Reviews of Bruce and the Road to Courage
"Bruce and the Road to Courage is a charming novel following caterpillar Bruce who rejects his destiny as a butterfly partly out of a fear of heights and partly out of the desire to forge his own path. A moving story of standing up for oneself even under mocking, Bruce and the Road to Courage has a strong message for young readers who are just about to embrace novel-style books."
-- James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review
"Bruce and the Road to Courage is a recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award. This award honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. Parents, educators, retailers and the media look for the Mom s Choice Awards seal when selecting quality materials and products for children and families."
-- Mom's Choice Awards (www.momschoiceawards.com)
"The story is an exciting and lighthearted adventure that is very cheerful and endearing. It exposes a child to not only their surroundings, but also encourages them to deal with unexpected situations and problems in their lives. Bullying, true friendships, and doing the right thing even during times of adversity are highlighted. The book is exciting because of the many subtle and positive messages it gives to young readers. It is a beautiful classic story, rich in language and with some wonderful imagery. The story, the language, the imagery, and the concept are all perfect for children."
--Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
(www.readersfavorite.com)
"I really liked this book. It was an almost perfect storm of compelling characters, good storytelling ... I really liked the way the story unfolded in a very unique author voice, and I enjoyed the thread of a deeper story that ran through it. There are things to be learned from Bruce's journey, lessons from which kids will benefit greatly. And the excitement of the adventure will keep them reading. Not for nothing, the metaphoric impact will not be lost on adult readers either."
-- Judge, 19th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards
"I began reading "Bruce and the Road to Courage" to three fifth grade classes on the first day of school. All 97 students were instantly transfixed by the characters and literally begged for one more chapter each day. The characters and their struggles were completely real to the children. They championed for Bruce during his journey to defeat the evil Stang. Children laughed, cried, hoped, and cheered thoughout the story. Most importantly, this book engaged every student, even the most reluctant reader, and proved to be THE BOOK to turn them on to the joys of reading. I cannot count the teachable moments that occured in the reading of this book- rich language, descriptive prose, complex plots, social injustice, the power of friendship, self worth - truly a classic story. Students are still talking about it and writing about "Bruce and the Road to Courage", their number one favorite book. This book is a teacher's dream come true!"
-- RebeccaValbuena, Teacher, Stanton Elementary School
"My seven year old boy loved this book, every night he would remind me to read a chapter. His favorite part of the book was "all the bugs and insects" and would ask lots of questions about the different things he was learning in this tale. This book was a perfect match for a boy who usually reaches for nonfiction. As an educator I loved the fact that this book not only taught kids about the natural world but also taught them how to find courage within themselves- young kids will relate to this theme. We are currently reading the second book in the series, Bruce and the Road to Honesty and look forward to joining Bruce on his new adventures."
-- Heather Breedlove
"This is a wonderful book for eight and nine-year olds, but I am adult and enjoyed it too. My granddaughter called me as soon as she read it and said "This is the best book I have ever read." She is nine. It is adventurous and keeps moving. You can't wait to see what happens next. It is educational as well as entertaining."
-- Renae Coburn
"The book was sooooooooo good but sad at the end when [spoiler] died. I would recommend you reading it. It was really good. I really liked it."
-- Carson Delmoe, elementary school student
"Bruce and the Road to Courage takes you down a country road on a summer day, but "it ain't no picnic" you're going on. The problems that Bruce, a young caterpillar and his friends, mostly insects, birds and a mammal or two, face are not unlike those we humans encounter on some of our worst days. Bruce must deal with being bullied and seeing his friends get victimized and their lives threatened by Stang, the vicious leader of the insect-eating bats. But Bruce keeps his cool and his example of bravery galvanizes those around him to join forces against the bats. The author weaves her tale with just enough description, dialogue and suspense to keep the story moving along, making you wonder what will happen next. This would be an excellent book to give a nine or ten-year-old as a gift or to read together in class. "Bruce and the Road to Courage" is fertile with themes, characters and plot, ripe for writing and discussion."
