Description:

The internationally bestselling book that inspired the Pay It Forward movement is now available in a middle grade edition.

Pay It Forward is a moving, uplifting novel about Trevor McKinney, a twelve-year-old boy in a small California town who accepts his teacher’s challenge to earn extra credit by coming up with a plan to change the world. Trevor’s idea is simple: do a good deed for three people, and instead of asking them to return the favor, ask them to “pay it forward” to three others who need help. He envisions a vast movement of kindness and goodwill spreading across the world, and in this “quiet, steady masterpiece with an incandescent ending” (Kirkus Reviews), Trevor’s actions change his community forever.

This middle grade edition of Pay It Forward is extensively revised, making it an appropriate and invaluable complement to lesson plans and an ideal pick for book clubs, classroom use, and summer reading. Includes an author'snote and curriculum guide.

Review

"[An] affecting tale . . . Hyde's meticulously wrought, restrained prose imbues "Pay It Forward" with a transcendent power to move."

"[An] entertaining and inspirational tale."

"[A] fascinating idea . . . well-written . . . the characters are interesting and complex and flawed and real. . . . "Pay It Forward" will get you thinking outside of its pages, as few books do."

"A good read and an inspiring novel; fascinating in its implications. Catherine Ryan Hyde joyfully delivered me from 'if only, ' to 'what if?' to 'why not?'"

"Catherine Ryan Hyde accomplishes a very difficult job, with an easy, beneficent wisdom about the ways of the world."

"Hyde makes the unbelievable seem possible in a beautifully written, heartwarming story of one boy's belief in the goodness of humanity."

"If the success of Harry Potter suggests that many of us yearn for magic, Hyde's book delivers an even more profound vision of what it may be: the simple magic of the human heart. . . . "Parents should read this book with their children. Non-parents should read it with someone they love."

"Pay It Forward"--a book poised to become a phenomenon--is a well-designed confection that author Catherine Ryan Hyde has executed with abundant skill. If you ever had a yen for the utopian, you will have a sweet time with this heartfelt fable."

"The philosophy behind the book is so intriguing, and the optimism so contagious, that the reader is carried along with what turns out to be a book that lingers long after the last page is turned."

"The story is a quick read, told with lean sentences and an edge. . . . Hyde pulls off a poignant, gutsy ending without bathos."

"Chicago Tribune" Powerful...with believable dialoque and shadings that make the characters seem more lifelike than they have any right to be.

Richard Paul Evans Author of "The Christmas Box" A good read and an inspiring novel; fascinating in its implications. Catherine Ryan Hyde joyfully delivered me from "if only" to "what if?" to "why not?"

About the Author

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the bestselling author of many novels, including Pay It Forward, Where We Belong, and When I Found You. She lives in California with her dog, Ella. Visit her at catherineryanhyde.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Pay It Forward CHAPTER ONE Reuben January 1992
The woman smiled so politely that he felt offended.

“Let me tell Principal Morgan that you’re here, Mr. St. Clair. She’ll want to talk with you.” She walked two steps, turned back. “She likes to talk to everyone, I mean. Any new teacher.”

“Of course.”

He should have been used to this by now.

More than three minutes later she emerged from the principal’s office, smiling too widely. Too openly. People always display far too much acceptance, he’d noticed, when they are having trouble mustering any for real.

“Go right on in, Mr. St. Clair. She’ll see you.”

“Thank you.”

The principal appeared to be about ten years older than Reuben, with a great deal of dark hair, worn up, a Caucasian, and attractive.

“We are so pleased to meet you face-to-face, Mr. St. Clair.” Then she flushed, as if the mention of the word “face” had been an unforgivable error.

“Please call me Reuben.”

“Reuben, yes. And I’m Anne.”

She met him with a steady, head-on gaze and at no time appeared startled. So she had been verbally prepared by her assistant. And somehow the only thing worse than an unprepared reaction was the obviously rehearsed absence of one.

He hated these moments so.

She motioned toward a chair, and he sat.

“I’m not quite what you were expecting, am I, Anne?”

“In what respect?”

“Please don’t do this. You must appreciate how many times I’ve replayed this same scene. I can’t bear to talk around an obvious issue.”

She tried to establish eye contact, as one normally would when addressing a coworker in conversation, but she could not make it stick. “You know this has nothing to do with your being African American,” she said.

“Oh, yes,” he said. “I do know that. I know exactly what it’s about.”

“If you think your position is in any jeopardy, Reuben, you’re worrying for nothing.”

“Do you really have this little talk with everyone?”

“Of course I do.”

“Before they even address their first class?”

Pause. “Not necessarily. I just thought we might discuss the subject of . . . initial adjustment.”

“You worry that my appearance will alarm the students.”

“What has your experience been with that in the past?”

