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THISISABORZOIBOOKPUBLISHEDBYALFREDA.KNOPFCopyright©2014byR.J.Palacio
Allrightsreserved.PublishedintheUnitedStatesbyAlfredA.Knopf,animprintofRandomHouseChildren’sBooks,adivisionofRandomHouseLLC,aPenguinRandomHouseCompany,NewYork.
Knopf,BorzoiBooks,andthecolophonareregisteredtrademarksofRandomHouseLLC.
“GraciasalaVida”copyright©1966byVioletaParra
VisitusontheWeb!randomhousekids.comEducatorsandlibrarians,foravarietyofteachingtools,visitusatRHTeachersLibrarians.com
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataisavailableuponrequest.ISBN978-0-553-49904-9(trade)—ISBN978-0-553-49905-6(lib.bdg.)
ISBN978-0-553-50996-0(intl.tr.pbk.)ISBN978-0-553-50903-8(ebook)
RandomHouseChildren’sBookssupportstheFirstAmendmentandcelebratestherighttoread.
v3.1
ToPapi,
myfirstteacher
Ateacheraffectseternity;
hecannevertellwherehisinfluencestops.
—HenryAdams
Preceptsormaximsareofgreatweight;
andafewusefulonesathanddomore
towardahappylifethanwholevolumes
thatweknownotwheretofind.
—Seneca
Contents
CoverTitlePageCopyrightDedicationEpigraphPrecepts
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
AcknowledgmentsContributorsofOriginalPrecepts,Artwork,andLettering
M
PRECEPTS
yfather’snamewasThomasBrowne.Andhis father’snamewasThomasBrowne.That’swhymyname is Thomas Browne. I didn’t know until I was a college senior that there was a far more
illustriousThomasBrowne,whohad lived inEngland in the seventeenth century.SirThomasBrownewasagiftedauthor,astudentofthenaturalworld,ascientist,ascholar,andanoutspokensupporteroftoleranceatatimewhenintolerancewasthenorm.Inshort,Icouldn’thaveaskedforabetternamesake.IstartedreadingalotofSirThomasBrowne’sworksincollege,includingEnquiriesintoVerymany
receivedTenets,andcommonlypresumedTruths,abookthatsetouttodebunktheprevalentfalsebeliefsof the day, and Religio Medici, a work that contained a number of religious inquiries that wereconsideredhighlyunorthodoxatthetime.ItwaswhilereadingthelatterthatIcameacrossthiswonderfulline:
Wecarrywithinusthewondersweseekaroundus.
The beauty and power of that line stoppedme cold, for some reason.Maybe itwas exactlywhat Ineeded to hear at that particularmoment inmy life, a timewhen Iwas rackedwith indecision aboutwhetherthecareerIhadchosenformyself—teaching—wasfullofenough“wonder”tokeepmehappy.Iwrote the line down on a little slip of paper and taped it onto my wall, where it remained until Igraduated. I took itwithme to graduate school. I traveledwith the PeaceCorps and carried it inmywallet.Mywifehaditlaminatedandframedformewhenwegotmarried,anditnowhangsinthefoyerofourapartmentintheBronx.Itwasthefirstofmanypreceptsinmylife,whichIbegancollectinginascrapbook.Linesfrombooks
I’ve read.Fortune cookies.Hallmark cardhomilies. I evenwrote down theNike ad line “Just do it!”becauseIthoughtitwastheperfectdirectiveforme.Youcandrawinspirationfromanywhere,afterall.Ifirstintroducedpreceptstomystudentsasastudentteacher.Iwashavingahardtimegettingmykids
interestedintheessay-writingunit—IbelieveIhadaskedthemtowriteonehundredwordsonsomethingthatmeantalottothem—soIbroughtinthelaminatedThomasBrownequotetoshowthemsomethingthatmeantalottome.Well,itturnedouttheyweremuchmoreinterestedinexploringthemeaningofthequoteitselfthantheywereinitsimpactonme,soIaskedthemtowriteaboutthatinstead.Iwasamazedatthethingstheycameupwith!
Ever since then, I’ve used precepts inmy classroom.According toMerriam-Webster, a precept is “acommand or principle intended especially as a general rule of action.” Formy students, I’ve alwaysdefined it in simpler terms: precepts are “words to liveby.”Easy.At thebeginningof everymonth, Iwriteanewpreceptontheboard,theycopyit,andthenwediscussit.Attheendofthemonth,theywriteanessayabouttheprecept.Thenat theendoftheyear,Igiveoutmyhomeaddressandaskthekidstosendmeapostcardover the summerwithanewpreceptof theirown,whichcouldbeaquote fromafamouspersonorapreceptthey’vemadeup.ThefirstyearIdidthis,IrememberwonderingifI’dgetasingleprecept.Iwasflooredwhen,bytheendofsummer,everysinglestudentineachofmyclasseshadsent one in! You can imagine my further astonishment when, the following summer, the same thinghappenedagain.Onlythistime,itwasn’tonlyfrommycurrentclassthatIreceivedpostcards.Ialsogotahandfulfromthepreviousyear’sclass!I’ve been teaching for ten years.As of thiswriting, I have about two thousand precepts.WhenMr.
Tushman,themiddle-schooldirectoratBeecherPrep,heardthis,hesuggestedthatIcollectthemandturnthemintoabookthatIcouldsharewiththeworld.Iwas intriguedby the idea, forsure,butwhere tostart?Howtochoosewhatprecepts to include?I
decided I would focus on themes with particular resonance for kids: kindness, strength of character,overcomingadversity,orsimplydoinggoodintheworld.Ilikepreceptsthatsomehowelevatethesoul.Ichoseonepreceptforeverydayoftheyear.Myhopeisthatthereaderofthisbookwillbegineverynewdaywithoneofthese“wordstoliveby.”I’mthrilledtobeabletosharemyfavoritepreceptshere.ManyareonesI’vecollectedmyselfoverthe
years.Someweresubmittedbystudents.Allmeanalottome.AsIhopetheywilltoyou.
—Mr.Browne
Teachhimthenthesayingsofthepast,
sothathemaybecomeagoodexample
forthechildren.…Nooneisbornwise.
—TheMaximsofPtahhotep,2200BC
H
THESANDBOXVIRTUES
ere’sasecret,kids:parentsspendalotoftimeteachingyouhowtobepolitewhenyou’reveryyoungbecause,it’sascientificfact,theworldisnicertopolitepeople.“Don’t forgettosayplease,”we
tellyou.“Playnice.Saythankyou.”Theseareelementalvirtues.Weteachthembecausethey’regoodthingstoteach.Andwewantpeopletolikeyou.By the timeyouguysget tomiddle school, though,ourpriorities seem to shift.“Dowell in school.
