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The Kindness Club

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Chloe Silver has always been good at looking on the bright side. Even though her parents got divorced and she's moved to a new town, she knows that she will make great friends at her new school. So when she is assigned a science project with offbeat Lucy Tanaka and nerdy Theo Barnes, they have fun creating an experiment that tests out the laws of science through different acts of kindness . . . officially forming The Kindness Club.

But when she is also asked join the cool girls' exclusive It Girls club, Chloe feels completely torn between the It Girls and The Kindness Club. Faced with the possibility of upsetting all her new friends, Chloe's capacity for kindness is put to the test. Sometimes mistakes yield the best discoveries, and there is one hypothesis that can always be proven correct: Kindness is the coolest.

212 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2016

16 people are currently reading
554 people want to read

About the author

Courtney Sheinmel

41 books259 followers
Born in California. Raised in New York. Went to law school, now write full time. Love: long walks, fresh notebooks, the smell of brownies, pomegranate seeds. Don't love: yogurt, spam (the email kind, and the food kind), deep water, deserted city streets.

Newest book: THE SECRETS OF LOVELACE ACADEMY, co-written with Marie Benedict, available on April 22, 2025.

I love to hear from readers! Email me! Ask a question! I promise to reply.

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5 stars
65 (34%)
4 stars
65 (34%)
3 stars
44 (23%)
2 stars
11 (5%)
1 star
4 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Bianca.
Author 9 books157 followers
September 5, 2016
Totally adorable! Chloe is the kind of character you want your kids to spend a couple hours reading about. Everyone could use a little more kindness!
Profile Image for Jen.
3,474 reviews27 followers
June 11, 2017
Cute, if somewhat predictable story. Got this for a niece and wanted to read it before giving it to her. It seems a little young, I hope I didn't go too young for her. Kids grow up so fast nowadays, and I'm getting older by leaps and bounds. Sigh.

Not a bad book, though slightly saccharine. The title kind of gives it away. Realistic contemporary middle grade, with the MC dealing with her parents divorce and going to a new school. Two groups of friends; Queen Bee follower of part of the weird, but true to self outcasts. Which does she choose?

Good moral, though might be seen as preachy but that age range. Will wait for niece to read and update when I find out.

Three solid stars.
Profile Image for Elle.
709 reviews60 followers
October 11, 2016
3.5 Rounded up.

I received a NetGalley copy in exchange for an honest review.

Our main character, Chloe is dealing with some tough stuff. Her parents have recently gotten a divorce and her father has already acquired a new girlfriend, she's had to move away from her home and best friend, and wants to be accepted into her new school, which turns out to be more difficult than expected.
Chloe wants to be a part of the It-Girls, an exclusive club in the 5th grade. To be a part of this club, though, Chloe has to do some things that go against her kind nature.
How can she be kind to everybody?
I enjoyed watching Chloe work (and sometimes struggle) through her decisions, trying to figure out right from wrong, and later working to right any mistakes she may have made.
I may have gotten a little stressed out while reading, which means that the author certainly did her job well!
UPDATE:

Our main character, Chloe is dealing with some tough stuff. Her parents have recently gotten a divorce and her father has already acquired a new girlfriend, she's had to move away from her home and best friend, and wants to be accepted into her new school, which turns out to be more difficult than expected.
Chloe wants to be a part of the It-Girls, an exclusive club in the 5th grade. To be a part of this club, though, Chloe has to do some things that go against her kind nature.
I liked that 'The Kindness Club' was actually a name that Chloe and two of her friends came up with for their science group. In their class, each group had to conduct an experiment. The Kindness Club decided to see if being kind to people would cause them to be kind in return.
The writing style was easy to read without being simple or juvenile.
I enjoyed watching the main character struggle with deciding who to be friends with, if she should do what the It Girls wanted her to do.
At the end of the story she realized that some of the things that she had done or said were likely not wise, and she made up for it in some wonderful ways.
The characters were all different from one another, and had reasons for their particular little quirks. Many of these people were fighting their own battles and I liked how this came into play during the story.
During a few points in the story I became worried about what the character was doing or what would happen. This means that the author was certainly doing her job well!
This book was meaningful, and reminded people of something that may be forgotten now and again.
Be kind to everybody you meet; everyone is fighting an unseen battle.
Profile Image for T.J. Burns.
Author 83 books44 followers
May 30, 2017
What a great story! My daughter and I were enthralled in Chloe's story. Chloe is easy to like -- she's positive, kind, and sees thing from the bright side. Although she tries to be kind to everyone, it doesn't always work out as she planned. People, as it turns out, are complicated. Group dynamics are also complicated, and parents and their relationships are even more complicated. Chloe learns the hard way that just being kind is not always enough to break through "the complicated." She can't please everyone and she can't save her parents' marriage. Still, with the help of some colorful, interesting, and good-hearted friends, she learns to stay positive and optimistic, and discovers that "kindness" is indeed contagious.