“The students are always easy, Anne. This is the difficult moment. Always.”

“I understand.”

“With all respect, I’m not sure you do,” he said. Out loud.

* * *

At his former school, in Cincinnati, Reuben had a friend named Louis Tartaglia. Lou had a special way of addressing an unfamiliar class. He would enter, on that first morning, with a yardstick in his hand. Walk right into the flap and fray. They like to test a teacher, you see, at first. He would ask for silence, which he never received on the first request. After counting to three, he would bring this yardstick up over his head and smack it down on the desktop in such a way that it would break in two. The free half would fly up into the air behind him, hit the blackboard, and clatter to the floor. Then, in the audible silence to follow, he would say, simply, “Thank you.” And he’d have no trouble with the class after that.

Reuben warned him that someday a piece would fly in the wrong direction and hit a student, causing a world of problems, but it had always worked as planned, so far as he knew.

“It boils down to unpredictability,” Lou explained. “Once they see you as unpredictable, you hold the cards.”

Then he asked what Reuben did to quiet an unfamiliar and unruly class, and Reuben replied that he had never experienced the problem; he had never been greeted by anything but stony silence and was never assumed to be predictable.

“Oh. Right,” Lou said, as if he should have known better.

And he should have.

* * *

Reuben stood before them, for the first time, both grateful for and resentful of their silence. Outside the windows on his right was California, a place he’d never been before. The trees were different; the sky did not say winter as it had when he’d started the long drive from Cincinnati. He wouldn’t say from home, because it was not his home, not really. And neither was this. And he’d grown tired of feeling like a stranger.

He performed a quick head count, seats per row, number of rows. “Since I can see you’re all here,” he said, “we will dispense with the roll call.”

It seemed to break a spell, that he spoke, and the students shifted a bit, made eye contact with one another. Whispered across aisles. Neither better nor worse than usual. He turned away to write his name on the board. Mr. St. Clair. Also wrote it out underneath, Saint Clair, as an aid to pronunciation. Then he paused before turning back, so they would have time to finish reading his name.

In his mind, his plan, he thought he’d start right off with the assignment. But it caved from under him, like skidding down the side of a sand dune. He was not Lou, and sometimes people needed to know him first. Sometimes he was startling enough on his own, before his ideas even showed themselves.

“Maybe we should spend this first day,” he said, “just talking. Since you don’t know me at all. We can start by talking about appearances. How we feel about people because of how they look. There are no rules. You can say anything you want.”

Apparently, they did not believe him yet, because they said the same things they might have with their parents looking on. To his disappointment.

Then, in what he supposed was an attempt at humor, a boy in the back row asked if he was a pirate.

“No,” he said. “I’m not. I’m a teacher.”

“I thought only pirates wore eye patches.”

“People who have lost eyes wear eye patches. Whether they are pirates or not is beside the point.”

* * *

The class filed out, to his relief, and he looked up to see a boy standing in front of his desk. A thin white boy, but very dark haired, possibly part Hispanic, who said, “Hi.”

“Hello.”

“What happened to your face?”

Reuben smiled, which was rare for him, being self-conscious about the lopsided effect. He pulled a chair around so the boy could sit facing him and motioned for him to sit, which he did without hesitation. “What’s your name?”

“Trevor.”

“Trevor what?”

“McKinney. Did I hurt your feelings?”

“No, Trevor. You didn’t.”

“My mom says I shouldn’t ask people things like that, because it might hurt their feelings. She says you should act like you didn’t notice.”

“Well, what your mom doesn’t know, Trevor, because she’s never been in my shoes, is that if you act like you didn’t notice, I still know that you did. And then it feels strange that we can’t talk about it when we’re both thinking about it. Know what I mean?”

“I think so. So, what happened?”

“I was injured in a war.”

“Vietnam?”

“That’s right.”

“My daddy was in Vietnam. He says it’s a nightmare.”

“I would tend to agree. Even though I was there for only seven weeks.”

“My daddy was there two years.”

“Was he injured?”

“Maybe a little. I think he has a sore knee.”

“I was supposed to stay two years, but I got hurt so badly that I had to come home. So, in a way, I was lucky that I didn’t have to stay, and in a way, your daddy was lucky because he didn’t get hurt that badly. If you know what I mean.” The boy didn’t look too sure that he did. “Maybe someday I’ll meet your dad. Maybe on parents’ night.”

“I don’t think so. We don’t know where he is. What’s under the eye patch?”

“Nothing.”

“How can it be nothing?”

“It’s like nothing was ever there. Do you want to see?”

“You bet.”

Reuben took off the patch.

No one seemed to know quite what he meant by “nothing” until they saw it. No one seemed prepared for the shock of “nothing” where there would be an eye on everyone else they had ever met. The boy’s head rocked back a little, then he nodded. Kids were easier. Reuben replaced the patch.

