Brave Molly

by Brooke Boynton-Hughes (Author)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
What do you do when no one can see your monsters but you? At first, Molly runs from them. But they follow her down the sidewalk, getting in the way when she tries to make a new friend, popping up unexpectedly out of shadows, and multiplying. Until finally...Molly faces her fears. Author-illustrator Brooke Boynton-Hughes delivers a modern classic in this moving adventure that honors everyday acts of bravery and the power of friendship to banish the monsters that haunt us.
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Hardcover
$16.99

Kirkus

Readers struggling with their own shyness will find inspiration in this plucky heroine.... Brave indeed.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-In this nearly wordless picture book, a young girl summons the courage to overcome her fears and vanquish the ever-present monster that only she can see. The opening spread zooms in on Molly's pencil sketch of this antagonist, made just frightening enough by scratchy cross-hatched lines and undefined features. From her window seat, the lonely girl gazes longingly at three children sitting on a nearby bench, but she is kept from joining them by the monster, which looms nearby. She finally heads outdoors, and though the boy greets her with a wave, the monster remains omnipotent. When the boy leaves a book behind, Molly is determined to return it. It will take a harrowing journey through the woods, with the monster (which multiplies into many monsters) close on her heels, before Molly understands that she must stop running away and stand up to her fears (the book is returned and a friendship is forged). The detailed, vividly expressive mixed-media illustrations convey the action while allowing readers to interpret the story for themselves. The monster is never named, and children can rely on their own experiences to verbalize how Molly is feeling; in the process, they can also consider their own anxieties and develop empathy for others. The scene in which Molly conquers her monsters (they are literally blown off the page by her explosion of courage and resolve) is empowering. VERDICT Offering much to digest and discuss, this tale is a superb choice for fostering social emotional learning.-Joy Fleishhacker, Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Brooke Boynton-Hughes
Brooke Boynton-Hughes is an introvert who often finds going out into the world anxiety-inducing. Just like Molly, Brooke found her voice with the help of books. She writes and illustrates children's books in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781452161006
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Chronicle Books
Publication date
April 30, 2019
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV039240 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Depression & Mental Illness
Library of Congress categories
Stories without words
Lost and found possessions
Lost articles
Friendship
Picture books
Courage
Imagination
Monsters

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