I received a copy of this book from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
18 reviews3 followers
July 5, 2016
THE KINDNESS CLUB is an awesome new book from author Courtney Sheinmel. It explores what it means to be kind, and how sometimes it's not always so easy to do the right thing. This book has a great lesson for all it's readers, but it's not preachy and is so much fun to read. Readers will fall in love with Chloe from page one and finish the book counting down the days until the second one comes out!
Profile Image for Lily Leib.
13 reviews2 followers
September 5, 2016
This is such a sweet story about kindness. It has great lessons for kids, but it doesn't teach them in an annoying, boring way. Instead it's just a great novel that keeps you interested the whole time, you feel for the characters, and makes you think about the decisions you make in your own life. I think kids will read this, love it, and end up kinder
Profile Image for Ilse.
490 reviews
June 30, 2023
I read this with one of my students to motivate her to read more!
Profile Image for Yapha.
3,288 reviews106 followers
February 7, 2017
Chloe's parents have recently divorced, and she is starting 5th grade in a new school. She is trying to remain positive about finding new friends. Her best friend from her old school was invited to the popular girls' club, so Chloe jumps at the chance to become an It Girl at her new school. But she also likes quirky Lucy and nerdy Theo, and enjoys the science project the three of them have been assigned. They must come up with their own experiment and decide to study the effects of kindness on other people. Unfortunately, this is at odds with the It Girls club and Chloe finds herself having to make hard choices over and over. A realistic portrayal of the friendship issues upper elementary students often face. They will find themselves rooting for Chloe to make the right choice. Recommended for grades 3 & up.
Profile Image for Steven R. McEvoy.
3,801 reviews172 followers
April 9, 2019
My children and I read this together. They are ages 13, 11, and 8. All three children loved it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it also. Full review to below.
...
I have read all of the Stella Batts books by Courney Sheinmel multiple times. Some by myself, all with my oldest, and some with my younger two children. And As much as we loved the Stella Batts books, reading the first of the Kindness Club books was special in that the four of us read it together. It was also a source of some great conversations.

This is the first book in the second series by Courtney that we have read. The story focuses around Chloe Silver, a young girl who is starting at a new school. Her parents have divorced, and they have both moved. She is at a new school, in a new home, and her father has a new apartment. Chloe learned about affirmations over the summer and she is beginning this new school year with one:

“I have the best friends in my new school. I have the best friends in my new school. I have the best friends in my new school.”

And on the day, she goes to pick up her books she meets a few fellow students. Monroe Resser is the leader of the ‘It Girls’ and Chloe seems to git it off with her. She really wants to be a part of this club especially after what happened at her old school. But she also meets Lucy Tanaka, a girl with a quirky fashion sense. Chloe likes to be nice to every, be as she quickly learns it does not always lead to good results. Chloe is tamed with Lucy, and Theo the most studious guy in the grade for a science project. They form the Kindness Club as part of a science project. The first sight she goes to her Dad’s new place, she is whisked upstairs to another woman’s place who has a daughter her same age, Sage. Soon she is struggling with conflict between the two groups at school, and Sage and her mother. And everything starts falling apart.

You will need to read the book to find out if Chloe can find the silver lining in all her situations. Will the Kindness club succeed? Can they prove their hypothesis? Can Chole Silver find the silver lining, and can she figure it all out? To find out you will need to read this excellent book.

My Children’s favorite part of the story are:

13 year old love that she chose true friends over popularity.
11 year old love that Mrs. G was changed.
8 year old loved that Chloe like to be kind by baking for others.

My favorite part was the quote from Plato, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”. The children in the story really got a better understanding of this. We also had a great discussion about the implications of divorce, and how it impacts both the parents and the children. We also talked about parents who let their kids down or have unrealistic expectation. There is so much in this story that can be used for discussion either at home or in the classroom.

This is a great read, as a family we really loved it, and are eager to read book two, Designed by Lucy, and the three kids are already asking of there are going to be more books in the series.

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Courtney Sheinmel.
Profile Image for Ariel.
370 reviews5 followers
July 22, 2024
Hi everyone! It’s Ariel here, and today I’m going to tell you about a super cool book called "The Kindness Club: Chloe on the Bright Side."

