In Someone Else’s Shoes

Book excerpt: Lyla and Rachel are friends who have just started grade 4 in school. They both love sports, but they come from very different backgrounds. Lyla has a new dress and new shoes to wear on the first day of school, while Rachel wears a T-shirt with holes and pants that are too short. Lyla’s lunch includes healthy things like apples and carrots, as well as her favorite snacks. But Rachel only has half a sandwich and a small bag of chips. Lyla plays many different sports, but Rachel must choose one; her family can’t afford for her to do so many different things. When Lyla begins to notice the differences between what she has and what Rachel has, she wonders what she can do to help and asks her mom for advice. Maybe Lyla and her mom can give Rachel and her family a hand. In this children’s story, two friends navigate their daily lives with different challenges, and one of them learns the importance of lifting one another up to create opportunities for everyone.