We Can Be Brave by Mariann Edgar Budde

We Can Be Brave

How We Learn to Be Brave in Life's Decisive Moments

Mariann Edgar Budde

Penguin Young Readers Group · Print & ebook · October 21, 2025

As seen on CNN's Amanpour, CBS Mornings, and MSNBC's Morning Joe!

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Who it’s for
Bishop Budde explores five decisive moments through stories of courage, faith, and difficult choices.
Themes
Courage in difficult moments, Responding to bullying and injustice, Choosing how to face change
Genres
Christianity for Kids, Bullying, Values & Virtues

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About this book

As seen on CNN's Amanpour, CBS Mornings, and MSNBC's Morning Joe! Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde is no stranger to bravery in the face of bullies. In this adaptation of her New York Times bestselling How We Learn to Be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith, Bishop Budde and acclaimed novelist Bryan Bliss share lessons in how to learn to be brave in life’s hardest moments.

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The decisive moments in life—even in the life of a young person—are those pivot points when we’re called on to push past our fears and act courageously in the face of injustice and bullying. In How We Learn to Be Brave, Bishop Mariann Budde shows readers examples of how to respond even in the toughest times. Bravery is not a singular occurrence; it’s a journey that we can choose to undertake every day and it begins when we're young. Budde explores the range of decisive moments people of all ages encounter, from the most visible and dramatic (the decision to go), to the internal and personal (the decision to stay), to brave choices made with an eye toward the future (the decision to start), those born of suffering (the decision to accept that which we did not choose), and those that come as surprises (the decision to step up to the plate). Drawing on examples relevant to young readers ranging from Harry Potter to Martin Luther King Jr., she weaves together personal experiences with stories from scripture, history, and pop culture of how adults and kids throughout history have faced these moments and heeded the call to be brave in challenging times.

Decisive Moments

Bishop Budde explores five decisive moments through stories of courage, faith, and difficult choices.

Come here for

  • Examples from scripture, history, and pop culture
  • Personal experiences alongside stories of adults and kids

Expect

  • The decision to go, stay, or start
  • Brave choices shaped by suffering or surprise

Where it sits

Bullying65%
Values & Virtues62%
Christianity for Kids35%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Christianity for Kids
  • Values & Virtues
  • Bullying
Authors
Mariann Edgar Budde
Publisher
Penguin Young Readers Group
Published
October 21, 2025
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Courage in difficult moments · Responding to bullying and injustice · Choosing how to face change
Reading lane
Christianity for Kids