An interesting take on the school story. I appreciated the depth of knowledge behind the writing and really enjoyed the footnotes. A little too unrealistic in places and perhaps the pacing could have been tweaked (it ends somewhat abruptly) but overall, a good book for the 7-12 range

Calla and Elizabeth North are the unlikely strong female role models girls need these days.

When Elizabeth North, duck expert and, admittedly, flighty mum, gets the opportunity of a lifetime to study ducks in the Amazon, she and her daughter Calla both know she can't pass it up. So Calla is shipped off to her mum's old boarding school, which Elizabeth has fond memories of from when her own world turned upside down. But things have certainly changed since Elizabeth's school days - and not in a good way! Calla finds herself caught up in trying to rid the school of its new, evil headmistress - while also trying to save her mum!

Calla is the picture of unconditional love for her mum. Despite Elizabeth's tendency to forget to (or be unable to) pay bills or afford food that doesn't come off the bottom shelves of the supermarket, Calla supports her mum's dreams fiercely, making sure she takes the opportunity in the Amazon. She is strong while still showing vulnerability and is exactly the kind of role model girls need - to see that soft and strong are not mutually exclusive.

Daisy May Johnson has created a thing of beauty with this story. It's written in a fresh way and the use of footnotes in a novel is highly unusual but really effective here. Although it ended before I was really ready, it just means, hopefully, that things are all set for a sequel, and I for one can't wait to read it.

trigger warning
<spoiler> grief, being orphaned, being held hostage </spoiler>

Calla is glad to leave her old school but sad it has to be under these circumstances: Her mother is going on an expedition she has planned since girlhood, and since there is nobody else who could care for Calle, our protagonist goes to a boarding school where things are not all right.

I was confused by the unexpected beginning of this book, which is about Elizabeth, Calla's mum, who in turn went to the boarding school we're reading about. But in retrospect I can tell you that it was the right start for this story.

It boils down to a kind of Umbridge situation where pupils and teachers conspire against the headmistress because she's an awful human being. Most often I don't have any feelings towards the antagonist, but oooh I have them today. <i>She replaced all the fiction books in the library with algebra books!</i>

I wanted this to go on longer and was upset as I had only 50 pages left because I knew it would end soon. If this going to be a series, I want to know as soon as possible.
I liked the characters, the plot, but especially the writing. Footnotes make everything better. If intended or not, the puns were awesome. (What do you call it when it rains ducks? Fowl weather.)

This might be one of those rare cases where I will purchase a physical copy of an arc later on because I need it in my life. If you're into middlegrade fiction you'll love this.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

This brilliantly bonkers book left me feeling very confused upon finishing it. I can’t quite figure out whether or not I loved it or if it just totally baffled me.

How to be Brave is almost an ode to the boarding school books of the past. It gives a knowing nod to the worlds of Enid Blyton, Eva Ibbotson, and even more up to date references, such as Robin Stevens. The school of the Good Sisters combines the best of all fictional boarding schools and is a place of midnight feasts on the roof, nuns teaching helicopter maintenance, baked goods galore, secret passageways and, above all else, sisterhood.

I hadn’t read the blurb before reading it, so after reading the introduction, I assumed it was based on a true story as it feels like a factual read. Pretty quickly I realised that this assumption was incorrect. I then thought it was going to be an Eva Ibbotson ‘girl-suffers-misfortune-before-finding-herself-in-a-boarding-school-where-she-embarks-on-a-marvellous-adventure’ type of story. And in a way it was, but it again twisted to be something different. It quickly became more outrageous - more humour, more suspend disbelief, more utterly unrealistic. Less plot driven, more spirit of adventure led.

I enjoyed the narration style of talking to the reader. I also thought the footnotes were a fun addition (although less fun on an e-reader). At times I loved this book, but I perhaps feel that it - or I - lost its way. At the very least, it’s definitely original!

As a fellow Chalet fan I was thoroughly engrossed in the story of Calla and Elizabeth North. This is a celebration of classic children's fiction and authors - it's almost a guide to life through reading recommendations. If you are a Chalet fan there are so many Easter eggs to enjoy, with a smattering of Malory Towers thrown in.
I enjoyed Good Sister Robin's commentary- another one for the afficianados....
Other than all of that, a rollicking read.
Footnotes are a real challenge on Netgalley pages on a tablet - perseverance is rewarded...

