Sometimes people can be mean and it's not your fault

When Penny comes home from school one day, Mom can tell she is upset about something. We learn a girl was mean to Penny and said they're not friends.

Throughout the rest of the day, Mom and Dad explain to Penny that sometimes people can be mean and it's not her fault. We see examples of rude behavior and go on a thought experiment to brainstorm some potential reasons why Victoria was mean to Penny.

Understanding the 'why' can make these situations much less upsetting for children.

This book is written to equip smart girls and boys with important information they need to form healthy responses to less-than-kind behavior.

Definitions and discussion questions are included to help children understand and interact with the story at various levels of comprehension. These are meant to create a dialogue between the reader and the children.

It can be upsetting when people are unkind, but less so when we know one very important thing: Sometimes people can be mean and it's not your fault!