Some of Us Are Brave

by Saadia Faruqi

From the acclaimed author of The Strongest Heart comes a stirring new novel from the perspectives of three very different kids who are navigating the waters of fear and friendship through the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. 

It’s a humid summer in Houston, Texas, and Yasir is dreaming of being soccer team captain—if only he could get the team bully, Cody, off his back, and maybe impress his sort-of-crush, Mona. Meanwhile, Mona is turning her nightmares into art, and Cody's home life feels as tense as the storm literally brewing down the coast.

When Hurricane Harvey makes landfall, the three kids could hardly be called friends. But as their regular lives fall apart and rising floodwaters pull them together, Mona, Cody, and Yasir will need to work as a team if they want to survive. The hurricane will churn up their deepest fears and cement their bond forever—if it doesn’t tear them apart.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction, Juvenile

335 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 10, 2026

About the author

Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American author, essayist and interfaith activist. She writes the children’s early reader series “Yasmin” published by Capstone and other books for children, including middle grade novels “A Place At The Table” (HMH/Clarion 2020) co-written with Laura Shovan, and “A Thousand Questions” (Harper Collins 2020). She has also written “Brick Walls: Tales of Hope & Courage from Pakistan” a short story collection for adults and teens. Saadia is editor-in-chief of Blue Minaret, a magazine for Muslim art, poetry and prose, and was featured in Oprah Magazine in 2017 as a woman making a difference in her community. She resides in Houston, TX with her husband and children.

Reviews

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three kids. One hurricane.
🌀
Yasir wants nothing more than to be captain of his soccer team. Too bad Cody, the team bully, won’t leave Yasir alone long enough for him to show his leadership skills. Cody’s home life is tense and filled with terror at times. Repeating his dad, The Bear’s, words to Yasir makes him feel in control when so often he’s not. Mona is the daughter of traveling professors and lives with the money and privilege that provides. None are friends, but in August 2017 when Category 4 Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Houston, TX, they will do everything to try to survive, together.
🌀
This was a heavy MG book, one that needs to be recommended and handled with care, but in the best possible way. How these three kids’ lives intersected and what their bravery showed about them will be one that will profoundly impact many students. This #novel goes beyond just an adventure story and dives into many important topics such as racism, domestic abuse, PTSD, parental abandonment and more. As a Texan whose campus was offered as a shelter for victims of Hurricane Harvey this title hit very close to home, as it’s the first time I’ve read about it in fiction. Grab this read when it releases February 10.

CW: parental abandonment, classism, bullying, night terrors, domestic abuse, child abuse, racism, physical assault, drowning, death of a parent, grief, PTSD, war

The Bear’s character did feel a bit cartoonish in the stereotypical way white ex-military racists have been portrayed and I wish I had seen more of a resolution with this story at the end instead of the dad not hitting him since Harvey and going to therapy.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

living through natural disasters

This book is about surviving during a natural disaster. If you have ever been in one, you know how everyone pulls together to help each other.

In this case, it is Hurricane Harvey. Each of the kids know each other, but they are not friends, per se. But, when the storm hits, they each have to find a way to work together to stay alive.

This disaster is recent enough that some middle grade students, who this book is written for, might remember it, vaguely, because it has been 9 years since this hurricane hit Houston, Texas. They would probably have been told about it, or vaguely remember the time the rains came or when they had to go to a shelter.

The odd thing, is that while adults may remember these things well, as the time passes, it is just a story, so it is good that the author told this one, to show how kids can get through things, and work together.

If you end up getting this book, you should check out the other books the author has written. I have loved every one of them.

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing an advance copy to read and review.

Told from three perspectives, this middle grade novel is set in Texas during the summer of 2017 as the devastating Hurricane Harvey hits. It follows Yasir, a soccer player who dreams of becoming team captain, Mona, an artist who fears her nightmares will come true, and Cody, Yasir’s soccer teammate and school bully who’s dealing with some pretty intense relationships at home.

