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Pay It Forward
The story of how a boy who believed in the goodness of human nature set out to change the world.
Pay It Forward is a wondrous and moving novel about Trevor McKinney, a twelve-year-old boy in a small California town who accepts the challenge that his teacher gives his class, a chance to earn extra credit by coming up with a plan to change the world for the better -- and to put that plan into action.
The idea that Trevor comes up with is so simple and so naïve that when others learn of it they are dismissive. Even Trevor himself begins to doubt when his "pay it forward" plan seems to founder on a combination of bad luck and the worst of human nature.
In the end, Pay It Forward is the story of seemingly ordinary people made extraordinary by the simple faith of a child. In the tradition of the successful and inspirational television show Touched by an Angel, and the phenomenally successful novel and film Forrest Gump, Pay It Forward is a work of charm, wit, and remarkable inspiration, a story of hope for today and for many tomorrows to come.
Pay It Forward is a wondrous and moving novel about Trevor McKinney, a twelve-year-old boy in a small California town who accepts the challenge that his teacher gives his class, a chance to earn extra credit by coming up with a plan to change the world for the better -- and to put that plan into action.
The idea that Trevor comes up with is so simple and so naïve that when others learn of it they are dismissive. Even Trevor himself begins to doubt when his "pay it forward" plan seems to founder on a combination of bad luck and the worst of human nature.
In the end, Pay It Forward is the story of seemingly ordinary people made extraordinary by the simple faith of a child. In the tradition of the successful and inspirational television show Touched by an Angel, and the phenomenally successful novel and film Forrest Gump, Pay It Forward is a work of charm, wit, and remarkable inspiration, a story of hope for today and for many tomorrows to come.
311 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Catherine Ryan Hyde
62 books5,899 followersCatherine Ryan Hyde is the author of more than 50 published and forthcoming books.
She is co-author, with publishing industry blogger Anne R. Allen, of How to be a Writer in the E-Age: a Self-Help Guide.
Her bestselling 1999 novel Pay It Forward was made into a major Warner Brothers motion picture. It was chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than two dozen languages for distribution in over 30 countries. Simon & Schuster released a special 15th anniversary edition in December of ’14.
Pay It Forward: Young Readers Edition, an age-appropriate edited edition of the original novel, was released by Simon & Schuster in August of ‘14. It is suitable for children as young as eight.
You can learn much more about Catherine at www.catherineryanhyde.com
She is co-author, with publishing industry blogger Anne R. Allen, of How to be a Writer in the E-Age: a Self-Help Guide.
Her bestselling 1999 novel Pay It Forward was made into a major Warner Brothers motion picture. It was chosen by the American Library Association for its Best Books for Young Adults list, and translated into more than two dozen languages for distribution in over 30 countries. Simon & Schuster released a special 15th anniversary edition in December of ’14.
Pay It Forward: Young Readers Edition, an age-appropriate edited edition of the original novel, was released by Simon & Schuster in August of ‘14. It is suitable for children as young as eight.
You can learn much more about Catherine at www.catherineryanhyde.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,369 reviews
November 9, 2010
Not many books have actually made me cry....this one did....in the last few chapters.
Bittersweet.
I originally gave this book 4 stars, but the more I thought about it, it really deserves 5 stars from me...here is why and what I took with me after reading this book:
1. The next time someone asks me how they can pay me back...I will defintely tell them to pay it forward instead!
2. Don't just SAY you are going to do something to help someone....stop talking about it and DO it. Life is short.
I liked that it was a child who came up with the idea of "paying it forward" and that it was his answer to the question of how he could change the world.
I also liked how the author focused on different people who were effected by The Movement, of Paying It Forward
The last 30 pages or so were so sad. (that's where the tears come in)
I wish it didnt end the way it did....so unfair.
Bittersweet.
I originally gave this book 4 stars, but the more I thought about it, it really deserves 5 stars from me...here is why and what I took with me after reading this book:
1. The next time someone asks me how they can pay me back...I will defintely tell them to pay it forward instead!
2. Don't just SAY you are going to do something to help someone....stop talking about it and DO it. Life is short.
I liked that it was a child who came up with the idea of "paying it forward" and that it was his answer to the question of how he could change the world.
I also liked how the author focused on different people who were effected by The Movement, of Paying It Forward
The last 30 pages or so were so sad. (that's where the tears come in)
I wish it didnt end the way it did....so unfair.
