Brave Like That by Lindsey Stoddard

Cyrus, as a tiny newborn baby, is found on the doorstep of the town fire station. One of the town heroes works as a firefighter. He is a tough no nonsense guy, but Brooks Olson is the only one who can comfort the crying baby. It seems he is destined to become a dad to young Cyrus. 

"(He) said he wasn't one for holding babies and he'd pass. He held up his thick, calloused hands, shook his head and pursed his lips to say no thanks. But they handed me to him anyway ... and somewhere on his navy-blue firehouse T-shirt I found a place to be quiet and I slept there the whole ride as they tore through intersections all the way to the hospital."

The fire station staff become an extended family for Cyrus. And he also gains an adopted grandmother. She is one of the most important people in his life but sadly she has had a stroke and can no longer communicate with words. Somehow though, Cyrus can interpret her 'na na na's'

Dad was a football star in his youth and so the expectation is that Cyrus will love to play and of course make the A Team. But Cyrus is secretly afraid of this game. He also has another secret. Reading is a huge struggle. Cyrus has become very good at faking - making it look like he really needs to go to the bathroom as a way to avoid complex tasks in class and also now to avoid the football team tryouts.

"I can sound out almost any word, even really long ones, and read perfectly for a hundred chapters, but when I have to string them together and tell you what I read, that's when my brain goes blank and I can't remember any of the words or how they fit together."

One special day each year that is celebrated at the fire station is the day Cyrus arrived on their doorstep. This has become his official birthday. On evening of his eleventh birthday a stay pup whimpers at the door.

"When we hear him whimper and whine at the firehouse front door, all the guys stop what they are doing. ... And I know what they're all thinking because I know the guys. They're thinking about August twenty-seventh eleven years ago. When I showed up at the firehouse doorstep as a screaming, crying baby."

Cyrus falls deeply in love with Parker, but dad says no. 

"Parker yawns and whimpers and I hug him closer. My fingers fit the groves of his ribs the same way my dad taught me to slide my fingers between the laces of a football. But my fingers feel more right where they belong holding Parker than they do around the leather of a ball."

Cyrus has so many burdens. He needs to tell his dad he does not want to play football. He needs to confess that reading his hard. He is worried his dad will be disappointed that he is not brave and that he does not want to be a fire fighter and now he needs to find a way to be with Parker but dad has dropped him at the animal shelter. 

"I smile, and I don't say that no one actually knows what's in my blood, ... And I don't say that I didn't wish to be a fireman. I wished for Parker ... and that Dad would soften the creases in his forehead and give up his no-pet-no-way policy."

At age eleven Cyrus is now at a new school with a new set of teachers including a fabulous English teacher who, like Colby Sharp, reads a terrific picture book to his class every day.  

"You think you're all too old for picture books, but let me tell you something. You're not. No one is."

Read more here

  

Each Kindness

Cyrus is also given the classic book Wonder as a gift for his birthday but he knows he won't be able to read it. Because of Winn Dixie is also mentioned as a book his teacher read in Grade Four. The class read Oliver Button is not a Sissy and this could feel quite didactic because the new kid in the class Eduardo is very similar to Oliver Button but Lindsey Stoddard treats this with such a light touch it never feels like she is trying to teach her readers a lesson.

Publisher blurb: Cyrus Olson’s dad is a hero—Northfield’s former football star and now one of their finest firefighters. Everyone expects Cyrus to follow in his dad’s record-breaking footsteps, and he wishes they were right—except he’s never been brave like that. But this year, with the help of a stray dog, a few new friends, a little bit of rhythm, and a lot of nerve, he may just discover that actually…he is.

Yesterday I had a list of chores to complete but reading this book was one of those wonderful experience where everything else must be put aside so you can just sit and read and read. Such a rich and engrossing reading experience. I was so desperate to help Cyrus and so relieved by that all important happy ending. I especially loved all the minor characters - the English teacher Mr Hewitt; the new kid Eduardo and his twin brother; Sam the new firefighter; and the girls of 7H who volunteer at the dog rescue centre. 

I know nothing about American Football but that is not important. Listen to this video with Colby Sharp:

"A lot of kids need to know they are not alone ... " Colby Sharp

Other reviews - School Library Journal; Madison's Library; Kirkus; and Reading Middle Grade.

The title of this book forms a repeated refrain:

"I don't tell him that I'm not brave like that. Brave like sliding-down-a-pole-and-landing-on-my-feet brave."

"And I'm not brave like that. Brave like break-my-bones-for-the-love-of-the-game kind of brave."