In this book, Chloe Silver is a girl who always tries to stay positive, even when things aren’t perfect. Her parents got divorced and she had to move to a new town, but she’s excited to start at her new school and make friends.

Chloe is assigned a science project with two classmates: Lucy Tanaka, who’s a bit quirky, and Theo Barnes, who’s really into science. Together, they create an experiment about how kindness affects people, and they end up starting a group called The Kindness Club!

But then Chloe gets invited to join another group called the It Girls, who are really popular. Chloe is torn between the It Girls and her new friends in The Kindness Club. She has to figure out how to balance everything and make sure she doesn’t upset anyone.

The book is really fun and teaches us that being kind is super important. The illustrations and story are great, and I liked seeing how Chloe and her friends try to do nice things for others and learn from their experiences.

My favorite part was when Chloe and her friends find out that their kindness project actually makes a difference and helps people feel happy. It shows that even small acts of kindness can have a big impact!
Profile Image for Nic.
1,749 reviews75 followers
December 1, 2018
Maybe 3.5 stars, because I like the message about being kind and I appreciate having a protagonist for whom kindness is an important part of her identity. I think that's unusual and nice to see.

But parts of this book don't work that well for me. Some of the writing feels simplistic and occasionally saccharine. I think Chloe ultimately accepts more blame than she is due, especially in the situation with her dad, who has behaved really insensitively. To me, that makes Chloe maybe cross the line from "kind person" to "pushover."

Oh well. The intentions were clearly good, so that's worth something.
720 reviews1 follower
January 24, 2023
This is an excellent short audible book recognizing the importance of kindness. The story takes place in a middle school situation, but the messages throughout are good for both adolescents and adults alike. When Chloe has to move to a new school because her parents divorced, she had to start all over again making friends. She gets involved with a snooty "it" girls group then joins a kindness club as she is taking on a scientific project based on that topic. I highly recommend this for all. It's definitely a keeper!
Profile Image for Renee.
937 reviews
July 10, 2017
I kept going back and forth about this book as to whether of not it was too didactic or not. Kids really do need that message of "Choose Kind" as was prevalent in Wonder.

The It Girls group were harsh and reminded me of the group of popular girls in Real Friends by Shannon Hale.

I was looking for new books to suggest for next year's RICBA but I don't this will be one of them.

However, I am getting this for my library collection because I know some patrons who will like this.
Profile Image for Sara Truog.
696 reviews8 followers
December 16, 2017
Cute, harmless story about a girl who moves to a new town determined to make great friends at her new school. She is invited to join two different clubs which conflict with each other... will she choose the It Girls, or the Kindness Club?
You haven't even read this book yet and you already know the answer. We're not breaking any new ground here - but girls who are in grades 2-4 will enjoy this one. First in a series.
Profile Image for Mary T.
1,963 reviews21 followers
May 24, 2018
I read the second book first, so I already kind of knew how this one would resolve, although it took longer than I anticipated. Like the other one, I like the bits of learning and psychology thrown in. I so appreciate the theme of this book because it provides positive role models who aren't perfect but who make good choices. Looking forward to introducing these books to my fourth graders.

Literary Escapes Challenge - Maryland
Profile Image for Brenna.
31 reviews2 followers
May 24, 2019
Read this book as a read-aloud with my 9 year old daughter. She really enjoyed it and she said she wished it didn’t have to end. I appreciated the message and enjoyed Chloe’s navigation on trying to figure things out with a lot of new changes in her life.... her parents divorce, living with shared custody, starting a new school, trying to fit in, and ultimately being true to herself. A solid 4 stars. I will be looking for the other book in the series for my daughter and I to share as well.
840 reviews
February 17, 2018
If I hadn't read such good reviews of this book, I would have passed it up because of the title and cover -- and that would have been my loss. Chloe is caught between wanting to be part of the "It Girls Club" (which I would call the Meanie Girls Club) and a couple of march-to-their-own-drummer interesting kids in her class. Growing up includes tough decisions.
222 reviews1 follower
March 10, 2021
At the beginning, I thought that Monroe and her friends were the mean ones, but then I’m changed my mind. At the end, I realized that Monroe was mean and Chloe should be friends with Theo and Lucy. I have divorced parent, so I understood what Chloe was going through. I understood her jealousy of Sage and Gloria. Overall this was very enjoyable and quick
11 reviews
February 17, 2022
It doesn’t matter than I’m 47 and reading a kids book, this is a lovely story and Chloe reminds me of myself at her age. I wanted to be popular but being kind and true to myself was more important to me, even though it was subconsciously, at the time.
Profile Image for Lisa C.
245 reviews1 follower
June 29, 2023
Listened on audiobook before letting my 7 yo listen. It’s a cute story about learning how to be kind to others who aren’t kind, struggling with being accepted by peers. Divorce also a theme throughout the story.
Profile Image for Marian.
97 reviews3 followers
October 4, 2017
Must read for any age level. Reminds you of the importance of kindness and the impact kindness can have on others. It delivers this message in a great story.
Profile Image for Dominique.
122 reviews1 follower
December 31, 2018
I think that Chloe was pretty stupid to think that a group of mean girls would end up being her best friends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kylie Abecca.
Author 9 books42 followers
October 1, 2020
A very insightful book on the importance of friendship, kindness, honesty and the importance of ‘fitting-in’ and feeling accepted in school. I would have loved this book when I was younger.
Profile Image for Vee.
13 reviews
November 12, 2021
I know the author’s sister. I didn’t know that I knew her at the time I read this, but I do.
Profile Image for Brittany.
90 reviews3 followers
November 21, 2016
Originally posted on Beauty and the Bean Boots

