Bravey (Adapted for Young Readers)

Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas

By: Alexi Pappas

Narrated by: Alexi Pappas, Maya Hawke

Alexi Pappas is not only an Olympic runner, actress, filmmaker, she is a writer whose heartwarming and life-affirming memoir will inspire young readers, as she shares the touchstone moments in her life that helped her learn about confidence and self-reliance, compassion and forgiveness, and loss and hope, in this accessible and motivating memoir.

What is a bravey? For Alexi Pappas, it means to chase the goals that seem scary. She has not shied away from the challenge.

In this honest and hopeful memoir written especially for young readers, Alexi Pappas details key moments that had profound effects on her life, including the loss of her mother when she was just four years old, to her formative years at school where she felt different from her peers, and into her young adult life, including the incredible year she experienced in 2016 when she made her Olympic debut as a distance runner and wrote, directed, and starred in her first feature film. Through it all, Alexi worked hard—physically, mentally, and emotionally, but not without setbacks and difficulties, all of which helped her learn about confidence and self-reliance, compassion and forgiveness, loss and hope. Even with good things happening, Alexi found herself facing anxiety and mental health issues. Isn't winning supposed to make a person happy? How does one make life better when it already seems good? Alexi doesn't provide all the answers, but she offers ideas to consider when life gets complicated.

Young readers will be inspired by Alexi's journey to create an abundant life filled with loving friends and family and strong female role models and mentors--who helped to shape the bravey she is today.

Critic reviews

“Incisive, personal." —Kirkus Reviews

“At the heart of [Pappas’] personal narratives is becoming . . . someone who sets goals that push them to grow and works with resilience to achieve them.” —Booklist

Bravey for young kids

I liked the story and how it was told in a nice way. Bravey is about how Alexi overcame lots of things, like her mother passing away.