Deborah Abela has cleverly positioned readers to walk in the shoes of the four protagonists in her debut verse novel, The Kindness Project. This story holds a mirror up to middle grade readers who may feel different to their peers and/or are navigating change and adversity in their lives. In this story, four seemingly very different characters are tasked with working together on a class project, the Kindness Project. As they get to know each other it becomes apparent that they have more in common than they could have ever imagined. This book highlights how everyone has a story and when you have the opportunity to get to know someone, snippets of their story unfold, connection happens, barriers and differences are broken down and with this newfound understanding and insight, compassion and empathy increases. Readers see and feel what the characters do which provides an opportunity to challenge biases and build empathy. The characters experiences are not only in the text but also embodied in a visually driven form in the spatial arrangement of the text and through different fonts and sizes. This book will appeal to the target audience’s visual culture. There is so much in this book that sings – the authentic, layered, characters; the diverse relationships, perspectives, and experiences included; the inclusion of marginalised voices; the positional text which supports readers add meaning to the story, the engaging storyline that will have readers feel the full gamut of emotions and the transformative power of kindness and friendship are hero themes in this book.
The story is told from the voice of Nicolette. Nicolette is often filled with worries and she feels like there’s a manual for making friends and everyone received it except her. School is not a positive experience, however she does feel her teacher Ms Skye is the best. The one activity Nicolette looks forward to is Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R) because this is a class activity that must be completed in silence. This means DJ, who is a bully can’t pick on her and Layla can’t ignore her. Nicolette feels betrayed and hurt by Layla who did not show up to her party years ago. Nicolette has not found anyone she clicks with until a new student, Leaf, arrives. Leaf is a talented artist, he draws comics. He creates one featuring Nicolette as Ruby Flame. In the comic she is strong and powerful and Leaf stars as the Masked Avenger, Defender of Justice, Guardian of all that is good and right.
When Ms Skye introduces the Kindness Project, “a project to change the world”, she mentions that it is a group task. She draws names from a hat to form the groups. Nicolette fills with dread which is exacerbated when her name is drawn first. She feels no one will want their name drawn next and have to work with her. Thankfully, Leaf’s name is drawn second and then Layla’s. Nicolette believes Layla is “the perfect girl” and the final group member is DJ, the bully. The group dynamic sees the project initially stalled, however a newfound respect from DJ and Layla is bestowed upon Nicolette when they learn about her bravery and what she did with her beloved Nanna. This is the catalyst for barriers breaking down as these four characters learn more about each other and discover commonalities.
Nicolette has an unbreakable bond with her wise Nanna. She is currently living in a nursing home, Nicolette calls Alcatraz. Each day Nicolette visits and spends quality time with Nanna. There are lots of snippets of information about her Nanna’s full and rich life that paint a picture of a daring, bold, courageous woman with many skills and talents. This is yet another example in this book about the beauty and importance of someone’s back story.
Nicolette devises a daring plan to bust out of Alcatraz for one day, to take her Nanna to the beach, to experience freedom, joy and escape the dishwater tea, dry fruitcake and condescending staff who are dismissive of her Nanna. What an adventure they have, one they will cherish and remember forever, until in an instant, everything changes including Nicolette’s Mother forbidding her from visiting her Nanna ever again.
This story may entice readers to self-reflect as they come to appreciate that some behaviours and actions may be borne out of circumstances and knowing someone’s story may gift insights and understanding. There are many contemporary themes sensitively explored in this book and experiences that children navigate, ones they may relate to, or be a window into circumstances that may differ to their lived experiences – a grandparent with dementia, a parent with a mental health condition, a parent who is often absent due to working far from home and suffering with crippling anxiety. The inclusion of these gives a voice to those that often do not have an opportunity to tell their story and provides a counter story which assists in the dismantling of stereotypes.