Sheila Rae, the Brave

Sheila Rae, the Brave

Written by Kevin Henkes

Children’s Picture Book: K-3

Stars: 5 (out of 5)

Summary: Sheila Rae is very brave, until she tries to take a new route home from school and gets lost.

I think that my favorite part of this book is the uniqueness of Sheila Rae. Her love of adventure is something that I think many children can relate to. She boasts about how brave she is, even taking a new route home from school. Her younger sister refuses to try the new route with her, which is ultimately a smart choice, since Sheila Rae ends up getting lost and is very frightened. Who comes to the rescue? Of course, her younger sister! I think that the moral of this book really speaks to children, who are in their own, trying to act brave and more adult-like. Ultimately though, they are all vulnerable and need help with some things. The illustrations in this book are very rich and help portray Sheila Ray’s “brave” character.

I think that this book could be a great jumping point into talking about how students help one another out. Sheila Rae is a bit of a bully in some of the scenes, and teachers could take this opportunity to talk about bullying. At the same time, students could also talk about situations in which they have been able to help someone (that they least expect) out. Sometimes we think that we are not old enough, strong enough, good enough, etc. to be of use, bur as it turns out, there are times when we are just the right people to help. By encouraging students to think about the ways in which they are able to help out their parents, older siblings, and even teachers, we could help promote a sense of self-esteem and self-worth in our students. By taking the time just to discuss the ways in which our students play vital roles in society, we can encourage them to continue helping other out and taking pride in what they can do.