Succeed.Studyharder.Haveyou finishedyourhomeworkyet?”That’swhatwe tend toharpon then.Somewherealongtheway,westopemphasizingthoseelementalvirtues.Maybeit’sbecauseweassumeyou’velearnedthembynow.Ormaybeit’sbecausewe’vegotsomanyotherthingswewantyoutolearn.Ormaybe, justmaybe, it’s because there’s an unwritten law aboutmiddle-school kids: it’s hard to benice.Theworldmaypreferpolitechildren,butothermiddleschoolersdon’tseemtoreallyappreciatethem.Andweparents,eagertoseeyouguysgetthroughtheseLordoftheFliesyears,oftenturnablindeyetosomeofthemeanstuffthatpassesfornormal.Ipersonallydon’tbuythisnotionthatallkidsgothrougha“meanphase.”Infact,I thinkit’salotof
malarkey! Not to mention a little insulting to kids.When I talk to parents who tell me, as a way ofjustifyingsomethingunkindtheirchildhasdone,“WhatcanIdo?Kidswillbekids,”it’sallIcandonottobopthemontheirheadswithafriendshipbracelet.Here’sthething:withallduerespect,guys,Idon’tthinkyou’realwaysequippedtofigurethingsouton
yourown.Sometimesthere’salotofunnecessarymeannessthathappenswhileyou’retryingtosortoutwhoyouwanttobe,whoyourfriendsare,whoyourfriendsarenot.Adultsspendalotoftimetalkingaboutbullyinginschoolsthesedays,buttherealproblemisn’tasobviousasonekidthrowingaSlurpeeinanotherkid’sface.It’saboutsocial isolation.It’saboutcrueljokes.It’saboutthewaykidstreatoneanother.I’veseenitwithmyowneyes,howoldfriendscanturnagainsteachother:itseems,sometimes,thatit’snotenoughforthemtogotheirseparateways—theyliterallyhaveto“ice”theiroldbuddiesoutjust toprove to thenewfriends that they’reno longer still friends.That’s thekindof stuff Idon’t findacceptable.Fine,don’tbefriendsanymore:butstaykindaboutit.Berespectful.Isthattoomuchtoask?Na-hah.Idon’tthinkso.Everydayat3:10p.m.,myfifthgradersstreamoutofBeecherPrepatdismissaltime.Afewofyou,the
oneswholivenearby,walkhome.Someofyoutakeabusorthesubway.Alotofyou,though,arepickedupbyparentsorcaregivers.Thepointis,eitherway,mostparentsdon’tallowtheirkidstoroamaroundthecitywithoutknowingwheretheyare,whothey’rewith,andwhatthey’redoing.Whyisthat?Becauseyou’restillkids!Sowhyshouldweletyouroamwildintheunchartedterritoryofmiddleschoolwithoutjust a littlebit ofguidance?You’re asked tonavigate social situations everyday—lunchroompolitics,peerpressure,teacherrelations.Someofyoudoitverywellonyourown,absolutely!Butothers—andlet’sbehonesthere—don’t.Someofyoustillneedalittlehelpfiguringthingsout.So,kids,don’tgetmadatusifwetrytohelpyouinthisregard.Bepatientwithus.It’salwaystricky,
asaparent,strikingtherightbalancebetweentoomuchinterventionandtoolittle.Sobearwithus.We’reonlytryingtohelp.Whenweremindyouaboutthoseold,elementalvirtuesweusedtoteachyoubackinyourtoddlerdays,whenyouwerestillplayinginsandboxes,it’sbecause“playingnice”issomethingthatdoesn’tendwhenyoustartmiddleschool.It’ssomethingyouneedtoremembereverydayasyouwalkthroughtheschoolhallwaysonyourwaytobecomingadults.Thetruthofthematteristhis:there’ssomuchnobilitylurkinginsideyoursouls.Ourjobasparents,and
educators,andteachers,istonurtureit,tobringitout,andtoletitshine.
—Mr.Browne
I
THELONGESTMONTHOFTHEYEAR
likeincludingapreceptaboutdiscoveryatthistimeofyear.Whythistimeofyear?Because,althoughFebruaryistheshortestmonth,italsohappenstobethelongeststretchoftimewithoutaneventtolook
forwardto(Presidents’Daynotwithstanding).InJanuary,studentshavejustcomeofftheholidayhighthatisDecember.Withtherushofpresentsandthethrillofthefirstfewsnowfallsbehindthem,byJanuary31therealizationhits:“Wewon’thaveanotherbigstretchofvacationtimeuntilspringbreak!”Argh!Hence:theFebruarydoldrums.I’vealwaysfoundthatithelpstogetmystudentsthinkingaboutunexploredfrontiers—betheyfrontiers
oftheimaginationorgeographicalfrontiers.Thelatterdovetailnicelywithwhatthey’reusuallydoinginhistoryatthistimeofyear(exploringeitherancientChinaorancientGreece,dependingontheirhistoryteacher),andtheformerareagreatsegueintomyCreativeWritingunit.IrecentlyusedtheJamesThurberprecept“Itisbettertoasksomeofthequestionsthantoknowallthe
answers”andgotareallyinterestingessaybackfromastudentnamedJackWill.
Ilikethispreceptalotalotalot.ItmakesmethinkaboutallthestuffIdon’tknow.Andmaybenever,everwillknow.Ispendalotoftimeaskingmyselfquestions.Somearestupidquestions.Like,whydoespoopsmellsobad?Whydon’thumanbeingscomeinasmanyshapesandsizesasdogbreedsdo?(Imean,amastiffisliketentimesbiggerthanaChihuahua,sowhyaren’ttherehumanswhoaresixtyfeettall?)ButIalsoaskmyselfbiggerquestions.Like,whydopeoplehavetodie?Whycan’twejustprintmoremoneyandgiveittopeoplewhodon’thaveenoughofit?Stufflikethat.So,thebigquestionI’vebeenaskingmyselfalotthisyearis,whydowealllooktheway
wedo?WhydoIhaveonefriendwholooks“normal”andanotherfriendwhodoesn’t?ThesearethekindsofquestionsthatIdon’tthinkI’lleverknowtheanswersto.Butaskingmyselfthequestionsdidmakemeaskmyselfanotherquestion,whichis,whatis“normal”anyway?SoIlookeditupinoxforddictionaries.com.Thisiswhatitsaid:
normal(adjective):Conformingtoastandard;usual,typical,orexpected.
AndIwaslike,“conformingtoastandard”?“Usual?Typical?Expected?”Ugh!Whotheheckwantstobe“expected”anyway?Howlameisthat?Sothat’swhyIreallylikethisprecept.Becauseit’strue!It’sbettertoasksomereally
awesomequestionsthanitistoknowalotofdumbanswerstostupidstuff.Like,whocareswhatxequalsinsomedumbequation?Duh!Answerslikethatdon’tmatter!Butthequestion“Whatisnormal?”doesmatter!Itmattersbecausethere’snevergoingtobearightanswer.Andthere’snowronganswer,either.Thequestionisallthatmatters!
ThisiswhyIloveusingpreceptsinmyclassroom.Youthrowthemoutthere,andyouneverknowwhatyou’regettingback,what’sgoingtostrikeachordwithakid,orwhat’sgoingtomakethemthinkalittledeeper,alittlebigger,thaniftheywerejusttryingtoansweraquestionfromabook.It’soneofthethingsIlovemostaboutprecepts:thesentimentstheyvoiceareusuallyaboutthingsthathumanbeingshavebeengrapplingwithsincethedawnoftime.Ilovethatmyfifthgradersaredoingthesame!
—Mr.Browne
W
ASPOONFULOFKINDNESS
henTommy,myson,wasthreeyearsold,mywife,Lilly,andItookhimforhisannualcheckupandthepediatricianaskeduswhathiseatinghabitswerelike.
“Well,”weconfessed,“he’sgoingthroughthisphaseofonlylikingchickenfingersandcarbs,sowe’vekindofgivenup trying togethim toeatvegetables fornow. It’sbecome toomuchof a struggleeverynight.”Thepediatriciannoddedandsmiled,andthensaid,“Well,youcan’treallyforcehimtoeattheveggies,
guys,butyourjobistomakesurethey’reonhisplate.Hecan’teatthemifthey’renotevenonhisplate.”I’vethoughtaboutthatalotovertheyears.Ithinkaboutitwithteaching.Mystudentscan’tlearnwhatI
don’tteachthem.Kindness.Empathy.Compassion.It’snotpartofthecurriculum,Iknow,butIstillhavetokeepdishingitoutontotheirplateseveryday.Maybethey’lleatit;maybetheywon’t.Eitherway,myjobistokeeponservingittothem.Hopefully,alittlemouthfulofkindnesstodaymaymakethemhungryforabiggertasteofittomorrow.
