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Courage for Beginners
Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy wishes she were a character in a book. If her life were fictional, she'd magically know how to deal with the fact that her best friend, Anibal Gomez, has abandoned her in favor of being a "hipster." She'd be able to take care of everyone when her dad has to spend time in the hospital. And she'd certainly be able to change her family's secret.
Seventh grade is not turning out the way Mysti had planned. With the help of a hot-air balloon, her new friend Rama Khan, and a bright orange coat, can she find the courage to change?
Seventh grade is not turning out the way Mysti had planned. With the help of a hot-air balloon, her new friend Rama Khan, and a bright orange coat, can she find the courage to change?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
116 people are currently reading
2214 people want to read
About the author
Karen Harrington
17 books248 followersKaren Harrington is an author and former speechwriter. Her books include SURE SIGNS OF CRAZY (2013), COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS (2014) and MAYDAY (2016) all from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Her books have appeared on nine state reading lists.
Sure Signs of Crazy was also a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the year, a 2014 Notable Children’s Book selection from the Children’s Literature Assembly and a 2014 Bank Street Children’s Book Committee Best Book of the Year.
Karen lives in Dallas, TX with her family, where she enjoys reading, writing, cooking and long walks with her rescue dog, Sam.
Visit her:
Karenharringtonbooks.com
@KA_Harrington
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHarring...
Sure Signs of Crazy was also a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the year, a 2014 Notable Children’s Book selection from the Children’s Literature Assembly and a 2014 Bank Street Children’s Book Committee Best Book of the Year.
Karen lives in Dallas, TX with her family, where she enjoys reading, writing, cooking and long walks with her rescue dog, Sam.
Visit her:
Karenharringtonbooks.com
@KA_Harrington
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHarring...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 350 reviews
December 18, 2015
5/5.0 stars
It's been a while since I've given out five stars so I knew even before finishing that I have to share this book largely because it's inspiring.
Five things I love about Courage for Beginners; title, cover, narrator, story and message (not necessarily in that order). So yeah, pretty much everything. Let's skip to the third as the first two are self-explanatory.
Narrator
Meet our twelve-year-old heroine, Mysti - my fictional hero of the moment. Nothing about her merits attention from the kids in her school, except maybe her huge gap-teeth, yet she welcomes blending in the background of anonymity with open arms. While seemingly nondescript, I find her three-dimensional character remarkable. It's one of the top things I enjoyed most about Saving Francesca as well; you get a picture of how weird and ordinary the people around her deems her, and then you get to read about her personal thoughts and you form a different impression. Karen Harrington manage to add these details in Mysti's personality that creates a sense of reality and thus, make her a believable and sympathetic protagonist.
Story
After the previous year's debacle, Mysti plans to survive seventh grade by flying under the radar. This prove to be a feat when she was abruptly left on her own by her only friend, Anibal, to pursue his latest social experiment. But sitting at the reject table at lunch and being branded as the Texas History Growler in class is the least of her worries, not when her father lies alone - injured - in the hospital, her mom doesn't leave the house and she has a sister and dog in need of looking after.
The blurb left out that half of the story is about family. As a secondary subject, we are given a depiction of Agoraphobia, which, technically, is the fear of being around a crowd but is more commonly known as the fear of leaving the house. To read about a kid growing up with a parent with mental disorder is worrying because there's a big question of 'what if' you rub it off on your kids. Gahd, the idea really bothers me.
Message
As the title conveys, the core of the story is about finding the courage to change. A kid transitioning from innocence to discovering the sometimes harsh reality.
When all Mysti wants is normalcy, she gets anything but (because, well, life). You can't fight off change, you can only go along with it, because it is a law universally acknowledged that when you don't get with the program, you only prolong your suffering. ^^ But what's amazing about this coming-of-age is the fierceness of spirit displayed by a kid that puts my own to shame. What a badass twelve-year-old! Because what's better than finding a hero is being your own.
It's been a while since I've given out five stars so I knew even before finishing that I have to share this book largely because it's inspiring.
Five things I love about Courage for Beginners; title, cover, narrator, story and message (not necessarily in that order). So yeah, pretty much everything. Let's skip to the third as the first two are self-explanatory.
In school I learned that if you are really quiet, people will think you are smart.
I just can't stop thinking.
Narrator
Meet our twelve-year-old heroine, Mysti - my fictional hero of the moment. Nothing about her merits attention from the kids in her school, except maybe her huge gap-teeth, yet she welcomes blending in the background of anonymity with open arms. While seemingly nondescript, I find her three-dimensional character remarkable. It's one of the top things I enjoyed most about Saving Francesca as well; you get a picture of how weird and ordinary the people around her deems her, and then you get to read about her personal thoughts and you form a different impression. Karen Harrington manage to add these details in Mysti's personality that creates a sense of reality and thus, make her a believable and sympathetic protagonist.
Here is a girl who will feel all the fear and go forward anyway.
Story
After the previous year's debacle, Mysti plans to survive seventh grade by flying under the radar. This prove to be a feat when she was abruptly left on her own by her only friend, Anibal, to pursue his latest social experiment. But sitting at the reject table at lunch and being branded as the Texas History Growler in class is the least of her worries, not when her father lies alone - injured - in the hospital, her mom doesn't leave the house and she has a sister and dog in need of looking after.
Today is sleeping-in day.
So it's left to me to magically prepare a lunch for Laura and make sure she has her homework. I set up the coffeepot but use yesterday's coffee grounds and sprinkle a few new ones over the top, like Mama told me.