October 11, 2021
4 stars
I didn't know this idea stemmed from this book and now I love this author even more! It's a nice reminder, especially in challenging times like these, to be kind.
I didn't know this idea stemmed from this book and now I love this author even more! It's a nice reminder, especially in challenging times like these, to be kind.
July 17, 2022
Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A compelling story of a young twelve year old boy and how he sets out to change the world. His teacher gives the class a challenge to earn extra credits. Trevor’s idea is simple and life changing for everyone…”pay it forward”.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A compelling story of a young twelve year old boy and how he sets out to change the world. His teacher gives the class a challenge to earn extra credits. Trevor’s idea is simple and life changing for everyone…”pay it forward”.
November 21, 2008
I was moved to read this book after hearing a couple of people at work raving about it.
I love the premise of the author's idea and how she goes about developing it within the story line. It really is an excellent story. What makes this story so engrossing to read, is how the author piggy backs from one situation to another, eventually bringing it full circle. It's like watching a row of literary dominoes fall, one on top of another; with the fall of each subsequent domino influencing the trajectory of the next and all those behind it.
The story also has very important and inspiring message, one that it gets across without banging the book over your head, and that is that indivudally we can facilitate change in society one person at a time. We can create hope and a sense of purpose if we are willing to challenge outselves to see people for their potential as good human beings, rather than just other people who happen to share our same geographic areas.
I also enjoyed the characters in this story who are all so amazingly different, yet who all find within themselves the compassion to care that keeps the chain going.
This is an excellent book. A book that inspires us to be more than what we typically manage to be.
I love the premise of the author's idea and how she goes about developing it within the story line. It really is an excellent story. What makes this story so engrossing to read, is how the author piggy backs from one situation to another, eventually bringing it full circle. It's like watching a row of literary dominoes fall, one on top of another; with the fall of each subsequent domino influencing the trajectory of the next and all those behind it.
The story also has very important and inspiring message, one that it gets across without banging the book over your head, and that is that indivudally we can facilitate change in society one person at a time. We can create hope and a sense of purpose if we are willing to challenge outselves to see people for their potential as good human beings, rather than just other people who happen to share our same geographic areas.
I also enjoyed the characters in this story who are all so amazingly different, yet who all find within themselves the compassion to care that keeps the chain going.
This is an excellent book. A book that inspires us to be more than what we typically manage to be.
July 28, 2022
A beautiful and inspiring book from the first page to the last. Catherine Ryan Hyde is a master of inspirational, heartwarming stories.
March 3, 2011
If I hadn’t had anything else on my plate, I would have read Catherine Ryan Hyde’s Pay It Forward straight through. Even so, I pushed some things off and shuffled the schedule around in order to make time for reading.
I had seen the movie a few years ago, but hadn’t been aware until recently that it had been based on a book. Usually the books are better and more satisfying than the movies that are based on them, so I was happy to find a copy of “Pay It Forward” in my local library. After reading it, in the space of about twenty-four hours, I am giving each family member a copy.
It’s true I’m an avid reader and take great pleasure getting lost in a good story, but I don’t usually become quite so emotionally involved in a book that I burst into tears in just the first few pages. This is what happened with Hyde’s novel, and it set the tone for the rest of the story. The writer’s honest and compassionate style of writing is deceptively simple. Her characters are far from extraordinary and can be downright maddening in their very human foibles, but this is precisely what makes them so accessible. For the most part, these are not enviable, heroic people, and they often reflect back to us the worst and most frustrating aspects of ourselves.
Arlene revealed to me what could have become of my own life, at least in one particular aspect: she is an alcoholic, struggling with getting sober. She’ll get a few days or even a few months in, and then it’s all over in one night when life simply gets too tough. And even when she does manage to leave the alcohol behind, she is forced to look herself right in the face, warts and all, whether she wants to or not. What I do remember of the first few years of sobriety was a similarly shaky emotional rollercoaster, accompanied by brutal reality that was often way too real.
And so I was ripped raw by a simple entry from her son’s diary, before Arlene’s story began to unfold. Trevor, who invents the idea of “paying it forward,” compares his mother to a child with a medical condition that leaves him without the ability to feel pain, only Trevor sees that Arlene is like that on the inside. He writes that she knows not to “keep putting her hand on the hot stove,” and yet she keeps doing it anyway — knowing that she is hurting herself, but unable to stop, and unable to really feel the pain.
