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Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde
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Pay It Forward (original 2000; edition 2001)

by Catherine Ryan Hyde

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1,4882912,137 (3.87)27
Fiction. Literature. HTML:An immediate bestseller when first published, Pay It Forward captured hearts all over the world, became a wildly popular film, and spawned a generation of increased altruism. This anniversary edition includes a new introduction by the author. It takes an inspiring and moving tale of a young boy who believed in the power of kindness and brings it to a new generation of readers.
Twelve-year-old Trevor McKinney accepts his social studies teacher's challenge: come up with a plan to change the world. His idea is simple: Do a good deed for three people and ask them to "pay it forward" to three others in need. He envisions a vast movement of kindness and goodwill spreading beyond his small California town and across the world. The project, however, appears to falter. Jerry, a bum who receives some allowance money from Trevor, returns to a life of dissolution. Trevor wants his pretty, hardworking mother??a woman who raised him lovingly despite struggles with alcoholism??to marry his teacher, Reuben St. Clair. Reuben is a scarred, bitter, untrusting man with a disfiguring injury from Vietnam. He seems to come alive only when in front of his class. For a time that matchmaking brings nothing but problems. Ultimately, though, unusual things start to happen. Crime rates dip across the nation, and nobody seems to know why. Then a journalist tracks down the source: an epidemic of random acts of kindness.

Anyone who has ever despaired of one person's ability to effect change will rejoice in Trevor's courage and determination to see the good in eve
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Member:Agiba
Title:Pay It Forward
Authors:Catherine Ryan Hyde
Info:Turtleback Books Distributed by Demco Media (2001), Turtleback, 311 pages
Collections:Your library
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Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde (2000)

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» See also 27 mentions

English (28)  Italian (1)  All languages (29)
Showing 1-5 of 28 (next | show all)
Nicely paced, the movie adaptation was nearly identical with the exception of a few elements, the main character in particular. Kevin Spacey, while outstanding in the film, isn't black nor does he wear a patch on one eye like the actual Ruben in the story. The other element is the story doesn't take place in Las Vegas, but rather Atascadero, CA. As with many adaptations, there are scenes that could have improved audience impact. In this case the award given to Trevor by Pres Clinton at the White House could easily have been added. Overall its an inspiring story that demonstrates we're all capable of 'changing the world' by paying it forward one day at a time. ( )
  Jonathan5 | Feb 20, 2023 |
Set in California in the early 1990s, this book tells of Trevor, a 12-year-old challenged by his teacher to come up with an idea to change the world. His concept of “Paying it Forward,” carrying out a good turn, something big, for someone who cannot do it for him or herself, is a worthy one. Unfortunately, the story was bogged down by an on-again, off-again romance between his mother and teacher that became extremely repetitive and took focus away from the central idea of the book. I wish it had focused more on the boy’s idea and the creative ways people could perform good acts, but it seemed to focus mostly on “rescuing” people, either physically or financially. The writing was rudimentary, and the ending negated the purpose behind the concept. What seemed like a great idea fell short in the execution. ( )
  Castlelass | Oct 30, 2022 |
I would have preferred a little different ending, but it was a meaningful ending. It was a good read. ( )
  Wren73 | Mar 4, 2022 |
Reuben St. Clair has given an extra credit assignment in his social studies class for years, asking students to come up with something they can do to change the world for the better. But never has he seen a student take the project as seriously as Trevor McKinney whose project, "Pay It Forward," has wide-reaching and unexpected effects that create a national movement. The simplicity of Trevor's idea makes it easy to achieve, and his dedication to seeing it through invigorates the project with a real spirit. But his dedication to its success might also blind him to the the actual successes it is achieving overall. In the end, this is a story about how a little extra kindness in our world can go a long way to make a difference for those we help but also stretch to people we have never even met.

