Gabby Goodheart and The Power of Noticing

Gabby Goodheart and the Power of NoticingGabby Goodheart is a quirky, energetic, big-hearted girl who loves Jesus and wants to be a good friend. She has a wonderful imagination, a funny way of looking at the world, and a heart that genuinely wants to help others. But Gabby is discovering that having a good heart doesn’t always mean knowing exactly what to do.In this first book of the Gabby Goodheart series, Gabby begins learning about the power of noticing.Sometimes people need a friend. Sometimes they need encouragement. Sometimes they need someone to listen. Sometimes they need help. And sometimes they don’t need anyone to fix anything at all-they simply need someone to notice them.As Gabby goes through everyday experiences at school, at home, and with her friends, she begins to understand that kindness starts with paying attention.Along the way, Gabby learns from her diverse group of friends:Tyler James is energetic, creative, and always ready to jump into action. He learns that helping someone means asking questions and listening before deciding what they need.Emma Joy is cheerful, enthusiastic, and very talkative. She learns that being a good friend also means giving other people a chance to be heard.Lily May is quiet, thoughtful, and observant. She reminds her friends that quiet people have important ideas, feelings, and things to contribute.Joshua is athletic, confident, kind, and a natural leader. He learns that true leadership means making sure everyone has a place and nobody gets left behind.Gabby discovers that each person is different, and those differences are something to appreciate rather than change. She also learns that she won’t always get everything right. Sometimes she will miss something, misunderstand someone, or try to help in the wrong way. That’s okay. Growing in character means learning, trying again, and becoming a little more thoughtful each day.Throughout the story, Gabby’s experiences gently introduce Christian character traits such as compassion, kindness, humility, encouragement, patience, listening, inclusion, service, and love for others.The story is written to be funny, warm, engaging, and age-appropriate for children ages 6-10, with playful dialogue, innocent humor, expressive characters, and situations children can recognize from their own lives.Gabby’s family also plays an important role in her growth. At home, conversations with her parents help her think about what she experiences and understand that adults are still learning and growing too. Gabby sometimes discovers that the things children say and do can teach grown-ups something valuable.The goal of the Gabby Goodheart series is not to lecture children about how they should behave. Instead, each story allows children to see character in action, laugh with the characters, recognize themselves in their mistakes and successes, and discover meaningful lessons naturally through the story.Most importantly, Gabby learns that noticing someone can be the beginning of something wonderful.A smile.A conversation.A friendship.An encouragement.A helping hand.A second chance.Or simply the feeling of knowing:'Someone saw me.'Through Gabby’s journey, children are encouraged to slow down, look around, and ask themselves:Who might I notice today?And sometimes, the person who needs noticing may have something to teach us, too.