Pay It Forward

Catherine Ryan Hyde

5/4/2000

Twelve-year-old Trevor takes on an extra credit assignment. Their new teacher challenges them to come up an idea that could change the world and to implement it to see the results. He considers what he can do. He develops the "Pay It Forward" program.

His simple idea is to help three people in some way that was important to them. Then, when they would want to pay him back, he would have them "pay it forward" to three other people instead. They are to find three other people and help them out. If adopted, this program would quickly grow throughout the world because of its exponential growth.

He helps a lady on his paper route. She dies before she can "pay it forward". He helps a homeless junkie. The man instead gets arrested and put back in jail. He tries to help his new teacher and his mother get together. They are both resistant to his matchmaking. He believes his program is a failure.

This is a heart warming easy read. This book starts in 2002 and looks backward and looks at the history of the movement. We, the reader, know that Trevor was eventually successful. If mankind could adopt the "Pay It Forward" program our quality of life would be impacted. One gang member tells his intended victim that he still had two actions to pay forward, and it was his victim's lucky day. The victim was allowed to leave rather than get killed.

This is light fluff, enjoyable. It's an average book that will comfortably fill a few hours. This new book can be found at with other reviews.