Books like Sheila Rae, the Brave — picked by fans

The ‘crime’ in Animal Dreams is a legal technicality, and this is a literary contemporary novel rather than a crime one, but its narrative drive comes from the same need to untangle the past to set the characters free (or as free as they can be) in the present.

The writing is glorious – rich, deep, surprising, layered – reaching levels of technical mastery that few other writers even glimpse. There are several point-of-view characters and, unlike most books with this structure, Kingsolver wrings every last drop of drama and interest from the nuances this offers.

Instead of longing to get back to a preferred perspective, the reader revels in how vivid, how real, each character feels in turn. If you love LP Hartley’s The Go-Between, you’ll probably adore this.

This book made me more courageous by reminding me of the importance of showing up as a leader even when I was scared.

Brown blends research with storytelling in a way that is relatable. I learned that vulnerability isn’t a weakness in leadership; it’s a superpower. I’ve always known that it was important to admit to supervisees and teammates when I didn’t have all the answers. But this book clarified the why—being vulnerable deepens trust and facilitates collaboration. This is particularly relevant to topics that involve ethics, as there can be a lot of shame and blame related to ethical dilemmas and professional misconduct.

Dare to Lead is my reminder that the best leaders show up with courage and heart, even when it’s uncomfortable; especially when it’s uncomfortable.

I was friends with the author in high school, and we co-edited the comedy section of the school paper together. Reading her book as an adult is such a joy. Her irreverent sense of humor really shines through. It's a very simple story about two (monster) friends who find a red door. One imagines all the worst things that could be behind it, while another imagines all the best. It's a great example of how different points of view make for the best teams. Also, the illustrations by Burton are both playful and breathtaking, with colors and characters that really pop!

This pick has the distinguished honor of convincing me to try cricket flour. It also manages to present a layered storyline, one that combines an almost classic mystery plot with a traumatized character’s journey of self-healing. This book serves as a powerful reminder that we are more than the incidents that victimized us. And yes, even an insect hater like me enjoyed learning so much about the many uses of crickets! 

This book, first published in 1987, was (and is) harshly attacked by some scholars including James McPherson who blasted the book for its overreliance on postwar, published sources. Yet Linderman’s central thesis, that war negatively affected Civil War soldiers and for some, alienated them from families and communities at home, remains valid. It is not true that all Civil War soldiers were negatively affected by war, but many were, and Linderman was one of the first to challenge the mythology of the all-heroic and stoic Civil War soldier. For a book that makes you think differently about the war and the mythologies that continue to linger about it, I’d still go back to Linderman.

The Flight Girls captivated me from the first page and never let go. Salazar’s writing is lively and fresh, as we ride shotgun with a cast of memorable characters, an epic love story, and a powerful tale of courage and sacrifice by the Women Airforce Service Pilots during WWII. This book is on the lighter side, but still packs an emotional punch. A spectacular first novel!

One of the reasons that I love this book is because it doesn’t end with success. It ends with a “not yet” and maybe I will be back tomorrow to try again. That is what life is about-we don’t always have success, but we can persevere and try new things without always succeeding. Lou and her friends have great imaginations when they are playing and they decide to climb a tree and pretend it is a pirate ship. The challenge is that Lou has never climbed a tree before. Her excuses are funny: “The cat needs a walk,” “I stepped on a slug and his funeral is in 5 minutes,” and the one many of us recognize, “My tummy hurts.” She thinks of lots of ways to get up the tree without climbing - but they don’t work. She finally tries, gets a few feet up, and falls. She decides… show more.

Another perspective of the Trojan War from a minor player’s perspective, Daughter of Yesterday, is the first mythology retelling I read as a child, and it still holds up. A series of unfortunate events puts the protagonist in Helen of Troy’s household as a companion for her young daughter.

I’d never read a version of the myth that views Helen as a mother, an often-forgotten fact in retellings. Myths are so often taught in isolation that this was the first time I realized these mythological characters like Helen and Cassandra knew each other.

The fact that the main character is a completely powerless child trying her best to survive the chaos around her ramps up the tension and highlights the tragedy of the war. 

This engaging book presents three young children being brave in three scary situations—a thunderstorm, the first day of school, and getting a shot at the doctor’s office. Using very simple rhyming text, Karla Clark captures the fear of these events and shows the children overcoming that fear. This is a great book for parents to use with preschoolers in discussing ways to deal with being frightened. Jeff Őstberg’s artwork effectively portrays the children’s fear, as well as their pride in overcoming it. The cover art is especially striking.

This book feels profoundly important to understanding the crisis of church culture. KJ forced me to look at the church and understand the implicit ways that power and control can be misused by leadership. I think KJ’s story is not unique, and yet it is rarely talked about in Christian circles. 

I do believe we need to be willing to look at our motivations when in roles of leadership, especially how we can inadvertently misuse our power and control. KJ’s use of scripture to help us see the servant heart behind leadership is truly magnificent.