“Sorry about your face. But, you know, it’s only just that one side. The other side looks real good.”

“Thank you, Trevor. I think you are the first person to offer me that compliment.”

“Well, see ya.”

“Good-bye, Trevor.”

Reuben moved to the window and looked out over the front lawn. Watched students clump and talk and run on the grass, until Trevor appeared, trotting down the front steps.

It was ingrained in Reuben to defend this moment, and he could not have returned to his desk if he’d tried. He needed to know if Trevor would run up to the other boys to flaunt his new knowledge. To collect on any bets or tell any tales, which Reuben would not hear, only imagine from his second-floor perch, his face flushing under the imagined words. But Trevor trotted past the boys without so much as a glance, stopping to speak to no one.

It was almost time for Reuben’s second class to arrive. So he had to get started, preparing himself to do it all over again.

From The Other Faces Behind the Movement by Chris Chandler

Reuben

There is nothing monstrous or grotesque about my face. I get to state this with a certain objectivity, being perhaps the only one capable of such. I am the only one used to seeing it, because I am the only one who dares, with the help of a shaving mirror, to openly stare.

I have undergone eleven operations, all in all, to repair what was, at one time, unsightly damage. The area that was my left eye, and the lost bone and muscle under cheek and brow, have been neatly covered with skin removed from my thigh. I have endured numerous skin grafts and plastic surgeries. Only a few of these were necessary for health or function. Most were intended to make me an easier individual to meet. The final result is a smooth, complete absence of an eye, as if one had never existed; a great loss of muscle and mass in cheek and neck; and obvious nerve damage to the left corner of my mouth. It is dead, so to speak, and droops. But after many years of speech therapy, my speech is fairly easily understood.

So, in a sense, it is not what people see in my face that disturbs them, but rather what they expect to see and do not.

I also have minimal use of my left arm, which is foreshortened and thin from lack of use, and I am deaf in one ear. My guess is that people rarely notice this until I’ve been around awhile, because my face tends to steal the show.

I have worked in schools, lounged in staff rooms, where a Band-Aid draws comment and requires explanation. “Richie, what did you do to your hand?” A cast on an arm becomes a story told for six weeks, multiplied by the number of employees. “Well, I was on a ladder, see, preparing to clean my storm drains. . . .”

So it seems odd to me that no one will ask. If they suddenly did, and I were forced to repeat the story, I might decide I liked things better before. But it’s not so much that they don’t ask, but why they don’t ask, as if I am an unspeakable tragedy, as new and shocking to myself as to them.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive Story Revised Nicely for a Young Audience

P. · January 27, 2024

Pay It Forward, the movie in 2000, greatly impressed me. 20 years later, I read the original book and found it much better and more impressive in so many ways, as it touched on more social and world issues. I wondered if the Young Readers Edition would be appropriate for my 9-year-old granddaughter, so I read it, too. Then I purchased it for her birthday. I can't wait to hear what she thinks about the story!Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite authors. Pay It Forward, the original story, was an early work for her and boosted her writing career. Each of her novels is better than the last, and I'm glad I still have a long list of them to read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde

R. · August 5, 2024

This is a book I want everyone to read. I read the young readers version. The ending is different from the adult version (which I still have not read.) That’s important to know.if you get a copy for kids or to read to kids get the young reader version .It is so inspiring. I had to buy a copy for my home library. I recommend it highly. She is an excellent author.

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of my favorite stories and I am happy that it came out ...

C.L. · October 1, 2014

This is one of my favorite stories and I am happy that it came out in a Young Readers Edition. I teach 5th Grade and the original movie is just on the edge of being able to watch it with my students. This book will definitely be on my "Read Aloud" list this year. It is so heartwarming, with a message that will stay with you for a long time. Trevor is such a likable, no nonsense kid, with a big heart. His plan seems so simple, yet, as adults, our learned skepticism fills us with doubt and our faith in others is minimal. This story becomes our inspiration to our Genius Hour projects, inspiring kids to make a difference in their world today. No idea is too small or too simple, it just takes a strong heart and mind to make it happen. I would recommend this book in any classroom. Our students are our future and this book is a powerful influence for students to make it happen.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book

R. · December 26, 2018

The book was good ,it taught kindness. Which I feel like is an important thing. Although the book was good, I felt I got the point of the book before it was finished. But overall, I really liked it.

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book to teach students about empathy and compassion

D.D. · May 17, 2018

This is a great book to teach students about empathy and compassion. They have all heard of "paying it forward" and now they have learned the story behind the concept. My third grade students will grow into adults, and it will be a better world if they understand how to care for one another. While this is the children's version of the story is really doesn't lose any of the power and impact behind Pay it Forward. The character development and the plot are well thought out. A great read aloud for all classrooms.