The title, of course, is taken from a school project that Trevor turns in for his social studies class. Accepting an assignment to come up with an idea that can change the world, Trevor maps out a plan to help three people — really help them, to have a positive, life-altering impact — and then instead of asking those people to pay him back, require instead that they “pay it forward” to another three people, who then each will pay it forward to another three, and so on. The idea is brilliant in its simplicity, and incredibly powerful in action. Assuming that everyone follows through. Trusting another human being with so large a task, especially in today’s cynical, closed-off society, is not small feat in itself, regardless of the results.
Hyde masterfully tracks the starts and stops in the lives of her characters as they reach for, then reject, then reach for again the growth, the happiness, and the real living that are rightfully theirs.
Ultimately, I found this story to be about compassion, about putting aside your ego for one moment, for one beautiful opportunity to be truly present for another human being in need, with absolutely no thought of what you’re going to get in return. Because the whole point is to keep that “compassion in action” moving ever forward, spreading vigilantly across the globe. The miraculous side benefit to these acts of altruism is proving to yourself that regardless of how low and useless you think you might be, you can and do have power to impact the world around you — and that kind of honest self-realization changes you. Your priorities change, your principles shift, and you find that you are not at all the person you once thought you were. You are plugged into something larger than yourself; you belong; you are an active co-creator in the world at large.
Sure, I knew where the book was headed, because even with all of the differences between the text and the screen, I’d seen the movie, and the story is largely the same. Even so, I was astonished to find myself in need of a fresh kleenex every couple of pages as the book drew to a close. The incredible potential for the planet that this book describes has simply rattled me to my core. It’s so simple, really. How easy it would be, through intentional, deliberate action, to change another person’s life for the better. To help someone who is down on his luck to get back on his feet again. To help an at-risk teenager afford an education. To help a struggling family set up a home of their own. To help a single mother find a decent job. To be the gift of friendship in the life of a lonely neighbor. To help an adult learn how to read. To simply show up for someone, especially a complete stranger, and ask, “How can I help?”
We each have that power in our hands, at this very moment. How many such moments have we let slip by, unrealized?
I had seen the movie a few years ago, but hadn’t been aware until recently that it had been based on a book. Usually the books are better and more satisfying than the movies that are based on them, so I was happy to find a copy of “Pay It Forward” in my local library. After reading it, in the space of about twenty-four hours, I am giving each family member a copy.
It’s true I’m an avid reader and take great pleasure getting lost in a good story, but I don’t usually become quite so emotionally involved in a book that I burst into tears in just the first few pages. This is what happened with Hyde’s novel, and it set the tone for the rest of the story. The writer’s honest and compassionate style of writing is deceptively simple. Her characters are far from extraordinary and can be downright maddening in their very human foibles, but this is precisely what makes them so accessible. For the most part, these are not enviable, heroic people, and they often reflect back to us the worst and most frustrating aspects of ourselves.
Arlene revealed to me what could have become of my own life, at least in one particular aspect: she is an alcoholic, struggling with getting sober. She’ll get a few days or even a few months in, and then it’s all over in one night when life simply gets too tough. And even when she does manage to leave the alcohol behind, she is forced to look herself right in the face, warts and all, whether she wants to or not. What I do remember of the first few years of sobriety was a similarly shaky emotional rollercoaster, accompanied by brutal reality that was often way too real.
And so I was ripped raw by a simple entry from her son’s diary, before Arlene’s story began to unfold. Trevor, who invents the idea of “paying it forward,” compares his mother to a child with a medical condition that leaves him without the ability to feel pain, only Trevor sees that Arlene is like that on the inside. He writes that she knows not to “keep putting her hand on the hot stove,” and yet she keeps doing it anyway — knowing that she is hurting herself, but unable to stop, and unable to really feel the pain.
The title, of course, is taken from a school project that Trevor turns in for his social studies class. Accepting an assignment to come up with an idea that can change the world, Trevor maps out a plan to help three people — really help them, to have a positive, life-altering impact — and then instead of asking those people to pay him back, require instead that they “pay it forward” to another three people, who then each will pay it forward to another three, and so on. The idea is brilliant in its simplicity, and incredibly powerful in action. Assuming that everyone follows through. Trusting another human being with so large a task, especially in today’s cynical, closed-off society, is not small feat in itself, regardless of the results.
