Book Discussion Guide

Each Kindness by Jaquelyn Woodson

This is a wonderful story to learn about treating everyone kindly. When a new student, Maya, shows up at school with worn clothes and broken shoes, the other kids in class only seem to be able to pay attention to her differences. Maya tries to make friends but Chloe and her friends push her away. Ms. Albert teaches the students about the importance of kindness and Chloe starts to think about the effect of her unkind behavior, but it is too late; Maya’s family moves away and Chloe is never given the opportunity to repair her unkind choices. The breathtaking illustrations and heartbreaking story create a somber, reflective mood that will remind your family of the importance of showing kindness to everyone.

Questions To Talk About
While Reading

Vocabulary

It's important to make sure that your child has an understanding of key words in the book. Talking about words while reading is a great way for your child to learn new words.

In this book, you might talk about these words:

tattered (pg. 13)
thawed (pg. 15)
ripple (pg. 19)
perched (pg. 5)

You might use a question like:

In the book, what does the word tattered mean? How does the author’s description of Maya help you figure out what it means? How about the illustration – does it help you too?

Key Ideas and Themes

In addition to words, it's important to talk about key ideas and themes and how they develop over the course of the book.

Here are some examples to get you started:

1
The author uses descriptive language, while the illustrations offer captivating pictures of the scenes. Talk with your child about how the author creates a mood with phrases such as, “That winter, snow fell on everything, turning the world a brilliant white.” Then, talk about how the illustrations add to this mood. You can do this throughout the story with each scene and picture: how do the descriptions and illustrations create a mood? How do they make you feel while reading?
2
The role of the narrator is very powerful in Each Kindness. Talk about the narrator’s voice throughout the book with your child. How do the narrator and the classmates treat Maya when she first arrives? How does the narrator respond to Maya’s efforts to make friends? Talk with your child about how these choices affect the sequence of events. Be sure to use the words and illustrations to explain behavior. Finally, on page 21, the narrator’s tone begins to change. Ask your child to point out the narrator’s words and actions that show she is changing her mind about Maya.
3
The teacher, Ms. Albert, also plays a powerful role in the book. What lesson do you think Ms. Albert teaches with the small stone? As a family, talk about the events before this lesson. What might have led Ms. Albert to teach this lesson? What were the “ripples” of the children’s actions towards Maya?
4
Reread the last pages together. Ask your child, “What is the narrator thinking about as she watches the ripple?” Talk with your child about the lesson the narrator learns. You might also talk about ways this lesson relates to your own family, neighborhood, or school.

Extra Activities

1
Each Kindness is a beautiful example of a personal narrative that brings up an important life lesson about treating others with kindness. Go back and talk about Ms. Albert’s lesson about kindness. Ask your child to think about a time when he or she made a kind or unkind choice that affected someone else. You can use these guidelines to help your child write a narrative:
– Start your narrative by describing the situation and introducing the narrator.
– Organize the events in a sequence that makes sense.
– Use dialogue and describe what the narrator does, thinks, and feels throughout the story.
– Use sequential words (like first, next, then, etc.) to show the order of events.
– Create a strong conclusion to your story that helps your reader understand the lesson the narrator learned.
– Have fun illustrating your personal narrative!