This month’s theme: Characters with Kindness.
In a month where we celebrate International Kindness Day, International Children’s Day, International Men’s Day, Armistice Day and Thanksgiving, focusing on those fictional characters that exemplify the quality of ‘kindness’, seems a good way to celebrate a common thread. We looked for stories that explored kindness in all its forms: words, thoughts and deeds. 

Interview with Carly Peart, Cross Campus Vice Principal, Professional Learning: 

What is one of your fondest or most favourite reading memories?

Reading was always a huge part of my childhood, as both my parents were prolific readers, but my fondest memory has to be unwittingly helping to unlock my brother’s love of learning. He was diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age and often found reading difficult, so it wasn’t something he willingly chose to do. When I was gifted the first three books of what was then an unheard-of series, Harry Potter, I devoured them and thought he might enjoy the fantasy element. He begrudgingly picked up the first one, and after that, there was no stopping him. He’s now arguably the most voracious reader in our family, and to this day, we still love sharing our latest reads with one another. 

Which fictional character would most like/least like to meet in real life and why?

I would love to meet Henry, one of the main character’s in The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. One of my favourite books of all time, the idea of time travel has always captivated me, but Henry’s tale highlights the challenges and heartache that can come from moving backward and forward in time, and the fact there’s actually something beautiful and magical in not knowing what your future holds. e to mind:

What Characters with Kindness come to mind for you? Do you have any book suggestions for this theme? 

Oh, the BFG for sure! Kindness is literally in his name (the Big Friendly Giant, for those unfamiliar). Roald Dahl had a wicked sense of humour, that ran through many of his characters, yet he also created some who were kindness personified: the BFG himself, Miss Honey from Matilda, and Charlie Bucket from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Winnie the Pooh is another timeless example; gentle, loyal, and endlessly kind. As a Primary teacher, my default tends to be children’s book characters, but I think that’s because their kindness is often so pure and uncomplicated. In adult fiction, characters can be just as kind, but it’s often layered beneath more complex personalities or storylines, making it less immediately visible, though no less meaningful. 

Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 Recommendations

Ms Nadia, FS1 Class Teacher

Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems 

In Foundation Stage, we are big fans of the Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems. The colour-coded speech bubbles are a lovely visual tool to support children’s understanding of back-and-forth conversations and asking questions. The illustrations and playful text layout offer lots of opportunities for children to infer how the characters are feeling, which helps to begin conversations about emotions. 

One story we’ve particularly enjoyed is My New Friend is So Fun!, in which Gerald the elephant worries that Piggie might have found a new best friend. This storyline resonates with many of our four-year-olds, who are beginning to navigate new friendships. It reassures children that friends can play with others and still care about them just the same, making it a great starting point for discussions around kindness and sharing. 

Mr Flan, Year 2 class teacher

Have You Filled A Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud 

Using child friendly illustrations and gentle prose, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? encourages readers to engage in positive behavior by “filling buckets”—a metaphor for showing love, appreciation, and kindness to others. Every person carries an invisible bucket that holds their feelings. When we do something kind, we fill someone else’s bucket, and our own. When we are mean or hurtful, we dip from buckets, leaving others and ourselves feeling empty. 

The story helps young readers understand emotional well-being and the impact of their actions, promoting empathy, generosity, and self-awareness. The concept of “bucket dipping” is introduced as a way to recognise negative behavior—not as a label, but as something that can be changed through thoughtful choices. 

Key Stage 2 Recommendations: 

Mia Hariz, 6D 

The School For Good And Evil by Soman Chainani 

In this first book of this series, Agatha’s life is changed when she meets Sophie, who befriends her with small talk and (terrible tasting) biscuits. Sophie is the first person to believe in Agatha and this is the reason why later on, Agatha forgives Sophie (even though she tried to destroy the whole school and all the people in it), for being evil. Agatha gives up her chance of a happy ending, with a prince (!), for the girl who tried to kill her. No matter what happens, she keeps seeing through the evil, and bringing out the best in her rebel friend. 