5.0 out of 5 stars Let this be required reading for all children (& adults)!

A. · January 2, 2016

Excellent children's edition! Our 9-yr old did a semester book project on this, loved working with the message of the book, presenting it to her class in a vibrant way, and then challenging them to apply in a small way the theme of "Pay it forward." Many books for kids insult their intelligence, wasting their potential on negative, superficial, non-stimulating non-ideas. It is so refreshing to find books such as this that inspire children to reach, to strive, to dream, to act positively and productively. Brilliant story and generous author to create this based on her own experience mentioned at the book's beginning.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story for all ages.

A.C. · July 4, 2016

A most excellent well written book. Catherine Ryan Hyde is a remarkable author who easily captures the essence of an idea and creates a love for her characters. One comes away being inspired to Pay It Forward! This is a good book to read to your children or with your children, and that's after you can actually set it down after reading it yourself. A wonderful lesson for us all.

5.0 out of 5 stars Este libro

Y. · October 18, 2024

Llego rápido ( antes de lo previsto) complacida con la compra

Must read for everyone!

s. · November 17, 2015

Great book. Puts forward a very nice message across- a message to be kind and spread happiness, a message to create change, a message which started off as a normal assignment but ended up shaping many lives..Cause one person CAN make a difference!If you're in need for some inspiration to spread kindness or if you just wanna read it in summer sitting by the beach- perfect book!

Gute Edition für junge Leser

J. · November 15, 2015

In verständlichem und einfachem Englisch eignet sich dieses Buch sehr gut für Schüler/innen. Insbesondere das offene Ende der Young Readers Edition macht das Buch für den Schulunterricht sehr geeignet.

Excelente, lectura amena simple y de buenos resultados

C. · June 16, 2017

Excelente para convivir con mi hija! Y la lectura es maravillosa es un libro que nos permite pensar en el de enfrente

Not the best quality

P. · June 6, 2024

Powerful

J.H. · February 28, 2021

This book has a powerful message that has stayed with me. It does say young readers but as an adult I still enjoyed it.

Visit the Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books Store

Pay It Forward: Young Readers Edition

Name: Pay It Forward: Young Readers Edition
Brand: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
SKU: U1481409409
Price: 81.17 AED
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.7 (13 reviews)

Product ID: U1481409409

Condition: New

4.7

^AED81¹⁷

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Type: Paperback

Availability: In Stock

Quantity:

Order today to get by 7-14 business days

Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.

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Visit the Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books Store

Pay It Forward: Young Readers Edition

Product ID: U1481409409

Condition: New

4.7

Type: Paperback

^AED81¹⁷

Price includes VAT & Import Duties

Availability: In Stock

Quantity:

Order today to get by 7-14 business days

Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.

Returns & Warranty policies

Imported From: United States

At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.

Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.

All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.

Description:

Review

About the Author

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive Story Revised Nicely for a Young Audience

P. · January 27, 2024

5.0 out of 5 stars Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde

R. · August 5, 2024

5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of my favorite stories and I am happy that it came out ...

C.L. · October 1, 2014

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book

R. · December 26, 2018

The book was good ,it taught kindness. Which I feel like is an important thing. Although the book was good, I felt I got the point of the book before it was finished. But overall, I really liked it.

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book to teach students about empathy and compassion

D.D. · May 17, 2018

5.0 out of 5 stars Let this be required reading for all children (& adults)!

A. · January 2, 2016

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story for all ages.

A.C. · July 4, 2016

5.0 out of 5 stars Este libro

Y. · October 18, 2024

Llego rápido ( antes de lo previsto) complacida con la compra

Must read for everyone!

s. · November 17, 2015

Gute Edition für junge Leser

J. · November 15, 2015

Excelente, lectura amena simple y de buenos resultados

C. · June 16, 2017

Excelente para convivir con mi hija! Y la lectura es maravillosa es un libro que nos permite pensar en el de enfrente

Not the best quality

P. · June 6, 2024

Powerful

J.H. · February 28, 2021

This book has a powerful message that has stayed with me. It does say young readers but as an adult I still enjoyed it.

Similar suggestions by Bolo

Similar items from “Values”

Books

Children's Books

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Family Life

Values

United Arab Emirates

Description:

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About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Reviews:

Pay It Forward: Young Readers Edition

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Pay It Forward: Young Readers Edition

Description:

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Reviews:

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More from this brand

Similar items from “Values”

Description:

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Reviews:

Pay It Forward: Young Readers Edition

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Authenticity Guarantee

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Similar items from “Values”

Pay It Forward: Young Readers Edition

Shipping Policies

Authenticity Guarantee

Product Disclaimer

Description:

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Reviews:

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More from this brand

Similar items from “Values”