—Mr.Browne
M
PLAYYOURTILES
ygrandparentswereavidScrabbleplayers.Theyplayedeverynight,whethertheyhadcompanyornot—on the sameScrabble board they’d had for over fifty years.Theirmatcheswere formidable
becausetheywerebothincredibleplayers.Interestingly,mygrand-father,whowasknowninmyfamilyasbeingthe“intellectual,”almostalwayslosttomygrandmother.It’snotthatGrandmawasn’teverybitassmartasGrandpa,bytheway—it’sjustthathewastheonewhohadgottenadegreeatColumbiawhileGrandmastayedhome to raisemymotherandher sisters.Grandpawasa lawyer, andGrandmawasahomemaker.Grandpa had a library of books, andGrandma liked doing crosswords.Grandpa hated tolose,andGrandmawhippedhisbuttnineoutofeverytengamesforoverfiftyyears.OnetimeIaskedGrandmawhathersecrettowinningwas,andshesaid,“It’ssimple.Justplayyour
tiles.”“Okay,Grandma,alittleelaborationisneededhere,”Ianswered.“Here’swhyIalwaysbeatyourgrandfather.Hehoardshistiles.Whenhegetsgoodletters,heholdson
tothem,waitingtoplaythemonatriple-wordscore.He’llskipaturntotryandgetaseven-letterwordtoget thefifty-pointbonus.Orhe’ll tradeinhis letters in thehopehe’llgetbetterones.That’snowaytoplay!”“It’shisstrategy,”Isaid,tryingtodefendhim.Shewavedherhand in theairdismissively.“Me, I justplaymy tiles—whatever tiles Iget.Doesn’t
matter if they’re good letters or bad letters. Doesn’t matter if they’re on a triple-word score or not.WhatevertilesIget,Iplay.Imakethemostofthem.That’swhyIalwaysbeatyourgrandpa.”“Doesheknowthis?”Iasked.“Haven’tyoueversharedthissecretwithhim?”“Whatsecret?He’swatchedmeplayeverynightforfiftyyears—doyouthinkmywayofplayingisa
secret?Playthetilesyouget!That’smysecret.”“Grandpa,” I said later to my grandfather. “Grandma told me the reason she always beats you at
Scrabble isbecauseshealwaysplaysher tilesandyouholdon toyours.Haveyouever thoughtaboutchangingyourstyleofplayingabit?Maybeyouwouldwinmoreoften!”Grandpa poked his finger intomy chest. “That’s the difference between your grandma andme,” he
answered.“Iwanttowin,butonlyifIcanwinbeautifully.Big,longwords.Wordsnoone’severheardofbefore.That’sme.Yourgrandmother, she’s finewinningwithnothingbut a stringofA’s andO’s.Youknowtheoldsaying:Suumcuiquepulchrumest!Toeach,hisownisbeautiful.”“Thatmaybetrue,Grandpa,butGrandma’skickingyourbutt!”Isaid.Grandpalaughed.“Suumcuiquepulchrumest!”
—Mr.Browne
E
YOURACTIONSARENOTED
verynowandagainIhavetoremindmystudentsthatthey’renotinvisible.“Icanseeyourollingyoureyes!” I tell them. They think this is funny—usually. And it is—usually. But the other night I was
remindedofhoweasyitisforkidstoforgetthattheiractionsare,indeed,noted.Iwasattendingtheupper-schoolplayatBeecherPrepandtookaseatnexttothemotherofoneofmy
former students, whom I’ll call Briana. This was a sweet, bright girl who had experienced somedifficultieswithagroupofmeangirlsinmiddleschool.Brianawasshyandalittleawkward,soIwassurprisedwhenhermomtoldmethatshe’dbeencastintheleadroleoftheplay.Hermomwassoproud!Shesaidthatherdaughterhadreallycomeoutofhershellinupperschool,duelargelytotherecognitionshe’dgottenforhersingingandactingtalent.Whentheplaystarted,themomentBrianacameonstage,Iunderstoodwhathermommeant.Gonewas
that awkward littlegirl I remembered fromfifthgrade, replacedbyaveryconfident leading ladywhocouldeasilyhavebeenmistakenforayoungNicoleKidman.“Goodforyou,Briana!”Ithoughttomyself.ButnosoonerhadshefinishedsingingherfirstversethanInoticed,sittingacoupleofrowsinfrontofus,those same three girlswho used to taunt her inmiddle school.None of them evenwent to the schoolanymore (they hadn’t been accepted to the upper school largely because of the school’s strong anti-bullying commitment).These girls snickered themomentBriana cameonstage.Theywhispered to oneanotherbehindopenhands.I’msuretheydidn’tthinkanyonewasnoticingthem,butIcouldseeoutofthecornerofmyeyethatBriana’smomsaweverythingasclearlyasIdid.Ican’tevendescribethelookonherface.Itwasheartbreaking.IwaitedforBrianatofinishhersolo.Themomenttheapplausestarted,Ileanedovertheseatinfront
ofmeandtappedtheshoulderofoneofthegirls.Sheturnedaroundandstartedtosmilewhenshesawme,butthenshenoticedmyexpressionasImouthedthewordsShutup!Theothergirlssawthis,too.IthinktheshockofseeingMr.Browne,theirformerlymellowEnglishteacher,soangry,usinglanguage
thathehadneverusedwiththembefore,haditsintendedeffect:theywerequietaschurchmicefortherestofthefirstact.Duringintermission,theyquicklydisappearedanddidn’tcomebackforActTwo.By the time the play ended, I had almost forgotten about those idiotic girls amid the thunderous
applause.IturnedtoBriana’smomtocongratulateheronherdaughter’strulybrilliantperformance.Shewassmiling,butthereweretearsinhereyes.Idon’tknowiftheyweretearsofprideoriftherewasatraceofbitternessover the fact that thosegirlshadmarredwhat shouldhavebeenacompletely joyfulnight for her.All I know is thatmymemoryof those girlswill be forever alteredby their thoughtlessbehaviorthatnight.I’msuretheydidn’tmeanforBriana’smomtoseethem,butitdoesn’tmatter.Youractionsarenoted,kids.Andremembered.
—Mr.Browne
I
WEARESTARDUST!
have toadmit, I lovegettingpostcardprecepts in thesummer.Someof themcomeonrealpostcards.Otherscomeaspartoflongerletters,likethisone:
DearMr.Browne,Here’smyprecept:“Ifyoucangetthroughmiddleschoolwithouthurtinganyone’sfeelings,
that’sreallycoolbeans.”Ihopeyouarehavingasuper-nicesummer!MymomandIwenttovisitAuggie’sfamilyin
MontaukonJuly4th!Theyhadfireworksonthebeach!PLUS—therewasatelescopeonhisroof!EverynightIgottogoupandlookatthestars!DidIevertellyouthatIwanttobeanastronomerwhenIgrowup?Iknowalltheconstellationsbyheart.Ialsoknowalotaboutthescienceofstars.Forinstance,doyouknowwhatstarsaremadeof?Maybeyoudobecauseyou’reateacher,butalotofpeopledon’t.Astarisprettymuchjustagiantcloudofhydrogenandheliumgases.Whenitgetsold,itstartstoshrink,whichkindofcreatesalltheseotherelements.Andthenwhenalltheelementsgetsotinytheycan’tgoanywhere,theyexplodeandsendalltheirstardustintotheuniverse!Thatdustiswhatformsplanetsandmoonsandmountains—andevenpeople!Isn’tthatsoawesome?We’reallmadeofstardust!
Love,SummerDawson
Yep,Isuredolovemyjob.AslongaslittlekidslikeSummerkeepreachingforthestars,I’llbeheretocheerthemon.
—Mr.Browne
S
FRESHSTARTS
ometimes people surprise you. You think you have them figured out, but they’ll do something thatmakesyourealizejusthowfathomlessthehumanhearttrulyis.Tothatend,andbecausetheheartofa
child isstillsuchaworkinprogress,noonecansurpriseyoumore thanachild.Thishappenedtomeoverthecourseofarecentemailexchangewithaformerstudent.Thiskiddidnothaveagreatyearinfifthgrade.Mostofitwashisowndoing:hemadebadchoices.Hewassomethingofabully,andthetideturnedagainsthim,asitshouldhave.Hefoundthathissmall-mindeddislikesweren’tasuniversalashethought,andthathewasaloneinhisprejudices.However,Ialwayssuspectedthattherewasalittlebitmoretothisboythanthat.Hispersonalessays
betrayedamore feelingheart thanhisactions implied.At times, itwashard to reconcile theboywhocouldbesohatefulwith theboywhowrote theessays.SoIheldouthopeforhim.AndwhenIgotanemailfromhimoverthesummer,Icouldn’thavebeenhappier.