The three kids are far from friends, but when Harvey hits, rising floodwaters force them to work together. The book has middle grade themes of bravery and friendship, but there was also lots of flood mythology that I really enjoyed learning about.

Favorite line:

ARC page 286:
“Being brave isn’t a single moment in time,” Ma replies sadly, and Yasir knows she’s thinking of her own life, especially after Baba died and she became a single parent. “Being brave is a journey, just like you kids through this flood.”

[Mar 🧡🤍🩷 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

This was a touching and heartfelt story about bravery and friendship in the face of a natural disaster.
Set in Houston during Hurricane Harvey, four children become unlikely friends and companions as they work together to survive the hurricane and fight their own personal battles with fear.
Each child had a distinctive personality and life which felt realistic to who they were. I enjoyed reading about them working together to survive and becoming friends along the way. And I liked the inclusion of all the different flood legends and myths from around the world. I knew there were a lot of them but I’d never actually come across any of them before.
This is a heavier middle-grade book since it deals not only with a natural disaster but also with topics such as child abuse, child neglect/parentification, and PTSD. All of these topics are handled fairly well and realistically for the children. Although I do wish that Cody’s dad could have had a different ending. I would have felt better if he was never around Cody again. His past abusive behavior seemed almost dismissed at the end.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is one of those books that I think will be really beneficial for middle grade students. it follows four kids during and in the immediate aftermath of hurricane Harvey in Texas. each of the kids has their own thing going on and they would not become friends without this tragedy and being basically forced to work together. one of the kids is spewing rhetoric that he has learned from his father and it's super problematic and it really shows that children listen to what we say and while they may repeat it they are also capable of understanding and knowing what's going on. this kid logically understands that what his dad is saying is not true and he has to work extra hard to fight that and overall become a better person. I thought that was really well done.

[Rummanah (Books in the Spotlight) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, which incorporates and balances the hopefulness and the darkness of natural disasters. Hurricane Harvey serves as a catalyst for our main cast of characters to confront their fears, put aside their presumptions about each other, and form unlikely friendships. I really liked how Faruqi doesn't simply put her characters into neat little boxes of "good" and "bad", but allows the reader to see their full complexities. Like the natural disaster, the first half of the book starts slowly but then rushes into action with the floods in the second half. I also really liked the different flood stories that were woven into the book too. I think the book would work really well for Grades 3-5 readers.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

