This is a clever story and message. There are different types of bravery and I'm quite proud of the main character. It's a great read-aloud book to go through the pages and through fears of a child, but also how they react and respond to challenges and fears. Some fears are very unique, others are relatable. I recommend this book to librarians and educators. Thanks to, NetGalley, author, and publisher for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Little Wanda is trying desperately to find her brave. She is taunted by her brother Zane, who appears to have a fearless personality. When Wanda is faced with a giant, twisty roller coaster, she is unable to ride it because of her height. She vows to herself that next year when she is taller and able to ride, she will go on that coaster. She spends all winter practicing being brave by tackling scary activities.
When the spring comes around, will Wanda muster up the courage to ride that roller coaster or will she find her brave another way?

This is a beautiful story to teach young children about how to trust yourself and believe in your own feelings og brave. It is also a tale of true friendship. I loved this book and cannot wait for a hardcopy to use in my classroom.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Janet Sumner Johnson for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A welcome change to the "be brave" books that are already available. Sometimes being brave means standing up for yourself and not just learning to be brave for something scary.

Braver than Brave was a great story about being brave, but in unexpected ways. It showed that it's okay to be scared of some things, and to stand up for yourself and not give in to peer pressure. I loved the large illustrations.
I wish the type was a little larger.

I really enjoyed this different spin on being brave and conquering your fears. I think that children will enjoy reading this book and be able to see themselves in Wanda, the main character. This would be a great book for elementary aged children and for use in classrooms to discuss and cover SEL topics.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I really like this book. A bit of a surprise ending but one you will love. Great book about being brave, facing fears and peer pressure.

The pictures that went with the book were well done and super cute.

Overall, I definitely read more by this author.

Wanda is afraid of the Coaster of Doom, so she practices being brave. She pushes herself to try activities that she used to avoid. When amusement park day comes, and she’s in front of the Coaster of Doom, she discovers there’s a type of braveness that she didn’t think of before. Wanda is an amazing character, and I loved the twist at the end. I read this via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Wanda wanted nothing more than to be brave like the bravest kid she knew, her brother, Zane.
Monkey bars. Easy peasy. Conquered that at age 4.
Riding down Skeleton Hill. Only when he was 5.

Zane and her friends love the Coaster of Doom, but Wanda, not so much.

Wanda may be scared now, but she was determined to find her own brave - will she overcome her fears?

A wonderful read-aloud for little ones with a surprise twist at the end! I did not see that last turn coming and it was quite thrilling and really wrapped up the story nicely with an impactful message that will get kids thinking about what it means to be brave.

The backmatter is also a great reference to engage with little ones on the steps to build confidence to “be your own kind of brave”.

A cute and fun book that helps us all see that being brave doesn't always look like you think it does.

Wanda is a tenacious character who wants to be brave just like her big brother - or so she thinks. Great characters, peer pressure kids can relate to, and a nice twist ending make this a great addition to any classroom or library. The message is powerful without being overbearing, and kids will enjoy figuring out what brave means to them.

I especially love the back matter. Great, actionable advice that any kid can use to help them try new things - and find their own kind of brave.

I liked the message of this book. I really appreciate that it didn’t end with her spending all year learning to be brave just to do what others wanted her to do. I’m glad that it shows her using her bravery to stand up to her peers and doing what’s best for her. That’s very important.

Wanda lives her with older brother Zane and has always looked up to him. Zane was the BRAVEST kids that Wanda new! He could do anything that he wanted to and was not scared of anything, but when Wanda treid the things that her brother did; she failed and was determined from there on to 'find her brave' As Wanda grows up will she be able to dig deep into herself and find her brave when she is face with a new challenge.

I enjoyed reading this children's book and especially loved the suprise plot twist at the end. The author Janet Summer Johnson was able to convey her message to her reads effectly. This message is important for children to learn from a young age and this book is a great way of exposing children to the different meanings of 'brave'. Braver than Brave is a book that all children will be able to realte as many children look up to siblings, parents, and even friends.

I look forward to purchaing this book and usuing it in my classroom. Many thanks to the aurthor, publisher, and NetGallery for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Wanda looked up to her big brother Zane and wished she could do all the cool and daring things he did. But Zane wasn’t just Wanda’s brave older brother; he was the BRAVEST kid she knew! Whenever Wanda tried to be like brave like Zane, she failed over and over again.

