Alas, the holiday sugar rush has ended and your new year resolutions have been made. Many see the new year as a fresh start and a chance new beginnings! I challenge you to be brave by trying a new recipe, doing something that scares you, or finally getting around to cleaning out the junk drawer. Find your inspiration with the booklist below!
I’m Brave! – by Kate and Jim McMullan
A big red fire engine identifies all of the tools he has on board and then responds to a fire alarm, racing bravely toward the flames where he uses a variety of equipment to put the fire out.
The Darkest Dark – by Chris Hadfield
Young Chris (modeled after real-life astronaut Chris Hadfield) loves rockets, stars, and planets, and his favorite pastime is pretending to be a brave astronaut, exploring the wonderful universe! However, there is a problem. Chris is scared of the dark! How could he ever go into space? It’s really dark out there! His parents have laid down the rules: if he cannot sleep in his own bed instead of running to their room every night, then he cannot go to the neighbor’s house to watch the moon landing on television! Chris does his best, and when he sees the infinite possibilities to be found in the dark of space, he begins to think the dark isn’t so scary after all!
How to be a Pirate – by Isaac Fitzgerald
Upset that she was told by boys she couldn’t be a pirate, young Cece consults her boat-owning grandfather on what it takes to be a sea rover. He tells her a pirate is brave, quick, independent, joyful, and loving. Cece takes the advice back to the boys to convince them she can be a pirate.
Dad and the Dinosaur – by Gennifer Choldenko
A boy keeps a toy dinosaur in his pocket to help him be brave like his dad–but when the dinosaur goes missing, Dad knows just what to do
I’m Not Small – by Nina Crews
When a young boy’s mother tells him he is big enough to play by himself outside, he jumps at the chance to go out on his own. But when he goes outside, he feels small in comparison to the sky, the trees, and the backyard. The boy realizes he is bigger than the ant, the bee, the sparrows, his rabbit, his cat, and his dog. He likes being big, but sometimes is happy to be small.
The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! – by Carmen Agra Deedy
The mayor of the noisy city of La Paz institutes new laws forbidding all singing, but a brave little rooster decides he must sing, despite the progressively severe punishments he receives for continuing to crow. The silenced populace, invigorated by the rooster‘s bravery, ousts the tyrannical mayor and returns their city to its free and clamorous state”
Tiger vs. Nightmare – by Emily Tetri
Tiger is a very lucky kid while SHE sleeps, Monster scares all of her nightmares away. Thanks to her friend, Tiger has nothing but good dreams. But waiting in the darkness is a nightmare so big and mean that Monster can’t fight it alone. Only teamwork and a lot of bravery can chase this nightmare away
The Thing Lou Couldn’t Doo – by Ashley Spires
Young Lou is fearless, willing to run, build fortresses, rescue wild animals, and do anything her friends can do–except climb a tree. Lou has to learn to face her fears and find her courage to join her friends on this fun adventure.
The Body and the Whale – by Mordican Gerstein
Abelardo defies his father’s instructions and sets out to free a whale caught in their tangled fishing net.
Drum Dream Girl: how one girl’s courage changed music by Margarita Engle
Follows a girl in the 1920s as she strives to become a drummer, despite being continually reminded that only boys play the drums, and that there has never been a female drummer in Cuba. Includes note about Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who inspired the story, and Anacaona, the all-girl dance band she formed with her sisters
The Leaf Men: and the brave good bugs – by William Joyce
When a garden and the old woman who loves it are in peril, some brave good bugs march off to save them with the help of the Leaf Men.