It will stretch our supply until Dad comes back, she had said.
We are all stretching.
Or shrinking. Larry is shrinking.
The blurb left out that half of the story is about family. As a secondary subject, we are given a depiction of Agoraphobia, which, technically, is the fear of being around a crowd but is more commonly known as the fear of leaving the house. To read about a kid growing up with a parent with mental disorder is worrying because there's a big question of 'what if' you rub it off on your kids. Gahd, the idea really bothers me.
Message
As the title conveys, the core of the story is about finding the courage to change. A kid transitioning from innocence to discovering the sometimes harsh reality.
I just figured that ever since that tree branch snapped, change has been forcing its way into my life. It's time to make friends with it. Do something on the outside that matches how I feel on the inside.
When all Mysti wants is normalcy, she gets anything but (because, well, life). You can't fight off change, you can only go along with it, because it is a law universally acknowledged that when you don't get with the program, you only prolong your suffering. ^^ But what's amazing about this coming-of-age is the fierceness of spirit displayed by a kid that puts my own to shame. What a badass twelve-year-old! Because what's better than finding a hero is being your own.
"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer."
May 12, 2014
Rama Khan! Rama Khan!
Going in to 7th grade isn’t easy for anyone, and that is no exception for Mysti Murphy. Mysti’s mother has been an agoraphobic her entire life (does not leave home) and her father recently suffered a head injury due to a freak car towel accident and must be hospitalized. Due to these two misfortunes Mysti has now become the impromptu caretaker of the home.
Then, things spiral even further. Mysti’s best friend, Anibal Gomez, has just ditched her in efforts to try his hand at popularity via a well-orchestrated “social experiment” to start the year fresh as an ironic t-shirt, fedora wearing hipster.
Mysti is such a heartwarming, lively, hilarious, and well-rounded character. She is the sidekick I wish I would have had growing up. With her wit and industrious attitude and efforts she faces her challenges, and challengers, head on. With each obstacle she musters up a little more courage and becomes seemingly fearless.
Mysti also develops a relationship with a Muslim 6th grader named Rama Khan whose name sounds like one of a superhero, which Rama Khan somewhat ends up being. Rama Khan is the fearless voice of reason that gives Mysti strength. Together, they are unstoppable.
I loved this book and am aching to hear what else happens between Mysti and Rama Khan. I also have over 30 pages dog-eared (tsk, tsk) because that page contained something insightful or hilarious.
Oh, the woes of being 12, I forgot how painful and enchanting that age could be. This book is a beautiful reminder of that terrifying time, and that everything will be okay. The best gifts are a good friend, family, hope, imagination, and a sense of humor.
Going in to 7th grade isn’t easy for anyone, and that is no exception for Mysti Murphy. Mysti’s mother has been an agoraphobic her entire life (does not leave home) and her father recently suffered a head injury due to a freak car towel accident and must be hospitalized. Due to these two misfortunes Mysti has now become the impromptu caretaker of the home.
Then, things spiral even further. Mysti’s best friend, Anibal Gomez, has just ditched her in efforts to try his hand at popularity via a well-orchestrated “social experiment” to start the year fresh as an ironic t-shirt, fedora wearing hipster.
Mysti is such a heartwarming, lively, hilarious, and well-rounded character. She is the sidekick I wish I would have had growing up. With her wit and industrious attitude and efforts she faces her challenges, and challengers, head on. With each obstacle she musters up a little more courage and becomes seemingly fearless.
Mysti also develops a relationship with a Muslim 6th grader named Rama Khan whose name sounds like one of a superhero, which Rama Khan somewhat ends up being. Rama Khan is the fearless voice of reason that gives Mysti strength. Together, they are unstoppable.
I loved this book and am aching to hear what else happens between Mysti and Rama Khan. I also have over 30 pages dog-eared (tsk, tsk) because that page contained something insightful or hilarious.
Oh, the woes of being 12, I forgot how painful and enchanting that age could be. This book is a beautiful reminder of that terrifying time, and that everything will be okay. The best gifts are a good friend, family, hope, imagination, and a sense of humor.
August 28, 2014
First I should confess that Karen Harrington is a good friend of mine, but I can promise that I would be in awe of her writing talent even if I didn’t know her. SURE SIGNS OF CRAZY, her first novel for children, is an exceptionally well-written story which received four starred reviews from the major trade journals. Holy Toledo! How many writers manage to do that their first time up at bat?
I just finished her second novel, COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS, and Karen has done it again. She has created a real world full of believable seventh grade characters with troubles and challenges which will touch your heart. Mysti, her heroine, has to cope with being an outcast at school, rejection by her former best friend and an agoraphobic mother at home.
After Mysti’s father is hospitalized, there is no left in her family capable of dealing with the nefarious outside world. Suddenly Mysti must find the courage within her to deal with a host of daunting problems, and we are rooting for her every step of the way.
Karen writes so beautifully from a twelve-year-old’s perspective, I promise this incredible author will have you laughing one moment and crying the next.
I just finished her second novel, COURAGE FOR BEGINNERS, and Karen has done it again. She has created a real world full of believable seventh grade characters with troubles and challenges which will touch your heart. Mysti, her heroine, has to cope with being an outcast at school, rejection by her former best friend and an agoraphobic mother at home.
After Mysti’s father is hospitalized, there is no left in her family capable of dealing with the nefarious outside world. Suddenly Mysti must find the courage within her to deal with a host of daunting problems, and we are rooting for her every step of the way.
