Just One Pebble. One Boy's Quest to End Hunger

Nominated for the Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice! 

"The inspiring true story of an unusual 9-year-old who made a difference. A succinct present-tense narrative channels young Braeden Mannering’s own unassuming, friendly voice. When the boy notices an older man sleeping on a sidewalk in his Delaware town, he wants to help. So he fills a paper bag with food and water and takes it to the surprised man. But then he wonders about “tomorrow”—days when unhoused people (and others) will go hungry. His mother mentions sources of assistance, like shelters, but Braeden wants to get personally involved. At a soup kitchen, he sees another boy, “just like me—only not as lucky.” Understanding that some students in his own school go lunchless sparks his anger at a patent unfairness. But he has an idea, and a couple of days later, the principal invites him to speak to the rest of the school about his new organization, Brae's Brown Bags (3B), and he recruits funding on social media. His reach expands (as his mother puts it, throwing a pebble into the water causes ripples to spread), and backmatter explains that 3B has now distributed 15,000 bags containing healthy snacks, water, and lists of local resources. Soft-edge, realistic watercolors pair well with this earnest account. Spectacled Braeden and his mother present white; their community is diverse. A stirring tale of community outreach." -Kirkus Reviews