One of the hardest things to watch as a parent is your child struggling socially—especially when they’ve done nothing wrong.
When we moved, my son became the new kid overnight. He didn’t walk into a warm welcome. He walked into uncertainty. He watched kids get excluded. He watched bullying happen. And because he was new, he felt powerless to stop it. He also noticed something else: kindness was rare, and faith wasn’t visible.
This reality was an impetus for my book, The Gift Is Me. I couldn’t find books for kids dealing with bullying where faith was at the center. Middle school bullying isn’t always loud. Often, it’s subtle—who sits where, who gets invited, who gets ignored.
For many families, these moments raise difficult questions. What does courage look like when you’re afraid of becoming the next target? How do you stand firm in your faith and values when being kind costs you socially?
That’s where books about courage for kids become so important.
In The Gift Is Me, Simone experiences friendships that shift and fracture. She learns that standing firm can feel lonely long before it ever feels brave. Her courage isn’t dramatic—it’s quiet, steady, and often unseen. And that’s the kind of courage most kids need modeled.
If you are like me and have searched for faith and friendship books for kids, stories like The Gift Is Me affirm what kids are already feeling. They show them that it’s okay to struggle, to feel uncertain, and to wrestle with how faith shows up in real life. They can help them understand that courage doesn’t mean fixing everything. Sometimes it simply means choosing integrity when no one is cheering.
Friendships may change. But a child’s values don’t have to.