Verity Kavanagh, 6D 

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell 

Fidens Nighthand in Impossible Creatures is a Berserker, a kind of person who feels no pain and will protect the Immortal at all costs. He is gruff and tough and a little bit scary. However, as the story goes on, we find out that inside he is really kind and will protect others, not just the Immortal. He shows that anyone can be kind, even if they don’t look it on the outside. 

Key Stage 3 Recommendations: 

Katie Chatterton-Bull (Year 8 English teacher) 

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 

The Little Prince follows a tiny, curious prince who travels from planet to planet and eventually crash-lands on Earth, where he befriends a stranded pilot. Each character he meets, from a vain man to a snake to a wise fox, teaches him something new about friendship, love, and what really matters. Fun fact: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wasn’t just an author, he was an actual pilot who wrote the book while exiled in the U.S. during World War II. His flying experiences and sense of wonder for the world heavily inspired the story, and the pilot in the book is based on himself. The mix of adventure, danger, and loneliness from his real life gives the story its magical, but thoughtful vibe. 

At its heart, the story teaches that kindness means seeing people properly, not just what they look like on the outside. Through the Prince’s gentle curiosity and the fox’s famous lesson (‘You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed’), the book reminds readers that empathy, loyalty, and caring for others make life meaningful. 

The Christmas Horse Rescue by Laura Ashwood 

The Christmas Horse Rescue is one of those cosy, feel-good stories that’s perfect for when the weather gets colder and you want something heartwarming. It follows a group of children who discover a neglected horse, just before Christmas. Determined to help, they team up with family and neighbours to nurse the horse back to health, and in the process, they pull their whole community together. There are festive lights, snowy scenes, and plenty of ‘aww’ moments that make it an ideal December read. 

This book is bursting with kindness: the kids show empathy and courage, the adults rally together, and even small acts of care end up making a huge difference. It shows that kindness doesn’t have to be grand or dramatic, sometimes it’s simply noticing someone (or some horse) in need and choosing to help. It’s a gentle reminder that compassion can spark hope, especially around Christmas. 

Key stage 4 and Senior Studies Recommendations: 

Ellie Kim, 13Y 

Looking for Alaska by John Green 

This young adult book is a well-known, coming of age novel that follows Miles Halter, a teenage boy looking to seek ‘The Great Perhaps’ and quell his obsession with famous last words. He attends his first year at Culver Creek Boarding School and meets Alaska Young, a girl living on the edge – the stereotypical manic pixie dream girl. The novel starts as a simple story revolving around the normal lives of a group of teenagers, but evolves into a much deeper storyline about mental health, love, friendship, loyalty, and grief. Miles tries his hardest to understand Alaska and we, as readers, are drawn to him because he reacts with shy and gentle kindness, a trait that is rarely portrayed in teenage boy characters. 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 

This is the first book of ‘The Raven Cycle’, a series which follows a group of boys (Adam, Gansey, Ronan, and Noah) and Blue Sargent, a non-clairvoyant from a family of psychics. The story joins the five teenagers on a quest to find the long-lost tomb of an ancient Welsh king and explores themes such as ‘found family’ (the main driver for the series) love, friendship, death, fate versus free will, and socio-economic status. This book fits into the theme of kindness because of 

Noah Czerny. Out of the four Raven Boys, Noah is the one we know the least about. He is seen in less chapters than the others, and his backstory is explored slowly throughout the series. However, despite all this, the one trait that Noah embodies is kindness. He warms up to Blue instantly, invites her everywhere, and connects with her more quickly than the other characters. 

Selma Andersen, 12W 

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 

This novel follows the story of two young people: a spoilt girl called Mary Lennox, who is sent to live with her uncle in Yorkshire, England, and a boy named Colin Craven who is bedridden, sick and deeply lonely. Mary discovers a secret garden, and through this, develops a capacity for kindness, by taking care of the garden. This develops her ability to care for something other than herself and blossom into a kinder and better person. Moreover, through Colin, the story shows how acts of kindness and encouragement from others ignite strength, joy and the ability to keep going on with life.