Reminiscent of old boarding school stories, this new and updated version will take you to a boarding school with a difference. Nuns teach helicopter flying, there are endless hidden stashes of biscuits and the girls learn more from life than from traditional lessons.
Elizabeth North must attend The School of the Good Sisters, after the death of her parents. From that point onwards, Elizabeth learns to survive. She becomes obsessed with ducks and will become the worlds foremost expert on one particular breed. A breed that many want to exploit for dangerous reasons.
This brilliant book has the feel of a classic but is brought into the digital age with mobile phones and the internet. However, the school is still much more than a traditional boarding school. When Elizabeth grows up, she has a daughter called Calla. They barely survive and this is where true empathy for these characters comes in. Calla gets used to living meal to meal, to living in the cold and dark when the bills aren’t paid and she must survive school as an outcast.
When Calla and Elizabeth are forced to separate, Calla gets sent to the same school as her Mum. However, a new head mistress has arrived bringing a structured and strict regime into place. As with many boarding school stories, there is uprising, revolt and daring girls challenging authority. Calla, finds herself roommates with Edie and Hanna, both who will help to lead the school back to its original path!
Bravery, courage, determination- all qualities Calla and Elizabeth possess and ones that are needed to bring them together again will see the story through.
Delightfully written and with a superb use of footnotes to fill in the back story, the thoughts, the side notes, this book was hard to put down.
I completely lost myself in this story and its quirkiness, empathy and characters. I could happily attend this boarding school!

I found the beginning of this book really quite confusing and disorienting, particularly the jumping between Calla and her mother - or perhaps calla is the mother? I could see what the goal was with the lighthearted tone, the facts and the various characters. It felt a bit like the author was trying to replicate a Lemony Snicket type of voice, but the random facts in the footnotes felt quite distracting, especially in ebook form as it interrupted the flow of the story and I felt like the details would have felt more engaging if they were woven into the narration in some way. There were around 10 characters introduced very briefly which was confusing. The plot was overshadowed by these issues and I couldn’t get past the first 15% or so.

Captivating right from the start!

This book pulls on your heart-strings and builds great empathy for the characters and their situations, both in life generally as well as the mystery they find themselves in.

A brilliant, good vs. evil story, with excellent pacing that makes it a real page-turner.

I enjoyed the footnotes, having never come across this in a children’s book before and the additional information and explanations were wonderful.

It is so different in terms of writing style compared to anything else out there at the moment.

I believe this book should win many awards – I will be shocked if it doesn’t!

This was a super fun read and managed that fine line between classic children's school story and a modern adventure wonderfully. As an avid 20th century kidlit reader I loved the nods to these books which mixed with a thriller tapping into the current Bake-off obsession.
The book had just the right amount of emotion, peril & suspense all with a message of the importance of following you passions and cherishing your friends.

Finishing this stunner of a book has left me bereft, missing the characters, and with a book hangover that nothing else can fix. Accomplished, clever, witty and full of fun, with characters you will want to be best friends with, it is a quirky treat from start to finish. Johnson has a way with words and characters that is reminiscent of Hilary McKay and Kate DiCamillo. Perfect for fans of Robin Stevens and Katherine Woodfine. And for the love of all things joyous Do Not skip the footnotes .

I received an advance copy of, How to be Brave, by Daisy May Johnson. I really liked this book, I did not realize it was a thriller. I loved the characters, especially Calla and the nuns. Who do you trust?

If someone told me I'd be fascinated by a book with a protagonist who loved ducks, I would have told them to get out of town. But I really enjoyed this novel, its awkwardness and quirkiness. My favourite part of the reading experience was the footnotes. If all footnotes could be this creative, I'd skip them less. Haha.

I'm not one to drop spoilers especially with a book so new, the blurb would give you an idea of what you in for. Kinda😏 But I'd recommend this to adults to are kind of in the sunken place and need some cheering up. It made me feel so much better. Obviously, kids can read this too, duh.

I've never read or heard about this author before but I'm wanted to try something new, something out of my comfortable reading box and I'm glad I did because my eyes are on her now. Now a fan🤗

A really bizarre book, not quite sure what's going on here. Seemed to be quite all over the place and trying to be different books rather than finding its own voice.