Re:Myprecept
Hi,Mr.Browne!Ijustsentyoumypreceptinthemail:“SOMETIMES
IT’SGOODTOSTARTOVER.”It’sonapostcardofagargoyle.Iwrote
thispreceptbecauseI’mgoingtoanewschoolinSeptember.Iended
uphatingBeecherPrep.Ididn’tlikethestudents.ButIDIDlike
theteachers.Ithoughtyourclasswasgreat.Sodon’ttakemynot
goingbackpersonally.
Idon’tknowifyouknowthewholelongstory,butbasicallythe
reasonI’mnotgoingbacktoBeecherPrepis...well,nottoname
names,buttherewasonestudentIreallydidn’tgetalongwith.
Actually,itwastwostudents.(Youcanprobablyguesswhothey
are.)Anyway,thesekidswerenotmyfavoritepeopleintheworld.
Westartedwritingmeannotestoeachother.Irepeat:eachother.
Itwasa2-waystreet!ButI’mtheonewhogotintroubleforit!
Justme!Itwassounfair!Thetruthis,Mr.Tushmanhaditinfor
mebecausemymomwastryingtogethimfired.Anyway,longstory
short:Igotsuspendedfortwoweeksforwritingthenotes!(Noone
knowsthis,though.It’sasecret,sopleasedon’ttellanyone.)The
schoolsaidithada“zerotolerance”policyagainstbullying.ButI
don’tthinkwhatIdidwasbullying!Myparentsgotsomadatthe
school!Theydecidedtoenrollmeinadifferentschoolnextyear.
So,yeah,that’sthestory.
Ireallywishthat“student”hadnevercometoBeecherPrep!My
wholeyearwouldhavebeensomuchbetter!Ihatedhavingtobein
hisclasses.Hegavemenightmares.Iwouldstillbegoingto
BeecherPrepifhehadn’tbeenthere.It’sabummer.
Ireallylikedyourclass,though.Youwereagreatteacher.I
wantedyoutoknowthat.
Re:Re:Myprecept
Hi,Julian.Thankssomuchforyouremail!I’mlookingforwardto
gettingthegargoylepostcard.Iwassorrytohearyouwon’tbe
comingbacktoBeecherPrep.Ialwaysthoughtyouwereagreat
studentandagiftedwriter.
Bytheway,Iloveyourprecept.Iagree,sometimesit’sgoodto
startover.Afreshstartgivesusthechancetoreflectonthe
past,weighthethingswe’vedone,andapplywhatwe’velearnedfrom
thosethingstothewaywemoveforward.Ifwedon’texaminethe
past,wedon’tlearnfromit.
Asforthe“kids”youdidn’tlike,IdothinkIknowwhoyou’re
talkingabout.I’msorrytheyeardidn’tturnouttobeahappyone
foryou,butIhopeyoutakealittletimetoaskyourselfwhy.
Thingsthathappentous,eventhebadstuff,canoftenteachusa
littlebitaboutourselves.Doyoueverwonderwhyyouhadsucha
hardtimewiththesetwostudents?Wasit,perhaps,theirfriendship
thatbotheredyou?WereyoutroubledbyAuggie’sphysical
appearance?Youmentionedthatyoustartedhavingnightmares.
Sometimesfearcanmakeeventhenicestkidssayanddothingsthey
wouldn’tordinarilysayordo.Perhapsyoushouldexplorethese
feelingsfurther?
Inanycase,Iwishyouthebestofluckinyournewschool,
Julian.You’reagoodkid.Anaturalleader.Justremembertouse
yourleadershipforgood,huh?Don’tforget:alwayschoosekind!
Re:Re:Re:Myprecept
Thankssomuchforyouremail,Mr.Browne!Itreallymademefeel
good!Like,youreally“get”me.Andyoudon’tthinkI’mabadkid,
whichisnice.IfeellikeeveryonethinksI’mthis“demonchild.”
It’snicetoknowyoudon’t.
Ihadbeguntoreadyouremailandmygrandmothersawmesmiling
sosheaskedmetoreaditaloudtoher.GrandmèreisFrench.I’m
stayingwithherinParisforthesummer.SoIreadittoher.And
wegotintothiswholelongtalkafter.Grandmère’sold,butshe’s
stillkindofwithit.Andanyway,guesswhat?Shetotallyagreed
withyou!ShethinksmaybeIwaskindofmeantoAuggiebecauseI
wasalittleafraidofhim.Andaftertalkingtoheraboutit,I
thinkmaybeyouguysareright.ThethingaboutthenightmaresIwas
havingisthatIusedtogetbadnightmareswhenIwaslittle.Night
terrors.Anyway,Ihadn’thadoneinalongtime,butthefirsttime
IsawAuggieinMr.Tushman’soffice,Istartedhavingthemagain.
Itsucked!ItactuallymademenotwanttogotoschoolbecauseI
didn’twanttoseehisfaceagain!
IknowIwouldhavehadabetteryearifAuggiehadnevercometo
BeecherPrep.ButIknowit’snothisfaultthathelooksthewayhe
does.Mygrandmothertoldmethislongstoryaboutaboysheknew
whenshewasagirl,andhowkidsusedtobemeantohim.Itmademe
feelsosorryforhim!Itmademefeelbadaboutsomeofthethings
IsaidtoAuggie.
Soanyway,IwroteAuggieanote.Idon’thavehisaddress,
though,socanImailittoyousothatyoucouldmailittoAuggie?
Idon’tknowhowmuchthestampcosts,butI’lltotallypayyou
back.(It’sanicenote,btw!Don’tworry!)
Thanksagain,Mr.Browne.Seriously.Thanks!
Re:Proud!
Julian,Ican’ttellyouhowproudIamthatyou’vetakenthisbig
step!IwouldbehonoredtomailthatnotetoAuggieforyouwhenI
getit(andyoudon’thavetoworryaboutpayingmebackforthe
stamp).Lookslikeyou’rereallylivinguptoyourprecept.Goodfor
you,Julian!
Look,thetruthis,it’snoteasycopingwithfear.Infact,it’s
oneofthehardestthingshumanbeingshavetoface.That’sbecause
fearisn’talwaysrational.Doyouknowtheoriginoffear?Itgoes
backtothedawnofmankind.Whenwewerepre-humans,wedeveloped
fearasamechanismtosurviveinatoughworld—poisonoussnakes
andspiders,saber-toothedcats,wolves.Theinstinctualresponseto
aperceiveddangerwouldtriggeradrenalineinsideus,andwecould
runawayfaster,orfightbetter,inresponsetothatperceived
danger.It’saverynaturalinstinct,Julian.Tobeafraidisoneof
thethingsthatmakeushuman.
Butanotherthingthatmakesushumanisourabilitytodealwith
fear.Wehaveothertraitsthatwerelyonthathelpuscopewith
ourfears.Theabilitytobecourageousdespiteourfear.The
abilitytoregret.Theabilitytofeel.Theabilitytobekind.
Thesetraitsworktogether,alongwithfear,tomakeusbetter
people.
Nextyearisgoingtobeagreatyearforyou,Julian.Icanfeel
it.Ihavefaithinyou!Justgiveeveryoneachanceandyou’lldo
fine.Bestoflucktoyou!
Sometimes,all akidneeds isa littlepush tohavea revelation. I’mnot saying Iwas thatpush. I thinkJulian’sverywisegrandmotherwas.Thepointis:everyone’sgotastory.Thechallengewithsomekidsistobepatientenoughtolisten.