Hyde masterfully tracks the starts and stops in the lives of her characters as they reach for, then reject, then reach for again the growth, the happiness, and the real living that are rightfully theirs.
Ultimately, I found this story to be about compassion, about putting aside your ego for one moment, for one beautiful opportunity to be truly present for another human being in need, with absolutely no thought of what you’re going to get in return. Because the whole point is to keep that “compassion in action” moving ever forward, spreading vigilantly across the globe. The miraculous side benefit to these acts of altruism is proving to yourself that regardless of how low and useless you think you might be, you can and do have power to impact the world around you — and that kind of honest self-realization changes you. Your priorities change, your principles shift, and you find that you are not at all the person you once thought you were. You are plugged into something larger than yourself; you belong; you are an active co-creator in the world at large.
Sure, I knew where the book was headed, because even with all of the differences between the text and the screen, I’d seen the movie, and the story is largely the same. Even so, I was astonished to find myself in need of a fresh kleenex every couple of pages as the book drew to a close. The incredible potential for the planet that this book describes has simply rattled me to my core. It’s so simple, really. How easy it would be, through intentional, deliberate action, to change another person’s life for the better. To help someone who is down on his luck to get back on his feet again. To help an at-risk teenager afford an education. To help a struggling family set up a home of their own. To help a single mother find a decent job. To be the gift of friendship in the life of a lonely neighbor. To help an adult learn how to read. To simply show up for someone, especially a complete stranger, and ask, “How can I help?”
We each have that power in our hands, at this very moment. How many such moments have we let slip by, unrealized?
December 10, 2020
A moving story about helping others & how paying it forward can spread more kindness in this difficult world. I've seen the movie many times. I almost always read the book first, so I had to change my thinking while reading the book. I had to stop picturing Helen Hunt & Kevin Spacey as main characters, especially since there were definite differences. I don't know if I would have enjoyed the movie as much if I would have read the book first. This is my third book by this author and I look forward to reading more of her books.
September 12, 2014
I am so happy to be a part of Catherine Ryan Hyde's read and review team in the UK. I love her books and look forward to each one as she releases them.
This story was different to some of the books she has written about as in style of writing. I found it fascinating to read it from all angles, and from Trevor's point of view as a child.
I think most reviews have expressed what the book is about, and the extra challenge that was weaved in, Trevor taking this seriously did a superb job to change the world. I kept thinking "out of the mouths of babes" another cliche was " from small acorns big trees grow".
Its not often a book leaves me in tears. The last 30-40 pages just made me cave in. I was so reading between the tears in my eyes.
Catherine Ryan Hyde has such a unique style about her, there are a few authors that can do this. They move you to tears, passion, hate, fear, emotions that you have they can bring out in you. If an author can do this, they are doing their work properly, as life evokes emotions. So should books.
I felt quite enpowered after I read this, quite sad too. I knew why it had to end this way, there was no other way to do it.
Thank you Catherine for another amazing read.
This story was different to some of the books she has written about as in style of writing. I found it fascinating to read it from all angles, and from Trevor's point of view as a child.
I think most reviews have expressed what the book is about, and the extra challenge that was weaved in, Trevor taking this seriously did a superb job to change the world. I kept thinking "out of the mouths of babes" another cliche was " from small acorns big trees grow".
Its not often a book leaves me in tears. The last 30-40 pages just made me cave in. I was so reading between the tears in my eyes.
Catherine Ryan Hyde has such a unique style about her, there are a few authors that can do this. They move you to tears, passion, hate, fear, emotions that you have they can bring out in you. If an author can do this, they are doing their work properly, as life evokes emotions. So should books.
I felt quite enpowered after I read this, quite sad too. I knew why it had to end this way, there was no other way to do it.
Thank you Catherine for another amazing read.
October 28, 2024
So I originally read this because I am turning into a cynical adult disillusioned with the world, which CANNOT HAPPEN. I love sparkles, I listen to Disney songs when working out, just look at my Goodreads profile pic (candid shot). And obviously life has had its ups and downs, but I’ve always thought “tomorrow is a new day” and “people are awesome” and “the future will be fun” and all that stuff. And now I’m having this coming-of-age moment, Catcher in the Rye style, and I’m like wow everything isn’t as good as I thought it would be. Yes I live in a sheltered bubble but don’t tell me things are actually better outside that bubble. Like people actually suck sometimes, including me.