It's the last week of summer vacation in Houston, Texas in 2017, and Yasir Manzoor wishes he were attending soccer camp instead of being a coach for younger kids, since his life plan is to become a professional player and help out his mother, who has struggled since his father's death. He's not thrilled to run into school bully Cody at the rec center, especially since Yasir really wants to beat him out for team captain in middle school. One of the kids Yasir is coaching is Omar, who is also Punjabi. Omar's sister Mona is in school with Yasir, and he considers her well-to-do. Mona, however, struggles to take care of Omar when her parents, college professors, go off to attend conferences and leave her in charge. Since her grandmother passed away, they get Mrs. Shabazz to stay with the children. Cody's father is a veteran who has been injured, and has had anger management issues, yelling at Cody and his mother, and occasionally locking Cody up in a shed outside. All three children have fears; Yasir almost drowned in the rec center pool a year ago, Mona is anxious about floods, which comes out in her artwork, and Cody is afraid of the dark. As Hurricane Harvey bears down on the area, they children all find themselves fending for themselves. Mrs. Shabazz has to go to work, and tells Mona and Omar to stay inside, Yasir gets stranded at the rec center and tells his mother that he will meet her after the center is evacuated, and Cody spends the night in a rec center outbuilding for some piece. As the storm intensifies, all of the children find themselves fighting the flood waters. Cody and Yasir take cover in the shed until it's clear it will soon be flooded, and they meet Mona and Omar, who have found a canoe. They all try to get to the local fire station, along with Killer, a dog that Cody has found. At the fire station, they meet Mr. Delgado, a retired fire fighter who volunteers at the center. He helps them contact their parents and get to the George R. Brown Convention Center. Throughout their adventure, the children have shared flood stories from different cultures, and Mona has drawn artistic representations of stories about characters such as Noah, Gilgamesh, and Olorun. When the storm abates, Mona's parents come back and end up staying with Yasir and his mother, while Cody's father seems to be coping better. There is a lot of clean up to be done, but the children have all harnessed their inner bravery to survive.
Strengths: The author lives in Houston, and includes a note that while her home was not as badly affected by Hurrican Harvey, she saw how devastating the storm was to some areas of the city. I liked that the children were all separated from parents for reasons that made a fair amount of sense. The inclusion of soccer, and the prominence of the rec center in the lives of the children, both made the sense of community very strong. Cody has internalized his father's rants that "foreigners" are evil, and has been mean to Yasir because of these views, but when the two finally talk, he changes his mind. I loved that Omar looks up to Yasir; we don't see enough relationships between older and younger children in middle grade literature, and they can be quite powerful. The difference between eight year olds and twelve year olds is staggering. Mona's art, and the inclusion of different myths, added some different twists to a flood adventure story. The ending, with the characters having different amounts of damage to their homes, finished this story off nicely.
Weaknesses: I had a number of books about Hurricane Katrina, but they have never circulated very well. It might be because many of them are longer; Philbrick's Wild Wave has been very popular, but it's much shorter.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy storm related adventure books like Feldman's The Puttermans Are in the House, Courage's Storm Blown, or Dodson's Escape from Hurricane Katrina.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saadia Faruqi, author of the chapter book series Yasmin plus middle grade novels such as Yusef Azeem is Not a Hero, Saving Sunshine and The Strongest Heart, writes Some of Us are Brave from the perspective of a Houstonian who experienced the flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. While her home was not impacted, those of her friends and neighbors were and the widespread devastation affected all who lived in the path of Harvey.

An omniscient narrator tells this hurricane/flooding story from the perspectives of Mona, Cody and Yasir. All three have hardships and fears that overlap and middle school, soccer and racial ties or preconceived notions about race also connect the three but at the start, the trio live very different and separate lives. Yasir lives with his single, hard-working and generous mother and both are struggling in various ways after the death of his father. Mona lives a fairly affluent life with her frequently absent and disconnected parents and is often tasked with taking care of her much younger brother during the day and with a neighbor who stays overnight. Cody’s father is former military who returned from active duty with severe PTSD resulting in a mother and older sister who try to cover up and deny the physical and emotional abuse that is going on in the household while Cody’s reaction is to become angry and overly aggressive towards anyone around him as well as feel contradictory hatred of his father and intense desire to please him. The group comes together at the area recreation center where both Cody and Yasir attend a soccer camp together, Yasir coaches Mona’s little brother Omar and Mona watches the behaviors of all at both soccer camps. When the flood waters rise, the group becomes united in a rowboat with a dog and very few supplies.

So much cannot be included in my brief introduction to the basic elements of Faruqi’s plot! There is Mona’s art that reflects her nightmares about water and storms and fascination with flood mythology, Cody’s fear of the dark and the origin of that fear at the hand of his father, and Yasir’s brush with death by drowning and subsequent fear of water. There is the symbolism of a whistle that passes from Yasir to Omar then Cody and finally back to Yasir. Themes of grief, prejudice, abuse and survival are interwoven into every event in such a non-preachy, smooth way that readers will be caught up in the survival and may not even realize all the principles and reassurances that are becoming a part of their hearts and minds. Given these elements plus the author’s skill in creating vivid pictures with her words, SOME OF US ARE BRAVE would make an excellent one school-one book, class or grade level novel study and should be on the radar of every MG award committee.