I did really enjoy this book, but I must tell you it immediately made me dislike the film (I think I was only a chapter in . Unfortunately, the film is white-washed in a number of ways and important content that apparently wouldn't play well to mainstream filmgoers at the time of the movie's release (alcoholism, child abuse, LGBT characters, hate crimes, etc.) was written out of the film adaptation. And what's sad is that the story is far less powerful for it. I do encourage people to read the book, even if you've seen the movie (and liked it or didn't), as I think the story in its original form is impactful, inspiring, and interesting. ( )
  crtsjffrsn | Aug 27, 2021 |
A disfigured lonely war veteran, Social Studies teacher Reuben St. Clair, assigns an extra credit project to his class to change the world. Most do nothing, but one 13 year old student Trevor comes up with a concept to "pay it forward." Out of pure kindness, he helps three needy people, with the caveat that they repay his gift by each helping three more people in need . Meanwhile, Trevor lives with his mother, Arlene, who has been abandoned by Trevor's father and is also lonely. Trevor thinks his project is a failure when one of his beneficiaries goes to jail and another dies. I liked it, but it may be a bit too sweet (sappy?) and predictable for some readers. ( )
  skipstern | Jul 11, 2021 |
Showing 1-5 of 28 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (8 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Catherine Ryan Hydeprimary authorall editionscalculated
Dufris, WilliamNarratormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Graham, EnidNarratormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
McGlone, MichaelNarratormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Monk, DebraNarratormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Norton, LiamNarratormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Pitoniak, AnneNarratormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
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For Vance
Für Vance
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Maybe someday I'll have kids of my own.
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Vielleicht werde ich eines Tages selbst Kinder haben.
Die Frau lächelte so höflich, dass er sich gekränkt fühlte.
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Wikipedia in English (1)

Fiction. Literature. HTML:An immediate bestseller when first published, Pay It Forward captured hearts all over the world, became a wildly popular film, and spawned a generation of increased altruism. This anniversary edition includes a new introduction by the author. It takes an inspiring and moving tale of a young boy who believed in the power of kindness and brings it to a new generation of readers.
Twelve-year-old Trevor McKinney accepts his social studies teacher's challenge: come up with a plan to change the world. His idea is simple: Do a good deed for three people and ask them to "pay it forward" to three others in need. He envisions a vast movement of kindness and goodwill spreading beyond his small California town and across the world. The project, however, appears to falter. Jerry, a bum who receives some allowance money from Trevor, returns to a life of dissolution. Trevor wants his pretty, hardworking mother??a woman who raised him lovingly despite struggles with alcoholism??to marry his teacher, Reuben St. Clair. Reuben is a scarred, bitter, untrusting man with a disfiguring injury from Vietnam. He seems to come alive only when in front of his class. For a time that matchmaking brings nothing but problems. Ultimately, though, unusual things start to happen. Crime rates dip across the nation, and nobody seems to know why. Then a journalist tracks down the source: an epidemic of random acts of kindness.

Anyone who has ever despaired of one person's ability to effect change will rejoice in Trevor's courage and determination to see the good in eve

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Book description
Was wäre, wenn jeder auf der Welt drei Leuten einen Gefallen tun ürde - und wenn jeder dieser drei anschließend einen Gefallen an drei andere Leute weitergeben würde... und immer so weiter: Bis die Welt eine andere wäre?

Auf genau diese Idee kommt der zwölfjährige Trevor, als sein Lehrer Reuben St. Clair der Schulklasse folgende Aufgabe stellt: "Überlegt euch einen Weg, wie ihr die Welt verändern könnt."
Und Trevor zögert nicht lange und startet seine Kette der guten Taten. Leider scheint zunächst nicht alles so zu klappen, wie Trevor sich das vorstellt, doch als er es gar nicht vermutet, nimmt das Wunder seinen Lauf: Trevors Idee wird in die Welt hinausgetragen, und alle machen mit. Die Welt verändert sich zum Besseren, wird zu einer Welt, in der niemand mehr hungert, niemand mehr friert, niemand ohne Job oder Geld dasteht.
Und der Glaube dieses kleinen Jungen an das Gute im Menschen und seine Hoffnunf auf eine bessere Welt erfüllen sich auf überwältigende Weise.
Lassen Sie sich verzaubern von Trevor - und machen Sie mit! (Klappentext)
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