What if a story about wanting the right pair of shoes could help students think about something much bigger: belonging, generosity, and knowing that we matter?
In Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts, Jeremy desperately wants the black high-tops that seemingly everyone at school is wearing. But Grandma reminds him that there is a difference between a want and a need. Jeremy needs winter boots, and his family can’t afford the expensive shoes. Eventually, Jeremy finds a pair at a thrift store. One problem: they don’t fit. He buys them anyway.
But as the story unfolds, Jeremy begins to notice something beyond his own desire for the shoes. He notices Antonio and Antonio’s shoes that are falling apart.
That moment creates a powerful opportunity to explore four character strengths:
- Fairness
- Love
- Social Intelligence
- Perseverance
At first, perseverance is easy to spot. Jeremy is determined to get the shoes and keeps searching for a way to make that happen. But gradually, social intelligence becomes central to the story. Jeremy begins noticing Antonio’s situation. He remembers that Antonio didn’t laugh when other children made fun of Jeremy’s shoes. Instead of focusing only on what he wants, Jeremy begins to understand what someone else might need.
That noticing opens the door to love and fairness.
Jeremy ultimately gives Antonio the shoes, not because they have stopped mattering to him, but because he recognizes that they could matter to someone else. This is where character strengths become more than words students identify. They become tools for connection.
Those Shoes also opens an important conversation about mattering.
In an Aspen Ideas conversation on well-being, author Jennifer Wallace describes mattering as knowing that we are needed and that our communities value who we are and what we contribute. She explains:
“Mattering is like gravity.”
When we feel that we matter, Wallace explains, we feel anchored and are more likely to connect, engage, and contribute.
Jeremy’s desire for the shoes can help us think about this idea with students. Perhaps he doesn’t only want the shoes. He wants what they seem to represent: belonging.
Children may experience versions of this every day: a certain pair of shoes, an invitation, a seat at a lunch table, or being included in a game. Underneath those experiences may be a deeper question:
Do I belong here? Do people notice me? Do I matter?
Before reading, introduce the four strengths: Fairness, Love, Social Intelligence, and Perseverance.
Invite students to become “strength spotters” as they listen.
As you read, pause at key moments:
- When Jeremy keeps searching for the shoes: “What strength is helping Jeremy keep going?”
- When Jeremy notices Antonio’s shoes: “What does Jeremy understand about Antonio that others might not notice?”
- When Jeremy struggles with giving away the shoes: “Can doing something loving also be difficult?”
- When Jeremy leaves the shoes for Antonio: “Which strengths are working together here?”
- When Antonio thanks Jeremy: “How might Jeremy’s action help Antonio know that he matters?”
After reading, ask students:
Which character strength did Jeremy use that helped someone else feel like they mattered?
Then bring the conversation into their own lives:
How could you use one of your strengths today to help someone else know that they matter?
For students who benefit from additional support, educators can make these connections concrete:
“I noticed you used love when you invited someone to sit with you.”
“You showed social intelligence when you noticed your friend needed help.”
“You practiced fairness when you made sure everyone had a turn.”
At the end of the story, Jeremy has his boots. Antonio has the shoes.
And the boys race through the snow together.
Jeremy doesn’t end the story possessing the thing he once believed would make him happy. Instead, the story ends with friendship, connection, and joy.
That is what makes Those Shoes such a meaningful addition to a character strengths read-aloud library. When educators intentionally notice and name strengths during literacy instruction, students begin to recognize that strengths aren’t simply qualities characters have. They are skills we can use to persevere, understand one another, make fair choices, show love, and help someone else feel seen.
And sometimes spreading the science and skills of happiness begins with something as simple as helping another person know:
You belong here. You are seen. You matter.
Works Cited
Aspen Ideas. “Mattering: The Most Overlooked Pillar of Wellbeing.” Aspen Ideas to Go, 28 Jan. 2026. Jennifer Wallace, David DeSteno, and Kelly Corrigan.
Boelts, Maribeth. Those Shoes. Illustrated by Noah Z. Jones, Candlewick Press, 2007.
Proof Positive Autism Wellbeing Alliance. “Character Strengths.” Proof Positive.
