Life in the Grand Pause embodies an assortment of life lessons that prove valuable to the characters found within its pages. With multiple central messages, this middle-grade novel illustrates how the power of kindness can alter one’s life for the better. The Random Act of Kindness Initiative, or RAK Initiative, is part of Mr. Phillips’ [assistant principal] and Mr. Bailey’s [fifth-grade teacher] school-wide program designed to decrease and eventually eliminate bullying at Fern Creek Elementary. The students were challenged to perform a random act of kindness and record its impact on a blog created by their teacher. The goal was to record at least one impactful random act of kindness [by each student] before the end of the school year. Quotes of kindness and their impact on the human spirit are shared each week in the hope of inspiring ideas and motivating students to complete their tasks. As the author and a believer in the power of kindness, I would love to make the RAK Initiative a reality. Are you ready for the challenge? If so, here’s the scoop …

• Perform an impactful Random Act of Kindness.
• Record it on this blog [include how it made you feel and how the receiver responded].
• Challenge the receiver to pay it forward.
• Enjoy the warm and fuzzy feeling that will spontaneously appear in the vicinity of your heart.
• SMILE because YOU just made the world a better place.

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