Breonna Boyd, her friends call her Bree, is training hard to compete in the Spelling Bee Nationals. After all, aren’t all the Boyds super-talented, hard working and successful?
Her two older sisters, Christian and Lex, set an amazing example not only academically but also taking care of Bree when their mother leaves the family home when Bree is just a baby. Too busy running for election to become a politician, their dad is not about at home much and is very focused on Bree making the best of herself and that includes winning the Nationals!
The thing is, Bree has made some great new friends, Ellie, Abby and Sam. If she focuses solely on the spelling bee will she have time to be with them too? It all comes to a head when she wants to take part in the talent showcase with them but it is on the same day as the spelling bee.
As if this wasn’t enough, Bree discovers she has magical powers and they are not easy to control!
How can she deal with the pressure her dad puts on her, the breakdown of his relationships with her sisters, the bee, her new friends and the powers? Is it all too much?
Bree has so many things in her life to juggle; schoolwork, extra studying, household chores, how will she ever find time to spend with her friends and will she ever feel comfortable enough to invite them to her home?
Told from Bree’s point of view, this is a powerful story of how difficult it can be to deal with parental expectations.
Bree’s struggle to discover what really matters to her will resonate with many readers.
Filled with interesting characters, it is funny and sad and heartfelt all at once. Bree has so much on her plate it is impossible not to empathise with her and hope she will figure out in the end what is important to her.
A reassuring picture of how family life can be a roller coaster of emotions, with combinations of personalities figuring out how to live together.
Bree Boyd is (Trouble) a Legend by Leah Johnson is the sequel to Ellie Engle Saves the World!
Cover and interior illustrations by Mirelle Ortega.
Thank you to Scholastic for the book review.
