Sheila Rae, the Brave is about a lot of things near and dear to me. Brave kids who I admire so much—particularly kids who have had a lot to cope with these past few years. People with the name Rae—like my grandmother, Rae Kemler, and her middle-name namesake, Sophie Rae.
And especially, people who are lucky enough—like Sheila Rae and me—to have amazing and very brave little sisters.
Just like Louise, my younger sister, Emily, has helped me find my way so many times in our many decades together on this planet. She has been a source of constant support, inspiration, advice, friendship, and sisterhood. Only Emily can truly understand the nuances of our childhood and share the memories.
Today (November 22) is Emily’s birthday, and in the spirit of Kevin Henkes’s wonderful, timeless picture book that has been inspiring readers and celebrating bravery since it was first published 35 years ago—and since Emily and I were (almost) Sheila Rae’s and Louise’s age—I dedicate this Scholastic Book Clubs Book of the Week to her.
Here are some additional resources to complement the Book of the Week:
• Take a brain break with the Book Boys as they perform an original song about bravery
• Get tips from kindergarten teacher Meredith Morgan on how to use Sheila Rae, the Brave in the classroom in Book Talks
• Read an exclusive interview with author-illustrator Kevin Henkes in Behind the Scenes
• Download a free printable activity to accompany Sheila Rae, the Brave in Cooked Up from a Book
Teachers are some of the bravest people I know. And our work at Scholastic Book Clubs is to make it as easy as possible for every teacher to reach all their students with wonderful books they can choose and own. That’s why in addition to the $1 Book of the Week, we’ve created inflation-busting savings, exclusive author events, live read-aloud shows, and fun contests to get kids engaged with reading.
Wishing all of our teachers, students, and families a happy and healthy holiday season from all of us at Scholastic Book Clubs.
Please feel free to reach out anytime at judy.newman@scholastic.com.
XX,
Judy
This Book Is Available from Scholastic Book Clubs
My grandmother, Rae, teaching me how to play the piano, and my granddaughter, Sophie Rae, teaching her uncle John how to serve a salad.
Years and years of sisterhood.