There are also some wonderful music references in this book - you might want to make a play list if you read this book with your class or family. Grandma has a fabulous record collection. Ray Charles What'd I Say; Nina Simone Wild is the Wind; Somewhere over the rainbow; and Marvin Gaye What's Going on are four examples. And in a classroom, I would also make a list of the wise words of the new firefighter - a girl named Sam. 

Here are some companion books:

Talking to Alaska

One Dog and his Boy

Too small to Fail

When friendship followed me home

I enjoyed another book by Lindsey Stoddard:

Right as Rain

Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko illustrated by Wallace West

"Your heart is a muscle. 

It just grows stronger the more you use it."

Dogtown, the home for stray dogs, is now home to Chance. Months ago, her loving family left for a sabbatical and they couldn't take their loved dog - Chance. The family did employ a dogsitter to look after her in their home but this girl did not love dogs and when her boyfriend moved in things became violent and unbearable for Chance. There are other sad details to this part of the story but I will let you discover these for yourself. 

As the story opens, we meet Chance she now lives at Dogtown. Luckily the Manager of the facility has quite quickly decided Chance is a lucky dog. She doesn't know that a tiny mouse (great friend to Chance) made sure this human would think Chance was special. So Chance is free to wander about Dogtown. She is does not have to be confined to a cage. This means she is the perfect narrator - able to describe the other dogs at the shelter and watch all the comings and goings. Unfortunately, this shelter also takes in robot dogs. You will laugh when you read that they even have fleas.

"Most of the robot dogs at Dogtown were known by their breed names: eDog, iDog, Aibo, RoboRover, or Pup1000. But those aren't real dog breeds like pug and pointers and Pekinese. Nothing is real about a metal dog. ... Besides a lot of them are in bad shape by the time they get to Dogtown.Tails broken, wires poking out, charger missing. Nothing sadder than a plugged in pooch who can't wag his own tail. He'd go straight to the e-waste heap." Hear this on the audio sample.

One of these robot dogs is very strange. He is not broken. He sits in his cage reading his instruction manual. Then one day some kids arrive at the dog shelter. They are part of a reading program and one boy, Quinn, is somehow able to bond with Metal Head. Over time the little boy learns to read his favourite book - Green Eggs and Ham. But then the book is destroyed and Quinn is no longer allowed to come to the shelter. It turns out one of the dogs - Buster - has chewed it up. Why? Because Metal Head has been given a top position in the shelter which means he, and other robot dogs, are likely to be adopted by loving families well before they choose a live dog. Bottom line - jealousy!

If a dog is left at the shelter for too long their name goes on a List. All of the dogs at the shelter love an old Saint Bernard named Geraldine. Her name is on the List. Metal Head seizes his opportunity. He makes a bargain. If he can ensure Geraldine is adopted, Chance and Mouse must help him escape. Metal Head is desperate to be reunited with his young owner James. The next scenes reminded me of the mayhem of Toy Story - I raced through these chapters hoping little Chance would find her all-important happy ending. Could there be a way Chance could find her precious family again?

Bookseller blurb: A story of kindness and finding a home. Dogtown is a shelter for stray dogs, misbehaving dogs, and discarded robot dogs, whose owners have outgrown them. When two dogs - and a mouse - embark on an adventure to find their forever homes, there is danger, cheese sandwiches, a charging station, and some unexpected kindnesses along the way. ... Dogtown is a shelter for stray dogs, misbehaving dogs, and discarded robot dogs, whose owners have outgrown them. Chance, a real dog, has been in Dogtown since his owners unwittingly left him with irresponsible dog-sitters who skipped town. Metal Head is a robot dog who dreams of being back in a real home. And Mouse is a mouse who has the run of Dogtown, pilfering kibble, and performing clever feats to protect the dogs he loves. When Chance and Metal Head embark on an adventure to find their forever homes, there is danger, cheese sandwiches, a charging station, and some unexpected kindnesses along the way.

Every page of this book made me sigh with happiness.  I have been a small reading slump so thank goodness I found Dogtown which I read in one gulp! This book would be a terrific class read aloud for Grade 2 or 3 and a wonderful book to share in a family - the chapters are mostly only one or two pages. I highly recommend you add this book to your library or Christmas book shopping list. It has only just arrived here in Australia - October 2023 - in paperback so you are sure to easily find a copy in your local independent bookstore. Oh, and you do know I LOVE books about robots (and dogs too). 

I expected to see a Kirkus Star for this book but alas no.