—Mr.Browne
K
GLITTER
indnesscanspreadfrompersontopersonlikeglitter.Anyonewho’severintroducedglitterintoanykindofartprojectatschoolknowsexactlyofwhatIspeak.Youcan’tshakeitoffyou.Youpassiton
tothenextperson.Itssparklingremnantslingerfordays.Andforeachtinydotyoufind,youknowthatahundredmorehaveseeminglyvanished.Butwheredidtheygo?Whathappenstoallthatglitter?IhadaboyinmyclasslastyearwhosenamewasAugust.Hewasquitespecial,andnotbecauseofhis
face. Therewas just something about his indomitable spirit that capturedme (and a lot of the peoplearoundhim).TheyearturnedouttobearagingsuccessforAuggie.Iwasverygladaboutthat.Now,I’mnotnaiveenoughtothinkthatahappyendingtoafifth-gradeyearwillguaranteehimahappylife.Iknowhe’llhavemorethanhisshareofchallenges.ButwhatIgleanedfromhistriumphantyearwasthis:hehaswhatheneedsinsideofhimtostanduptolife’schallenges.Auggiewillhaveabeautifullife.That’smyprediction.Igotanemailfromhimtheotherdaythatkindofvalidatesthisprediction.
Re:Thepostcard
Heythere,Mr.Browne!Longtimenospeak!
Ihopeyou’rehavingagreatsummer!Isentyoumypreceptlast
month.Hopeyougotit.Ithadagiantfishonit.FromMontauk.
SoI’mwritingtothankyouforsendingmeJulian’snoteinthe
mail.Whoa,Ididnotseethatcoming!WhenIopenedyourletterI
was,like,whatisthisotherenvelope?AndthenIopeneditandI
sawthehandwriting.AndIwaslike,noway,isJuliansendingme
meannotesagain?Youprobablydon’tknowthis,butJulianleftsome
reallymeannotesinmylockerlastyear.Anyway,itturnedoutthat
thisnotewasn’tameannote!Itwasactuallyanapology!Canyou
believeit?Itwassealed,somaybeyoudidn’treadit,butthisis
whatthenotesaid:
DEARAUGGIE,
IWANTTOAPOLOGIZEFORTHESTUFFIDIDLASTYEAR.I’VEBEEN
THINKINGABOUTITALOT.YOUDIDN’TDESERVEIT.IWISHICOULDHAVE
ADO-OVER.IWOULDBENICER.IHOPEYOUDON’TREMEMBERHOWMEANI
WASWHENYOU’REEIGHTYYEARSOLD.HAVEANICELIFE.
—JULIAN
PS:IFYOU’RETHEONEWHOTOLDMR.TUSHMANABOUTTHENOTES,DON’T
WORRY,I’MNOTMAD.
I’mkindofinastateofshockaboutthisnote.Bytheway,he’s
wrongaboutmebeingtheonewhotoldMr.Tushman.Itwasn’tme(or
SummerorJack).MaybeMr.Tushmanreallydoeshavemicroscopicspy
satellitestrackingeverythingwedoinschool!Maybehe’seven
watchingme…rightNOW!Ifyou’relistening,Mr.Tushman,Ihope
youhadagreatsummer!Anyway,justgoestoshow,youneverknow
withpeople!
Re:Re:Thepostcard
Heythere,Auggie(andMr.Tushman,ifyou’relistening).Ijust
wantedtowriteyouaquicklittlenotetosayhowhappyIamthat
yougotsomeclosurewithJulian.There’snothingthatcanmakeup
forwhatheputyouthrough,buttheremustbesomesatisfactionin
knowingthathe’sgrownasapersonbecauseofyou.You’reright:
youjustneverknowwithpeople.Seeyounextmonth!
Re:Thetruthrevealed?
Yeah,it’strue.Youneverknow!Ishowedmymomthepostcardand
shejustaboutfainted.“Willwondersnevercease!”shesaid.ThenI
toldJackandhewaslike,“Didyoucheckthepostcardforpoison?”
YouknowJack.Butseriously,Idon’tknowwhatmighthavemotivated
Juliantowritetheapology,butIreallyappreciatedit.Theone
thingIstilldon’tknowis:WHOTOLDMR.TUSHMANABOUTTHENOTES?
Wasityou,Mr.Browne?
Re:Re:Thetruthrevealed?
Ha!Ipromise,itwasn’tmewhotoldMr.Tushman.Ihadnoidea
aboutthoseawfulnotes!Itmayjustbeoneofthosemysteriesthat
nevergetsolved!
Re:Re:Thetruthrevealed?
Sohere’sthethingaboutglitter:onceit’soutofthebottle,there’sjustnowayofputtingitback.It’sthesamewithkindness.Once itpoursoutofyoursoul, there’snowayofcontaining it. It justcontinues tospreadfrompersontoperson,ashining,sparkling,wonderfulthing.
—Mr.Browne
I
CHOOSINGKIND
’vealwaysthoughtthatgoodteachingisaboutillumination.Sure,weteachthingskidsmightnotknow,butalotofthetime,we’rejustsheddinglightonthestufftheyalreadydoknow.There’salotofthat
happeninginthefifthgrade.Kidsknowhowtoread,butI’mtryingtogetthemtolovereading.Kidsknowhowtowrite,butI’mtryingtoinspirethemtoexpressthemselvesbetter.Inbothinstances,theyhavethematerialstheyneedalreadyinsidethem:I’mjustheretoguidethemabit,toshedalittlelight.Toillume.That’s one of the reasons I like to start every year off with the Dr.WayneW. Dyer precept about
“choosingkind.”Thekidsareallnewtomiddleschool.Alotofthemdon’tknoweachother.Ithinkofthispreceptasapreemptivestrikeagainstmuchofwhatistocome,aninceptionintheirpsyches.Iplantalittlenotionofkindnesssothatatleastit’sthere,thisseedlingburiedinsidethem.Willittakeroot?Willitflower?Whoknows?Buteitherway,I’vedonemydeed.
Whengiventhechoicebetweenbeingrightorbeingkind,choosekind.
—Dr.WayneW.Dyer
This particular quote usually provokes days of discussion after I introduce it. I often start myconversationaboutpreceptswithageneralsurvey:Doyou like theprecept?Does itapply tohowyouliveyourlife?Whatdoyouthinkitmeans?ThenIstarttalkingabouttheobviousbenefitsoftheprecept.Ifeveryoneadoptedthatquoteashisor
herownpersonalprecept,Iaskthem,wouldn’ttheworldbeabetterplace?Imagineifnationsadopteditasamandate—wouldn’ttherebefewerconflicts?Somekidsagree,addingthatifnationschosetobekindinsteadofright,itmightevenendworldhunger.Otherkidsarguethatbeingwealthydoesn’thaveanythingtodowithbeingright.Isometimesaskthestudentshowharditwouldbeforthemtochoosetobackdownfromanargument
withtheirmomsordadsorsiblingsiftheyknewtheywererightandtheotherpersonwaswrong.Wouldtheygiveinjusttolettheotherpersonsaveface?Why?Whynot?Thispartofthediscussionisoftenverylively!It’s not so simple a thing to choose to be kind. It’s one thing to back down from an argumentwith
someoneyoulove—afriend,say—becauseyoudon’tseethepointin“winning”theargumentatthecostofyourfriend’sfeelings.Butwhatifyoubelieveinsomethingthatnooneelsebelievesin?Whatifyou’retheonlyonewhoknowsyou’reright?Shouldyoubackdown,justtobekind?WhatifyouwereGalileoandyouknewyouwererightabouttheplanetsrevolvingaroundthesun,eventhoughtherestoftheworldthought youwere crazy—would you back down?What if youwere living in the 1950s and youwereagainstsegregation—wouldyoubackdown,justtobepolite?Whatifyouwerestandingupforsomethingyoubelievedin—wouldyoureallywanttobackdown,justforthesakeofkindness?No!You’dstandupandfight,right?Allthiswilloftenleadtosomekidsquestioningwhetherthepreceptisreallygood,afterall.Atthis
point, I always suggest to them that maybe the most important words in the precept aren’t “kind” or“right.” Maybe the most important word in that whole sentence is the word “choose.” You have thechoice.Whatdoyouchoose?AsIsaid,myjobistoplantthenotioninyourminds,kids.Inception.Oncetheseedisplanted,allItry
todoiskeepsheddingsomelightonit.Andwatchitgrow.Intime,you’llbeginshiningyourownlights,andthen—watchout,world!
