can be more inspiring than depressing so I don’t want to scare off any potential reader.
The illustrations are outstanding. They wonderfully capture the children and their expressiveness, and the various settings, including the beauty of the natural world. The pictures are lovely and really add to the story.
I do wish the teacher had done the kindness exercise earlier, preferably immediately noticing what was happening with her newest pupil. And I like to think things are better now than when I was young, but I know in many cases they’re not, and in some cases they’re even worse. This is a powerful story because I know how realistic it is. Unfortunately.
Very sensitive children might feel devastated by this book so I’d like to think parents, teachers, and other older children and adults will be there for support, and to listen and to discuss any feelings and thoughts that come up. I think most readers will be pensive after reading this; I certainly am. I like that the story is told first person by a girl who is not perfect, who ends up having regrets.
I think the conversations that can happen when a bunch of kids have read the story, or had it read to them, could be really helpful and lead children to behave more kindly to everyone. So, I highly recommend it to everybody 5 and up. I think it’s a great book to read at the beginning of a school year or immediately before any activity where children will be meeting new children, particularly if there will be any children different in some way from them. I also recommend it to all adults who have contact of various sorts with children. I’m hopeful they can use it to become more aware and encourage kindness in the children they know. Individuals a part of groups behave differently than individuals on their own, so this kind of awareness is particularly helpful when relating with groups of children.
Sad! Sad! Sad! But it can be more inspiring than depressing so I don’t want to scare off any potential reader.
The illustrations are outstanding. They wonderfully capture the children and their expressiveness, and the various settings, including the beauty of the natural world. The pictures are lovely and really add to the story.
February 11, 2014
This is a difficult story - one that rings so true, but is probably a bit hard for many children. But it's an important story, too, whether a child is on either side of the story. The book is about bullying, but it's the subtle kind of bullying, the ignoring and whispering and refusal to acknowledge someone. I think this kind of bullying can be the worst, because there's no physical harm, but the emotional scars can be even deeper.
We read this story together and our girls were so sad. They could not understand why someone would turn away the new girl. I just hope that they remember that story and defend someone who is being treated poorly. And of course, I hope with all of my heart that they never experience what Maya did.
Overall, I thought this book was very well written and I thought the expressive illustrations complemented the story nicely. We really took this story to heart and I loved the metaphor of the stone making rippling waves in the water representing the effects of kindness upon others.
This book was selected as one of the books for the February 2014 - Kindness discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
We read this story together and our girls were so sad. They could not understand why someone would turn away the new girl. I just hope that they remember that story and defend someone who is being treated poorly. And of course, I hope with all of my heart that they never experience what Maya did.
Overall, I thought this book was very well written and I thought the expressive illustrations complemented the story nicely. We really took this story to heart and I loved the metaphor of the stone making rippling waves in the water representing the effects of kindness upon others.
This book was selected as one of the books for the February 2014 - Kindness discussion at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
April 3, 2020
Nothing is as bitter or as haunting as regret. The things we have left undone, particularly the missed opportunities for showing kindness to those who are in need of it, remain with us all of our lives. That has certainly been my own experience in life, and it would appear, to judge by this poignant tale of schoolyard politics, that it has been author Jacqueline Woodson's experience as well. The story of Chloe, a young girl who rejects her new classmates Maya, Each Kindness explores the powerful impact we can have - for both good and ill - on those around us, and highlights the painful reality that it is not always possible to put right the things we have done wrong.
Shabbily dressed, and somehow just different from the other children, Maya tries as hard as she can to win friends - smiling at Chloe every time their eyes meet, bringing her new jacks to school in the hopes that someone will play with her - but none of the other children will have anything to do with her. Then one day she doesn't come to school, and the classroom teacher creates a special lesson, having the children drop small stones into a bowl of water, and likening the widening circle of ripples that this creates to the effect of kindnesses shown to others. Stung by the realization that she has no kind acts to report, and suddenly conscious of how hurtful her actions to Maya have been, Chloe vows to smile at the new girl the next time they meet, only to discover that this won't be possible, because Maya is not coming back.
