About the Author

Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis is the founder of the nonprofit Classes 4 Classes Inc. which teaches compassion, caring, and empathy through active engagement to children across the United States. Previously, she was a first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School. DeBellis has been honored as a Glamour magazine Woman of the Year and a L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth, and she received the Dedicated Teacher Award from the Chicago International Conference on Education. She has been featured in People, Marie Claire, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan; has been a guest on The Katie Couric Show; and is a motivational speaker for school boards, administrators, teachers, and students.

Reviews

 
“Heartfelt . . . [a] courageous and inspiring book from a genuine hero.” —Kirkus Reviews

"The memoir not only dramatically conveys how swiftly an 'ordinary' life can change, but also probes the depth of the struggle to rise from despair to hope."—Publisher's Weekly

"Heartfelt...[a] courageous and inspiring book from a genuine hero."—Kirkus Reviews

“Choosing Hope is a moving account of how Roig-DeBellis returned to normalcy by promoting generosity and accessing faith and positive thinking."
—Wally Lamb, New York Times bestselling author of We Are Water and She’s Come Undone

“A brave book by a courageous woman that reveals the healing power of compassion.”
—Karen Armstrong, New York Times bestselling author of Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life and The History of God

"Choosing Hope is a stirring memoir, capturing not only the brutality of the Sandy Hook tragedy but the incredible heroism, resilience and grace that emerged in its wake. Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis’s deep love for her students makes this a bold, inspiring and ultimately hopeful book."    
—Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post and author of the New York Times bestseller Thrive 

"For anyone who has despaired at the human condition, at the horrors we perpetrate onto each other, Kaitlin Roig-Debellis tells a story that shares our heartbreak and then, just as persuasively, offers us the only possible way forward."
—Amanda Ripley, New York Times bestselling author of The Smartest Kids in the World and The Unthinkable

“Teachers rescue children every day by teaching them the skills they need to succeed in life.  But no teacher expects to have to rescue her students from a deadly attack.  Kaitlin Roig’s quick thinking and swift action saved her students’ lives. In her book, Choosing Hope, Kaitlin honors the memory of the children and educators whose lives were lost on that sad day.”
--Mrs. Laura Bush, Former First Lady of the United States 

"In Choosing Hope, Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis shows what being tough, courageous, and compassionate is all about. In the face of unspeakable tragedy and horror, she gives us a beautiful portrait of the power of hope and love in the healing of a person, a community, and a country."
—Gabrielle Giffords, Former Congresswoman and New York Times bestselling author

"A beautifully written book that demonstrates the power of the human spirit."
—Adam Braun, New York Times bestselling author of The Promise of a Pencil 
 
"It is a book that parents and teachers will connect with deeply."
—Jay Mathews, education columnist, Washington Post and bestselling author of Work Hard. Be Nice.

“What a fantastic, straightforward and authentic book. All readers—especially teachers, parents and those in emergency professions—will find much to stimulate their thinking in Choosing Hope. I’ll be recommending it to all of my colleagues.”
—Professor Isaac Ashkenazi, International Expert for Crisis Management & Leadership, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

“Every day teachers go beyond the call of duty, touching children’s lives….Kaitlin is proof of that in so many ways.” —Otha Thornton, president of National PTA

"Choosing Hope is an inspiring story of a young teacher’s triumph over the unimaginable tragedy of the Sandy Hook school massacre. It is also a cautionary tale about school administrators who don't listen. There are many more Kaitlins in our classrooms than we know. We must cherish them."— Tony Wagner, author of The Global Achievement Gap and Creating Innovators
 
“Intensely moving.”—New York Daily News  

“Choosing Hope is part memoir, part testimonial, and all heart. Ms. Roig-DeBellis witnessed the absolute worst of mankind and survived; in its aftermath, she chose to move forward—and she implores readers to do the same, regardless of their circumstances. By choosing hope over pessimism, love over hate, and compassion over ambivalence, we choose to live within light even when darkness threatens to descend. That’s a lesson entirely worthy of learning, and sharing—and there’s nobody better to teach it.”—Examiner.com