Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

It might be odd to use the word delightful when describing a story about a missing mother, but this one is. The use of footnotes is super fun but does begin to border on tiring about halfway through. And boarding school books are practically their own genre so you'll know who to recommend this book to.

How To Be Brave is a tale about a young girl who suffers heartache and loss right at the beginning of the story. It draws you in right away. You immediately feel for this little girl who finds herself alone in the world and has to learn how to cope. So many children’s stories gloss over pain and suffering in a way to protect them but kids are tough and when things go wrong it’s important for them to be able to learn how to handle it. How to be brave gives an important lesson to kids and adults alike. None of us are ever really alone, and we can all use a bit of bravery no matter what age we are,

Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC of How to Be Brave by Daisy May Johnson.
Daisy May Johnson's How to Be Brave reminded me of the writing of Lemony Snicket"s A Series of Unfortunate Events. A clever story about a mother and daughter and their struggle to make ends meet. A mystery, a boarding school run by eccentric nuns, and a quirky set of characters make this a book that is endearing and fun. The footnotes add humor and expose children to there purpose. I look forward to recommending this book to young readers!

Thank you to the publisher for an e-ARC of this novel.

The writing is quirky, and uniquely British, but I really liked the narrator, and the way the story was told. I think a lot of middle grade readers will enjoy this one!

Story seems told by a narrator and seems to be written in a folktale style with lessons to be learned. Perhaps it is the narrator style that causes little depth to the characters. I didn't feel a connection to the characters. I wasn't motivated to finish.

With thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an early copy in return for an honest review.

A fun and quirky middle grade read. I think the book has a distinctly British vibe/sense of humor (which I like, but some students may not get it) and a unique narrator. I also like the use of footnotes in the book and this would be a fun way to introduce young readers to footnotes. The story has strong good vs evil vibes and I liked the look at a more unique boarding school educational experience. Definitely a fun read for middle grade readers.

After becoming an orphan, young Elizabeth North was sent to live in a boarding school with some kindly nuns. When Elizabeth rescues an injured duck and nurses it back to health, she never dreamt it would turn into her life’s calling. Years later, as Elizabeth and her daughter struggle to make ends meet, a mysterious job offer suddenly appears. Leaving Calla in the capable hands of her former boarding school nuns, Elizabeth sets off on a great adventure. Unfortunately, the boarding school is now controlled by Elizabeth’s arch enemy, Magda DeWitt. In a style reminiscent of Roald Dahl, the author spins a tale of good versus evil as the students and nuns seek to thwart Ms. DeWitt’s nefarious plot in hilarious style. Will the students succeed in time to rescue Elizabeth? Find out in this humorous story of courage and friendship in tough times.

The narrative style was very entertaining, although the plot dragged a bit when not set at the school/convent. Some of the humor, particularly that related to the nature of the religious order, probably would go over the heads of young people but the adults reading the book aloud will likely get a chuckle.

A quirky middle-grades novel that many readers will enjoy. The characters had personality and spunk. The storyline had everything you need - a boarding school, an evil headmistress, and a mystery to solve. The use of footnotes was unique, but at times distracting...but if you take the time to read them as you should, they do add to the story and help develop the narrator’s voice.

At the beginning of How to Be Brave, Daisy May Johnson refers the reader to the footnotes at the end of each chapter. Having footnotes in a novel is unique but necessary to advance the story. I thought they might be distracting and tedious; however, I found that I did not mind them after the first few chapters. I found it also a good way to help middle schoolers to easily understand the concept of footnotes and how to refer to them in a text.
The characters are well developed, and the reader really knows them as the novel unfolds. Elizabeth, the mother, is unconventional but devoted to her daughter. Calla, the focus of most of the story, is equally intelligent and resourceful as her mother.
The conflict in the story could be considered a little far-fetched . Calla must try to save her mother who is being tracked by a group associated with an organization, Malus, which means evil. The new headmistress of the school is working for it and uses any means she can to try to control Calla so she can trap Elizabeth and use her. The fact that Calla and her friends in England could bring down the headmistress and rescue her mother who is in the Amazon seems a stretch of the imagination, but it works and makes the story suspenseful and entertaining.
I enjoyed this novel and it’s quirky characters. I found myself having a hard time putting it down. I will definitely encourage people, both young adults and adults, to read it. It is very good.

Calla's mother has always been a bit flighty about her studies of a rare Amazonian duck. Even as a child at boarding school, Elizabeth had more success with her independent studies of these ducks than she did in making friends. As an adult, Elizabeth is a loving but not financially stable parent. Fast forward to Elizabeth's daughter, Calla, who finds herself shipped off the the same boarding school her mother attended when her mother accepts an invitation to travel to the Amazon in search of the rare duck. Little did Elizabeth know that the entire trip is a set up by a corporation who want to exploit the duck for it's rare medicinal properties. This is not at all in line with Elizabeth or Calla's thoughts about the treatment of the duck and its habitat. The new Headmistress at the school plans to kidnap Calla when Calla overhears her part in the corporate plot. With the help of her new school friends, Calla manages to overthrow the new Headmistress and regain control of the school and set off to find her mother in the Amazon. A fun read, however, the character of Calla is overshadowed by her roommate, Evie, who seems to have the skills of MacGyver. Calla doesn't seem to be in charge of either her own rescue or that of her mother which sets her in the position of a secondary character instead of the main protagonist.