They always say if you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say it all… luckily, I have many positive things to say about The Kindness Club by Courtney Shienmel.

The Kindness Club follows Chloe Silver, who despite her parents’ recent divorce and moving to a new school, stays determined to remain positive and find great new friends. Upon arriving at her new schools, Chloe catches the attention of the popular girls, also known as the “It Girls.” Before Chloe can call herself an It Girl, she must do whatever they want until they ask her to officially join the group. Their biggest request is for Chloe to be mean to her science project group.

I’ve read one other book by Courtney Shienmel (Sincerely) and one thing I really appreciate about her books is how realistically she portrays characters and relationships. Chloe struggles with many real life issues–she wants to be accepted, her dad is dating someone besides her mom–and reacts to the situations as you would an expect an 11-year-old to react. As a reader, you can feel Chloe’s pain and easily identify with many of her experiences.

I also love the dimensions that Shienmel adds to her characters. Monroe, the It Girls’ ringleader, isn’t just a stereotypical mean girl with blonde hair, pink wardrobe, and rich parents. With the glimpses you see into different characters’ lives, you can clearly see how their experiences impact their attitudes. That being said, I do think Lucy and Theo, the other Kindness Club members, could be fleshed out more because they came across as a little cartoonish. Since this is the first book in a series, I suspect readers will learn more about those two characters.

While I loved many aspects of this book, there were some aspects that could be improved. Some readers may find the book’s message as a little too overstated and juvenile. Having a popular girls club and Kindness Club seems a little too young for fifth grade, but since the target audience of this book is a little younger, it is not that big of an issue. I also think that their are many other books out right now dealing with the same subject. While Shienmel’s writing is definitely stand-out, the plot may not be exciting or new to readers.

I really appreciated the writing quality and realistic characters in The Kindness Club, but was slightly disappointed by the predictable and overused plot. I give The Kindness Club three out of five stars.

I received The Kindness Club from NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
857 reviews26 followers
June 13, 2022
This was a really good story about kindness, from how to be kind to others and how hard it can be to be kind to some people. For Chloe, who has always been able to look on the bright side of things. she is suddenly in all sorts of new situations that are challenging her in that arena: Her parents have divorced, she's moved to a new area and is starting at a new school, and she is being pulled in different directions with her membership in two different clubs while struggling with which other students are her actual friends. I definitely found myself empathizing with Chloe as she struggled with figuring out who her actual friends were.

While the situations were predictable for adults reading the book, I think it is very appropriate for students in elementary and middle school. Listening to the book, which was narrated by Elizabeth Evans, was a nice way to experience it, too. Evans' voice was very soothing and pulled me right into the story as soon as I started listening to it.
Profile Image for Jackie Hinnen.
79 reviews1 follower
February 25, 2023
A must read for higher elementary/ middle school aged children. I absolutely adored this book. My family and I listened to this book over the last few days as I cooked, cleaned or drove them around. The author did a great job at highlighting how our need to fit in can easily over shadow who we really are on the inside and how that impacts our behaviors. I loved how relatable it was for my children and it was really neat to listen to them as they identified instances throughout the story where maybe they would’ve responded differently. This book is a great conversation starter & parenting tool. We also enjoyed the story line and they loved the book. Their friends liked it too. Definitely a win. We highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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