Jamaica and Brianna: A Gentle Story of Envy, Teasing, and Winter Friendship for Kids
By Juanita Havill
The Story
A girl stuck wearing her brother's old winter boots feels envy and sting when her friend teases her about them — until one word starts to mend their friendship.
Why It's Special
For the kid who's ever felt embarrassed by hand-me-downs, this puts real jealousy and hurt feelings right on the page — and shows friendship surviving both.
- Big idea: Envy and teasing don't have to end a friendship — honesty and a few words can bring people back together.
- Vibes: quiet, wintry, tender, true-to-life
Perfect For Kids Who
- are working on handling jealousy without losing a friend
- relate to wearing hand-me-downs or feeling embarrassed
- are learning about how teasing hurts and how to make up
- enjoy quiet, real-life friendship stories
Ask Your Little Reader
- Feelings & empathy: How do you think Jamaica felt when Brianna teased her about her boots?
- Story & problem-solving: What do you think the one word was that helped Jamaica and Brianna make up?
- Real-life connection: Have you ever felt jealous of something a friend had?
- Feelings & empathy: What could Brianna have said instead of teasing Jamaica about her boots?
- Real-life connection: What's something of yours that used to belong to someone else, like Ossie's boots did to Jamaica?