Highly recommended for grades 4-8. Representation: Mona and Yasir have AAPI heritages and Cody begins his connection with the pair having deep prejudices developed from long time exposure to the racial stereotyping committed by his father; diverse economic levels and family configuration; positive older figures such as Mona’s grandmother and Mr Delgado, the caretaker/retired fireman.

Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss and Harper Collins/Quill Tree Books.

[Beth Given · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's August 2017, and the city of Houston is sweltering under the heat and humidity (and the partial solar eclipse!). Yasir is coaching some kids in soccer at the community center while hoping to improve his own soccer skills enough to lead his middle school team once school starts. Cody will be tough competition, though; he's a good player, and Cody's dad is insistent that Cody beat any "foreigners" who challenge him. Mona has brought her little brother Omar to the community center to play on Yasir's team while her parents are out of town at an academic conference. As the week progresses, Hurricane Harvey gains strength over the Gulf of Mexico. These three kids will have to rely on one another for strength and courage, finding bravery they didn't know they had.

These middle schoolers have a lot of non-hurricane drama going on: Yamir is grieving his Baba and supporting his single-parent mother while also dealing with trauma from a near-drowning incident that happened the previous summer; Mona is basically neglected by her parents and has become the de facto parent for her little brother; Cody's dad locks him in the shed outside when he gets angry and the whole household has enabled the dad's abusive behavior. In the same way that Kimberly Brubaker Bradley's Ada found courage and reprieve in The War That Saved My Life, these characters find inner courage during Harvey that can help them with their problems after the floodwaters recede.

As a parent, it was really hard for me to read about the terrible parenting in the book. These kids all end up alone on a canoe in the flooded streets of Houston (hopefully not a spoiler, since that's the image on the cover) when they really should have been kept safe from that situation by the adults in their lives. I recognize that this is a common literary technique -- the adults are eliminated in some way so that the kids have to solve problems -- but it also feels like the takeaway here is that the adults can't be counted on during a disaster. Where was the reunion scene of Cody's parents and their son? Wouldn't his mom, at least, be frantic with worry? His dad was too busy finding purpose in rescuing people to find his own son, especially after he'd locked him in the outside shed overnight? We got a little bit of contrition from Mona's parents, but I can't fathom how these people put her in that situation in the first place.

This book really tackles a lot, and I felt like it was pretty long. I do like that it's more than a disaster story, though, and I liked seeing how the disaster might change their perspective and build their resilience.


Parents might want to know that characters use the profanity substitutes "fracking" and "shiitake mushrooms."

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

“That’s the whole point,” [Mona] insists. “Not everyone’s brave. Some of us are just trying to survive.” (ARC 225)

In Saadia Faruqi’s newest novel, Hurricane Harvey impacts a community, especially three rising eighth graders and their families.

Yasir, Cody, and Mona are classmates who each have family issues and personal fears, but that’s where the similarities end. Yasir has a loving mother who struggles financially since the death of Yasir’s father. His Manzoor Life Plan is to become a famous—and rich—soccer player, but right now he is focusing on getting the skills to become captain of the middle school soccer team. However, the previous summer Yasir almost drowned in the Community Center pool and was left with memories of What Happened Last Year and a fear of water.

Cody, who is the current captain of the team, has a verbally and physically abusive father and a mother who doesn’t stand up to him. His father frequently sends him to the “dungeon,” a pitch dark shed on their property which generates a fear of the dark. Learning to be tough and nasty and bigoted like his father, he sees the American-born Yasir as a foreigner and beneath him.

Mona lives comfortably, but her university-professor parents frequently travel and leave her alone with her younger brother and, since her grandmother died, a neighbor who stays over with them. Mona is extremely competent, cooking meals for her brother, but has nightmares; her art is what saves her. “Art, that’s her passion. Drawing, sketching, making comics. Revealing her innermost thoughts on paper in ways that look cool and edgy.” (ARC 62) She also is interested in flood myths, beginning with Noah from the Bible and Quran, and she draws herself into the myths.