So anyway I’m kind of on a mission to find evidence that life is more than suckage. Which led me to this book, about a boy who decides to do three really good deeds and tell the recipients to Pay It Forward. For the record, the entire time I was reading this I thought it was nonfiction. Yes I’m gullible, let’s just call that the last of my trust. And it was such a MASSIVE BUMMER, when I finished the book and I’m all “yay people have good moments, life doesn’t suck”, and then I google it and it turns out it’s literally all fake. And maybe I took that a little personal, I should’ve seen the word “novel” on the cover, but it was crushing I tell you.
So I’m definitely coming to terms with the fact that everything isn’t Disney and sparkles, but come on I’d like to at least believe in real true love and charity and friendly strangers. And this book was so well done I actually did believe in all that while I was reading it. The only problem was that it was LIES, which to be fair is a Me problem.
So anyway I’m kind of on a mission to find evidence that life is more than suckage. Which led me to this book, about a boy who decides to do three really good deeds and tell the recipients to Pay It Forward. For the record, the entire time I was reading this I thought it was nonfiction. Yes I’m gullible, let’s just call that the last of my trust. And it was such a MASSIVE BUMMER, when I finished the book and I’m all “yay people have good moments, life doesn’t suck”, and then I google it and it turns out it’s literally all fake. And maybe I took that a little personal, I should’ve seen the word “novel” on the cover, but it was crushing I tell you.
So I’m definitely coming to terms with the fact that everything isn’t Disney and sparkles, but come on I’d like to at least believe in real true love and charity and friendly strangers. And this book was so well done I actually did believe in all that while I was reading it. The only problem was that it was LIES, which to be fair is a Me problem.
January 28, 2016
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.
May 10, 2020
I definitely liked the ideas of this story more than the delivery. It's a really sweet novel that questions human decency but from what I remember it was a little slow and preachy at times.
I do really love this idea of paying it forward though so if people read this book and are inspired to do good things for others I can't fault that.
I do really love this idea of paying it forward though so if people read this book and are inspired to do good things for others I can't fault that.
November 25, 2014
I remembered this movie from the 90s and had a sappy feeling when I thought of it, but still dove right in because usually if you enjoy a movie the book is infinitely better. I found that to be the case here.
The entire premise of the book is a Social Studies extra credit assignment to think of a way to better the world. Trevor MicKinney takes the assignment to heart. Trevor is the only child of a hard working, tender-hearted (kind of) down on her luck single mother. He is wise beyond his years and his maturity matches his wisdom. Trevor’s big idea is simple. Do something for three people. Something big. It doesn't need to involve money, but must be important to the person you are doing it for. That person will then “Pay it forward” to three others. Seriously, stop reading and do a tiny bit of the math. 1 X 3 X 9 X 27 X 81 X 243... it could touch the entire country in a year. In the novel, it does.
One of the people Trevor helps is a homeless man who ends up going to jail. He then “Pays it forward” in such a way that it works it way to New York gangs and catches on like gangbusters. Gang violence is down 80% and the police don’t know why. Who would ever think a little boy began this whole movement. The Movement, by the way, is what the gangs have taken to calling it.
I hate reviews that spoil the plot so I won’t spell it all out, but it takes a while for Trevor to be recognized and when he is the reward is unjust. Was it sappy? A bit, and I admit I shed a tear or two, but it was a lovely tale and I was happy to see how those around Trevor benefited.
The entire premise of the book is a Social Studies extra credit assignment to think of a way to better the world. Trevor MicKinney takes the assignment to heart. Trevor is the only child of a hard working, tender-hearted (kind of) down on her luck single mother. He is wise beyond his years and his maturity matches his wisdom. Trevor’s big idea is simple. Do something for three people. Something big. It doesn't need to involve money, but must be important to the person you are doing it for. That person will then “Pay it forward” to three others. Seriously, stop reading and do a tiny bit of the math. 1 X 3 X 9 X 27 X 81 X 243... it could touch the entire country in a year. In the novel, it does.
