A timeless approach to education that cultivates intelligent, happy, purposeful, morally grounded young people.

ABOUT THE BOOK

“Deborah Kenny's book stopped me in my tracks. Her humility and passion for excellence literally jump off the page. It is a beautiful book filled with wisdom and depth. I'm a better person for having read it.”

DAVID ADAMS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE URBAN ASSEMBLY

One of America’s leading educators explains what children need to thrive and excel.

In The Well-Educated Child, Dr. Deborah Kenny offers an inspiring vision for education that cultivates intelligent, happy, morally grounded young people. This landmark book will change the way we think about what it means for our children to be well educated.

Drawing on decades of experience with students from preschool through high school, Kenny presents education as soul craft. She reveals how to teach children the skills of self-management and the virtue of self-discipline, and what students must learn to become intellectually curious, knowledgeable, gracious, and motivated.

With wit, wisdom, and warmth, Kenny describes how young people can become serious thinkers and avid readers who appreciate beauty, concentrate for long periods of time on challenging work, and lead meaningful lives. She takes us inside classrooms to understand the importance of deeper learning based on three concepts: quality thinking, ethical purpose, and a sense of agency. Her ideas are both practical and deeply philosophical. At a moment when parents and teachers are concerned about digital distraction and declin­ing engagement, The Well-Educated Child is a masterful exposition of what we need to know about what education should be.

Line of children of a variety of ages wearing backpacks that hold flowers

“Deborah Kenny sounds a clarion call. Read this book and see how, with steely clarity and unwavering moral conviction, even the boldest educational aims can be achieved.”

SAM WINEBURG

MARGARET JACKS CHAIR OF EDUCATION, EMERITUS
STANFORD UNIVERSITY

About the Author

Dr. Deborah Kenny is the founder of Harlem Village Academies and the Deeper Learning Institute, and one of the most influential educators in the country. Deborah has been honored with the Columbia University Teachers College Distinguished Alumni Award, and named on Oprah’s Power List and Esquire’s Best and Brightest, and is regularly featured in national media. She holds a PhD in comparative international education from Columbia University and a BA in intellectual history from the University of Pennsylvania. The mother of three grown children, she lives in New York City.

Deborah can be followed on:

Learn more about the author
Deborah Kenny smiling in a library surrounded by colorful shelves of books.
  • “I have known Deborah for 20 years, I know her genuine care and love for our children. It shines through in every page of this book. The Well-Educated Child is a tour de force, must reading for educators and parents.”

    GEOFF CANADA

    FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT
    HARLEM CHILDREN’S ZONE

  • "The Well-Educated Child will change the way you think not only about education but about life. "

    HUGH JACKMAN

    ARTIST AND PHILANTHROPIST

  • “Part memoir, part roadmap, in The Well-Educated Child, Deborah Kenny shares knowledge and insights that could change the way we educate students for the future.”

    ZARETTA HAMMOND, M.A.
    TEACHER EDUCATOR AND AUTHOR, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING AND THE BRAIN AND REBUILDING STUDENTS’ LEARNING POWER

  • “A remarkable, compelling story. This book is both inspirational and practical.”

    RON BERGER

    CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER, EMERITUS, EXPEDITIONARY LEARNING

  • “This moving and insightful book is truly a gift.”

    PEDRO A. NOGUERA, PHD

    EMERY STOOPS AND JOYCE KING STOOPS DEAN ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
    UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

  • “I’m deeply moved by Deborah Kenny’s vision for what schools can and should be. A personal, practical, and compelling guide for anyone who wants to help children reach their full potential.”

    SHERYL SANDBERG

    FOUNDER, LEAN IN

  • “This beautifully crafted, engaging book would make a great book club choice for teachers, administrators and parents.”

    SHELLEY HARWAYNE

    FOUNDER, THE MANHATTAN NEW SCHOOL, SUPERINTENDENT EMERITUS NYC DISTRICT 2

  • “Utterly absorbing. The Well-Educated Child is essential reading for parents and educators.”

    HOWARD FULLER

    DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR EMERITUS AT MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY, FORMER SUPERINTENDENT OF MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND FOUNDER OF BLACK ALLIANCE FOR EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS

  • “Deborah Kenny is a once in a generation visionary. She believes that our children deserve the highest quality education and works to ensure they receive it.”

    MELBA WILSON

    FOUNDER MELBA’S RESTAURANTS

Contact

Inquire about teaching at HVA—the only charter schools in New York offering both Montessori as well as the International Baccalaureate.

Learn ABOUT TEACHING AT HVA

Earn teacher certification and a masters degree in childhood and special education while engaging in the study of deeper learning.

VISIT THE DEEPER LEARNING INSTITUTE
Three children with backpacks holding flowers, depicted in a stylized, sketch-like illustration.

INFORMATION REGARDING DR. KENNY OR HARLEM VILLAGE ACADEMIES

Paul LoMedico, Jr.


plomedico@harlemvillage.org

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Nicole Engel 



nengel@harlemvillage.org

BULK BOOK SALES

Interested in multiple copies of The Well-Educated Child for your class, book club or organization?

Email us and we will make it happen!
books@thewelleducatedchild.org