-- Jen Bielack
"If you are looking for a character building book that is easily readable for late elementary or early middle school, The Adventures of Bruce and Friends is a wonderful addition to your home or school library!"
-- Vicki deLuzio, blogging as SurpriseAZMom
-- James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review
"Bruce and the Road to Courage is a recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award. This award honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. Parents, educators, retailers and the media look for the Mom s Choice Awards seal when selecting quality materials and products for children and families."
-- Mom's Choice Awards (www.momschoiceawards.com)
"The story is an exciting and lighthearted adventure that is very cheerful and endearing. It exposes a child to not only their surroundings, but also encourages them to deal with unexpected situations and problems in their lives. Bullying, true friendships, and doing the right thing even during times of adversity are highlighted. The book is exciting because of the many subtle and positive messages it gives to young readers. It is a beautiful classic story, rich in language and with some wonderful imagery. The story, the language, the imagery, and the concept are all perfect for children."
--Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
(www.readersfavorite.com)
"I really liked this book. It was an almost perfect storm of compelling characters, good storytelling ... I really liked the way the story unfolded in a very unique author voice, and I enjoyed the thread of a deeper story that ran through it. There are things to be learned from Bruce's journey, lessons from which kids will benefit greatly. And the excitement of the adventure will keep them reading. Not for nothing, the metaphoric impact will not be lost on adult readers either."
-- Judge, 19th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards
"I began reading "Bruce and the Road to Courage" to three fifth grade classes on the first day of school. All 97 students were instantly transfixed by the characters and literally begged for one more chapter each day. The characters and their struggles were completely real to the children. They championed for Bruce during his journey to defeat the evil Stang. Children laughed, cried, hoped, and cheered thoughout the story. Most importantly, this book engaged every student, even the most reluctant reader, and proved to be THE BOOK to turn them on to the joys of reading. I cannot count the teachable moments that occured in the reading of this book- rich language, descriptive prose, complex plots, social injustice, the power of friendship, self worth - truly a classic story. Students are still talking about it and writing about "Bruce and the Road to Courage", their number one favorite book. This book is a teacher's dream come true!"
-- RebeccaValbuena, Teacher, Stanton Elementary School
"My seven year old boy loved this book, every night he would remind me to read a chapter. His favorite part of the book was "all the bugs and insects" and would ask lots of questions about the different things he was learning in this tale. This book was a perfect match for a boy who usually reaches for nonfiction. As an educator I loved the fact that this book not only taught kids about the natural world but also taught them how to find courage within themselves- young kids will relate to this theme. We are currently reading the second book in the series, Bruce and the Road to Honesty and look forward to joining Bruce on his new adventures."
-- Heather Breedlove
"This is a wonderful book for eight and nine-year olds, but I am adult and enjoyed it too. My granddaughter called me as soon as she read it and said "This is the best book I have ever read." She is nine. It is adventurous and keeps moving. You can't wait to see what happens next. It is educational as well as entertaining."
-- Renae Coburn
"The book was sooooooooo good but sad at the end when [spoiler] died. I would recommend you reading it. It was really good. I really liked it."
-- Carson Delmoe, elementary school student
"Bruce and the Road to Courage takes you down a country road on a summer day, but "it ain't no picnic" you're going on. The problems that Bruce, a young caterpillar and his friends, mostly insects, birds and a mammal or two, face are not unlike those we humans encounter on some of our worst days. Bruce must deal with being bullied and seeing his friends get victimized and their lives threatened by Stang, the vicious leader of the insect-eating bats. But Bruce keeps his cool and his example of bravery galvanizes those around him to join forces against the bats. The author weaves her tale with just enough description, dialogue and suspense to keep the story moving along, making you wonder what will happen next. This would be an excellent book to give a nine or ten-year-old as a gift or to read together in class. "Bruce and the Road to Courage" is fertile with themes, characters and plot, ripe for writing and discussion."
-- Jen Bielack
"If you are looking for a character building book that is easily readable for late elementary or early middle school, The Adventures of Bruce and Friends is a wonderful addition to your home or school library!"
-- Vicki deLuzio, blogging as SurpriseAZMom