I found myself close to tears while reading Woodson's story, and was reminded of certain moments in my own life - moments when I betrayed myself and those around me, usually by failing to act with loving kindness - that have haunted me ever since. It is very rare indeed that we have the opportunity to atone for such failings, a reality that Woodson captures perfectly with her story. I was immensely impressed by the fact that no happy ending was provided here, as I think this reflects the experiences of most people. It's so rare to see that kind of truth-telling in stories for younger children, which usually seem to focus more on positive examples of how they should behave, rather than on what happens when they don't. I was also impressed by the subtleties of identity explored here, how Maya, while not overtly identified as "poor" in the narrative, is clearly of a lower socio-economic status than her classmates, as I feel that the reality of class difference is something too little dealt with in American children's literature. Finally, I found the artwork by E.B. Lewis, who also collaborated with Woodson on the outstanding picture-book, The Other Side , to be just lovely.
This is just a brilliant book, joining an emotionally powerful story to evocative artwork, and I would highly recommend it to all those looking for children's books addressing issues of empathy, social inclusion, and kindness to others.
Shabbily dressed, and somehow just different from the other children, Maya tries as hard as she can to win friends - smiling at Chloe every time their eyes meet, bringing her new jacks to school in the hopes that someone will play with her - but none of the other children will have anything to do with her. Then one day she doesn't come to school, and the classroom teacher creates a special lesson, having the children drop small stones into a bowl of water, and likening the widening circle of ripples that this creates to the effect of kindnesses shown to others. Stung by the realization that she has no kind acts to report, and suddenly conscious of how hurtful her actions to Maya have been, Chloe vows to smile at the new girl the next time they meet, only to discover that this won't be possible, because Maya is not coming back.
I found myself close to tears while reading Woodson's story, and was reminded of certain moments in my own life - moments when I betrayed myself and those around me, usually by failing to act with loving kindness - that have haunted me ever since. It is very rare indeed that we have the opportunity to atone for such failings, a reality that Woodson captures perfectly with her story. I was immensely impressed by the fact that no happy ending was provided here, as I think this reflects the experiences of most people. It's so rare to see that kind of truth-telling in stories for younger children, which usually seem to focus more on positive examples of how they should behave, rather than on what happens when they don't. I was also impressed by the subtleties of identity explored here, how Maya, while not overtly identified as "poor" in the narrative, is clearly of a lower socio-economic status than her classmates, as I feel that the reality of class difference is something too little dealt with in American children's literature. Finally, I found the artwork by E.B. Lewis, who also collaborated with Woodson on the outstanding picture-book, The Other Side , to be just lovely.
This is just a brilliant book, joining an emotionally powerful story to evocative artwork, and I would highly recommend it to all those looking for children's books addressing issues of empathy, social inclusion, and kindness to others.
March 5, 2017
I liked this book a lot. I thought that the slightly out -of -focus aspect of the illustrations gave it the quality of memory, and this is what the book is about; Chloe's deeply regretful memory of a lesson that she did not learn soon enough. I loved that it was painfully realistic about this common form of bullying and that no saccharine ending was employed -- or for that matter, a saccharine prelude in the form of a lesson from the teacher (who may have regrets of her own here). Maya was clearly drawn in a realistic and sympathy-evoking manner. Any child hearing this story will understand the wrong being done and the group dynamics at play. I particularly liked the casual heartbreaking cruelty about the day Maya wore a nice dress. Adults behave this way, as well as schoolchildren. Chloe is different at the end of this book, which packs a big punch in a small package. The best of the Jane Addams Children's Book Award winners shelf that I've read so far.
February 9, 2017
We're reading Estes' The Hundred Dresses for book club in December, so this new picture book immediately struck me as similar. They're both stories about a new girl in school who is treated as an outcast because her clothes are shabby and she seems culturally different from the other kids. And (spoiler alert) in both books the poor bullied girl moves away before the mean girls can realize how terrible they've been and apologize.
I think what makes Each Kindness special is that it distills the essence of a very big subject in kid lit: bullying. The kids in Each Kindness are probably in 2nd or 3rd grade, so this story can speak to very young kids, which is great. It may only take a few minutes to read, but I think it could have a big impact. The central positive image in the book is the ripple effect of a stone dropped in water, which is likened to the effects of doing something kind. It's a great image. It has the same kind of resonance the phrase "pay it forward" had for awhile. It makes you feel like each nice thing you do really can make the world a better place.
It's also interesting how Woodson doesn't make her bully seem that terrible (Chloe's certainly not as bad as Peggy in THD). Because the reader sees things from the bully's POV, we can feel sympathetic for Chloe and sort of understand how she falls into bullying without really choosing it. The bullying depicted in the book is relatively mild, mostly involving ignoring and excluding Maya, never harassing or attacking her.
