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Reviewed by: Lisa Rice, Middle School Librarian Title: It's Not Bragging If It's True: How to Be Awesome at Life
Author: Zaila Avante-Garde (with Marti Dumas)
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 4-8 Genre/Type of Book: Nonfiction/Memoir
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: No Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I liked the energetic cover and the title intrigued me. I also wondered what the winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee could tell me about being awesome at life- other than to give me really good spelling tips! It looked like a positive, upbeat book, and I needed that for a September read!
If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be:
Want to make some changes in your life? "Level up" and follow the advice Zaila, two-time Guinness World record holder and winner of the Scripps national Spelling Bee.
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Review:
The author, Zaila Avante-Garde is the winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee and also a two-time Guinness World Records holder and is also home schooled, so she has a childhood a little different than mine, which made the book fun to read. She discusses why she likes being home schooled (without throwing any shade on public school education) and she makes some interesting points- she enjoys the additional time with her family and enjoys being able to explore topics that interest her for extended periods of time.
She offers good, real advice that is inspirational without being over the top. For middle schoolers and beyond, it is solid advice that leads to success. The book is a quick, easy read with a larger font that may appeal to more reluctant readers. While I enjoyed the book and liked hearing how much dedication Zaila puts into her pursuits (she practiced 13,000 words a day from a list of words that appear in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, sometimes 7+ hours a day), it wasn't anything new to hear that success takes a lot of time, effort, and hard work.
I think my middle schoolers will enjoy this book more than the adults in my building as Zaila is speaking to her peers. I think it is a good book to have in my collection.
Some advice she gives is to have someone's back and believe in your power to make a positive difference in the world. Whoever you are, you are part of community, even if you have to go out and find it. She offers some "weird" knowledge as she encourages us to "embrace the weird" (p. 28) and informs us that every 24 hours, approximately 1% of us is completely brand new. She also encourages readers to pick a tough opponent because it gives you a reason to keep challenging yourself.
She acknowledges that life is not a fairy tale, you have to roll with the punches, and sometimes you have to "Sulk. Pout. Brood. Wail and moan and gnash your teeth." (p.98). Each piece of advice is offered with a story about how she came to realize the importance of the lesson. She says that the title came from her mother who believes that none of us can be our best selves if we are afraid of saying what we are good at. Family photos are included in the book.
I would recommend this book to my middle schoolers. It is perfect for their age range and offers helpful advice. Zaila isn't shy about telling readers that it takes hard work to be successful but also says it is good to ask for help and take breaks along the way. Her overall advice is something I want all my middle schoolers to hear.
Number of party hats:
Find resources for It's Not Bragging If It's True at Teachingbooks.net
For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website