Ages 5-12 · Book 5, Empathy · 4,299 places
Reading Buddies
The most reliable version of costly helping in a primary school, because it takes real time every week.
Built on Ellis Abel and the Helping Hand — “What matters more than earning a Gold Star?” A character series, not a curriculum with a worldview attached.
The five sessions
- Session 1
Pick the need first, from the people who actually have it
- Session 2
Read the story and name why helping cost him something
- Session 3
Plan the smallest useful thing, and do it this week
- Session 4
Do it without announcing it, and see how that feels
- Session 5
Say afterwards what changed for the person, not for us
Questions leaders ask
Is reading buddies in your area a religious program?
No. Ellis Abel is a character series. Each volume carries one named core value — this one is empathy — and the story does the teaching. There is no doctrine in it, nothing to opt out of, and it is used in public schools, libraries and secular programs as readily as anywhere else.
What ages does this work for?
Ages 5-12. The story is read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet is fully in it, and the discussion prompts are written in two bands so one adult can hold a mixed-age room.
How long does a session take in a your area classroom?
Twenty to thirty minutes, structured as read-aloud, small group, and one step each child names out loud before they leave the room.
Does this need a specialist to deliver?
No. It is written for the classroom teacher, the counselor, or whoever has the room that period. The leader script carries the questions and the follow-ups.
The rules that make it work
Helping has to cost something
Kindness that is free teaches nothing, and children over about eight already know it. The cost is named out loud in every session.
Notice first — it is an attention skill
Empathy gets taught as a feeling children are supposed to summon. It starts as noticing one specific person, which is trainable and testable.
Owning a mistake is the harder lesson
Helping a friend is easier than admitting you were the one who caused the problem. The book teaches both, and this is the one adults skip.
Do not announce it
The moment helping becomes a thing you are seen doing, it becomes a performance. The follow-up asks what changed for the other person, never how the helper felt.
Success is bigger than the award
The gold star is in the title for a reason. A room that only celebrates outcomes has already taught the lesson this book is arguing with.
Adults go first, with a real mistake
An adult naming something they got wrong, at a cost, changes a room faster than any activity in it.
Reading Buddies by metro area
Northeast
- Reading Buddies — New York, NY
- Reading Buddies — Philadelphia, PA
- Reading Buddies — Boston, MA
- Reading Buddies — Pittsburgh, PA
- Reading Buddies — Providence, RI
- Reading Buddies — Hartford, CT
- Reading Buddies — Buffalo, NY
- Reading Buddies — Rochester, NY
- Reading Buddies — Bridgeport, CT
- Reading Buddies — Albany, NY
- Reading Buddies — Worcester, MA
- Reading Buddies — Allentown, PA
- Reading Buddies — Poughkeepsie metro area, NY
- Reading Buddies — Syracuse, NY
