Bravemole

by Lynne Jonell

Mole, who thought he was an ordinary mole with an ordinary but loving family, discovers that he is not so ordinary after all when he proves his bravery during a dragon attack, in a story inspired by the events of September 11, 2001.

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 5, 2002

About the author

Lynne Jonell is an author (and occasional illustrator) of sixteen books for children, from picture books to novels for ages 8-12, all with an element of fantasy: magical hamsters, talking cats, tiny planes with a secret fuel, rodents with special powers, and more. Her novel Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat won the Minnesota Book Award; her latest book, The Sign of the Cat, is a swashbuckling sea adventure. Coming in 2018 is Far Sight, Deep Time, a time-travel novel set at her ancestral castle in Scotland.

Her books have received starred reviews in Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Sesame Street Parents, and have been published in nine languages. She teaches writing at the Loft Literary Center, is married and has two sons, and lives in Plymouth, Minnesota.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/lynnej...

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my most cherished books from childhood. I was a year and a half old when the attacks on the Twin Towers, Pentagon, and ultimately, a lone field in Pennsylvania, took place. I have very limited recollection of the day, more so the mood and abject grief around me. We were located in Baltimore, MD at that time, and on a much more personal note, 9/11 was my parents wedding anniversary. Bravemole (back on topic) was a safe blend of the fear and pain that came from that day, and the months after, while focusing on the promises made by the older generation to protect the young. I remember, viscerally, reading about the bleeding paws of the moles who dug, searching for their own lost in the rubble, and I almost felt the warmth passed from father to child when the hard questions were asked. And I still hear “God Bless the USA” in my mind when picturing the candlelit service in the last pages. It has been years since I’ve read Bravemole, and I still have fresh, cathartic memories connected to those images and words. Having grown up and lives my first 20 years very near to the Pentagon and having seen the site of the Twin Towers while the memorials were still under construction in NYC in 2012, I see a lot of the same moles I read about as a child, in my neighbors and friends families. 100% a book I will share with my future children. I hope my mom saved the copy I grew up with lol.

[Alice Eccles · Rating 1 out of 5]

This came out shortly after 9/11, and I'm not sure my mind was truly open at the time, but I immediately formed a dislike for the book. It tried to be a comforting allegory about community and recovering from tragedy, but the pictures and text were not a good fit for each other or for the situation. The warm and fuzzy illustrations were at odds with the events, and too young for the amount of text and the seriousness of the topic. The story was too far removed from what actually happened to be of any use in broaching the topic with kids who were frightened. I never recommended the book, and I don't remember whether our small bookstore ever sold any copies.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic! It has been a long time since I have given a book a 5 star! First off the pictures are great! But the story...it is an allegory of 9/11 and it was touching without without being sappy, and powerful without being scary. In and of itself, it is a great story, but when you put the 9/11 element about it..it is just powerful. On the cover it said "Portions of the proceeds will be donated to the Twin Towers Orphan Fund". Very well done!!!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling and riveting. This book is special. The story is inspired by the events of 9-11 and is a great way to introduce students to the events of 9-11 as well as tell a heartwarnming tale of a courageous mole who worked hard for his family. This would also be a great read aloud text to share with children in a classroom because it is inspiring and shows how we can be courageous!

[Robin]

This story explains 9/11 to kids using moles attacked by fire-breathing dragons. I was uncomfortable with some of its right-leaning politics, but the book did also move me to tears with some of its lessons on love and compassion.

[Cws]

JE-Jon

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bravemole is a touching fable written about 9/11. This book can be used in lessons to teach young children about the tragedy in a non-threatening way.

[Kayla Whitlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, long picture book. Great for when tragedies strike and children need comfort.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year, I read this book to my 6th graders. I love the set up of the plot & the message the story teaches. I look forward to sharing it with kids every year.