Common Sense Media Review
By Mandie Caroll
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lady Gaga's solid collection spotlights acts of compassion.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Lady Gaga opens CHANNEL KINDNESS: STORIES OF KINDNESS & COMMUNITY with a revealing introduction about her life, including being bullied, battling mental illness, and experiencing sexual assault, and lays out her theories about the power of kindness in a world that can be quite punishing, even to famous celebrities. Fifty-one stories follow, written by Born This Way Foundation reporters, ages 16-24, about young people who survived a variety of challenging circumstances by giving or receiving kindness (or both). Lady Gaga adds a short note to each selection, commenting on the story and offering resources that readers can check out for more information. End pages include a section titled "Continuing On," a resources list, the history of Channel Kindness, and acknowledgments.
Is It Any Good?
This heartfelt collection of stories, an outgrowth of the Channel Kindness website, aims to promote compassion and positivity in our world, where negativity often gets the limelight. Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness & Community will certainly be enjoyed by Gaga fans, but even non-fans might be charmed by these heartwarming stories. The young people featured are not extraordinary; they are sisters, friends, daughters and sons, students, teachers, and social workers who saw a need and rushed to fill it. And that's the power of this book: Readers are likely to be inspired to do the same.
It's a visually attractive book with a magazine-like layout. Offset columns, ample white space and colorful, geometric backgrounds add depth while photographs personalize the stories. However, the selections are not organized thematically or in any other obvious way, so reading can feel somewhat aimless, and photographs are not captioned, so who is who can be confusing. The writing is generally clear and engaging enough, but this isn't a stay-up-all-night page-turner. On the whole, it's a solid choice for teens in need of an uplifting read.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the impact of the kind acts described in Channel Kindness. How did receiving kindness and compassion affect those who were being helped? How did being kind and compassionate toward others affect the "givers"?
What stories have stuck with you? Why do you think these affected you?
What acts of kindness can you commit to in the next day? Month? Year?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : Advice
- Topics : Activism , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Feiwel & Friends
- Publication date : September 22, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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