Karen writes so beautifully from a twelve-year-old’s perspective, I promise this incredible author will have you laughing one moment and crying the next.
May 24, 2014
I loved Mysti. She's one tough cookie. Her mom's agoraphobic, dad is in the hospital, and her one and only best friend tells her he wants to start seventh grade with a social experiment...he is a hipster, and no longer wants anything to do with her. I couldn't believe what a creep he was! Mysti becomes friends with Rama Khan in the lunchroom, and the book is about her perserverance through the year and overcoming her own fears while trying to take care of her family.
March 7, 2018
I think most people will enjoy this sweet story; there isn’t anything necessarily wrong about it. Just for me, I was looking for something better, a story where something actually happens. While it’s not my type of story, I think most people will enjoy it thoroughly. ***SPOILERS COMING!!***
In reality, Courage for Beginners is not a story about a girl who makes something happen; it is about a girl who gains the courage to decide to make something happen. And while I get the concept of the story, I didn’t particularly enjoy it.
There was nothing I directly disliked about Courage for Beginners, but there was nothing I really loved, either. To me, the story was boring; absolutely nothing changed throughout the course of the book. The main character, Mysti, starts her story with her dad in the hospital, her mom being agoraphobic, and her best friend ignoring her. The story ends with her dad in the hospital, her mom agoraphobic, and her best friend ignoring her. Very disappointing. True, Mysti has decided to do something about it by the time you reach the last page. She has decided to change her story. But before we can find out how exactly she will do so, the book ends.
For good points: I have to love Karen Harrington’s creativity at 1) giving her character a name like Mysti, and 2) making Mysti a person who thinks she is legimately a character in a book (ha, ha) when that is, in our world, exactly what she is. Mysti herself was lovable and determined. Her friend Rama was well portrayed of the role of an encouraging friend. I admired Mysti’s determination to help her family. Overall I did understand the whole story idea, that she is working to gain the courage to change her story; I just would have enjoyed it a bit more if there would have been included a section where she actually went through with it. An epilogue would have been amazing.
I feel bad giving this book such a bad review when it really isn’t a bad book, but I truly just did not enjoy it. 2.5 stars.
Like my reviews? Follow my blog:
http://jcbuchanan.com
In reality, Courage for Beginners is not a story about a girl who makes something happen; it is about a girl who gains the courage to decide to make something happen. And while I get the concept of the story, I didn’t particularly enjoy it.
There was nothing I directly disliked about Courage for Beginners, but there was nothing I really loved, either. To me, the story was boring; absolutely nothing changed throughout the course of the book. The main character, Mysti, starts her story with her dad in the hospital, her mom being agoraphobic, and her best friend ignoring her. The story ends with her dad in the hospital, her mom agoraphobic, and her best friend ignoring her. Very disappointing. True, Mysti has decided to do something about it by the time you reach the last page. She has decided to change her story. But before we can find out how exactly she will do so, the book ends.
For good points: I have to love Karen Harrington’s creativity at 1) giving her character a name like Mysti, and 2) making Mysti a person who thinks she is legimately a character in a book (ha, ha) when that is, in our world, exactly what she is. Mysti herself was lovable and determined. Her friend Rama was well portrayed of the role of an encouraging friend. I admired Mysti’s determination to help her family. Overall I did understand the whole story idea, that she is working to gain the courage to change her story; I just would have enjoyed it a bit more if there would have been included a section where she actually went through with it. An epilogue would have been amazing.
I feel bad giving this book such a bad review when it really isn’t a bad book, but I truly just did not enjoy it. 2.5 stars.
Like my reviews? Follow my blog:
http://jcbuchanan.com
January 17, 2020
This is a book read in one sitting! Mysti enters seventh grade without her previous best friend Anibal Gomez. Originally overweight and the brunt of nastiness from school mates, Anibal decides to lose weight and become a "hipster." To do so, he believes he needs to drop his one and only friend Mysti, so that he can be part of the in crowd.
Now, all is fair in making fun of Mysti. Cruelty is now his go to thing to do. Making fun of and sharing her personal secrets deems him as better than he previously was. It hurts Mysti BIG time.
Now, Mysti has no friends and has no idea where to sit at the lunch table. Added to the pain of rejection, her father falls from a tree resulting in serious repercussions. Previously, her dad held the family together and took care of the needs of Mysti's agoraphobic mother who refuses to leave the house.
As the food supply dwindles and Mysti's father's stay at the hospital is much longer than anticipated, Mysti must take charge of how to get food. Prompted by listening to the sounds of her dog's empty stomach, she learns to walk to the grocery store for dog food and other needed items.
When she walked in a rain storm, wearing a bright orange coat, Anibal Gomez notices Mysti's soaking by a passing car. This, he deems is worthy of a poster distributed to his new friends enabling him to laugh and make supreme fun of Mysti.
Through it all, Mysti finds another friend, gains courage to enter a talent show and finds transportation to visit her father in the hospital.
This book is a treasure and highlights why I enjoy YA books.
Four and 1/2 stars. Highly recommended.
Now, all is fair in making fun of Mysti. Cruelty is now his go to thing to do. Making fun of and sharing her personal secrets deems him as better than he previously was. It hurts Mysti BIG time.
Now, Mysti has no friends and has no idea where to sit at the lunch table. Added to the pain of rejection, her father falls from a tree resulting in serious repercussions. Previously, her dad held the family together and took care of the needs of Mysti's agoraphobic mother who refuses to leave the house.
