As Brave as You is what is called a “coming-of-age” story. This means that a young main character has a series of experiences that help them grow and mature. By the end of the story, the main character understands life in a more adult way. Where do you see the elements of a coming-of-age story in this novel? How does Reynolds show the reader that Genie is still childlike in the beginning of the story? What are the experiences that Genie has during the summer that gradually help him mature? How does Reynolds show the reader that, at the end of the book, Genie thinks and acts more like an adult?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt can be answered aloud or in writing, individually or with a partner/in a small group. If your students might struggle to organize their thoughts, you can consider providing a graphic organizer that will allow them to list evidence from the beginning, middle, and end of the story; pre-labeling the kind of evidence they are searching for in each section may also be helpful. You can control the time required for this assignment and its difficulty level by requiring more or fewer pieces of evidence in each section.