When Cody runs away and becomes entrapped in a shelter, Yasir saves him him and keeps him company. Inexplicably they become interdependent and possibly friends which makes Cody want to be a better person. “’Anyway, I’m sticking with you because it’s better to stay together,’ Yasir continues. ‘We can help each other out. Give each other, I dunno, courage.’…Suddenly [Cody] feels a thrill run through his spine. To think he could give Yasir Manzoor courage. That they could stick together and be brave. Fight Harvey as a team.” (ARC 177)

The storm hits, and when Yasir and Cody join Mona and her brother Oliver, whose house has flooded, in a rowboat and then a shelter, they each conquer their fears.
Narrated by an omniscient narrator who focuses on each of the three main characters in different chapters, this is a study in bravery and hope—friendship, collaboration, and change.

[Holly Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes knowing a lot about something can cloud your objectivity. But it can also raise your BS sensor. Too many BS red flags went up on this one.

Flood myths from multiple cultures couch this middle grade novel about facing your fears and having courage in the face of grave danger. That was the highlight of this novel. Placing three 14-year-olds with diverse socio-economic, political, and trauma based backgrounds and experiences in the 2017 Houston flood Harvey was intriguing and compelling. Mona and her little brother, Yashir, and Cody along with a stray cat and dog (Killer) were engaging characters all facing very real fears. Yet, it all began to unravel as the BS smell permeated.

All these kids (and the animals) are left alone during a huge hurricane. The youngest is 5. That is ridiculous. I get that you need them to be the protagonists, but that is just silly.

If Mona could have found a raft, there would be no smell. But she finds a canoe for all four of them and two animals and they stay in it over night? A little research on the feasiblity of this could have gone a long way. No way. A raft, a row boat. Anything else would have worked.

And then it just builds. Cody's father locks him in a dark shed over night frequently. And this is OK? Cringe. Even though his dad is a VET and has PSTD, his parental rights should be denied.

And it all ends happily ever after? No. Just. No.

But even if my disbelieve was not suspended, but can imagine other readers could have been and the basic message of the story is good. Kids get over their fears, their prejudices, their bigotry and learn to function better. The gist of the flood myths is explained. Emotions are delt with. Even though I would give this maybe 2 stars, I know others will disagree.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of Us are Brave by Saadia Faruqi, 324 pages. Quill Tree (Harper), 2026. $20
Language: PG (4 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (bullying by parent)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SOME
12yo Mona has to care for her little brother while their parents are away on yet another conference trip. 12yo Yasir doesn’t have money to go to soccer camp this year, but if he coaches the littles, he can attend camp as payment - even if that means playing with 12yo Cody, who bullies Yasir. Cody, meanwhile, goes through life with a huge chip on his shoulder because his father bullies him and is constantly telling him to “man up”. When Hurricane Harvey hits land and causes major flooding in Houston, all four kids are caught and must figure out how to work together to survive. And maybe learn some great lessons about what being a friend means and how to speak up for themselves.
Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, but this isn’t about the history of the hurricane - it is definitely a vehicle for a diverse trio of kids to learn about each other and that they can be friends. Both Cody and Mona’s lives make the biggest changes - Mona learning to find her voice with her parents who have given a young girl way too much responsibility, and Cody recognizes that his father’s viewpoints are based on hateful opinions, not facts and that Cody does not have to act the same way.
Yasir and Mona are from the Middle East.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hurricane Harvey was a reality for many of us who lived in Houston at the time. This realistic fiction story will bring together three soccer-loving boys and one artistic young girl during this historic flooding event that destroyed so many homes and affected so many. Yasir and Cody are competing to be the team soccer captain, and they do not get along. But what will happen when they're forced together as the flood waters rise?

Mona and her younger brother Omar are often left to care for themselves and have quite the strong sibling bond. I loved Omar and how Mona was so protective of him but in a realistic way. Was she sometimes exasperated by him? Yes! Did she wish her parents were around more? Yes, again.