—Mr.Browne
I
OFBABOONSANDMEN
readanarticle a fewyears agoabout a coupleofbiologistswho studieda troopofbaboonsover atwenty-year period. This particular troop was full of very aggressive “alpha” male baboons that
routinely attacked andbullied the females andweakermales in the troop, depriving themof access tofoodsources.Thisprovedunexpectedlyadvantageousonedaywhenthealphamalesate infectedmeat.Theyalldied,butthefemalesandweakermalessurvived.Withinashorttime,thebaboontrooptookonatotally new dynamic. They were significantly less aggressive, more social, and, behaviorally, less“stressed” than before. What’s more, these changes lasted long after that first generation of “nicer”baboonsdiedout.Newbaboonsjoiningthetroopassimilatedthelessaggressivebehaviorandpassediton.Thetransmissionof“kindness”—ifsuchitcouldbecalled—tookroot.Anditgrew.So,whyamItalkingaboutbaboons?No,I’mnotabouttocompareaclassoffifthgraderstobaboons,
don’tworry!ButIamgoingtogooutonalimb(ha,nopunintended)anddrawthefollowinglesson:asmall,dominantcliquecansetthetoneforagroup.Askanyteacher.Ifyou’reluckyenoughtohaveafewalphakidsinyourclasswhocansetapositivetonefortheyear,you’reinforagoodyear.Conversely,ifyouhappentogetafewdominantkidswhoarebentonmakingtrouble,thenfastenyourseatbelts!Last year turnedout tobe a great year.Although theusual fifth-grade anticswere intensifiedby the
AuggieandJulian“rift,”whichendedwellforAuggie,therewaslittledramaamongthegirls.Summer,withherself-confident,sprightlynature,wasagreatinfluence.Ihadanotherstudent,Charlotte,whowasalsoverysweet.WehadthisexchangeviaGoogleDocstheotherday:
Hi,Mr.Browne.I’mwritinganarticlefortheschoolnewspaperandwaswonderingifIcouldinterviewyouaboutprecepts.Hopeyouhavethetime.
Hi,Charlotte.I’dbehappytohelp.
Ohyay!Thankyou!Firstofall,didyougetmypreceptoverthesummer?“It’snotenoughtobefriendly.Youhavetobeafriend.”
Yes,Idid!Thankyouforsendingit.Ilikeditverymuch.
Thanks!You’reprobablywonderingwhyIchosethatprecept.
Yes,actually.I’mverycurious.
Oh,well,here’swhy.Doyourememberatgraduation,howAuggiewontheBeecherAward?Ithoughtthatwassocoolbecausehereallydeservedit.ButIalsokindofthoughtthatotherpeopleshouldhavewonit,too.LikeJack.AndSummer.TheyweresuchgoodfriendstoAuggie—eveninthebeginning,whenkidswererunningawayfromhim.
Hey,thispartisn’tgoingtobeinthenewspaper,right?
Totallynot!
Justchecking!Sorrytointerrupt.
Noprob.It’sjustthatIstartedthinkingabouthowIhadneverreallygottentoknowAuggiemyself.Like,Iwasnicetohim.Isaidhellointhehallways.Iwasnevermeantohim.But,youknow,IneverdidwhatSummerdid.Ineversatdownwithhimatlunchtime.Ineverdefendedhimtomyfriends,likeJackdid.
Don’tbetoohardonyourself,Charlotte.Youwerealwaysverynice.
Yeah,but“beingnice”isnotthesameas“choosingkind.”
Iseeyourpoint.
Thisyear,Istartedsittingatthe“summer”table.It’sme,Auggie,Summer,Jack,Maya,andReid.Iknowsomekidsstilldon’tlikebeingaroundAuggie,butthat’stheirproblem,right?
Veryright.
Soanyway,backtothenewspaperarticle.Iwaswonderingifyoucouldsharewithreaderswhyyoufirststartedcollectingprecepts?Whatinspiredyou?
Hmm.IguessIfirstcameuponthenotionofcollectingpreceptswhenIwasincollege.IhappeneduponthewritingsofSirThomasBrowne,aseventeenth-centurymanofalltrades,andfoundhisworkdeeplymoving.
Seriously?HisnamewasThomasBrowne?
Incrediblecoincidence,isn’tit?
Sowhendidyoustartteachingpreceptstokids?
Nottoolongafterward,whenIstartedstudentteaching.Actually,it’sfunnythatyou’reaskingmethesequestions,becauseI’vebeenthinkingaboutputtingtogetherabookofallthepreceptsI’vecollectedovertheyears,alongwithsomeessaysinwhichItouchuponsomeoftheveryquestionsyou’reaskingme.
Really?Thatissuchanawesomeidea!Iwouldtotallybuythatbook!
Good!I’mgladyoulikeit.
SoIthinkthoseweretheonlyquestionsIhad.I’mlookingforwardtoreadingyourbookwhenitcomesout.
Thankyou.Bye,Charlotte!
WhatIlovedmostaboutthisexchangewastheideathatCharlotteherselfrealizedtheprofoundimpactofkindness.I began this essay with a true story of baboons, and ended with the story of a girl. In both, the
transmission of kindness had taken root.What can biologists and teachers alike do but marvel at itsimpact?
—Mr.Browne
O
HEROES
neofmystudentsdressedupasFrodoforHalloweenlastmonth,whichcausedmetocasuallymakethisoffhandremark:“IloveFrodo,but,let’sfaceit,SamwiseGamgeeisthegreatestheroofMiddle-
earth.”Well,youwouldhavethoughtI’djustsaidweweredoingawaywithHalloweenorsomething,judging
from the number of gasps and “Noway!”s I got. I don’t remember the last time one ofmy statementsgenerated so much controversy in my classroom! Although the class was more or less evenly splitbetweenAragornandFrodoasthegreatesthero—withsomeGandalfadvocates—notonepersonagreedwithmeaboutSamwise.SoItriedtoelaborateonmycrazythinking.Sam,Iremindedthem,wastheloyalcompaniontoFrodo
through thick and thin.All those timesFrodowas about to give up,Samkept himgoing.WhenFrodocouldn’tcarrytheringanymore,SamtookFrodoonhisbackacrossthedesolateplainsofMordor.WhenSam thought Frodowas dead, he took the ring himself and set about to destroy it.Andwhen the ringstartedworkingitsseductiononhim,SamwasoneofthefewcreaturesinallofMiddle-earthwhowereabletoresistthetemptation.Inaway,Itoldthekids,Samstandsasashiningexampleofthefourvirtues.Inclassicalantiquity,itwasbelievedthattobeatrulygreatperson,oneshouldhaveinequalproportionsthefollowingfourvirtues:
WISDOM:prudence,asgarneredfromexperience,ortheabilitytorespondappropriatelytoanygivensituation.
JUSTICE:theabilitytofightforwhatisright.Theperpetualandconstantwilltorendertoeachonehisright.
COURAGE:theabilitytoconfrontfear,uncertainty,orintimidation.
TEMPERANCE:theabilitytopracticemoderation—evenwhentemptedtogiveintoone’sownself-interestordesire.Temperanceistheartofself-control.
SamwiseGamgeeistheepitomeofallthosevirtues,Itoldmystudents.Butthentheypointedoutthathewasn’tespeciallywise,whichIhad togive them.Andhedidn’t really liveforJustice,whichIhad togivethem,too.Ultimately,wedecided,asawhole,thatSamstoodforTemperance.Henevergaveintohisownwishfulthinking,butstoodfastandfirmtohelphisfriends.“Sowhatotherfictionalheroescanwethinkofthatstandfortheothervirtues?”Iaskedthekids.And
thisiswherethefunbegan!Igavethemacoupleofdaystodosomeresearch,andthenwehadourclassdiscussion.ForWisdom, themost common name offeredwas:Yoda. “Come on!” I rebuked in a comicalway.
