PPBF: My Friend John

This month, I'm on a crusade to celebrate Christmas peace.

However that looks, sounds, and feels. Oh, how I crave peace

in this season of my life. Peaceful serenity and relaxing calm.

World peace has always been a dream, a lofty goal of mine,

but of this I'm sure: Peace begins with us. You. And me.

So with every decoration I put up, I'm also lifting up

our world with prayers for peace, protection, provision.

Listen {here} as Hope Darst sings about peace.

Now on to today's PPBF.

Title: My Friend John

Author/Illustrator: Arleen McCarthy

Publisher: Austin Macauley

Birth Date: November 8, 2024

Suitable for ages: 6-8

Topics: acceptance, differences, friendship

Brief synopsis: What will Bella do when she notices that their new classmate shakes a bit and seems to blurt out a lot?

Opening page: I will never forget the day John came to our school. As soon as he walked in, I knew he was quite special. He had this GREAT big smile and these bright blue eyes that almost twinkled!

Our teacher, Ms. Pickleberry, told us he was going to be a new student in our class. She then asked John to take a seat and he sat right next to me. I smiled and he smiled back.

Resources:

Read more at the author's website {here}.

Learn about Tourette Syndrome {here}.

Check out a Book Bunnies review {here}.

Two additional noteworthy reviews:

“This is a book about acceptance, curiosity about others, and understanding. In this story of a boy named John, we see his classmate Bella tune into the humanity in his eyes, his sparkle, and then in his sadness. By telling the story through the burgeoning friendship between these two, the reader can feel what it is like to be vulnerable and shamed, to be cared about by another, and to be seen for all of who you are. My Friend John is a story of kindness, human connection, and overcoming one's hurdles in the safe care of others, all parts of developing empathy.”

~ Tovah P. Klein, Ph.D.

"In this heart-warming children's book debut, young Bella befriends John, the new boy at school, who she instantly senses is "quite special”... Shared through the eyes of a compassionate, brave young girl, readers learn about empathy, treating others respectfully, and the security that a good friendship can provide in this encouraging story… Bella’s desire to research John’s condition—and her resultant willingness to approach her classmates with that information—is endearing, and the perfect example, for readers of all ages, of how to handle differences with mutual respect and kindness...This is a fitting resource to grow awareness of Tourette Syndrome, for both kids and adults, while driving home the importance of empathy and consideration for others." ~ Publishers Weekly

Why I like this book: I'm always grateful to be able to find books about characters who are neurodivergent, which means that their brains process information and work differently than those brains without these strengths and challenges. Two that come to mind from my days as an educator are Autism and Tourette Syndrome, though the latter is not as prevalent as the former, affecting about 1 out of 162 children. This is likely why Bella had no idea what was happening when she met John, the new boy in her class.

John's tics didn't scare her, they piqued her curiosity.

"All these sounds kept bouncing out of his mouth."

So she asked her teacher if there was something wrong with John. 👀

I get it; she's a young girl, but the counselor in me wished she could have phrased this question more sensitively, so it'll be a stopping point for me to remind my readers that words have power. I'll ask them what they could do to make that word wrong feel kinder. I'd also want to make sure that the teacher had the family's permission to share what was going on with John. But I absolutely love Bella's heart for her new friend. She doesn't ignore or dismiss John's differences, but instead she wants to learn more about him. And the teacher explains it to her so beautifully.

So beautifully, in fact, that Bella, whose name coincidentally means beautiful in Spanish, wants to learn more, so that she can help educate her classmates. When John is absent the next day, she shares her research with the class so that they can make better choices by accepting and celebrating his differences rather than making fun of him. What she does is so much more meaningful than simply shaming them or shouting at them to be kind. What she does is give them the why.

Empathy in motion is a gift that keeps on giving because

it helps create a climate where John can feel safe.

Where everyone can enjoy emotional safety.

"That is what real friends do. They make you feel safe."

Like Bella stands by John, I stand by this heartwarming newcomer.

Compare and contrast with these titles to learn more

about children with Autism and Tourette Syndrome.