Feeding Friends

by Christopher Stewart, Lala Stellune (Illustrator)

Overview

When Ari spies a classmate taking food from the cafeteria, he decides to see what the kid is up to. Once he learns more, Ari and the Secret Kindness Society team up with the kid in their newest mission.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798765628294
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/01/2024
Series:	Becoming Ari
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	818,943
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 7.75(h) x (d)
Age Range:	7 - 9 Years

About the Author

Christopher Stewart is an award-winning school librarian who serves to end poverty and injustice throughout the world. He is on the faculty at St. John's University, Library Science Program. He lives in Washington, DC, and London, UK, with his wife and partner and their three awesome children.

Lala Stellune is an illustrator based in Indonesia. She graduated from Institut Teknologi Bandung with a degree in Visual Art. She loves to incorporate cultural anthropology into her work.

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2024

Gr 2–4—Ari, a nine-year-old member of the Secret Kindness Society, embarks on a journey of community service with his friends, guided by the rules to spread joy, have fun, be creative, and stay secret. While the reason for their secrecy isn't clear, their mission leads them to collaborate with a classmate to donate food to a local pantry. The group meets in the "Peace and Love" room of the library to brainstorm and, with the help of a teacher, start a school garden the group names "Feeding Friends," which provides fresh produce to those in need. This project culminates in a garden kickoff party and a food drive. Ari's mixed-race background (Black and Indian) is explicitly highlighted, and the book includes diverse characters in terms of race, culture, family structure, and abilities. The preamble introduces readers to Ari and the Secret Kindness Society's rules, while the back matter offers real-life examples of kindness projects and discussion prompts like "Think About It" and "Kindness and You." School librarian Stewart's book is an accessible bridge between early readers and chapter books. The illustrations, while full-color and featured on each spread, depict children with somewhat adultlike, square bodies and limbs, lacking variety in body types. VERDICT A good choice for school and public libraries, though this series may appeal more to adults who appreciate the author's effort rather than to the young readers themselves.—Ellen Williams

School Library Journal