One of the people Trevor helps is a homeless man who ends up going to jail. He then “Pays it forward” in such a way that it works it way to New York gangs and catches on like gangbusters. Gang violence is down 80% and the police don’t know why. Who would ever think a little boy began this whole movement. The Movement, by the way, is what the gangs have taken to calling it.
I hate reviews that spoil the plot so I won’t spell it all out, but it takes a while for Trevor to be recognized and when he is the reward is unjust. Was it sappy? A bit, and I admit I shed a tear or two, but it was a lovely tale and I was happy to see how those around Trevor benefited.
February 21, 2015
I won this book in a GOODREADS FIRST READS GIVEAWAY!
I remember watching this movie years ago and how much it touched my heart. A sweet little boy wanting to do better in the world by paying it forward. This is such a wonderful idea.
I think it's wonderful that Catherine Ryan Hyde started the Pay It Forward Foundation. I'm going to be buying some of the bracelets to wear in case I ever forget. Not everything in this world has to be so bad.
The characters in the book are great in their own unique ways. I loved when Mrs. Greenberg paid it forward by leaving her money to Matt, Terry and the cat rescue and her no good son she left a dollar. I loved the stories of other people paying it forward.
There are people in this world that pay it forward in their own ways to this day. I love it!
Of course it has a very sad ending, but it wasn't all for nothing.
I remember watching this movie years ago and how much it touched my heart. A sweet little boy wanting to do better in the world by paying it forward. This is such a wonderful idea.
I think it's wonderful that Catherine Ryan Hyde started the Pay It Forward Foundation. I'm going to be buying some of the bracelets to wear in case I ever forget. Not everything in this world has to be so bad.
The characters in the book are great in their own unique ways. I loved when Mrs. Greenberg paid it forward by leaving her money to Matt, Terry and the cat rescue and her no good son she left a dollar. I loved the stories of other people paying it forward.
There are people in this world that pay it forward in their own ways to this day. I love it!
Of course it has a very sad ending, but it wasn't all for nothing.
March 13, 2018
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.
October 3, 2021
“Think of an idea for world change, and put it into action”
These are the words that social studies teacher Reuben St. Clair wrote on the blackboard for an extra credit assignment for his class on his first day at that school. Some kids did it, successfully or not. One child, Trevor McKinney, did the assignment and changed the world.
Trevor is just an ordinary 13 year old who had an extraordinary idea: what if you helped someone, anyone, in a big way, and instead of paying it back, they paid it forward, and helped other people in a big way, and those people payed it forward, and on and on, until everyone was looking for ways to help others. Trevor decided he needed to help three people, and tell each of them to pay it forward to three other people. He first helps a homeless man by giving him some of his paper route money. He helps him buy some new clothes and allows him to shower at his house, which appalls his mother Arlene. The man, Jerry, is then able to get a job. Trevor then sets his sights on playing matchmaker with his mom and Reuben, who he thinks need each other. He also starts helping out his elderly neighbor, Mrs. Greenberg, by tending her garden. But Trevor doesn’t know if any of his efforts have worked, if anyone is paying it forward, and he feels like he has failed in his assignment. Little does he know how wrong he is.
There are wonderful characters in this book, my favorite being Trevor, who is guileless, earnest and loving. Reuben is a complex man, horribly physically and emotionally scarred from his time in Vietnam. Arlene is a single mother, carrying a torch for Trevor’s no good father and trying to work her AA program to maintain her sobriety. Chris is a freelance journalist looking for his next big story. There are a few other characters, and each chapter is told from someone’s POV. At times this can get a bit confusing, since it’s not always clear how a minor character fits into the story and why we are reading about them. But it is all resolved by the end.
This book is 15 years old, and by now most people have heard about the “pay it forward“ movement of unbridled altruism. This is the book that started it all. It is unabashedly uplifting, just the kind of book we all need in our lives. Yes, there are sad parts, and other parts that will make you laugh out loud (Trevor is just so refreshing !) But mostly this book will fill your heart with joy.
An absolute recommend!
These are the words that social studies teacher Reuben St. Clair wrote on the blackboard for an extra credit assignment for his class on his first day at that school. Some kids did it, successfully or not. One child, Trevor McKinney, did the assignment and changed the world.