- Reading Buddies — Harrisburg, PA
- Reading Buddies — New Haven, CT
- Reading Buddies — Portland, ME
- Reading Buddies — Scranton, PA
- Reading Buddies — Lancaster, PA
- Reading Buddies — York, PA
- Reading Buddies — Springfield, MA
- Reading Buddies — Waterbury, CT
- Reading Buddies — Reading, PA
- Reading Buddies — Manchester, NH
- Reading Buddies — Trenton, NJ
- Reading Buddies — Atlantic City, NJ
- Reading Buddies — Utica, NY
- Reading Buddies — Norwich, CT
- Reading Buddies — Erie, PA
- Reading Buddies — Binghamton, NY
- Reading Buddies — Barnstable, MA
- Reading Buddies — Burlington, VT
- Reading Buddies — Kingston, NY
- Reading Buddies — Amherst, MA
- Reading Buddies — Chambersburg, PA
- Reading Buddies — Bangor, ME
- Reading Buddies — State College, PA
- Reading Buddies — Vineland, NJ
- Reading Buddies — Lebanon, PA
- Reading Buddies — Johnstown, PA
- Reading Buddies — Pittsfield, MA
- Reading Buddies — Glens Falls, NY
- Reading Buddies — Altoona, PA
- Reading Buddies — Lewiston, ME
- Reading Buddies — Williamsport, PA
- Reading Buddies — Watertown, NY
- Reading Buddies — Gettysburg, PA
- Reading Buddies — Ithaca, NY
- Reading Buddies — Elmira, NY
Midwest
- Reading Buddies — Chicago, IL
- Reading Buddies — Detroit, MI
- Reading Buddies — Minneapolis, MN
- Reading Buddies — St. Louis, MO
- Reading Buddies — Cincinnati, OH
- Reading Buddies — Kansas City, MO
- Reading Buddies — Columbus, OH
- Reading Buddies — Indianapolis, IN
- Reading Buddies — Cleveland, OH
- Reading Buddies — Milwaukee, WI
- Reading Buddies — Grand Rapids, MI
- Reading Buddies — Omaha, NE
- Reading Buddies — Dayton, OH
- Reading Buddies — Des Moines, IA
- Reading Buddies — Madison, WI
- Reading Buddies — Akron, OH
- Reading Buddies — Wichita, KS
- Reading Buddies — Toledo, OH
- Reading Buddies — Springfield, MO
- Reading Buddies — Lansing, MI
- Reading Buddies — Fort Wayne, IN
- Reading Buddies — Youngstown, OH
- Reading Buddies — Flint, MI
- Reading Buddies — Canton, OH
- Reading Buddies — Davenport, IA
- Reading Buddies — Ann Arbor, MI
- Reading Buddies — Peoria, IL
- Reading Buddies — Lincoln, NE
- Reading Buddies — Rockford, IL
- Reading Buddies — Green Bay, WI
- Reading Buddies — South Bend, IN
- Reading Buddies — Sioux Falls, SD
- Reading Buddies — Duluth, MN
- Reading Buddies — Cedar Rapids, IA
- Reading Buddies — Evansville, IN
- Reading Buddies — Fargo, ND
- Reading Buddies — Kalamazoo, MI
- Reading Buddies — Appleton, WI
- Reading Buddies — Champaign, IL
- Reading Buddies — Topeka, KS
- Reading Buddies — Rochester, MN
- Reading Buddies — Lafayette, IN
- Reading Buddies — Columbia, MO
- Reading Buddies — Joplin, MO
- Reading Buddies — Elkhart, IN
- Reading Buddies — Springfield, IL
- Reading Buddies — St. Cloud, MN
- Reading Buddies — Racine, WI
- Reading Buddies — Saginaw, MI
- Reading Buddies — Iowa City, IA
- Reading Buddies — Muskegon, MI
- Reading Buddies — Eau Claire, WI
- Reading Buddies — Oshkosh, WI
- Reading Buddies — Bloomington, IL
- Reading Buddies — La Crosse, WI
- Reading Buddies — Terre Haute, IN
- Reading Buddies — Waterloo, IA
- Reading Buddies — Kenosha, WI
- Reading Buddies — Janesville, WI
- Reading Buddies — Bloomington, IN
- Reading Buddies — Jackson, MI