Of course, this book is message-y, but not forcefully so. When our main character, Chloe, realizes that she should've shown Maya kindness, it's a quiet revelation. And the book in the end is pretty sad. Chloe is stuck with her regrets and we don't know when she'll get another chance to show someone kindness. Like her predecessor Wanda Petronski, we never know what happens to Maya.
I think what makes Each Kindness special is that it distills the essence of a very big subject in kid lit: bullying. The kids in Each Kindness are probably in 2nd or 3rd grade, so this story can speak to very young kids, which is great. It may only take a few minutes to read, but I think it could have a big impact. The central positive image in the book is the ripple effect of a stone dropped in water, which is likened to the effects of doing something kind. It's a great image. It has the same kind of resonance the phrase "pay it forward" had for awhile. It makes you feel like each nice thing you do really can make the world a better place.
It's also interesting how Woodson doesn't make her bully seem that terrible (Chloe's certainly not as bad as Peggy in THD). Because the reader sees things from the bully's POV, we can feel sympathetic for Chloe and sort of understand how she falls into bullying without really choosing it. The bullying depicted in the book is relatively mild, mostly involving ignoring and excluding Maya, never harassing or attacking her.
Of course, this book is message-y, but not forcefully so. When our main character, Chloe, realizes that she should've shown Maya kindness, it's a quiet revelation. And the book in the end is pretty sad. Chloe is stuck with her regrets and we don't know when she'll get another chance to show someone kindness. Like her predecessor Wanda Petronski, we never know what happens to Maya.
January 25, 2013
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
March 17, 2016
Maybe because Maya's new, maybe because she seems a little different from the rest of her classmates, or maybe for some secret, never-revealed reason, Chloe and her friends ignore the new girl's offerings of friendship. They refuse to play with her or even return her smiles and call her names because of her hand-me-down clothes. When Chloe fails to appear for class on the same day that the students' teacher gives a lesson on the ripple effects of our actions, Chloe realizes too late that she has missed the chance to extend kindness to Maya. The message is delivered poignantly, rippling out from the book's pages in the same fashion that a stone thrown into water continues to have its effect on the water long after it's been thrown. The watercolor illustrations show Maya's shyness and hopefulness, and Chloe's stubborn reluctance to give her the time of day. The last two pages are filled with shimmering greens and a sense of loss for a missed opportunity to brighten someone else's day with the simplest act. Some reviewers have seen this title as one that ends on a despairing note, but I don't see it that way. Chloe has learned her lesson, and her regret will prompt her to make sure that she treats the next Maya who crosses her path with kindness. This is another wonderful title sure to prompt discussion about the different ways we bully others. It's also a reminder that the teachers in our lives sometimes deliver their lessons in subtle ways.
March 25, 2017
Powerful and beautifully illustrated. Appropriate for grades Pre-K to 12, which is a rare feat.
Some comments in response to other reviews:
Many people connect with Maya's character. That's the easy response, and I think it's wrong. Much like a New Testament parable, you should replay this story with yourself as every character. You should particularly put yourself in the bully's shoes. Think of a time when you have avoided a peer because they just didn't click for you in some small, subtle way.
The ending is shocking and realistic. It tells the truth in a way few children's books do. You mess up with one person or one relationship and you just try to do better with the next one. Some things can't be fixed, but maybe you can be part of the solution next time.
Some comments in response to other reviews:
Many people connect with Maya's character. That's the easy response, and I think it's wrong. Much like a New Testament parable, you should replay this story with yourself as every character. You should particularly put yourself in the bully's shoes. Think of a time when you have avoided a peer because they just didn't click for you in some small, subtle way.
The ending is shocking and realistic. It tells the truth in a way few children's books do. You mess up with one person or one relationship and you just try to do better with the next one. Some things can't be fixed, but maybe you can be part of the solution next time.
December 8, 2012
I adored the illustrations. They were surpassingly wonderful, and perfect with the story. The story is unrepentantly sad, which I'm so in favor of. Real life rarely offers one the chance to make it all right in cases like this, and books that promise that ability are fairy tales. The unresolved, minor chord that this book ends upon makes it beautiful, poignant, and perhaps most importantly, something that lingers.
