A must-have for any library or middle-school classroom.If your library has Svetlana Chmakova’s book Awkward then Brave is an automatic addition to your middle grade graphic novel collection. It depicts his story with empathy and warmth, inspiring readers to remember that everyone one is important, and that kindness matters. In this moment, I wanted to applaud Svetlana Chmakova for championing books that promote kindness and inclusion, rather than humor at the expense of others.īrave is a heartfelt depiction of one boy’s quest to survive middle school. The book is supposed to be funny, but Jensen, a victim of bullying himself, cannot find the humor. Jensen is shocked to discover that the book features a main character who is mean to others–a character who is a bully. In a scene that I interpreted as a reference to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jensen goes to the library to check out a wildly popular book beloved by his friends the author has been invited for a Skype visit by his school.
Ultimately, however, he realizes that he can help break the cycle of bullying, both by getting help, and by inspiring others to choose kindness.īrave does not, however, only focus on the actions of children, but also boldly calls out media influences that glorify bullying and mean behavior. Jensen transforms from a happy-go-lucky kid, just trying to survive one day of middle school at a time, to a kid who wonders if his life matters at all. It focuses, not only on the obvious signs of bullying, like slamming someone into a locker, but also on the little things that add up day by day, making someone feel unwanted and unloved. Jensen’s journey of self-discovery is part of what makes this book so special. Still, Jensen does not see himself as a victim. They make fun of his obsession with sunspots, “forget” to include him in projects, and exclude him from their lunch table. Even though he sees art club as his safe space, a place he can work on what he loves, the others in the group are not very kind.
Jensen is bullied at school–by the two school bullies, yes–but also by his so-called friends. Funny, sensitive, and thought-provoking, Brave is the kind of book that will break your heart. Through the eyes of Jensen, a video game-loving boy who dreams of working for NASA, it explores what it means to try to find a place where you belong, when you do not realize you don’t belong in the first place. Can he find a place where he belongs?īrave is a brilliantly beautiful work about surviving middle school, one day at a time. His art club friends seem to be drawing away–and they’re kind of mean to him, really–but he’s also not convinced that he’s being bullied.
But for now, he’s just trying to survive middle school. Jensen dreams of becoming an astronaut for NASA and saving the world.
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