Trevor is just an ordinary 13 year old who had an extraordinary idea: what if you helped someone, anyone, in a big way, and instead of paying it back, they paid it forward, and helped other people in a big way, and those people payed it forward, and on and on, until everyone was looking for ways to help others. Trevor decided he needed to help three people, and tell each of them to pay it forward to three other people. He first helps a homeless man by giving him some of his paper route money. He helps him buy some new clothes and allows him to shower at his house, which appalls his mother Arlene. The man, Jerry, is then able to get a job. Trevor then sets his sights on playing matchmaker with his mom and Reuben, who he thinks need each other. He also starts helping out his elderly neighbor, Mrs. Greenberg, by tending her garden. But Trevor doesn’t know if any of his efforts have worked, if anyone is paying it forward, and he feels like he has failed in his assignment. Little does he know how wrong he is.
There are wonderful characters in this book, my favorite being Trevor, who is guileless, earnest and loving. Reuben is a complex man, horribly physically and emotionally scarred from his time in Vietnam. Arlene is a single mother, carrying a torch for Trevor’s no good father and trying to work her AA program to maintain her sobriety. Chris is a freelance journalist looking for his next big story. There are a few other characters, and each chapter is told from someone’s POV. At times this can get a bit confusing, since it’s not always clear how a minor character fits into the story and why we are reading about them. But it is all resolved by the end.
This book is 15 years old, and by now most people have heard about the “pay it forward“ movement of unbridled altruism. This is the book that started it all. It is unabashedly uplifting, just the kind of book we all need in our lives. Yes, there are sad parts, and other parts that will make you laugh out loud (Trevor is just so refreshing !) But mostly this book will fill your heart with joy.
An absolute recommend!
February 17, 2021
No no no where's my happy ending to this story 😭 this book was so good, emotional and heartfelt but the end broke my heart. I rarely read a book that hits me so hard, I almost cried over this. It's a 4.5 stars. Would be a 5 stars but the end aaargh
January 28, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have no idea why this book sat on my ebook shelf for as long as it did. What a moving, heart-warming, wonderful story. Three main characters - Trevor, a twelve year old boy, his single mother Arlene with her own set of problems, and Reuben St. Claire, a middle school social studies teacher. In fact, as I was reading, I had this book pegged for a different prompt, different challenge - a book that sparks joy. Alas, before it was finished, I had shed too many tears to place it into that slot. If you’re looking for something different, that really touches on our community and humanity, you should pick this up and read it soon.
ATY Goodreads Challenge - 2022
Prompt #6- a book with an image of a source of light on the cover
I have no idea why this book sat on my ebook shelf for as long as it did. What a moving, heart-warming, wonderful story. Three main characters - Trevor, a twelve year old boy, his single mother Arlene with her own set of problems, and Reuben St. Claire, a middle school social studies teacher. In fact, as I was reading, I had this book pegged for a different prompt, different challenge - a book that sparks joy. Alas, before it was finished, I had shed too many tears to place it into that slot. If you’re looking for something different, that really touches on our community and humanity, you should pick this up and read it soon.
ATY Goodreads Challenge - 2022
Prompt #6- a book with an image of a source of light on the cover
December 4, 2013
In this exciting book a boy named Trevor gets a project from his Social Studies teacher to somehow change the world. But Trevor to this project to a totally different level then his teacher Ruben expected. Trevor decided to create a movement called "pay it forward." To help make the world a better place. This book talks about his journey along the way and how he pays it forward to society. I would most definitely recommend this book. It was a very inspiring and easy to read.
September 18, 2021
Emotivno i toplo. Kraj sam preplakala.
Trevor je duša i mnogo mi se dopao njegov lik i njegov lanac dobrote ❤
Sitne mane su ostale nevidljive jer je previše toga lepog.
Trevor je duša i mnogo mi se dopao njegov lik i njegov lanac dobrote ❤
Sitne mane su ostale nevidljive jer je previše toga lepog.
August 12, 2017
I almost never read paper books anymore, but my daughter had this laying around and I picked it up. I was immediately taken in.
It is the Young Readers Edition, and I love the author's note that it had become historical fiction when she did the rewrite. Set in the 1990's with President Clinton and no cell phones and no internet to speak of, the story would have to be written completely differently if it were to take place today.
Terrific, inspiring book. Yeah, "sappy" is an adjective that could also be used, but for some reason, I didn't mind.
It is the Young Readers Edition, and I love the author's note that it had become historical fiction when she did the rewrite. Set in the 1990's with President Clinton and no cell phones and no internet to speak of, the story would have to be written completely differently if it were to take place today.
