Helper of the Day
(Orca Echoes)

Author

Lana Button

Illustrator

Suharu Ogawa

Publication Date

February 11, 2025

Genre / Grade Band

Fiction / 2^nd − 3^rd

Language

English

Paperback

Description

★ "Reminiscent of Junie B. Jones. Well-meaning Brianna's smart narration relates her struggles coping with family upheaval, bullying, and frequent communication snafus and misunderstandings with adults as well as her yearning for a best friend. Grayscale illustrations by Ogawa evoke Raina Telgemeier vibes and bring funny scenes of this charming read by Button to vivid life."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

I'm Brianna Ross. And what I love is:

Kicking leaves.
Digging soft sand.
Helping others.

What I don't love is:

Having zero friends in my class.
Getting in trouble every single day.
Being called Brianna Banana.

Nine-year-old Brianna struggles to fit in. She can be impulsive and distracted, and sometimes she loses her temper, but she's also thoughtful and brave and ready to be a friend. Brianna thinks that being chosen for classroom helper duty will make the other kids like her. When new girl Rumi is named Helper of the Day instead, Brianna is disappointed. But could a new friend be just around the corner?

Publication date

February 11, 2025

Genre

Fiction

Page Count

ISBN-13

9781459840010

Lexile Measure

640

Publisher

Orca Book Publishers

Series

Orca Echoes

BISAC categories

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Impulsive and enthusiastic almost-nine-year-old Brianna Ross--who reads as white and is depicted with banana yellow hair--thinks third grade is "as stinky as old cat farts" in this rewarding early reader chapter book that's reminiscent of Junie B. Jones. Everyone calls her Brianna Banana (her mother says it's "because it is a fun name to say"), she has no friends in her class, and she gets in trouble daily because "my mad happens so fast." She's sure everything will change if she's declared Helper of the Day--except new classmate Rumi ("She moved new to our whole entire country") is made Helper instead. When Brianna offers quiet, overwhelmed Rumi aid, the girls strike up a tentative friendship. But will their budding relationship survive a quest to return books to the upstairs library? Well-meaning Brianna's smart narration relates her struggles coping with family upheaval, bullying, and frequent communication snafus and misunderstandings with adults as well as her yearning for a best friend. Grayscale illustrations by Ogawa evoke Raina Telgemeier vibes and bring funny scenes of this charming read by Button (The First Ones on the Ice) to vivid life. Ages 6-8. (Feb.)