- Reading Buddies — Traverse City, MI
- Reading Buddies — Rapid City, SD
- Reading Buddies — Monroe, MI
- Reading Buddies — Jefferson City, MO
- Reading Buddies — Niles, MI
- Reading Buddies — Sioux City, IA
- Reading Buddies — Bismarck, ND
- Reading Buddies — Wausau, WI
- Reading Buddies — Manhattan, KS
- Reading Buddies — Springfield, OH
- Reading Buddies — Battle Creek, MI
- Reading Buddies — Ames, IA
- Reading Buddies — Mansfield, OH
- Reading Buddies — Lawrence, KS
- Reading Buddies — St. Joseph, MO
- Reading Buddies — Sheboygan, WI
- Reading Buddies — Muncie, IN
- Reading Buddies — Sandusky, OH
- Reading Buddies — Michigan City, IN
- Reading Buddies — Kankakee, IL
- Reading Buddies — Grand Forks, ND
- Reading Buddies — Mankato, MN
- Reading Buddies — Fond du Lac, WI
- Reading Buddies — Bay City, MI
- Reading Buddies — Lima, OH
- Reading Buddies — Dubuque, IA
- Reading Buddies — Decatur, IL
- Reading Buddies — Cape Girardeau, MO
- Reading Buddies — Columbus, IN
- Reading Buddies — Kokomo, IN
- Reading Buddies — Midland, MI
- Reading Buddies — Grand Island, NE
- Reading Buddies — Minot, ND
South
- Reading Buddies — Dallas, TX
- Reading Buddies — Houston, TX
- Reading Buddies — Atlanta, GA
- Reading Buddies — Washington, DC
- Reading Buddies — Miami, FL
- Reading Buddies — Tampa, FL
- Reading Buddies — Orlando, FL
- Reading Buddies — Charlotte, NC
- Reading Buddies — Baltimore, MD
- Reading Buddies — San Antonio, TX
- Reading Buddies — Austin, TX
- Reading Buddies — Nashville, TN
- Reading Buddies — Virginia Beach, VA
- Reading Buddies — Jacksonville, FL
- Reading Buddies — Raleigh, NC
- Reading Buddies — Oklahoma City, OK
- Reading Buddies — Louisville, KY
- Reading Buddies — Richmond, VA
- Reading Buddies — Memphis, TN
- Reading Buddies — Birmingham, AL
- Reading Buddies — Tulsa, OK
- Reading Buddies — Greenville, SC
- Reading Buddies — New Orleans, LA
- Reading Buddies — Knoxville, TN
- Reading Buddies — Sarasota metro area, FL
- Reading Buddies — McAllen, TX
- Reading Buddies — Charleston, SC
- Reading Buddies — Baton Rouge, LA
- Reading Buddies — El Paso, TX
- Reading Buddies — Columbia, SC
- Reading Buddies — Cape Coral, FL
- Reading Buddies — Lakeland, FL
- Reading Buddies — Greensboro, NC
- Reading Buddies — Little Rock, AR
- Reading Buddies — Deltona, FL
- Reading Buddies — Winston-Salem, NC
- Reading Buddies — Palm Bay, FL
- Reading Buddies — Augusta, GA
- Reading Buddies — Durham, NC
- Reading Buddies — Fayetteville, AR
- Reading Buddies — Jackson, MS
- Reading Buddies — Chattanooga, TN
- Reading Buddies — Port St. Lucie, FL
- Reading Buddies — Huntsville, AL
- Reading Buddies — Pensacola, FL
- Reading Buddies — Lexington, KY
- Reading Buddies — Killeen, TX
- Reading Buddies — Wilmington, NC
- Reading Buddies — Corpus Christi, TX
- Reading Buddies — Ocala, FL
- Reading Buddies — Savannah, GA
- Reading Buddies — Brownsville, TX
- Reading Buddies — Gulfport, MS
- Reading Buddies — Myrtle Beach, SC
- Reading Buddies — Lafayette, LA
- Reading Buddies — Asheville, NC
- Reading Buddies — Naples, FL
- Reading Buddies — Mobile, AL
- Reading Buddies — Spartanburg, SC
- Reading Buddies — Beaumont, TX
- Reading Buddies — Tallahassee, FL
