Always Brave Sometimes Kind

Winner of the 2021 Alberta Literary Awards’ George Bugnet Award for Fiction Shortlisted for the 2021 ReLit Award for Fiction A Casual Optimist Book Cover of Note An exciting debut novel told in connected short stories that captures the diverse and complicated networks of people who stretch our communities—sometimes farther than we know. Set in the cities, reserves, and rural reaches of Alberta, Katie Bickell’s debut novel is told in a series of stories that span the years from 1990 to 2016, through cycles of boom and bust in the oil fields, government budget cuts and workers rights policies, the rising opioid crisis, and the intersecting lives of people whose communities sometimes stretch farther than they know. We meet a teenage runaway who goes into labour at the West Edmonton Mall, a doctor managing hospital overflow in a time of healthcare cutbacks, a broke dad making extra pay through a phone sex line, a young musician who dreams of fame beyond the reserve, and a dedicated hockey mom grappling with sense of self when she’s no longer needed—or welcome—at the rink. Always Brave, Sometimes Kind captures a network of friends, caregivers, in-laws, and near misses, with each character’s life coming into greater focus as we learn more about the people around them. Tracing alliances and betrayals from different perspectives over decades, Bickell writes an ode to home and community that is both warm and gritty, well-defined and utterly complicated.

What if you had one year to save everything you loved? ONE PRINCESS. Merida of DunBroch needs a change. She loves her family—jovial King Fergus, proper Queen Elinor, the mischievous triplets— and her peaceful kingdom. But she's frustrated by its sluggishness; each day, the same. Merida longs for adventure, purpose, challenge – maybe even, someday, love. TWO GODS. But the fiery Princess never expects her disquiet to manifest by way of Feradach, an uncanny supernatural being tasked with rooting out rot and stagnation, who appears in DunBroch on Christmas Eve with the intent to demolish the realm – and everyone within. Only the intervention of the Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation, gives Merida a shred of hope: convince her family to change within the year – or suffer the eternal consequences. THREE VOYAGES. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Merida leads a series of epic journeys to kingdoms near and far in an attempt to inspire revolution within her family. But in her efforts to save those she loves from ruin, has Merida lost sight of the Clan member grown most stagnant of all – herself? FOUR SEASONS TO SAVE DUNBROCH – OR SEE IT DESTROYED, FOREVER.

From Lisa Yee and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat, a hilarious sequel to Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally). In his last adventure, Bobby Ellis-Chan got stuck to a stinky tree, had underwear attached to his back, and faced down a whole wolfpack of girls. What could be scarier or more humiliating than that? Oh, how about playing sports with his football-hero dad ... a cat with 27 toes ... an asthma attack in public ... dancing on stage in the school musical ... And the list goes on! Bobby will have to overcome his fears if he's going to come out on top.

Kek comes from Africa. In America he sees snow for the first time, and feels its sting. He's never walked on ice, and he falls. He wonders if the people in this new place will be like the winter – cold and unkind. In Africa, Kek lived with his mother, father, and brother. But only he and his mother have survived, and now she's missing. Kek is on his own. Slowly, he makes friends: a girl who is in foster care; an old woman who owns a rundown farm, and a cow whose name means "family" in Kek's native language. As Kek awaits word of his mother's fate, he weathers the tough Minnesota winter by finding warmth in his new friendships, strength in his memories, and belief in his new country. Bestselling author Katherine Applegate presents a beautifully wrought novel about an immigrant's journey from hardship to hope. Home of the Brave is a 2008 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Sometimes we need to be brave for big and scary things in far off places and sometimes we need to be brave for things that make us nervous in our daily lives. When were you brave today?

What if the smartest people in the world understand something that the rest of us don't? (They do.) What if they know that in order to achieve success, they will sometimes have to do things that others may initially perceive as stupid?The fact of the matter is that the smartest people in the world don't run from stupid, they lean into it (in a smart way).In The Power of Starting Something Stupid, Richie Norton redefines stupid as we know it, demonstrating that life-changing ideas are often tragically mislabeled stupid. What if the key to success, creativity, and fulfillment in your life lies in the potential of those stupid ideas? This deeply inspiring book will teach you:¿ How to crush fear, make dreams happen, and live without regret.¿ How to overcome obstacles such as lack of time, lack of education, or lack of money.¿ The 5 actions of the New Smart to achieve authentic success.No more excuses. Learn how to start something stupid-the smartest thing you can do. Drawing on years of research, including hundreds of face-to-face interviews and some of the world's greatest success stories past and present, Richie shows you how stupid is the New Smart-the common denominator for success, creativity, and innovation in business and life.

How do you teach a child to dream big and shoot for the stars? In this inspiring story, a young bunny named Zippy dreams of traveling to space. When the opportunity to attend space camp arrives, she worries she might not be capable enough to compete with other kids. But Zippy’s desire to build her rocket is bigger than her fear of failing, and through hard work and creativity works to make her dreams come true. New York Times bestselling author Ruth Soukup empowers children everywhere to dream big and live a life they love. How Big Is Your Brave? encourages readers to face their fears and overcome obstacles in order to follow their dreams and reach their goals. How Big Is Your Brave? is: Great for boys and girls, ages 4–8 An excellent choice for STEM storytime and sparking discussions about STEM fields A great resource to teach young children about confidence, self-esteem, and the value of hard work Through whimsical illustrations and encouraging text, children will discover how standing up to fears (both big and small) makes them stronger and unstoppable.