“Really?That’ssuchanobviousanswer.”ItoldthemIthoughtthewisestcharacter,ifweweregoingtheStarWarsroute,wasLukeSkywalker.Notat first,ofcourse.ButafterLukelearnedtomasterhisownfeelings and gained a deeper insight into others’ feelings, he became a calm, cool, and collected Jedi
Knight, who was smart enough to take on the dark side of the Force. They were not convinced.Apparently,Lukeholdslessappealfortheunder-fortycrowdthanYoda.ForJustice,weturnedtoTheChroniclesofNarnia.Edmund,whoactuallybecomesKingEdmundthe
Justafterredeeminghimself,wasthefairlyunanimouschoice.ForCourage,wewenttotheworldofsuperheroes.AbigdebatearoseaboutSupermanversusBatman.
Superman, itwas pointed out,was very courageous, but then again, hewas impervious to everything,exceptKryptonite(andhowmanypeoplecarryKryptoniteintheirpocket,right?).Batman,ontheotherhand, was just an ordinary guy with lots of gadgets, who was seriously brave. This remained anunresolveddispute,andjustmaybefortherestoftime.Iactuallyusedthatgreatrivalrytobringuponeofmyall-timefavorites:AchillesversusHector.Itwas
afunwayformetointroducethisancientfeudtothosewhohadn’theardaboutit.Basically,Itoldthem,Achilleswasthegreatestheroof theGreeks.Hismotherwasagoddess,andwhenhewasababy,shedunkedhimin theriverStyxandmadehiminvincible—except forhisheel,whichwaswhereshewasholdinghim.What’smore,Achilles’sarmorwasforgedbyagod,makinghimevenmoreimpossibletodefeat.And to top it all off,Achilleswas thebest-trainedwarriorof all time: thedude liked to fight!Hector,ontheotherhand,whowasthechampionoftheTrojans,didnotliketofight.Nordidhehaveagoddessforamotheroragodtoforgehisarmor.Infact,hewasjustanordinaryguywhowasespeciallygoodwithasword,fightingtosavehishomewhenonethousandGreekshipsinvadedhisshores.ThenItoldthekidsabouttheepicfightbetweenAchillesandHector.Theyweresoexcitedbyit!Who
sayskidscan’tbetaughttheclassicsanymore?ThefinalvirtuetobedebatedwasTemperance.Whatcharacterfromabookormoviebestembodied
theartof self-control?We turned to theworldofHarryPotter for thatone.Seems likeHarryhimself,though sometimes something of a rule-breaker, never abused his unique powers for self-gain. As onestudent said,he couldhaveusedhis invisibility cloakahundred times todobad things,buthedidn’t.Instead,heusedhispowersforthegreatergood.That’sthegreatlessonRowlingteaches.Itwas quite awonderful teaching day forme, one that sprang completely from a boy in a costume.
Although Imay have veered off-topic for a day, I think the lessons learnedweremore valuable thananythingintoday’scurriculum.Teachersneedthefreedomtoteach—freedomtheycan’thaveifthey’reonlyteachingsotheirstudents
canpasstests.I’mprettysuremystudentswon’tfindanythingaboutHectorontheCommonCoretests.I’mequallysurethatwhattheylearnedaboutWisdom,Justice,Courage,andTemperancemaystaywiththemfortherestoftheirlives.
—Mr.Browne
D
MYSTERIES
ecember. The end of the year. The start of a new year. A chance to remember. A chance to lookforward.Itwasnicehearingfromsomeofmyformerstudents:Auggie.Summer.Charlotte.And,of
course,thebiggestsurprisetomeofall—Julian.Thatis,untilIgotthisshortandpithyemailfromAmos,oneofmystudentsfromlastyear.Thisboy,whowasgenerallyaquietkid,notonetospeakupinclass,surprisedusallwhenhecametotherescueofAuggieandJackatthenatureretreatlastyear.Heledthechargeandshowedgreatleadership.Sometimeskidsdon’tevenknowthey’releadersuntiltheystarttolead.WhenIgotthisemail,itwastheanswertoonelittlemystery(thatIknowIwasn’ttheonlypersonto
wonderabout).
Subject:Myprecept—atlast!
Hey,Mr.B,hopeyouhaveahappyholiday!SorryIdidn’tgetaround
tosendingyouapostcardoverthesummer.Hadalotgoingon,you
know?Butheregoes:“Don’ttrytoohardtobecool.Italways
shows,andthat’suncool.”
Whatdoyouthink?Cool,huh?Iwon’texplainwhatmyprecept
meansbecauseit’sprettyobvious,right?Imean,youprobablyknow
whoI’mtalkingabout,right?Hee-hee-hee.
No,seriously.Lastyearwastough,man!Lotsofdrama!Yo,I’m
notintodrama,usually.That’swhyIwassosickandtiredofthat
stuffgoingonwithJulian.There’snotalotofdramathisyear,
whichisgood.NoonebothersAuggieanymore.Imean,alittle,but
nottoomuch.Let’sfaceit,peoplearealwaysgoingtostareabit.
ButAuggie’satoughlittledudeandnoonemesseswithhimanymore.
Okay,look,I’mgoingtoletyouinonalittlesecret.Ready?So,
youknowhowJuliangotinbigtroubleforleavingmeannotesin
Auggie’slocker,right?Everyonesaysit’stherealreasonJulian’s
notcomingbacktoschoolnextyear.I’veevenheardafewpeople
sayhewasactuallysuspendedforit!Anyway,thebigmysteryis:
howdidMr.Tushmanevenfindoutaboutthenotes?Auggiedidn’t
tellhim.Jackdidn’ttellhim.Summerdidn’ttellhim.Julian
didn’ttellhim.Milesdidn’ttellhim.AndHenrydidn’ttellhim.
YouknowhowIknow?Because…drumrollhere…itwasme!I’mthe
onewhotoldMr.Tushmanaboutthenotes.Didn’tseethatcoming,
didyou?
Soletmeexplainabit.WhathappenedwasthatHenryandMiles
knewJulianwasleavingthemeannotes.Theytoldmeaboutthenotes
butmademeswearnottotellanyone.Butaftertheytoldme,I
thoughtitjustreallysuckedbig-timethatJulianwasbeingsomean
toAuggie.Itwaskindoflikebullying.AndeventhoughIsworeto
HenryandMilesthatIwouldn’tsayanything,Ineededtotell
TushmanaboutitsohecoulddosomethingtoprotectAuggie.Hey,
I’manupstander—notabystander!LittledudeslikeAuggieneedguys
likemetostepitup,right?
Sothat’sthestory,Mr.B.Don’tgotellinganyone,though!I
don’twanttobeaccusedofbeing,youknow,a“snitch.”Thenagain,
IguessIdon’treallycare.IknowIdidtherightthing.
Keepwarm,Mr.B!It’scoldoutthere!
Yeah,maybeit’scoldoutthere,butthiswarmedmyheartcompletely.Ihavetoadmit:Ididnotseethatonecoming.Justgoestoshow,everyonereallydoeshaveastorytotell.Andmostpeople,atleastinmyexperience,arealittlemorenoblethantheythinktheyare.
—Mr.Browne
S
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
omanypeoplehadahandinmakingthisbook.I’dliketo,firstandforemost,acknowledgetheamazingcontributionofthechildrenwhosentintheirprecepts—whethertheyendedupbeingincludedinthis
volumeornot.Therewereover1,200submissionsfrompeopleallovertheworld.TheonesincludedinthisvolumearetheonesIthoughtrepresentedthespiritofMr.Browne’sPreceptsbest.Preceptsaren’tjustmaximsorprettyquotes,afterall—theyarewordstoliveby,toelevatethesoul,thatcelebratethegoodnessinpeople.I’d also like to thankmyhusband,Russell, and our two sons,Caleb and Joseph, for helpingmego
throughallthesubmissions,onebyone,andfortheirwisdom,insight,support,andloveinallmatters.Icouldn’tdoANYTHINGwithoutyouguys.Thankyou toAlyssaEisnerHenkinofTridentMedia forbeingso incredible toworkwithonevery
level.Thankyou toErinClarke,myWONDERfuleditor,NancyHinkel,LaurenDonovan, JudithHaut,BarbaraMarcus,andtheincredible teamatRandomHouse.Aspecial thank-youtoJanetWygal,DianeJoão, andArtieBennett for doing such an amazing job copyediting andhelpingme source somanyofthesequotes.Thanks,asalways, to the teachersand librarianswho inspiredmegrowingup,andwhocontinue to
inspirechildreneveryday.Youaretherealwondersoftheworld!