As the food supply dwindles and Mysti's father's stay at the hospital is much longer than anticipated, Mysti must take charge of how to get food. Prompted by listening to the sounds of her dog's empty stomach, she learns to walk to the grocery store for dog food and other needed items.
When she walked in a rain storm, wearing a bright orange coat, Anibal Gomez notices Mysti's soaking by a passing car. This, he deems is worthy of a poster distributed to his new friends enabling him to laugh and make supreme fun of Mysti.
Through it all, Mysti finds another friend, gains courage to enter a talent show and finds transportation to visit her father in the hospital.
This book is a treasure and highlights why I enjoy YA books.
Four and 1/2 stars. Highly recommended.
March 7, 2016
Here is a novel you’re going to love if you’re a fan of characters who seem so real they almost jump out of the pages. Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy lives and breathes stories. She imagines herself as a character in a novel and makes up interesting tales to embellish the boring parts of her life. Maybe Mysti’s wild imagination has something to do with her bed, which for most of her life has been propped up in one corner with a stack of books. The stories, she believes, seep into her mind every night while she sleeps. Or maybe her imagination has something to do with the fact that Mysti’s mom never leaves the house, so Mysti can’t do things most other kids take for granted, like go out to a restaurant with her whole family. Little does she realize her life is about to get much more complicated than not being able to go to a restaurant.
One thing Mysti really doesn’t like is change. To her, change is “a big, flat-footed monster creeping through the streets in the night.” By the time she’s ready to start seventh grade, however, all kinds of changes meet Mysti head-on. Her best friend Anibal announces that he wants to try a “social experiment,” which means he’s going to stop hanging out with her so he can become a hipster and get a girl to like him. Mysti’s dad has an accident and ends up in the hospital, which means now there is no one at home who can drive to the store for important necessities like food. And because Anibal no longer talks to her in public, Mysti has to reboot her social life, which means she has to start all over again on Loser Island, the table in the school cafeteria where “dreams of popularity go to die.”
Fortunately, despite having a gap between her teeth that she doesn’t like and an annoying little sister who practices eyebrow-raising for a hobby, Mysti has a lot going for her. Not only is she a good storyteller, but also she has a fantastic sense of humor, like her joke-loving dad. She can rattle off a joke a day and makes hilarious observations that chase the gloom behind the clouds. She sees the world in the vivid colors her mom uses to paint murals, like Indigo Blue, Burnt Sienna, and Lemon Yellow. And she is determined to fulfill her dream someday of going to Paris. Take these ingredients, add some new friends, observations from Animal Planet and Judge Judy, a lesson from Texas History about what it means to be a true hero, and a little courage, and Mysti just might have what it takes to make her own positive change instead of waiting for change to creep up on her.
Here is a très magnifique story of a girl whose inspiring example reminds me that life is not what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you. It’s a new favorite I will read again and again, and it will sit on my bookshelf next to another favorite of mine, author Karen Harrington’s first middle-grade novel Sure Signs of Crazy, where I like to imagine the two main characters will share their lunches and become best friends.
One thing Mysti really doesn’t like is change. To her, change is “a big, flat-footed monster creeping through the streets in the night.” By the time she’s ready to start seventh grade, however, all kinds of changes meet Mysti head-on. Her best friend Anibal announces that he wants to try a “social experiment,” which means he’s going to stop hanging out with her so he can become a hipster and get a girl to like him. Mysti’s dad has an accident and ends up in the hospital, which means now there is no one at home who can drive to the store for important necessities like food. And because Anibal no longer talks to her in public, Mysti has to reboot her social life, which means she has to start all over again on Loser Island, the table in the school cafeteria where “dreams of popularity go to die.”
Fortunately, despite having a gap between her teeth that she doesn’t like and an annoying little sister who practices eyebrow-raising for a hobby, Mysti has a lot going for her. Not only is she a good storyteller, but also she has a fantastic sense of humor, like her joke-loving dad. She can rattle off a joke a day and makes hilarious observations that chase the gloom behind the clouds. She sees the world in the vivid colors her mom uses to paint murals, like Indigo Blue, Burnt Sienna, and Lemon Yellow. And she is determined to fulfill her dream someday of going to Paris. Take these ingredients, add some new friends, observations from Animal Planet and Judge Judy, a lesson from Texas History about what it means to be a true hero, and a little courage, and Mysti just might have what it takes to make her own positive change instead of waiting for change to creep up on her.
Here is a très magnifique story of a girl whose inspiring example reminds me that life is not what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you. It’s a new favorite I will read again and again, and it will sit on my bookshelf next to another favorite of mine, author Karen Harrington’s first middle-grade novel Sure Signs of Crazy, where I like to imagine the two main characters will share their lunches and become best friends.
June 30, 2016
Not sure this would have gotten five stars if it didn't find me at just the right time, it probably would have been a 4 or 4.5, since I'm picky with my 5 star ratings, but it did and so it is.
I think one of the best things about the story was its voice. The author was consistent, from beginning to end. I could definitely believe that an imaginative twelve year old was telling me this story, and because of that consistency the growth Misty experiences and her changing perspectives on the world are believable.
Another thing I liked was the quirky details: a morning with air balloons, the way certain labels were capitalized, eccentric neighbors, her mom's love of growing things, the irony of her mother being a painter, her idealization of Paris and other stuff I'm forgetting.
Here's a quote to show you some of what I mean:
"But not they are all smiling and happy as the paint color Lemon Yellow. I have to take a moment to see what my eyes see.