At seven years old, Wanda was determined to “find her brave” and ride the Coaster of Doom with Zane and her friends. Somewhat thankfully, Wanda didn’t meet the height requirement and couldn’t ride the scary coaster that year. Wanda then decided that she would practice being brave so she could ride the coaster next year and finally be brave like her brother.

After a year of hard work, Wanda felt confident that she was the “Queen of Brave” and could conquer her fear of the Coaster of Doom. However, once she arrived at the coaster with her brother and friends, Wanda’s old fears resurfaced and she wasn’t sure she wanted to ride it. Her friends pressured her to ride with them and her brother even reminded her to be brave. That’s when Wanda took a stand and made a surprisingly brave decision!

I loved the twist ending in this story and the message for children to be their “own kind of brave.” The illustrations were colorful, humorous, and on-point with the characters’ emotions. The story is very relatable for younger children with older siblings and teaches a great life lesson that it’s important to stand up for what you believe in and not give in to peer pressure.

This is a delightful little children's book, which surprised me at the end. The story is about a little girl called Wanda who is feeling scared. She gets pressurised by other people, who tell her to be more brave. Her idea of being brave might turn out to be different from theirs, but it is still valid. I was proud of her for standing up for herself and choosing her own way to be brave, hence she was braver than brave. The images in the book are lovely, and overall this is a great little book.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful story about what it means to be "brave". Perfect companion to children ages 3 and up. This book gives plenty of room for questions and discussion after reading.

What a cute story with a surprising ending!

I loved the focus on different types of brave as that is a message that is often missed in stories like this. Not every brave decision is what people traditionally find brave and I loved that attention to detail in this story.

I would recommend this book to all young children so they can learn to find their own brave.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Braver than Brave by Janet Sumner Johnson is a children's picture book that follows a year in the life of Wanda, a young girl who does not feel very brave. When faced with peer pressure she makes the right choice for her, which doesn't always mean doing something scary. This book shows children that being brave can look many different ways, including standing up for yourself and taking your own path.

A feel good book with excellent illustrations and a very important message, this book will definitely be in my Grade 3 classroom library in the near future. I highly recommend this title for teachers and parents who want to show young readers that bravery can come in all shapes and sizes and being confident in yourself is the most important thing. I so appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book through Netgalley and the publisher. I love finding new titles for my classroom library and can't wait to share this book with my students one day in the future!

A nice and quick book with an absolutely important message: there’s more than one type of ‘brave’.
Wanda wants to be like her big brother and her friends who have no trouble going on the “Coaster of Doom”. She is determined to be brave and practices every day. But when she actually reaches the roller coaster, her knees start buckling again. Will Wanda find her ‘brave’?

I loved the concept of the book. Indeed, there are so many levels to bravery. It is not just doing supposedly daring or scary things. Children will understand how one person’s brave is another’s person’s routine. Even facing your fears takes courage and bravery. Also, one should do things for oneself and not because others want us to. You must use your own sense and gut instinct. The book thus delivers on two levels: it teaches kids to find their own ‘brave’, and to not laugh at others when they seem to chicken out of one thing.

There are some simple techniques the author has provided at the end of the book on how children can practice taking small steps towards big scary tasks. These are amazingly practical, exactly the kind of advice that will work for children.

The illustrations are cute and support the story well.

The language is very easy and suitable for beginner readers.

4.25 stars from me.

My thanks to Capstone and NetGalley for the DRC of “Braver than Brave”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This was such a cute book. I am the mama of 2 adventurous and rambunctious toddlers and this was the perfect book to read to them about being brave and letting them know that its ok to try and try again, That being brave isn’t just about getting over your fears or trying to, but being brave also means that you don’t let those fears control you and stop you from doing something new and scary, but bravery is also saying “maybe i don’t want to do this” or “nah not this time because I am still working on getting over my fear” and that is ok too. No one needs to be pushed into doing something you do it only when you are wanting to or willing to. I loved that this book talked about being brave in many ways. We enjoyed the beautiful illustrations in the story and the love you felt that was put into the book as well. Thank you so much for this beautiful story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Capstone for a free digital copy.

Be your own kind of brave is the wonderful message of this book. With great illustrations and a on point lesson, this is one you will want to have in your library.

Braver than Brave is an absolutely wonderful children’s book helping kids get through the idea that bravery comes in one form. The colorful illustrations take us through the story that teaches the reader that bravery is different for all of us and that is ok. What is scary for one, may not be for another and that is ok and respectable. We all get to choose when to be brave and where we feel comfortable.