Terrific, inspiring book. Yeah, "sappy" is an adjective that could also be used, but for some reason, I didn't mind.
March 24, 2019
Wow!!! How have I not read this book before now? Great story, great characters from a great author!! Loved it!
May 17, 2016
I began this book rather dismissively. At a few pages in I was tempted to just flick it as a twee concept.....and suddenly found myself hooked in by the characterisation. I remained glued for the few hours it took to read the book (oh I wish I could read more slowly!) and at the end - yes, it's a twee concept but it was a brilliant read and I wanted to know more about ALL the characters and if they were ok......
So.....all we are missing for the world to change is a mysterious alchemical thing that would make it the right time for an idea like that.....sadly, human nature suggests that there's no more chance of it happening than the use of indicators while driving catching on!
So.....all we are missing for the world to change is a mysterious alchemical thing that would make it the right time for an idea like that.....sadly, human nature suggests that there's no more chance of it happening than the use of indicators while driving catching on!
April 7, 2008
This book was stupid. I have seen better writing from a freshman creative writing class. It's like it was written for people who don't read or don't read well. I mean, the concept "pay it forward" is great, but the book itself - horrible.
September 29, 2021
Jedno 20tak strana pred kraja sam bila u fazonu ma sve je ovo lepo i super i biće jedna jaka četvorka. A onda neka težina i tuga i prosto ne znam kako ću da prebolim ovu knjigu. Šta se dešava sa mnom i kad sam postala takav mlakonja?! 😭😭😭😭
January 29, 2009
The writing was amateurish. Neat premise however.
July 12, 2020
Мислех, че книгата няма да ми хареса толкова , колкото филма.
Всъщност се оказа , че начина по който са описани героите , ми пасва много повече. Оставям настрана блестящото изпълнение във филма.
Не започва много убедително книгата,трябваше ми повече време да се предам на историята.Постепенно става по-интересна , за да стигне до разтърсващия край, който ме разстрои много. Нищо , че знаех как свършва.
Оптимист съм до глупост, давам шанс на всеки човек и търся доброто във всеки.
Независимо от това , колко невъзможно изглежда вече света да стане по-добро място и аз не съм загубила надежда , и се опитвам да предавам доброто , каквото и да ми струва.
Надявам се , все пак , доброто да възтържествува.
"...хората винаги демонстрират прекалено великодушие,когато не могат да го изпитат искрено."
"Ако постъпваш винаги по един и същи начин,винаги ще получаваш същия резултат като преди."
Всъщност се оказа , че начина по който са описани героите , ми пасва много повече. Оставям настрана блестящото изпълнение във филма.
Не започва много убедително книгата,трябваше ми повече време да се предам на историята.Постепенно става по-интересна , за да стигне до разтърсващия край, който ме разстрои много. Нищо , че знаех как свършва.
Оптимист съм до глупост, давам шанс на всеки човек и търся доброто във всеки.
Независимо от това , колко невъзможно изглежда вече света да стане по-добро място и аз не съм загубила надежда , и се опитвам да предавам доброто , каквото и да ми струва.
Надявам се , все пак , доброто да възтържествува.
"...хората винаги демонстрират прекалено великодушие,когато не могат да го изпитат искрено."
"Ако постъпваш винаги по един и същи начин,винаги ще получаваш същия резултат като преди."
October 13, 2009
I really wish the movie would have stuck to the characters/situations that were in the book. It's totally different from the movie but the same if that makes any sense. Reuben was just weird in the movie. In the book his character was really well written and more understandable than the movie. I wasn't as shocked at the ending in the book since I had seen the movie but then again the movie ended with Trevor. The book didn't. I'm really glad I read this book.
February 17, 2018
Although I love Catherine Ryan Hyde novels, I'd never gotten around to reading her most well-known one until now. Its marriage of compassion, true-to-life characters, kindness, and engrossing storytelling has made Pay It Forward one of my favorites of hers. As is the case with most movies to books, this book is far superior to the movie version, which I now know took great liberties with the story. Highly recommended for those who love an uplifting story with more than a few tears.
September 3, 2016
I can't believe it took me so long to actually come around to reading this book, especially because it's such a beautiful story, and it so wonderfully executed.
March 19, 2017
A good story with a great concept...if only.
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