Thank you so much to Macmillan for sharing this book with #BookAllies! I haven’t cried from a book this hard in a LONG while.
Summary:
Collin can’t help himself—he has a unique condition that finds him counting every letter spoken to him. It’s a quirk that makes him a prime target for bullies, and a continual frustration to the adults around him, including his father.
When Collin asked to leave yet another school, his dad decides to send him to live in Minnesota with the mother he’s never met. She is Ojibwe, and lives on a reservation. Collin arrives in Duluth with his loyal dog, Seven, and quickly finds his mom and his new home to be warm, welcoming, and accepting of his condition.
Collin’s quirk is matched by that of his neighbor, Orenda, girl who lives mostly in her treehouse and believes she is turning into a butterfly. With Orenda’s help, Collin works hard to overcome his challenges. His real test comes when he must step up for his new friend and trust his new family.
My Thoughts:
There is so much to love about this book. It is one of those books that will never leave you because of the unbelievable intense connections you make with the characters and the want for more. You feel the pain Collin endure’s when he gets made fun of for counting the numbers of all the words spoken to him aloud. His reactions and feelings are raw and it makes you hurt. Since he gets tossed around schools, his father sends him to where his mother lives in Minnesota on an Ojibwe reservation. He has never met his mother, but boy, when he did my heart swelled. Just the pure joy and love he had for his mother and how he talked so sweetly of her made me tear up. Their relationship was so special. As he is learning about himself and “trying” to attend a new school he meets his neighbor, Orenda. I could talk on and on about my love for these two characters. It was so tender and loving, and you could tell that Collin was head over heels. The ending is really tough to get through, as in emotionally. I was bawling curled in a blanket on my comfy reading chair right when my husband walked in. This book is SO good. I would highly recommend for 5th and up!
About the Author
James Bird is a screenwriter and director at the independent film company, Zombot Pictures; his films include We Are Boats and Honeyglue. A California native of Ojibwe descent, he now lives in Swampscott, Massachusetts with his wife, the author and actor Adriana Mather, and their son. The Brave is his debut novel.
Don’t we all need to read a touching story every now and then? One that will make you cry? What is your favorite middle grade book that has made you cry? Share with me below!
Xo, Sierra
Books. Iced Lattes. Blessed. 