CONTRIBUTORSOFORIGINALPRECEPTS,ARTWORK,ANDLETTERING
JANUARY2:RoaldDahlquotecontributedbyNate,age10,Brooklyn,N.Y.
JANUARY11:PaulBrandtquotecontributedbyElia,age13,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
JANUARY26:OscarWildequotecontributedbyFaith,Greensboro,N.C.
JANUARY31:OriginalpreceptbyDominic,Bennington,Vt.
FEBRUARY4:OriginalpreceptbyMadison,age11,PortJefferson,N.Y.
FEBRUARY7:OriginalpreceptbyEmily,age11,PortJeffersonStation,N.Y.
FEBRUARY10:OriginalpreceptbyRebecca,age10,Troy,Mich.
FEBRUARY13:OriginalpreceptbyLindsay,age11,Troy,Mich.
FEBRUARY16:LloydJonesquotecontributedbyLiam,age13,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
FEBRUARY17:OriginalpreceptbyJack,age11,Hudson,Mass.
FEBRUARY23:OriginalpreceptbyShreya,age10,Troy,Mich.
MARCH5:OriginalpreceptbyAntonio,age11,SanRamon,Calif.ArtbyJosephGordon.
MARCH7:RalphWaldoEmersonquotecontributedbyLinh,age13,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
MARCH13:HenryStanleyHaskinsquotecontributedbyDeacon,age12,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
MARCH18:OriginalpreceptbyCate,age10,Nashville,Tenn.
MARCH19:OriginalpreceptbyIsabelle,age10,Washington,D.C.
MARCH21:OriginalpreceptbyMatthew,age11,LanokaHarbor,N.J.
MARCH22:OriginalpreceptbyThomas,St.George,Utah.
MARCH24:ChineseproverbcontributedbyNathan,age13,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
MARCH25:OriginalpreceptbyElla,BayVillage,Ohio.
MARCH31:OriginalpreceptbyKyler,age10,Merrick,N.Y.
APRIL5:OriginalpreceptbyDelaney,age10,LanokaHarbor,N.J.
APRIL6:MahatmaGandhiquotecontributedbyRosemary,age10,Nashville,Tenn.
APRIL11:VinceLombardiquotecontributedbyZachary,age13,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
APRIL13:OriginalpreceptbyRory,age11,Chicago,Ill.
APRIL16:ZiggyquotecontributedbyKate,age11,Chicago,Ill.
APRIL17:ArtworkbyMatthew,age11,JacksonHeights,N.Y.
APRIL19:OriginalpreceptbyAnna,age10,Glenview,Ill.
MAY5:VinceLombardiquotecontributedbyEmma,age10,Dresden,Ohio.
MAY7:OriginalpreceptbyGrace,age12,Croton-on-Hudson,N.Y.
MAY14:OriginalpreceptbyDustin,Bennington,Vt.
MAY16:OriginalpreceptbyGavin,age10,Wilmette,Ill.
MAY21:OriginalpreceptbySrishti,age10,Troy,Mich.
MAY27:OriginalpreceptbyFlynn,age10,Bowdoinham,Me.
MAY28:OriginalpreceptbyMadeline,age11,Quebec,Canada.
JUNE4:BobMarleyquotecontributedbyAngelina,age11,JacksonHeights,N.Y.
JUNE16:OriginalpreceptbyClare,age11,StateCollege,Penn.
JUNE17:OriginalpreceptbyJosh,age10,Troy,Mich.
JUNE25:OriginalpreceptbyEmma,age11,Croton-on-Hudson,N.Y.
JUNE26:OriginalpreceptbyPaco,age26,Brazil.
JUNE30:OriginalpreceptbyCaleb,age17,Brooklyn,N.Y.
JULY12:UnknownpreceptcontributedbyJulia,age10,Troy,Mich.
JULY15:AnthonyRobbinsquotecontributedbyCole,age14,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
JULY20:OriginalpreceptbyMae,age11,Marblehead,Mass.
JULY23:OriginalpreceptbyMatea,age12,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
AUGUST5:ArtworkbyAshley,age11,JacksonHeights,N.Y.
AUGUST10:DougFloydquotecontributedbyAbby,age10,Merrick,N.Y.
AUGUST26:OriginalpreceptbyAva,age11,Blackstone,Mass.
AUGUST30:ArtworkbyAli,age11,JacksonHeights,N.Y.
SEPTEMBER8:UnknownpreceptcontributedbySamantha,age13,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
SEPTEMBER13:OriginalpreceptbyZöe,Greensboro,N.C.
SEPTEMBER16:OriginalpreceptbyAlexis,age10,Quebec,Canada.
SEPTEMBER24:ProverbcontributedbyTayler,age10,Dresden,Ohio.
SEPTEMBER26:OriginalpreceptbyRiley,age10,St.George,Utah.
SEPTEMBER29:OriginalpreceptbyElizabeth,age9,Nashville,Tenn.
OCTOBER3:OriginalpreceptbyJohn,age10,WestWindsor,N.J.
OCTOBER5:Dr.SeussquotecontributedbyKatherine,Greensboro,N.C.
OCTOBER14:OriginalpreceptbyDaniel,age12,Munich,Germany.
OCTOBER22:UnknownpreceptcontributedbyNate,age10,Brooklyn,N.Y.
NOVEMBER3:OriginalpreceptbyClark,age12,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
NOVEMBER8:OriginalpreceptbyJ.J.,ScotchPlains,N.J.
NOVEMBER14:TaylorSwiftquotecontributedbyNikki,age17,EastBrunswick,N.J.
NOVEMBER20:OriginalpreceptbyHailey,age11,Chicago,Ill.
NOVEMBER21:LesMisérablesquotecontributedbyKatherine,age11,SanDiego,Calif.
NOVEMBER27:OriginalpreceptbyNicolas,age10,StateCollege,Penn.
NOVEMBER29:OriginalpreceptbyJoseph,age9,Brooklyn,N.Y.
DECEMBER8:OriginalpreceptbyHanz,age13,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
DECEMBER9:OriginalpreceptbyMairead,age11,Franklin,Mass.
DECEMBER13:C.S.LewisquotecontributedbyChidiadi,age12,Regina,Sask.,Canada.
DECEMBER14:CharlesM.SchulzquotecontributedbyDani,age14,EastBrunswick,N.J.
DECEMBER15:OriginalpreceptbyBrody,age10,ForkedRiver,N.J.
DECEMBER21:OriginalpreceptbyAinsley,age10,Lakeview,N.Y.
DECEMBER27:OriginalpreceptbyChristina,ElPaso,Tex.
DECEMBER31:Originalartwork:foxbyKevin,age11,JacksonHeights,N.Y.;duckbyPrasansha,age11,JacksonHeights,N.Y.
SpecialthankstoNikkiMartinez,DaniMartinez,andJosephGordonfortheirhelpwithadditionalart.
NOTEONSOURCES:Everypossiblemeasurehasbeen taken toensure that thequotes in thisbookareattributed to theiroriginalsources.However,overthecenturies,oldmaximshavehadawayofresurfacingwithvariationsinwordingordifferenttranslations.Forthisbook,whereafamousquoteorsayingiscommonlyattributedtoaspecificpersonwithoutdispute,themostcommonattributionisused,evenifitsoriginalsourcecannotbeverified.Whereaquoteisoccasionallydisputed,theattributioniscreditedas“unknown.”