Wrapped presents. A tall chocolate cake with twelve candles. One for each year I haven't been anywhere else but here.
"Happy Birthday, Mysti!" Dad says. "Twelve, huh? Make a wish!" welve years from now, i will be in France. That is my wish. Poof, the candles are out and my wish is a smoke signal to the universe."
I would recommend this to people who want to read about finding courage in small ways and a story about an ordinary girl dealing with family issues with aplomb.
I think one of the best things about the story was its voice. The author was consistent, from beginning to end. I could definitely believe that an imaginative twelve year old was telling me this story, and because of that consistency the growth Misty experiences and her changing perspectives on the world are believable.
Another thing I liked was the quirky details: a morning with air balloons, the way certain labels were capitalized, eccentric neighbors, her mom's love of growing things, the irony of her mother being a painter, her idealization of Paris and other stuff I'm forgetting.
Here's a quote to show you some of what I mean:
"But not they are all smiling and happy as the paint color Lemon Yellow. I have to take a moment to see what my eyes see.
Wrapped presents. A tall chocolate cake with twelve candles. One for each year I haven't been anywhere else but here.
"Happy Birthday, Mysti!" Dad says. "Twelve, huh? Make a wish!" welve years from now, i will be in France. That is my wish. Poof, the candles are out and my wish is a smoke signal to the universe."
I would recommend this to people who want to read about finding courage in small ways and a story about an ordinary girl dealing with family issues with aplomb.
December 23, 2015
This is so beautiful and inspiring and I read it in just one seating! I just couldn't stop reading this! No dull moment, everything about it will hit you in your heart in a nice way. Every character in the story is interesting. The story is just perfectly and uniquely written! Very different from the novels that I've read. Karen has this way of constructing a sentence with a complete thought that is in a perfect mixture of wittiness and intelligent. This book reminds me that change is inevitable and there are some things that we can't control. Nothing is written and choice is in our hands. 5/5
June 9, 2015
Wonderful read of Mystic, a 7th grader, who
has to become the parent because of her
mom's phobia! Mystic is a sweet, lovely
and unique female who is one who is
not in the "popular crowd" but
believes in herself!
has to become the parent because of her
mom's phobia! Mystic is a sweet, lovely
and unique female who is one who is
not in the "popular crowd" but
believes in herself!
January 6, 2020
Mysti Murphy is a twelve-year-old year. Her best friend left her to be a hipster. She also has to visit her dad in the hospital. She wishes she could have a life where everything was okay and her life was perfect.
August 8, 2024
This Middle Grade novel surprised me! I read it in one day. It had deep meaning with difficult topics, while keeping the events light and realistic. Oh, and the "dad jokes" - they had me
December 2, 2016
Courage for Beginners is a chapter book by Karen Harrington. This book is amazing. I don’t think I have had a book that exposed all of my middle school thoughts so perfectly into a piece of literature. The plot of the story is about Mysti Murphy, a 12 year old girl, going through all of the obstacles life is throwing at her. During this book, Mysti imagines herself as a fictional character in a book. The entire book is about her experiences she is faced with and has to overcome and all of the things going through her head during this hard time in her life. She is faced with a best friend who abandons her, a father in the hospital, teachers who like to call on her what she not listening, and through all of this a mom who is a agoraphobic so she is afraid of leaving the house. This last challenge in her life means that Mysti is pretty much on her own and is in charge of getting herself to and from school and even doing the grocery shopping. The incredible thing about this book is that Mysti continuously surprises you by her courage. She is constantly pushing forward and continues to make the audience laugh even when her life feels like it’s in shambles. I give this book a 10/10 and recommend it to read aloud to your students in middle school grades and possibly even 5th graders. It’s a truly hilarious book that talks about serious issues students can relate to.
January 31, 2016
I may be a 40+ year old ,but when I grow up I want to be as sure of myself as Rama Khan ("RAMA KHAN!")and as creative in my thinking as Mysti. Mysti would love to be the character in a book and she makes up interesting stories about her life. Her real life is confusing. Her "best friend" is performing an experiment in which Mysti becomes the butt of his teasing at school and they have to pretend to not be friends during school. Her mother is agraphobic and her dad is hospitalized due to a fall. Mysti's mom refuses to ask for any help so Mysti has to worry about trying to figure out how to take care of her family while their food supplies dwindle. She has to deal with her "best friend" making her the butt of his jokes at school and worrying about school and friends. However she finds her way with the help of some friends and a Texas loving history teacher.
Great story would recommend it to all those who like well written realistic fiction and don't mind reading books written for middle school kids. I know I'm recommending it to lots of my patrons as a children's library assistant.
Great story would recommend it to all those who like well written realistic fiction and don't mind reading books written for middle school kids. I know I'm recommending it to lots of my patrons as a children's library assistant.
August 19, 2014
Great story about perseverance and looking at things differently. Mysti is about to start 7th grade when her best friend decides that he is going to ignore her this year - all in the name of a social experiment. Mysti also has issues at home. Her mother is agoraphobic and her father is in the hospital. How will they get food, toilet paper, clothes? Her younger sister Laura is not much help.
Mysti is a great narrator for this story. She tells it like she is a character in a book and lets us know what is going on in her mind as well as in real life. It is up to her to hold the family together and possibly help her mother get over her fears. Can she do this without the help of her “best” friend? Is he really her friend any more?
