Lifetime previewAlex and the Secret Handshake Club
Alex starts a secret handshake club with classmates who each bring different ideas; through playful practice they learn trust, boundaries, and how to belong together.
- Recommended age
- Ages 4–8
- Reading time
- 7 minutes
- Illustrated pages
- 6 pages
- Category
- Friendship
Story guide
About this story
Something unusual is waiting for Alex in Alex and the Secret Handshake Club, and solving it will take patience and imagination. Alex starts a secret handshake club with classmates who each bring different ideas; through playful practice they learn trust, boundaries, and how to belong together. Across 6 illustrated pages, children ages 4–8 can follow the action while exploring friendship, listening, welcoming others. The story focuses on listening, inclusion, and the small actions that help a new friendship feel safe. Families can read it together, listen to the narration, and revisit the illustrated moments that invite the best conversations.
A little preview
The playground echo of recess sounded like clapping marbles when Alex hatched an idea: a secret handshake club. Alex loved silly gestures and thought a handshake could be a special kind of friendship code. The problem was that everyone had different ideas—some wanted complicated flips, others wanted a quiet ripple of hands—and not everyone felt safe doing the same moves. Alex wanted a way so everyone could join and feel included without pressure. That meant finding a handshake that could stretch and bend.
What children can learn
- Friendship
- Listening
- Welcoming others
Perfect for
- Calm story time
- Parent-child reading
- Kindergarten
- Early readers
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