December 2, 2012
What a powerful book. I love that it's not a happy ending because that's the way life goes. You don't always get second chances. You have to be kind always. As a girl who moved around a lot I would have really appreciated this book in grade school and imagine there are plenty of others who would have, too. Would be a great one to share in a classroom on a kindness theme.
September 26, 2014
Wow, this just makes you want to cry when you think about missed opportunities of kindness. We've all been there. However, I think there is so much to learn about how we handle these missed acts of kindness and how we should go forward. What a short work of words but so powerful. This a great book for 5-9 year olds especially.
July 7, 2012
I had a lump in my throat towards the end of this book. You truly feel the emotion of this book as you read it and the regret that the main character feels for not having reached out in kindness and friendship. Great for discussion starter in 2nd grade on up.
January 23, 2013
A lovely, simple story about kindnesses left undone - this would be a great picture book read aloud to start a discussion of classroom climate, bullying, and empathy.
October 24, 2012
Richie’s Picks: EACH KINDNESS by Jacqueline Woodson and E.B. Lewis, ill., Penguin/Nancy Paulsen, October 2012, 32p., ISBN: 978-0-24652-4
“I hope when you decide
Kindness will be your guide
Put a little love in your heart
And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you, and me, you just wait and see”
--Jackie DeShannon
“The next day, Maya’s seat was empty.
In class that morning, we were talking about kindness.
Ms. Albert had brought a big bowl into class and filled it with water.
We all gathered around her desk and watched her drop a small stone into it.
Tiny waves rippled out, away from the stone.
This is what kindness does, Ms. Albert said.
Each little thing we do goes out, like a ripple, into the world.”
A longtime friend, with whom I once shared child development classes and then operation of a nonprofit childcare center, spent a few hours this past week tearing into some cartons of newly-published books sent to me that have been accumulating.
Pam does not know anything about the publishing side of children’s books. Nor does she know the library side. And she has never studied child lit. But she has for decades -- and continues to -- spend part of every workday bringing together young children and books.
After reading through piles of the new picture books that spilled out of the leaning tower of shipping cartons, she pronounced that (1) This one was by far the best of the bunch, and (2) Stories don’t always end happily.
EACH KINDNESS is the picture book story of Chloe who, with her girlfriends, chooses to be unkind to the new girl in their class, a girl whose attire gives the impression of her family being poor. The trio of girls consciously ignores Maya and rebuffs her offers to play with them. They refer to her as Never New.
Maya finally gives up trying and learns to play by herself.
And then, without warning, Maya disappears from school because her family needs to move away. Ms. Albert’s lesson about kindness leaves Chloe reflecting upon her hurtful, unfriendly behavior. But she has no opportunity to make up for what she has done. She has lost her chance to be kind. Alone, at a nearby pond, she…
“…watched the water ripple
as the sun set through the maples
and the chance of a kindness with Maya
becoming more and more
forever gone.”
Through Jacqueline Woodson’s text and E.B. Lewis’s watercolor paintings, young readers and listeners will readily imagine what it feels like to be in Maya’s position and in Chloe’s shoes.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com/
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/middle_school...
http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
“I hope when you decide
Kindness will be your guide
Put a little love in your heart
And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you, and me, you just wait and see”
--Jackie DeShannon
“The next day, Maya’s seat was empty.
In class that morning, we were talking about kindness.
Ms. Albert had brought a big bowl into class and filled it with water.
We all gathered around her desk and watched her drop a small stone into it.
Tiny waves rippled out, away from the stone.
This is what kindness does, Ms. Albert said.
Each little thing we do goes out, like a ripple, into the world.”
A longtime friend, with whom I once shared child development classes and then operation of a nonprofit childcare center, spent a few hours this past week tearing into some cartons of newly-published books sent to me that have been accumulating.
Pam does not know anything about the publishing side of children’s books. Nor does she know the library side. And she has never studied child lit. But she has for decades -- and continues to -- spend part of every workday bringing together young children and books.
After reading through piles of the new picture books that spilled out of the leaning tower of shipping cartons, she pronounced that (1) This one was by far the best of the bunch, and (2) Stories don’t always end happily.
EACH KINDNESS is the picture book story of Chloe who, with her girlfriends, chooses to be unkind to the new girl in their class, a girl whose attire gives the impression of her family being poor. The trio of girls consciously ignores Maya and rebuffs her offers to play with them. They refer to her as Never New.