Mysti is a great narrator for this story. She tells it like she is a character in a book and lets us know what is going on in her mind as well as in real life. It is up to her to hold the family together and possibly help her mother get over her fears. Can she do this without the help of her “best” friend? Is he really her friend any more?
July 23, 2014
Mysti, RamaKhan, and Anibel could easily be three typical 7th graders in my class this fall. Harrington did a great job of bringing us back **shudder** to the pains of 7th grade.
Life in seventh grade is hard enough without an agoraphobic mom, comatosed dad,and ex-best friend to add to the mix. Mysti defies all and makes the best of it with the help of her new best friend, Rama.
Great book for any middle school classroom, but perfect for sixth graders still trying to navigate those MS halls.
Life in seventh grade is hard enough without an agoraphobic mom, comatosed dad,and ex-best friend to add to the mix. Mysti defies all and makes the best of it with the help of her new best friend, Rama.
Great book for any middle school classroom, but perfect for sixth graders still trying to navigate those MS halls.
January 8, 2015
An encouraging, realistic book that's both emotional and fun to read! Mysti just comes alive, and I didn't want to stop reading about her! Any teenager (and any adult, too!) will relate so easily to her friendship and family struggles, because the way she deals with them is so real. This book is for anyone who has had times where they try to hide the tough parts of our lives just to get by. It's for anyone who's struggled to fit in. And it's for anyone who has lost and gained friends. A beautiful book!
April 4, 2020
Mysty Murphy's best friend Anibal decides to reinvent himself leaving Mysty alone and entering 7th grade. If that isn't enough for a 7th grader to handle, her father ends up in coma. Her mother is unable to cope due to fears and anxiety. Mysty is left to navigate how to cope with 7th grade and support her family. This book does not have a lot in the way of action, but is wonderful in how the author developed the character's emotions.
March 2, 2016
A great middle grade read with a strong sense of characterization and a lead character that you can REALLY root for. (And a side character that you will really grow to hate.)
November 2, 2017
Courage for Beginners is a fiction novel about a twelve year old girl struggling to survive seventh grade. She has a dad that had a tragic accident and is hospitalized. A best friend-Anibal- who has "left" her to become a "hipster". Lastly, a mother who doesn't leave the house. Among all that she is trying to get through her seventh grade year. I believe people would want to read this because it has a lot of conflict and makes you go through a roller coaster of emotions. It also really opens your eyes to how much we have and all the little things we take for granted.
There are so many characters and they all have different roles to helping this story play out. Of course there is Mysti, the eleven year old who is faced with many challenges and obstacles. Her mother who causes many troubles but really means no harm. She wants to be the best mother for her kids but something gets in that way. Although she never leaves the house she tries to let love overwhelm her faults. Anibal is Mysti's "best friend" but tries to impress a girl by changing his image-but in the process changes himself. There is Rama who comes in bat the end of the book and helps Mysti get through 8th grade. There is also Mysti's dad-who tragically has to stay in the hospital for a long time-and Laura, her little sister. My favorite character was probably Mysti becuase she kept strong through all her hard struggles.
This was defenitly an action packed book, there was a new conflict almost every chapter! One of my favorite parts of this book was that i never got bored, there was always another crazy thing happening. Overall, I fell the biggest conflict in the novel was Mysti's mother vs. her illness. That conflict resolved around everything in the book.
I would recommend this book to anyone, but mostly kids in school . This focuses on how challenging school can actually be. But, adults would definitely enjoy this book as well, it shows the struggles of living and being an adult as well. All in All, this was a great suspenseful and action packed book for all ages.
There are so many characters and they all have different roles to helping this story play out. Of course there is Mysti, the eleven year old who is faced with many challenges and obstacles. Her mother who causes many troubles but really means no harm. She wants to be the best mother for her kids but something gets in that way. Although she never leaves the house she tries to let love overwhelm her faults. Anibal is Mysti's "best friend" but tries to impress a girl by changing his image-but in the process changes himself. There is Rama who comes in bat the end of the book and helps Mysti get through 8th grade. There is also Mysti's dad-who tragically has to stay in the hospital for a long time-and Laura, her little sister. My favorite character was probably Mysti becuase she kept strong through all her hard struggles.
This was defenitly an action packed book, there was a new conflict almost every chapter! One of my favorite parts of this book was that i never got bored, there was always another crazy thing happening. Overall, I fell the biggest conflict in the novel was Mysti's mother vs. her illness. That conflict resolved around everything in the book.
I would recommend this book to anyone, but mostly kids in school . This focuses on how challenging school can actually be. But, adults would definitely enjoy this book as well, it shows the struggles of living and being an adult as well. All in All, this was a great suspenseful and action packed book for all ages.
May 1, 2019
mystie is a ridiculously cute character and reading the book was actually fun. although the book can be hard to follow along, the book is at the point of view of a seventh grader so how together can the book really be? i also enjoyed wayne and rama. overall i would only recommend if you have an open mind when it comes to books. if you are a mature reader and don't enjoy books that are "out there" then this isn't the book for you.
January 22, 2018
Funny. Beautifully written. Bit sad, but a "good sad" (not sure if that makes sense but if you read it maybe you know what I mean?) Didn't know if I'd like it at first but ended up loving it. Also glad Agoraphobia seemed to be portrayed correctly.
November 24, 2018
Honestly - this is one of those books that didnt stick. I enjoyed parts of it but I really couldn't tell you what its about or much of what happened in it.....and i just finished it. Its may be because I kept putting it down, I just didnt get into it. This is more like a 2.5 star read for me.
