Something Good

The toughest moment in this classroom story by the previous collaborators (Adrian Simcox Does Not Have a Horse) comes when the narrator beholds the "bad-something" on the wall of the girls' bathroom. She and her friends have been wondering how bad it could really be, and when they see it, "Tanisha turned around and ran out. Kiyoko kicked a stall really hard, and the sound made us cover our ears." After the children react with a range of emotions--"No one felt nothing," Campbell writes--the school focuses on efforts at healing by making "something good." The adults appeal to the students as a body, giving them each ribbons in the school's colors "to remember who we are." Then a teacher brings all his students into the defaced bathroom ("We were all in this together"), where the ethnically inclusive group paints a big, beautiful mural over the bad-something, rendered by Luyken in a boldly saturated riot of florals and dragons. A valuable resource that might serve to equip classrooms for crisis. An author's note describes the book's origins. Ages 4-8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.)

K-Gr 4--Campbell sets children down in the middle of something serious. What if someone did something bad at your school? How would you feel? How would you act? How would you move forward? The principal talks to the students individually. The kids really want to know what the bad thing is, so they sneak into the girls' bathroom to find out. Even though Campbell never says what's written on the wall, it's apparent that it's really offensive. The parents are told and talk about it in hushed tones, and the kids find themselves being a little meaner to everyone. But then the process of moving forward begins. The principal gives the kids ribbons to remind them about their belonging and their community. The teachers help to recreate the space in the bathroom by having everyone come in and make it beautiful. This is a wonderful story about the power of positive action and about the power of community. Luyken's artwork adds to the communal feel of the story, showing lots of different kinds of kids with loving energy. This will be a wonderful book to share with students to help build school community as well as to cope with some of the negative energy that sometimes arises. VERDICT With the current emphasis on SEL, this book would be an excellent starting point for many conversations.--Debbie Tanner, S. D. Spady Montessori Elem., FL

"Capably illustrate[s] the way group dynamics can be affected for ill and also for good.... A vivid evocation of a believable event, which is helpfully coupled with an empowering response that gives kids an action to take."