Eminently readable and appealing; will tug at dog-loving readers’ heartstrings. Kirkus

I love it when books surprise me, as it doesn't happen often. The format of Dogtown threw me. ... There are definitely cute moments, but there's also a LOT more depth than I was expecting! It's definitely more of a middle grade book, and I'd give it to fourth grade readers and up. With the prevalence of ChatGPT, Metal Head's story will resonate with readers who question what it means to have feelings and emotions. Ms Yingling Reads

Short chapters and Chance’s snappy narration keep the pace rolling, but Applegate and Choldenko adeptly make space for gently poignant moments along the way. An accessible, appealing romp that provides a dog’s-eye view of the nature of hope, belonging, and found family. The Horn Book Magazine

Listen to an interview with Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko. 

At the end of the day, I think the most important thing is that you write a book that, even if it’s just one child, they hug it to their chest and love it. It’s so important to be entertaining. ...  And so, if one kid picks this up and loves it and laughs and maybe thinks a little bit more about friendship and kindness, I think we’ve done our job. Katherine Applegate

Back in 2011 I read No Passengers beyond this Point by Gennifer Choldenko. Click here to see her webpage. It is wonderful that these two authors have collaborated to write this emotional, at times funny, truthful and warmhearted story about two dogs and a sweet little mouse. 

Other books by Katherine Applegate:

Look for these junior novels and picture books:

Choosing Crumble

Spunky tells all

Wondrous Rex

Let's get a pup!

Finding you

Stormy

Mutt Dog

Three

Charlie's Checklist

I Always Wanted one

And here are other books for readers aged 10+ that I highly recommend:

Sunshine

The Way of the Dog

Talking to Alaska

Finding You by Robert Vescio illustrated by Hannah Sommerville

As the story opens we see a young boy in a sepia city scene. He is in a bright yellow jumper (bright pops of canary yellow symbolise hope and warmth) and he is looking across the page which means our eye follows his line of sight to the facing page where we see a small dog. The dog glows a little under soft spot light. 

"I watch you from afar. Roaming lost and alone."

The boy befriends the small stray dog and he gently ties a red polka dot scarf around his neck. Now the new friends begin their adventure across the city. Parts of this reminded me of Mutt Dog by Stephen Michael King. See images at the bottom of this post.

Then the pair arrive at a crossroad. One way is dark and cold and the other is light and full of colour. In a joyous moment the pup takes the colourful path to the boy's home but this is where this book takes a strange twist because we see a small dog house in the garden, and in the boy's bedroom there are photos of the boy and his little dog so was this all just a game of imagination? Did this pup already live with this little boy and they were just having a day of adventures?

This book is a beautiful example of a book which has illustrations which interpret and extend the text in a wonderful way. If I was using this book with a group of children I would be tempted to begin with a reading of the text without the illustrations. I think this would be a great way to see both the interpretation of the text by the illustrator and also to realise the way these illustrations are invested with such enormous emotion. Readers need to ‘join the dots’. 

And there are beautiful word choices in this story - the page above for example has "scratchy lavender fields"; "crunchy carpeted forests"; "creaky knotted trees"; and "springy moss hills". 

In this book, the title and title page are so important. The child finds the red and white polka dot scarf on the footpath. Then he uses the familiar object to lure his pup. As they near home there is an illustration filled with colour and light – rather like walking into heaven. When the pair arrive home, we see, as I said already, a dog house. The dog has come home and he is so loved.  

On the page ‘I show you different things, places to amaze’ Hannah Sommerville has added a wealth of ideas. If you look closely, you can see the forest is inside a greenhouse. But the words are not really simple they have been written with enormous care. The page turns are perfectly paced and paced. What does the count down on the calendar represent? There are so many delicious extra details in the illustrations which readers will enjoy re-visiting and the changes of perspective add so much interest and intimacy

This is an intriguing book which can be read on many levels. Is it about homelessness or belonging or making choices? The story is open-ended and the pacing allows the reader to pause, where needed, to explore the ideas and illustrations. 

