The Kindness Project

By Deborah Abela

Reviewed by Helen Gearing

Deborah Abela has written over 30 books for children, including the bestselling Max Remy series and the CBCA Notable The Book of Wondrous Possibilities. Abela is also a Writer Ambassador for Room to Read, an international organisation working to end illiteracy and gender inequality. Her latest middle-grade novel, The Kindness Project, is her first written in verse.

Eleven-year-old Nicolette feels invisible at school, but perfectly safe and loved in the company of her nanna, a social-justice warrior, recently moved to an aged care facility against her will. Things go from bad to worse when Nicolette is placed in a group project with the school bully, the most popular girl in school, and a new kid named Leaf. While the project helps foster a friendship between Nicolette and Leaf, in every other way it is a disaster.

Angry at her group’s failure and worried about Nanna, Nicolette hatches a daring plan to create a single, perfect day which she and Nanna will never forget. However, the plan goes disastrously awry, but, to Nicolette’s astonishment, it becomes a turning point for her group.

The Kindness Project is instantly relatable to any reader who has struggled with the dynamics of a group project – or who has felt like school doesn’t hold a place for them. The special relationship between Nicolette and her nanna was also a highlight, as was Nicolette’s path to understanding the joys – and sacrifices – of real friendship.

With themes of empathy, anxiety, and second chances, The Kindness Project will be enjoyed by readers eight and older who like contemporary, real-world stories with strong character development.

Puffin 2024