As a former classroom teacher, I highly recommend this book as a classroom read aloud. Many young students will see themselves in the characters, and it will also generate great discussions. What would you do if your father acted like Cody's? What would you do if rising water entered your home?

I loved this story, and the characters will be with me for a long while!

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another shining example of how lives intersect and the power of coming together (even and usually because of a major tragedy- in this case Hurricane Harvey that was a real storm that hit Texas).

There are interconnected lives of Mona, Omar, Yasir, and Cody that are painting a picture of life before the hurricane. Cody living in fear of his father suffering from PTSD, Yasir wanting to make it as a soccer star, Mona, big sister to Omar drawing her dreams and taking care of her brother while their parents continue to travel and leave her to be the parent.

It's about the impending storm building the stress (the transitions are news reports about the storm) and the trauma it caused as well as the healing of a community coming together in the heartwarming way that Faruqi always does in her work. This is another wonderful addition to her collection, homage to her Texas roots, and a historical marker of the hurricane itself.

[Aliceson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a historical fiction book that covers the devastation of Hurricane Harvey on the Huston area. It’s written from 3 different kids perspectives. I read it as an audiobook and they had 3 different narrators, which was nice because then you could clearly tell the characters apart. The characters are dynamic in that they change a lot during the story. They each learn about bravery and how to face their fears. The author doesn’t shy away from bad parenting (physical abuse and neglect). She also doesn’t offer a simple, everything is better now approach. I appreciated that. Mona likes to collect flood stories from other cultures. That was ok, but sometimes it was a little forced. I thought the author did a good job of describing flooding and the aftermath, including the emotional toll it takes in people. It does have some substitute cuss words (shiitake mushrooms, frackin.)

Recommend for middle school audience, for kids who like historical fiction or natural disaster fiction.

[Shirley Freeman]

Three youths are forced to confront their fears, and each other, during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 Houston. Upbeat and kind Yasir dreams of being a soccer star and almost drowned last year when he fell in a pool and couldn't swim. Cody's dad is a bully and therefore so is Cody. He, too, is a good soccer player but is afraid of the dark. Mona's drawing skills are remarkable but she is also in charge of her younger brother when her wealthy parents are out of town - often, and now as the hurricane approaches. Their stories are interwoven with newscasts and weather reports as flooding from Harvey devastates the city in the neighborhoods where the three kids live. All happen to be separated from their parents and have to rely on each other, and their own bravery, in order to survive.

[Martha Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as an Advanced Reader Copy without the internal illustrations (which are important to the plot.)

This is a really strong middle grade from Saadia Faruqi about three middle school kids' experience of Hurricane Harvey. Mona, Cody, and Yasir are all interesting main characters struggling with fears and family issues. They are thrust together during the hurricane and learn to support each other and grow as a result of the experience. There is a LOT of character change in the course of the book, maybe more than is credible, but it makes for a great story and one that gives us a blue print on rolling with the effects of climate change.

I am grateful to Saadia Faruqi for bringing up these sensitive and important topics! Kids are lucky to have her books as companions.

[Sue.the.very.busy.reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This week I listened to Some of Us Are Brave by @saadiafaruqi.
This audiobook is beautifully done and expertly narrated by Sunil Malhotra, Josh Hurley, Christopher Salazar, and Nikhaar Kishnani. Having multiple narrators truly elevates the listening experience, especially since the story unfolds through the perspectives of three very different teens who are forced to rely on one another during Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas. The distinct voices make their fears, frustrations, and growth feel incredibly real.
What stood out most to me was the tension between Yasir and Cody. Their conflict feels authentic — the kind of rivalry and competition you often see between teen boys, especially when soccer is involved. Soccer is more than just a sport; for many kids, it’s identity, pride, and hope. Cody also brings biases from home onto the field and into school, and those layers of prejudice feel honest and painfully believable.
And then there’s Yasir. Despite the way Cody treats him, Yasir consistently chooses kindness. That quiet strength and steady grace are powerful. It’s through his compassion that trust begins to form, allowing the boys to work together — not only to survive but to help Mona and her little brother along the way.
My favorite quote:
“Every day is a blank page ready to be sketched on.”
Isn’t that such a hopeful reminder? No matter our misunderstandings or the biases we carry, we have the chance to choose differently the next day.
Do you think stories about unlikely friendships during hard times make strong Newbery contenders?
Thank you to @saadiafaruqi, @harperaudio, @quilltreebooks, and @NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own. This book is available now at your favorite bookstore.