Maya finally gives up trying and learns to play by herself.
And then, without warning, Maya disappears from school because her family needs to move away. Ms. Albert’s lesson about kindness leaves Chloe reflecting upon her hurtful, unfriendly behavior. But she has no opportunity to make up for what she has done. She has lost her chance to be kind. Alone, at a nearby pond, she…
“…watched the water ripple
as the sun set through the maples
and the chance of a kindness with Maya
becoming more and more
forever gone.”
Through Jacqueline Woodson’s text and E.B. Lewis’s watercolor paintings, young readers and listeners will readily imagine what it feels like to be in Maya’s position and in Chloe’s shoes.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com/
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/middle_school...
http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
December 30, 2016
8/8/13 ** This year I was able to read this book to my fourth graders in the first week of school. Fabulous response. "That's a...sad ending. I was surprised." "That's a happy ending, she knew what she needed to do." If you haven't read this book, what are you waiting for???
11/6/2012 ** I had the fantastic opportunity to meet E.B. Lewis and Jacqueline Woodson last June in New York at BEA. Lewis told me about a wonderful book that he'd just finished illustrating for Woodson - this one. I was so disappointed that it wouldn't be out until October 2012. I was finally able to get it on Friday, 10/26 at Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville. Wow!
I read it aloud to my 4th graders today. My kids immediately picked up on things that Chloe and her friends said that they thought were mean. (Hopefully, this will help them recognize meanness in their own actions.) My students also noticed that Chloe's hairstyle is very close to the style that Ms. Woodson wears in her author photo on the jacket. We wondered if Ms. Woodson wrote from her personal experience - an unresolved issue that she remembers to this day.
My only concern is that many of my students also wear hand-me-down clothes, and I haven't been aware of teasing about this. I hope that the book doesn't suggest that this might be an avenue of teasing. (Yeah, right...the kids DO watch T.V. I'm sure they're certainly aware of style-based bullying.)
Consider partnering this book with Wonder by Pallacio. I know this will be a routine read in my class this year and in the future.
11/6/2012 ** I had the fantastic opportunity to meet E.B. Lewis and Jacqueline Woodson last June in New York at BEA. Lewis told me about a wonderful book that he'd just finished illustrating for Woodson - this one. I was so disappointed that it wouldn't be out until October 2012. I was finally able to get it on Friday, 10/26 at Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville. Wow!
I read it aloud to my 4th graders today. My kids immediately picked up on things that Chloe and her friends said that they thought were mean. (Hopefully, this will help them recognize meanness in their own actions.) My students also noticed that Chloe's hairstyle is very close to the style that Ms. Woodson wears in her author photo on the jacket. We wondered if Ms. Woodson wrote from her personal experience - an unresolved issue that she remembers to this day.
My only concern is that many of my students also wear hand-me-down clothes, and I haven't been aware of teasing about this. I hope that the book doesn't suggest that this might be an avenue of teasing. (Yeah, right...the kids DO watch T.V. I'm sure they're certainly aware of style-based bullying.)
Consider partnering this book with Wonder by Pallacio. I know this will be a routine read in my class this year and in the future.
July 25, 2021
Each Kindness is a children's picture book written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis. It unfolds with harsh beauty and the ominousness of opportunities lost.
Woodson brings an unsparing lyricism to a difficult topic. Combining realism with shimmering impressionistic washes of color, Lewis turns readers into witnesses as kindness hangs in the balance in the cafeteria, the classroom, and on the sun-bleached playground asphalt.
When a new and clearly impoverished girl named Maya shows up at school, Chloe and her friends brush off any attempt to befriend her. Even when Maya valiantly and heartbreakingly tries to fit in and entice the girls to play with her, she is rejected. Then one day, Maya is gone, and Chloe realizes that her chance of a kindness is forever gone.
All in all, Each Kindness is a great book for teaching kindness and not to miss an opportunity to give it.
Woodson brings an unsparing lyricism to a difficult topic. Combining realism with shimmering impressionistic washes of color, Lewis turns readers into witnesses as kindness hangs in the balance in the cafeteria, the classroom, and on the sun-bleached playground asphalt.
When a new and clearly impoverished girl named Maya shows up at school, Chloe and her friends brush off any attempt to befriend her. Even when Maya valiantly and heartbreakingly tries to fit in and entice the girls to play with her, she is rejected. Then one day, Maya is gone, and Chloe realizes that her chance of a kindness is forever gone.