October 7, 2021
This was so good! There were multiple times I laughed and ACHED for this sweet girl. Moments that my heart broke at the cruelty of 7th grade boys and the effects they can leave on girls. I loved that this wasn't a everything gets fixed type of book- it was realistic that some things end and honestly for a good reason.
Read this along with my 9 and 6 year old. A bit above their reading comprehension but loved the conversations we got to have with it. Loved it!
Read this along with my 9 and 6 year old. A bit above their reading comprehension but loved the conversations we got to have with it. Loved it!
December 13, 2017
The book Courage for Beginners by Karen Harrington is a really good book .It is about this girl named Mysti Murphy Who best friend abadoned her in journey to become a "hipster".Mean while all this drama is happening on school her dad falls down and goes to the hospistal.I love how the character made me feel like I was inside the book. Mysti Personality is well spread and easy to catch in the book.These book is just right for the ages of 9 and 13.I reccomend these book to people who love a heartbreaking book.
June 15, 2018
"Here is a girl who wishes more than anything that her own story would have an ending that, if not exactly Happily Ever After Yellow, would be some shade of hope."
August 19, 2019
This is a sweet book about a 12 year with a great imagination that finds the courage to get through Middle School while her Mom finds the courage to get through life.
October 11, 2016
This is a great tween/teen book that deals with real life scenarios as well as a bit of storytelling as Mysti makes up interesting tales that she tells her sister. It is a coping mechanism for someone who really seems to have been handed a glass half-full of muddy water. As the book goes along Mysti finds strength in discovering the courage to make changes in her life. I wanted to root for her the whole way. My dad had a stroke before I was 12 and I had to grow up very fast in some ways and yet I stayed a child in other ways.
The book does a good job of showing how this happens to Mysti too as she is forced to take on adult responsibility because her mother has an anxiety disorder and her father is in a comma. What is notable is how the book lets the reader see how her circumstances are kept secret because, like many families, they don't reach out for help. Maybe this book will influence readers be more aware of another kid's plight and find a way to be a friend. I'll never forget the time when a new friend gave me part of her lunch for a month when my lunch tickets were stolen. She is still my friend today because that was one of the nicest things someone could have done for me at that time. In this story Mysti's 'best' friend is treating her terribly and asking her to buy his lunch when in fact she has nothing to eat herself. You really hurt for her. She is complicit in being mistreated by him and you just want to shake her and say 'don't let him treat you that way!'.
It is a perfect example of how kids we are friends with in elementary school change in middle school and we have make new alliances. Mysti's new friend Rama Khan is such a fun character! It was a good choice on the part of the author to pick a character that you can really like that is a Moslem American. Reading this book during the 2016 election campaign when Donald Trump is saying Moslem Americans are untrustworthy made me realize how important a book like this is. Good friends can be found in any color or religion.
Even though I liked this book overall, I felt it was a bit slow and didn't flow all that well. Definitely not a page turner. One of the minor characters, Wayne, can be found in another book by Karen Harrington called Mayday. I liked that one better because it made me laugh and cry. Karen Harrington is a great author making you really believe she puts her own life experience into her books.
The book does a good job of showing how this happens to Mysti too as she is forced to take on adult responsibility because her mother has an anxiety disorder and her father is in a comma. What is notable is how the book lets the reader see how her circumstances are kept secret because, like many families, they don't reach out for help. Maybe this book will influence readers be more aware of another kid's plight and find a way to be a friend. I'll never forget the time when a new friend gave me part of her lunch for a month when my lunch tickets were stolen. She is still my friend today because that was one of the nicest things someone could have done for me at that time. In this story Mysti's 'best' friend is treating her terribly and asking her to buy his lunch when in fact she has nothing to eat herself. You really hurt for her. She is complicit in being mistreated by him and you just want to shake her and say 'don't let him treat you that way!'.
It is a perfect example of how kids we are friends with in elementary school change in middle school and we have make new alliances. Mysti's new friend Rama Khan is such a fun character! It was a good choice on the part of the author to pick a character that you can really like that is a Moslem American. Reading this book during the 2016 election campaign when Donald Trump is saying Moslem Americans are untrustworthy made me realize how important a book like this is. Good friends can be found in any color or religion.
Even though I liked this book overall, I felt it was a bit slow and didn't flow all that well. Definitely not a page turner. One of the minor characters, Wayne, can be found in another book by Karen Harrington called Mayday. I liked that one better because it made me laugh and cry. Karen Harrington is a great author making you really believe she puts her own life experience into her books.
December 15, 2014
I loved Courage for Beginners! I'm actually running a giveaway of a signed ARC right now at http://bookishserendipityco.ipage.com... if you'd like to try it for free!
Now...on to the review.
This was a very sweet middle grade novel for kids and although I had a few quibbles, it was an interesting read overall. This story is based around 12-year-old Mysti Murphy. Her father is taken to the hospital after an injury and Mysti, her sister and their agoraphobic mother are left to fend for themselves. I haven’t seen many books with an agoraphobic character, so I loved that mental illness is dealt with in this novel. I wish I had been able to review this novel during Mental Health Awareness month in June but alas, it was not to be.
Mysti agrees to be part of a “social experiment” with her best friend Annibal, in which he tries to attain popularity. To do this, he plans on ignoring Mysti (because she isn’t cool), changing his look and hanging out with the popular kids. I really didn’t like Annibal; he was really awful to Mysti while the “experiment” was going on and I didn’t understand why Mysti continued to be humiliated by Annibal at school and be okay with it. I understand that she knows it is just an experiment, but there are some points that friendship just can’t cross. Humiliating and bullying your best-friend in front of the entire seventh grade is one of those lines.