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of Us Are Brave is a heartfelt story that seamlessly blends adventure, survival, and the power of friendship and community during hard times. Masterfully plotted and paced, this story features many elements sure to appeal to young readers, from male friendship to sports and humor, while also tackling several highly discussable themes, such as bullying, navigating abusive parents, and dealing with grief after losing a parent. Highly recommended for middle grade readers.

Read my full review: https://readingmiddlegrade.com/some-o...

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of Us Are Brave follows 4 kids through the lead up and descent of Hurricane Harvey on Houston, Texas in August 2017. While it begins as a soccer story, it transitions to read more like an “I Survived” book, which I think my students will love. The characters are vivid, their problems are real, and the way they come together (no spoilers) is a joy to read.

Thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars
Pub date: Feb 10

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is an extremely feel-good story about a group of kids that are thrown together by circumstance during Hurricane Harvey. While I would love to think that overturning prejudicial minds happens that quickly, I would have liked to see a little more nuance in some of the relationships and character’s growth. I did appreciate the inclusion of several flood mythologies and think that will appeal to kids who have read Rick Riordan’s books.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in my late 20s when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston and I remember seeing footage of the flooding but reading this book has prompted me to do some more research. They say that tragedy and disaster bring people together and that is exactly what happened for the characters in this book as well as the city of Houston. I enjoyed each character's bravery and their friendships develop throughout the book.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an eventful book. Yasir, Cody & Mona are all going through different things but bond over Hurricane Harvey when they have to rely on each other.
I love watching these friendships and seeing how brave and hopeful they were through it all. They were scared but they leaned on each other which created a strong bond between them.
A great middle grade novel about friendship, hope and perseverance.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Karen Reeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love hearing different perspectives of the same event. Saadia Faruqi did a beautiful job of making me feel like I was not only hearing the three different experiences of three very different kids’ lives but pulled me in to feel like I was living those vivid experiences with them. With the intense lives that these kids are living before the hurricane mixed with dangerous situations, this story brings adventure and emotion in life-altering ways.

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lynne: Although the book is about a horrible disaster that affects all of the characters, it is presented in a thoughtful and sensitive way. All the characters work together and come to learn a lot about themselves and each other. I think readers will appreciate the fact that everyone ha something they fear. I really liked the presentation of alternate flood stories, which could easily be tied into a curriculum.

[Patti Sabik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlikely acquaintances become a team of survivors when Hurricane Harvey floods Houston. I really enjoyed this book and truly connected with the characters. Although some situations and dialogue felt a bit contrived, I think it works for younger middle schoolers.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

EARC provided by Edelweiss
What an action-packed story about an unlikely trio stuck together durning a hurricane. Each has fears to address and issues to work through as they face this storm- I couldn't put this down!

[Skyler Robbins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up reading magic tree house and I survived books where it gave kids' perspectives on historical time and events--- reading one as an adult about something I was there for is so interesting and I enjoyed it :)))

[Laurel Zeisler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was terrific. It reminded me of the series "I Survived." It blended true weather events with a great cast of characters. I loved the way they interacted and their friendship. I highly recommend this book to school librarians for their collection.

[Christine Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was more of a 3.5 for me. There were times that were humorous, times that were sad, and scenes that made me so angry. I loved Omar. And I really disliked Cody’s family and Mona’s parents. Book includes themes of grief, anxiety, and child abuse.