Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Future World Changers by Janice Pratt – Review by Donya Pedigo

Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World-Changers by K.J. Kaschula
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Because no matter what happens in our lives, we’re guaranteed opportunities to understand what we’re made of.” This is a line from the foreword written by founder of Brave Healer Productions and Brave Kids Books, Laura Di France, and I absolutely love it. It is so simple a sentence yet so profound!
This book is much like that sentence as the Short Stories in it are small tales that pack a big punch of bravery, life lessons, and just great writing. This may be a children’s book, but it truly touched my heart while reading it and I can’t wait to share it with my family as I’m sure it will become a new favorite for them as well.

What is bravery? It can show up in many different forms in many different lives and this book shows 24 great examples of all different types. There are 24 short stories all with amazing characters who all in some way experience something that helps them find their bravery.

I really enjoyed Chapter 10 Amaleigha Tames a Bully by Janice Pratt where the class learns productive ways to deal with a bully. It was a nice touch that Amaleigha knew she could trust her parents enough to talk to them about the problem as well. This definitely gives kids a great example of what can happen if you encourage each other instead of fighting back and causing more ill will.

Another one of my favorite stories is Chapter 16 The Magic Inside (Uncovering The Superhero Within) by Lorie Weed. In it, Alan, though scared, faces his fears and gets past the sick feeling his fears are causing in order to help another living creature, which is a truly heroic act. Growing up, I often made myself sick with worrying and being afraid, so I loved seeing how this boy who had so much to fear was able to overcome it and to see himself as a hero through another’s eyes. New perspectives often work wonders and I think it’s important for our kids to be able to learn to look at themselves this way as well.

Do yourself a favor and get this book! Kids can learn a lot from the stories inside and adults will enjoy the heartwarming tales. I just wish I’d had this when I was younger as I think it would’ve helped me with my anxiety and to find my bravery back then.

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