One thing I loved about this novel, however, is that friendship did win out in the end. Mysti has to make new friends and Annibal…well, no spoilers.
Mysti herself is a well-written character (pun not intended). She sometimes imagines herself as a character in a story and what her life would look like if it were a novel. Some scenes begin with phrases from Mysti in this style (like this: here is a girl who should be packing for camp next week but is instead drafting a blog post). I really enjoyed this style of narration and it definitely made this novel stand-out among all the other MG novels on my shelf calling for attention!
Anyways, I did enjoy this book. My main problem was with the relationship with Annibal and Mysti but otherwise, this was a good novel. The ending was fabulous because even since it didn’t end 100% Happily Ever After, it will be relatable to middle school readers. 3 stars goes to Courage for Beginners!
Now...on to the review.
This was a very sweet middle grade novel for kids and although I had a few quibbles, it was an interesting read overall. This story is based around 12-year-old Mysti Murphy. Her father is taken to the hospital after an injury and Mysti, her sister and their agoraphobic mother are left to fend for themselves. I haven’t seen many books with an agoraphobic character, so I loved that mental illness is dealt with in this novel. I wish I had been able to review this novel during Mental Health Awareness month in June but alas, it was not to be.
Mysti agrees to be part of a “social experiment” with her best friend Annibal, in which he tries to attain popularity. To do this, he plans on ignoring Mysti (because she isn’t cool), changing his look and hanging out with the popular kids. I really didn’t like Annibal; he was really awful to Mysti while the “experiment” was going on and I didn’t understand why Mysti continued to be humiliated by Annibal at school and be okay with it. I understand that she knows it is just an experiment, but there are some points that friendship just can’t cross. Humiliating and bullying your best-friend in front of the entire seventh grade is one of those lines.
One thing I loved about this novel, however, is that friendship did win out in the end. Mysti has to make new friends and Annibal…well, no spoilers.
Mysti herself is a well-written character (pun not intended). She sometimes imagines herself as a character in a story and what her life would look like if it were a novel. Some scenes begin with phrases from Mysti in this style (like this: here is a girl who should be packing for camp next week but is instead drafting a blog post). I really enjoyed this style of narration and it definitely made this novel stand-out among all the other MG novels on my shelf calling for attention!
Anyways, I did enjoy this book. My main problem was with the relationship with Annibal and Mysti but otherwise, this was a good novel. The ending was fabulous because even since it didn’t end 100% Happily Ever After, it will be relatable to middle school readers. 3 stars goes to Courage for Beginners!
December 19, 2014
I was listening to talk of this upcoming book some time ago, and it really resonated with me, so I connected with author Karen Harrington on Twitter and was tickled when she followed me back. She happened to be whatever magic number of follower I had named to receive a copy of my book. I was even more tickled when she accepted my offer of a copy and proposed a trade, with the ARC of her newest.
That’s how I encountered Courage for Beginners.
The main characters, Mysti, her ex-friend Anibal, and new friend Rama Khan all grabbed me with their uniqueness and their honesty. Even Anibal had me hooked, as he discovered the power of popularity, even if it meant trashing his friend.
I didn’t expect Mysti’s Mom to grab me, though, wrapped in her fear and trapped inside. I was stunned at how powerfully her story and her voice struck me. I’ve experienced the fear and panic that can set in after something big happens that, for whatever reason, changes you and changes how you view the world.
This mother’s experience and her reaction to it affect her family in many powerful ways. We can never know how our own lives and how we lead them shape others, and Harrington deftly captures the nuance and depth of that impact with Mysti’s voice.
As Anibal’s defection becomes more obvious and permanent, Mysti’s sense of defeat grows. At the same time, when things go so very wrong at home, Mysti realizes with the help of a new friend that she must stop hiding from the truth and find some kind of courage so that she and her family can heal.
I read this ARC a few months ago, and I hope I’m doing it justice now. Dipping back in, I’m feeling all over again the power and honesty of this lovely story as a family’s secret life takes a turn from despair toward hope.
I support Independent Bookstores. You can, too:http://www.indiebound.org/book/978031...
That’s how I encountered Courage for Beginners.
The main characters, Mysti, her ex-friend Anibal, and new friend Rama Khan all grabbed me with their uniqueness and their honesty. Even Anibal had me hooked, as he discovered the power of popularity, even if it meant trashing his friend.
I didn’t expect Mysti’s Mom to grab me, though, wrapped in her fear and trapped inside. I was stunned at how powerfully her story and her voice struck me. I’ve experienced the fear and panic that can set in after something big happens that, for whatever reason, changes you and changes how you view the world.
This mother’s experience and her reaction to it affect her family in many powerful ways. We can never know how our own lives and how we lead them shape others, and Harrington deftly captures the nuance and depth of that impact with Mysti’s voice.
As Anibal’s defection becomes more obvious and permanent, Mysti’s sense of defeat grows. At the same time, when things go so very wrong at home, Mysti realizes with the help of a new friend that she must stop hiding from the truth and find some kind of courage so that she and her family can heal.
I read this ARC a few months ago, and I hope I’m doing it justice now. Dipping back in, I’m feeling all over again the power and honesty of this lovely story as a family’s secret life takes a turn from despair toward hope.
I support Independent Bookstores. You can, too:http://www.indiebound.org/book/978031...
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