Here are some review comments:

Short, sharp sentences pack a mighty punch as the narrator tells of his journey where the pair met, and connected, for the first time. Alone in the harsh, bustling streets where ‘no one seems to notice’. While it’s cold and unsheltered from the weather, a smile brings warmth to his heart. The boy and the dog find adventure, accented by Sommerville’s alluring illustrations – the warmth and energy found amongst her textured, linen-quality paint, line and etched mixture of moving sequences and full page spreads. Beautifully moody backgrounds of deep greys, purples, greens and browns always glistening with the pops of bright yellow in the boy’s top. From sunshine to storms, we can feel their closeness tightening with the formation of a very special bond. Just Kids Lit

There is an underlying theme in this story which seems to be about a small boy and his dog on an adventure – or not. It also mirrors the story of  how a newcomer might feel roaming and lost and choosing whether to take the dark and cold or the light and colourful ‘road’ until you find the perfect place to live. Child Mags

Finding You, masterfully written by Robert Vescio and exquisitely illustrated by Hannah Sommerville is a heartfelt, tender story about new beginnings and how these often involve courage and being open to possibilities. It’s a story about the beauty in the unexpected, the journey of friendship, unbreakable bonds that form between people and pets as well as being compassionate to the vulnerable members in our community. Reading opens doors

A richly layered story resonating with themes of homelessness, companionship, love, adventure, family and more. Storylinks

Here are some brief teachers notes.

Hannah Sommerville is the illustrator of the CBCA Early Childhood winner last year - Jetty Jumping. Robert Vescio is an Australian author. He lives in Sydney, NSW. His new book due later this year is Nature's Song.  Here are a few of his books:

Here is the cover and an illustration from Mutt Dog which would be the perfect companion read and the scene with the box from Finding You for comparison.

My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk

The year is 1944. Annabelle, her two brothers, mother, father, grandparents and Aunt live on a farm in rural Pennsylvania. Everyone works hard - the children and adults - they are a good team. As a result everyone enjoys the rich produce produced by their farm including strawberries and peaches! 

It is Summer and Annabelle has walked over the the school house to help her teacher with some cleaning. On the way home there is a huge storm and Annabelle is struck by a bolt of lightning. 

"I was standing there, rigid with fear, when suddenly the air fizzed around me, as if I'd been dipped in wasps. In an instant, those wasps stung me all at one, every inch of me, inside and out, and I knew nothing at all except a sizzling pain in my head, a sharp dreadful heat, a sharp emptiness in my chest, and a kind of ending."

As she gains conscientiousness she feels rough hand pushing her chest. Later she feels her father carrying her home and oddly her every sense is heightened. Things smell stronger, noises are louder, her skin feels sensitive to all kinds of touch. 

"I could small the rain as I'd never smelled it before: both clean and tarnished, like hot meal and plowed dirt and pond rot all mixed together.  ... the smell of the people. Their end-of-the-day sweat. A sweetness that brought to mind my grubby little brothers. A sourness that was, perhaps, the scent of my grandmother, who was unwell."

Even more strangely, Annabelle now seems to have a deeper sense about animals especially dogs. She can sense how they feel. This is important because this is how Annabelle comes to meet her neighbours and helps her find three lost dogs and an old loved dairy cow. 

This is a story about healing. Terrible things happened to Annabelle and her friend Toby last year. She rightly blames Betty (but she is gone now) and Andy. Andy still lives nearby. Annabelle wants to hate him forever but somehow he keeps showing up. Perhaps Annabelle needs to stop and listen to Andy with her heart. Bad things are happening to this boy and yes he has done some terrible things but surely there can now be a way to find forgiveness.

My Own Lightning is the sequel to Wolf Hollow and while it will be good for readers to meet Annabelle and have some understanding of the dreadful events in this first book but I am going to say you can read My Own Lightning first and then go back to Wolf Hollow. Reading My Own Lightning first might actually be a good idea because Wolf Hollow is so harrowing (but nevertheless wonderful) if you read My Own Lightning you will experience a resolution to all that pain. Read this review for more plot details of Wolf Hollow. 

Lauren Wolk's writing is powerful, honest and profound. Read these exquisite text samples:

"Above us, the branches trimmed the sun so it lay in patterns on the road, a tawny ribbon of soft summer dust and worn-out stone, the whole day so perfect that the birds made up new songs about it as we passed by."

"As I looked at her, I wished I were a painter. Though I would have had to be a good one indeed to capture the look in her eyes. Hard and sweet at the same time."

"I could imagine that hitting Buster (in a truck) must have been an awful thing for them both. And I knew that even the best people sometimes looked for someone to blame when things went wrong."

When an author describes a character it sometimes only takes one word or a short phrase to alert the reader that something is amiss:

"He had a well-trimmed moustache, though no beard - which was unusual in these hills, where the two usually went hand in hand - and green eyes, my favourite kind. A big man, especially across the shoulders, with a barrel chest, like a lumberjack. Except he was dressed more like someone from town, in clean, tidy clothes, his cuffs buttoned, the kids of hat my father wore to church. The word gentleman cam to mind but his eyes were curiously flat, and I had a vague suspicious that he might not be quite what he seemed."