- Reading Buddies — Fayetteville, NC
- Reading Buddies — Montgomery, AL
- Reading Buddies — Shreveport, LA
- Reading Buddies — Hickory, NC
- Reading Buddies — Lubbock, TX
- Reading Buddies — Huntington, WV
- Reading Buddies — Gainesville, FL
- Reading Buddies — Clarksville, TN
- Reading Buddies — Columbus, GA
- Reading Buddies — Roanoke, VA
- Reading Buddies — Hagerstown, MD
- Reading Buddies — Fort Walton Beach metro area, FL
- Reading Buddies — Kingsport, TN
- Reading Buddies — Waco, TX
- Reading Buddies — Longview, TX
- Reading Buddies — College Station, TX
- Reading Buddies — Tuscaloosa, AL
- Reading Buddies — Laredo, TX
- Reading Buddies — Slidell, LA
- Reading Buddies — Amarillo, TX
- Reading Buddies — Lynchburg, VA
- Reading Buddies — Daphne, AL
- Reading Buddies — Tyler, TX
- Reading Buddies — Lake Charles, LA
- Reading Buddies — Hilton Head Island, SC
- Reading Buddies — Macon, GA
- Reading Buddies — Fort Smith, AR
- Reading Buddies — Panama City, FL
- Reading Buddies — Charlottesville, VA
- Reading Buddies — Gainesville, GA
- Reading Buddies — Athens, GA
- Reading Buddies — Monroe, LA
- Reading Buddies — Punta Gorda, FL
- Reading Buddies — Jacksonville, NC
- Reading Buddies — Johnson City, TN
- Reading Buddies — Lexington Park, MD
- Reading Buddies — Warner Robins, GA
- Reading Buddies — Auburn, AL
- Reading Buddies — Florence, SC
- Reading Buddies — Charleston, WV
- Reading Buddies — Houma, LA
- Reading Buddies — Bowling Green, KY
- Reading Buddies — Dover, DE
- Reading Buddies — Midland, TX
- Reading Buddies — Burlington, NC
- Reading Buddies — Abilene, TX
- Reading Buddies — Jackson, TN
- Reading Buddies — Greenville, NC
- Reading Buddies — Blacksburg, VA
- Reading Buddies — Odessa, TX
- Reading Buddies — Vero Beach metro area, FL
- Reading Buddies — Homosassa Springs, FL
- Reading Buddies — Decatur, AL
- Reading Buddies — Hattiesburg, MS
- Reading Buddies — The Villages metro area, FL
- Reading Buddies — Florence, AL
- Reading Buddies — Dothan, AL
- Reading Buddies — Sherman, TX
- Reading Buddies — Valdosta, GA
- Reading Buddies — Winchester, VA
- Reading Buddies — Wichita Falls, TX
- Reading Buddies — Rocky Mount, NC
- Reading Buddies — Alexandria, LA
- Reading Buddies — Dalton, GA
- Reading Buddies — Texarkana, TX
- Reading Buddies — Albany, GA
- Reading Buddies — Morgantown, WV
- Reading Buddies — Hammond, LA
- Reading Buddies — Harrisonburg, VA
- Reading Buddies — Jonesboro, AR
- Reading Buddies — Wheeling, WV
- Reading Buddies — Cleveland, TN
- Reading Buddies — Salisbury, MD
- Reading Buddies — Staunton, VA
- Reading Buddies — Morristown, TN
- Reading Buddies — Elizabethtown, KY
- Reading Buddies — Lawton, OK
- Reading Buddies — Goldsboro, NC
- Reading Buddies — San Angelo, TX
- Reading Buddies — Brunswick, GA
- Reading Buddies — Anniston, AL
- Reading Buddies — Owensboro, KY
- Reading Buddies — Steubenville, WV
- Reading Buddies — Sebring, FL
- Reading Buddies — Pinehurst, NC
- Reading Buddies — Beckley, WV
- Reading Buddies — Sumter, SC
- Reading Buddies — Gadsden, AL
- Reading Buddies — Paducah, KY
- Reading Buddies — Rome, GA
- Reading Buddies — Victoria, TX
- Reading Buddies — Hot Springs, AR
