Each Kindness

Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrator: E.B. Lewis

Publisher: Nancy Paulson Books, 2012

Publisher’s recommended age: 5+

Beautiful watercolors and prose, strong characters and a plot that pricks the conscience. Maya is new at school; Chloe sizes her up as being out of her socio-economic class and thus not worthy of attention. Those who have weathered the trenches of childhood understand that such decisions are not about reason; they are about power. Each Kindness harkens to the 1944 classic The Hundred Dresses that wove a similar tale of exclusion and missed opportunities. Maya moves before Chloe can atone for her behavior. At once lyrical and believably childlike, Chloe’s first-person narration makes her missteps, revelations, and regret all the more impactful.

Available Languages: English, French, Chinese, Japanese, Korean