Compare this with Dr Bloom:

"He didn't smell like a flower, either. He smelled far to clean to be anything wild. And he didn't look like a flower either. He had parched brown hair, eyebrows that looked so much like caterpillars that I expected them to crawl off his forehead, and a thick shiny scar that ran down the side of his face. But none of that mattered as much as his kind eyes and soft voice."

I recommend this book for readers aged 11+. If your young reading companion is a dog lover please be aware (spoiler alert) the descriptions of dog fighting in this book and the wounds inflicted on these innocent creatures is quite graphic and disturbing. 

Written with warmth, Wolk’s complicated characters keep readers guessing. Annabelle learns tough lessons about making assumptions and building trust on the path to forgiveness. Kirkus

This is a journey of the heart that takes us through the pain of someone else's life and shows us that what people show us isn't even half of who they really are.  Powerful lightning indeed. A Book and  Hug

We often talk about the first lines in a book but in this book the lines that made me sigh with happiness come right at the end. 

AND the food in this book is scrumptious. I loved reading about a family who enjoyed delicious meals prepared with love and care.

"I helped put supper on the table: sliced beets we'd canned the year before, mashed sweet potatoes with butter and cracked pepper, hot buns stuffed with roasted carrots, and thick crusty slices of applewood bacon. ... but save room for dessert. My mother made a strawberry pie with shipped cream."

"Potatoes ... steaming quietly in a bowl in the sink, cooked and soft waiting for someone to peel away their loosed skins. So I did that, dicing them in a second bowl, adding in chopped onion, celery that I had sliced into little green boats, boiled eggs I diced in the palm of my hand, mayonnaise whipped up with cream, salt, pepper, all of it folded carefully together so the potatoes would keep their cut, a bit of Hungarian paprika sprinkled on top. ... (I) added a platter of cold fried chicken, a bowl of dilly beans we'd canned the year before, a basket of warm rolls."

I would like to suggest this very old Australian novel as a companion read (sorry this might be very very had to find). Here are a set of different covers

I was curious about Andy's favourite book Honk the Moose and delighted to discover it is a real book. I was a Newbery honour book in 1936. 

Here is the US cover for My Own Lightning:

Heart and Soul by Carol Ann Martin illustrated by Tull Suwannakit

Charlie Wintergreen loves to play his trumpet and remember the past when he played in a dance-band. His companion now is a small scruffy dog called Louis that he has rescued from the Dogs' Home. Louis, named perhaps after Louis Armstrong, loves to sing along with Charlie.

One night Charlie becomes quite ill and he is taken away in an ambulance. Louis has lost his best friend. 

"So Louis became a street dog, a scrawny, no-name stray. He learned to scavenge and scrounge for food. He slept in dark corners at night."

Louis keeps looking for Charlie. Then on Christmas Eve he hears a musician. Pete is a busker. He makes a living playing his trumpet out in the street. Louis joins in with his song and soon the pair have a heap of coins in Pete's busker's hat. Pete takes Louis home to his share house and they become partners. This is a small town and word of their music reaches the matron at the Rowantree Nursing Home. Pete and Louis are invited to play for the residents on Christmas Day. You have probably guessed there is an old man in the home "an old man in a wheelchair (who) lifted his trumpet and started to play."

Image Source: Tull Suwannakit

Given the current social situation and the coming together to protect elderly members of our population, this book unknowingly expresses the value we place in our wisest of community members.   Reading Time

I would read this book with some jazz music playing in the background. You might talk to your young reading companion about soul music and the expression to play music with your heart and soul. It might also be good to compare Louis with other "famous" stray dogs in Australian Picture books such as Mutt Dog and Reggie Queen of the Street. I'd also recommend taking a look at the wordless book Stormy. Carol Ann Martin lives in Tasmania and her husband is a jazz musician!

I am gathering books published in 2020 which might be added to the CBCA Notables list which will be announced at the end of February. Fingers crossed Heart and Soul makes the cut.

It is so sad when an elderly person is moved into a care home and I know a children's picture book or novel cannot undo the difficulties or hurt of this situation but books like Heart and Soul and others I have placed here might help a young child explore their emotions and hopefully ask questions if they have an elderly relative in this situation.

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge

Newspaper Hats

A home for Gnomes

A Rabbit named Harris

The ABC with Honora Lee