All in all, Each Kindness is a great book for teaching kindness and not to miss an opportunity to give it.
May 23, 2016
This book was a little sad to read, the story is about a girl called Maya who is new at school, but because she looks different and dresses different, the kids at her school don't wanna play or talk to her. She tries play with them but is always ignored. The other character in the book, Chloe at first she doesn't like Maya because she looks different, later on she wants to talk to her or play with her but she doesn't do it. This book is about how kids can be cruel sometimes when they see someone that doesn't fit with the rest of them. I recommend this book because it can teach children not to judge someone by her/his looks, because they might miss the opportunity to meet great person.
June 29, 2012
I was in my editor's office yesterday and I saw this book from across the room. I first picked it up simply because I was stunned that the cover art was a painting not a photo.
Then I read the book. Wow! The story was just as real as the art. Jaded as I am, I was expecting the ending to be predictable and sappy. Wrong.
By not going with a traditional "feel good picture book ending," the reader can't help but feel the same emotion as the narrator.
Talk about "show, don't tell": This is how it's done.
Then I read the book. Wow! The story was just as real as the art. Jaded as I am, I was expecting the ending to be predictable and sappy. Wrong.
By not going with a traditional "feel good picture book ending," the reader can't help but feel the same emotion as the narrator.
Talk about "show, don't tell": This is how it's done.
September 27, 2012
Absolutely wonderful. Poignant and affecting, and with startlingly realistic illustrations, Each Kindness tackles the tough topic of bullying from the perspective of a grade-school girl who thoughtlessly shuns the new girl in class, who doesn't have as nice clothes or toys as she does. And unlike most books of this ilk, it doesn't tack on a forced happy ending. Instead, the story encourages reflection with its realistic plot.
This would be a wonderful book to share with children in third grade and under, especially with a unit on bullying.
This would be a wonderful book to share with children in third grade and under, especially with a unit on bullying.
January 17, 2013
If you only share one book about bullying with your children or students, this should be the one. Maya's the new girl; she sits by Chloe. Chloe's not exactly mean, yet she doesn't return Maya's smiles. Then one day Maya is gone and Chloe realizes how unkind she was. If only Maya would return to school, this time Chloe would smile back.
Recent winner of the 2013 Charlotte Zotolow Award for best writing in a picture book.
Recent winner of the 2013 Charlotte Zotolow Award for best writing in a picture book.
November 17, 2012
Terribly sad, very clearly written. Not something I'm excited about for the Newbery, but it wouldn't be out of place there. I liked it much, much better than The Hundred Dresses (which I've never gotten the appeal of). Of course, the ending that's so sad is actually the easier ending--much easier than Chloe actually having to follow through on her desire to be kind--but, well, it's a short book.
November 15, 2012
I now have overwhelming feelings of nonspecific guilt.
November 28, 2018
Annotated Bibliography Entry: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
Annotated text set: kindness
Genre: realistic fiction
Summary:
It was winter when Maya was introduced at her new school. She was seated beside Chloe, who was less than thrilled with sitting beside someone like Maya. Maya wore old and ragged clothes and the other kids, Chloe included picked on her from the very start. At recess, no one wanted to play with Maya even when Maya tried to approach them and offer to play with her. They intentionally isolated themselves from her because they did not want anyone to think they were friends with someone like her. When spring came, Maya tried again and again to make friends, but none of the others were interested. She eventually moved away unexpectedly and the other kids begin to become concerned by her empty desk. The teacher talks to the students about kindness and how doing something kind for people can change their whole day around. She gives the students a stone and they take turns dropping it into a bowl of water and telling their teacher something kind they did for someone else. That is when Chloe realizes how she and her friends treated Maya was wrong. At the end of the book, Maya wishes she would have been kinder to Maya when she was in the class and regrets everything she did not say to Maya.
Personal Response:
A very powerful book about the importance of kindness and being kind to other people. I think this is a book that everyone should read because it is just that important. I also think that oftentimes when children make fun of other people they do not always realize the gravity of what they have done and do not realize how those words could make someone else feel. That is why I liked that this book was realistic in how this situation was portrayed. It does not have a happy empty. The ending is not wrapped up with a nice little bow. Maya is gone and Chloe slowly comes to a realization that the chance to be her friend and showing her kindness has passed. That is usually the reality of such stories and I am glad it was portrayed like that in this book.
