A Story from the Heart...

Fifth-grader Javon has the big responsibility of being a Book Buddy to a kindergartner named Richard. But when he meets Richard for the first time, he isn't so sure he's up for the challenge. Richard won't talk to Javon or even look at him. He seems sad, but Javon quickly realizes that Richard reminds him a whole lot of himself at that age, and Javon is determined to help his new friend.

Both boys learn a lot that year, but what Javon learns from Richard is the most important lesson of all: that helping someone find their happiness can make your own heart happy, too.

Children need to be taught they have unique gifts they can be proud of and that make them special. They need to know how to cope when the world feels like a big, scary place, and they need to be reminded of the things that make them happy so when they are sad, they can remember those things. With these tools in their tool belts, children can grow in self-confidence and learn to thrive in their world.