Be Brave, Maple Mehta-Cohen!: A Story for Anyone Who Has Ever Felt Different

A warm, contemporary classroom story about creative Maple Mehta-Cohen and her dyslexia, perfect for fans of Lisa Thompson, Helen Rutter and R. J. Palacio. A dyslexia-friendly book.

A story for anyone who has ever felt different.

Maple Mehta-Cohen has a secret: she can't read very well. Words on the page just don't make sense. Despite all her clever tricks to hide her troubles with reading, her teacher is on to her, and now she has to repeat a whole year of school. But on her first day back, Maple tells a lie about why she's there – a lie that soon spirals out of control...

Will Maple find the courage to tell the truth before someone gets hurt? And can she find a way to love herself and her brain, just the way she is?

Readers who have faced their own trials with school and friendships will enjoy this heartwarming story and its bright, creative heroine.

"A layered, utterly readable novel" Kirkus

Adventure abounds and develops into a solid story for students who struggle with reading. . . this is a story to share with all as Maple’s reading struggles are revealed to be a result of dyslexia, allowing this title to serve as a talking point regarding the need to show acceptance and understanding for students who struggle with reading and learning. School Library Connection (starred review)
Poignant. . . For young people who struggle with reading or feeling different because of other academic issues, Maple is a welcome protagonist. School Library Journal
Maple's learning challenges and their impact on her emotional health are carefully and realistically rendered. So, too, is her heartwarming journey to shedding her secrets and embracing her true, flawed, wonderful self. Maple is a character that readers of all stripes will relate to. . . Warmly compassionate and often funny, Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen is an inspiring and comforting read. Bookpage
Frank and quirky. . . A layered, utterly readable novel. Kirkus Reviews
McGovern offers a compelling portrait of a girl struggling to come to terms with a new version of herself, the shame she feels at imagining her parents' disappointment and the valuable life lessons she learns about making friends and keeping them. The Buffalo News

Kate McGovern is the author of the young adult novels Rules for 50/50 Chances and Fear of Missing Out, which received starred reviews. She has worked in schools and education nonprofits in Boston, London and New York City, including at the Harlem Children's Zone, where she served as a reading specialist and directed Shakespeare productions with middle-schoolers. Her daughter, Priya, is the original "Hin-Jew" kid that Maple is written for. Kate McGovern lives in an Indian-Jewish household in Massachusetts, USA.

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