Descriptions of illustrations:
Descriptions are very realistic and I love the realistic shading in the book. You could really feel it was winter or it was spring. The shading is not over the top either, which makes the characters look very realistic. I think the pictures will appeal to other children because it will make things seem more real to them since it is so realistically illustrated.
Classroom Connections:
I do think there is a lot that a teacher could do with this book in the classroom. Teachers could use this book as a way to discuss kindness and the things the kids could do to be kind to others. We did a chart board in class where we drew our thoughts on the chart paper and that is something we could do in our classrooms as well. Children could draw what they think on their chart paper. Teachers could also do the same activity the teacher in this book did. Students could drop a marble or stone into a bowl of water and have each of the students say something kind that they did for someone else. As a journal activity, teachers could ask the students to write about how Chloe and her friends could have treated Maya differently. Teachers could also ask students to write about how they would show kindness to the other kids in their class.
Annotated text set: kindness
Genre: realistic fiction
Summary:
It was winter when Maya was introduced at her new school. She was seated beside Chloe, who was less than thrilled with sitting beside someone like Maya. Maya wore old and ragged clothes and the other kids, Chloe included picked on her from the very start. At recess, no one wanted to play with Maya even when Maya tried to approach them and offer to play with her. They intentionally isolated themselves from her because they did not want anyone to think they were friends with someone like her. When spring came, Maya tried again and again to make friends, but none of the others were interested. She eventually moved away unexpectedly and the other kids begin to become concerned by her empty desk. The teacher talks to the students about kindness and how doing something kind for people can change their whole day around. She gives the students a stone and they take turns dropping it into a bowl of water and telling their teacher something kind they did for someone else. That is when Chloe realizes how she and her friends treated Maya was wrong. At the end of the book, Maya wishes she would have been kinder to Maya when she was in the class and regrets everything she did not say to Maya.
Personal Response:
A very powerful book about the importance of kindness and being kind to other people. I think this is a book that everyone should read because it is just that important. I also think that oftentimes when children make fun of other people they do not always realize the gravity of what they have done and do not realize how those words could make someone else feel. That is why I liked that this book was realistic in how this situation was portrayed. It does not have a happy empty. The ending is not wrapped up with a nice little bow. Maya is gone and Chloe slowly comes to a realization that the chance to be her friend and showing her kindness has passed. That is usually the reality of such stories and I am glad it was portrayed like that in this book.
Descriptions of illustrations:
Descriptions are very realistic and I love the realistic shading in the book. You could really feel it was winter or it was spring. The shading is not over the top either, which makes the characters look very realistic. I think the pictures will appeal to other children because it will make things seem more real to them since it is so realistically illustrated.
Classroom Connections:
I do think there is a lot that a teacher could do with this book in the classroom. Teachers could use this book as a way to discuss kindness and the things the kids could do to be kind to others. We did a chart board in class where we drew our thoughts on the chart paper and that is something we could do in our classrooms as well. Children could draw what they think on their chart paper. Teachers could also do the same activity the teacher in this book did. Students could drop a marble or stone into a bowl of water and have each of the students say something kind that they did for someone else. As a journal activity, teachers could ask the students to write about how Chloe and her friends could have treated Maya differently. Teachers could also ask students to write about how they would show kindness to the other kids in their class.
January 30, 2019
How would you feel if you met a kid and was mean to them and never got a chance to be nice to them? In Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson Chloe learns that you should be nice while you can. Chloe shows this when she can’t think of anything nice she did recently, when she promises herself that she’ll smile back at Maya, and lastly when Chloe realizes that Maya was just trying to be nice but she wasn’t nice back.
One reason I think Chloe learns to be kind before it’s too late is when it says, ”But I couldn’t think of anything and passed the stone on.” This shows that Chloe couldn’t think of anything nice that she did for Maya. This shows that Chloe couldn’t think of anything kind she did because Chloe was supposed to say something nice she did then throw the stone in but she couldn’t think of anything.
Another reason I believe Chloe learns to be nice before she can’t be nice anymore is when it says, “I promised myself this would be the day I smiled back.” This shows that Chloe felt bad and just wanted to be nice back to Maya. It shows this because every day Maya came to school, she would smile at Chloe but Chloe would never smile back. Consequently, Chloe now feels bad and hopes that Maya will come to school so she can smile back.
