Collin Couch is a mostly normal kid. Except he has a compulsion to count every word uttered to him. He often gets made fun of at school by his peers for it, and this leads to him getting kicked out of school after school. One day, Collin decides to fight back which results to him getting booted after yet another school. His father has had enough and contacts Collins long lost mother. Collin is angry and shocked at the same time. Angry that yet again, he was the victim, and yet again he's being punished. Angry that his own father would ship him away. Angry with the all of those numbers in his head. But on the other hand, he's shocked that he'll finally meet his mother whom his father refused to ever talk about. The longer Collin stays with his mother and grandmother on the Ojibwa reservation, the more he learns about himself, and the nature around him. He even befriends his neighbor Orenda who is bound to a wheelchair because of her medical condition. He learns about his late older brother Aji. And how he should embrace who he is. This is a powerful story that will make you laugh, leave you in shock, and make you start up stgart bawling at the same time. I love this book, and I'm sure you will too.
![The Brave](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 100 160"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Brave
By James Bird
Perfect for fans of Rain Reign, this middle-grade novel The Brave is about a boy with an OCD issue and his move to a reservation to live with his biological mother.
Collin can't help himself―he has a unique condition that finds him counting every letter spoken to him. It's a quirk that makes him a prime target for bullies, and a continual frustration to the adults around him, including his father.
When Collin asked to leave yet another school, his dad decides to send him to live in Minnesota with the mother he's never met. She is Ojibwe, and lives on a reservation. Collin arrives in Duluth with his loyal dog, Seven, and quickly finds his mom and his new home to be warm, welcoming, and accepting of his condition.
Collin’s quirk is matched by that of his neighbor, Orenda, girl who lives mostly in her treehouse and believes she is turning into a butterfly. With Orenda’s help, Collin works hard to overcome his challenges. His real test comes when he must step up for his new friend and trust his new family.