- Reading Buddies — Hinesville, GA
- Reading Buddies — Parkersburg, WV
- Reading Buddies — Enid, OK
- Reading Buddies — Eagle Pass, TX
West
- Reading Buddies — Los Angeles, CA
- Reading Buddies — Phoenix, AZ
- Reading Buddies — Riverside, CA
- Reading Buddies — San Francisco, CA
- Reading Buddies — Seattle, WA
- Reading Buddies — San Diego, CA
- Reading Buddies — Denver, CO
- Reading Buddies — Portland, OR
- Reading Buddies — Sacramento, CA
- Reading Buddies — Las Vegas, NV
- Reading Buddies — San Jose, CA
- Reading Buddies — Salt Lake City, UT
- Reading Buddies — Fresno, CA
- Reading Buddies — Tucson, AZ
- Reading Buddies — Honolulu, HI
- Reading Buddies — Bakersfield, CA
- Reading Buddies — Albuquerque, NM
- Reading Buddies — Boise, ID
- Reading Buddies — Oxnard, CA
- Reading Buddies — Stockton, CA
- Reading Buddies — Colorado Springs, CO
- Reading Buddies — Provo, UT
- Reading Buddies — Ogden, UT
- Reading Buddies — Spokane, WA
- Reading Buddies — Reno, NV
- Reading Buddies — Modesto, CA
- Reading Buddies — Santa Rosa, CA
- Reading Buddies — Visalia, CA
- Reading Buddies — Vallejo, CA
- Reading Buddies — Salem, OR
- Reading Buddies — Santa Maria, CA
- Reading Buddies — Salinas, CA
- Reading Buddies — Anchorage, AK
- Reading Buddies — Eugene, OR
- Reading Buddies — Greeley, CO
- Reading Buddies — Fort Collins, CO
- Reading Buddies — Boulder, CO
- Reading Buddies — Kennewick, WA
- Reading Buddies — Olympia, WA
- Reading Buddies — Merced, CA
- Reading Buddies — Bremerton, WA
- Reading Buddies — San Luis Obispo, CA
- Reading Buddies — Bend, OR
- Reading Buddies — Yakima, WA
- Reading Buddies — Santa Cruz, CA
- Reading Buddies — Prescott metro area, AZ
- Reading Buddies — Bellingham, WA
- Reading Buddies — Las Cruces, NM
- Reading Buddies — Lake Havasu City, AZ
- Reading Buddies — Yuma, AZ
- Reading Buddies — Medford, OR
- Reading Buddies — St. George, UT
- Reading Buddies — Chico, CA
- Reading Buddies — Billings, MT
- Reading Buddies — Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Reading Buddies — Yuba City, CA
- Reading Buddies — Redding, CA
- Reading Buddies — El Centro, CA
- Reading Buddies — Idaho Falls, ID
- Reading Buddies — Pueblo, CO
- Reading Buddies — Grand Junction, CO
- Reading Buddies — Logan, UT
- Reading Buddies — Maui, HI
- Reading Buddies — Santa Fe, NM
- Reading Buddies — Hanford, CA
- Reading Buddies — Flagstaff, AZ
- Reading Buddies — Mount Vernon, WA
- Reading Buddies — Napa, CA
- Reading Buddies — Albany, OR
- Reading Buddies — Bozeman, MT
- Reading Buddies — Missoula, MT
- Reading Buddies — Wenatchee, WA
- Reading Buddies — Sierra Vista, AZ
- Reading Buddies — Twin Falls, ID
- Reading Buddies — Farmington, NM
- Reading Buddies — Longview, WA
- Reading Buddies — Cheyenne, WY
- Reading Buddies — Corvallis, OR
- Reading Buddies — Helena, MT
- Reading Buddies — Fairbanks, AK
- Reading Buddies — Pocatello, ID
- Reading Buddies — Grants Pass, OR
- Reading Buddies — Great Falls, MT
- Reading Buddies — Casper, WY
- Reading Buddies — Lewiston, ID
- Reading Buddies — Walla Walla, WA
- Reading Buddies — Carson City, NV
Cities and all 3,143 US counties are covered too — every place page is live. The campaign sitemap lists every one.