My last reason I think Chloe learns to be kind while you still can is when it says, “Like each kindness-done and not done. Like every girl somewhere-holding a small gift for someone and that someone turning away from it.” This shows that Chloe feels bad for Maya because she wasn’t nice to her even though Maya was just trying to be nice to Chloe. It specifically shows this when it says that Maya was figuratively holding out a “small gift” for Chloe but she kept turning it down.
As you can see, Chloe learns to be nice before it’s too late. From now on I will be nice to people even if I don’t know them. This is because if you were mean to someone you may never get a chance to know them. When in reality you may have a lot in common and you could be great friends.
One reason I think Chloe learns to be kind before it’s too late is when it says, ”But I couldn’t think of anything and passed the stone on.” This shows that Chloe couldn’t think of anything nice that she did for Maya. This shows that Chloe couldn’t think of anything kind she did because Chloe was supposed to say something nice she did then throw the stone in but she couldn’t think of anything.
Another reason I believe Chloe learns to be nice before she can’t be nice anymore is when it says, “I promised myself this would be the day I smiled back.” This shows that Chloe felt bad and just wanted to be nice back to Maya. It shows this because every day Maya came to school, she would smile at Chloe but Chloe would never smile back. Consequently, Chloe now feels bad and hopes that Maya will come to school so she can smile back.
My last reason I think Chloe learns to be kind while you still can is when it says, “Like each kindness-done and not done. Like every girl somewhere-holding a small gift for someone and that someone turning away from it.” This shows that Chloe feels bad for Maya because she wasn’t nice to her even though Maya was just trying to be nice to Chloe. It specifically shows this when it says that Maya was figuratively holding out a “small gift” for Chloe but she kept turning it down.
As you can see, Chloe learns to be nice before it’s too late. From now on I will be nice to people even if I don’t know them. This is because if you were mean to someone you may never get a chance to know them. When in reality you may have a lot in common and you could be great friends.
February 28, 2016
I'm on a quest to read all of Jacqueline Woodson's books. This newbery award winning author never disappoints.
Each Kindness is a small book that handles the subject of bullying, guilt, and the knowledge that one random act of kindness can make a difference. Conversely, one intentional act of cruelty leaves a scar long after the wound heals.
Woodson has a unique way with words -- ever so poetic -- with the ability to convey an important message without the need for hundreds of pages of text.
Richly illustrated by E.B. Lewis, the book tells the story of Chloe who notices the new girl in school who is attempting to make friends. Each time she feels that Maya is reaching out to her, Chloe refuses to return the overture.
Enmeshed with her own circle of friends, Chloe refuses to include Maya in the circle.
Noticing that Maya is wearing hand me down clothes and shoes, the young girls call Maya "never new."
When the new girl tries to show her jacks and balls, she is turned away and thus plays by herself
When the elementary school teacher shows the ripple of kindness by placing a stone in a large bowl of water, Chloe knows in her heart that she has not treated the new girl with kindness. Instead, her insensitivity leaves a different ripple, one that harms.
When the new girl moves away, Chloe is left with the knowledge that the opportunity to seek forgiveness will not happen, Chloe learns a valuable lesson.
Each Kindness is a small book that handles the subject of bullying, guilt, and the knowledge that one random act of kindness can make a difference. Conversely, one intentional act of cruelty leaves a scar long after the wound heals.
Woodson has a unique way with words -- ever so poetic -- with the ability to convey an important message without the need for hundreds of pages of text.
Richly illustrated by E.B. Lewis, the book tells the story of Chloe who notices the new girl in school who is attempting to make friends. Each time she feels that Maya is reaching out to her, Chloe refuses to return the overture.
Enmeshed with her own circle of friends, Chloe refuses to include Maya in the circle.
Noticing that Maya is wearing hand me down clothes and shoes, the young girls call Maya "never new."
When the new girl tries to show her jacks and balls, she is turned away and thus plays by herself
When the elementary school teacher shows the ripple of kindness by placing a stone in a large bowl of water, Chloe knows in her heart that she has not treated the new girl with kindness. Instead, her insensitivity leaves a different ripple, one that harms.
When the new girl moves away, Chloe is left with the knowledge that the opportunity to seek forgiveness will not happen, Chloe learns a valuable lesson.
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