Written by school counselor Ashley Bartley, "Bravo, Jalen!" is a picture book about test anxiety. The text explains how anxiety feels and how it can be shown. Jalen is a fear of failing in tests. Could be a good read aloud with teaching an acronym to help cope. The acronym steps are explained. The text can be a little wordy but can support students struggling with test anxiety. Tips for parents and educators are included at the end.

This was such a cute story with a very important message. Jalen has anxiety when it comes to testing, he always feels underprepared. But when he is on stage, he always feels right in his element. With the help of some people near and dear to him, Jalen develops a strategy to help him feel better about the testing situation.

Jalen is not a success at school tests, always being underprepared, having thought too much about other things, and just being too frightened of freezing, failure and forgetting the subject. So his best friend has to remind him to adopt the techniques of their drama teacher, and to stay SHARP. It's a great acronym I won't spoil the book by discussing, but needless to say Jalen ends the book with a much better attitude to tests – and much better results. A colourful, simple-to-use guide, that won't be taken down from the shelf for its dramatic content, but does get the right mindset across well. For some however the boldness and size of the visuals mean the text (which can certainly be on the wordy side) is too secondary-looking.

An excellent picture book for school-age children, rather than toddlers and pre-schoolers, that offers some really important lessons alongside vibrant illustrations and a fun story about Jalen, who's name means 'calm' but can't help stressing about his tests in class.

Why does Jalen enjoy performing on stage in the school plays and musicals, but can't seem to perform the same way whenever he's faced with a classroom test - racing through or forgetting what he knows when it's time to write answers?

Writer Ashley Bartley weaves in some really important life lessons for kids, and tools for how to overcome fears of the Fs - Freezing, Forgetting, Failing - in this prose tale of a young boy, Jalen, who'd rather practice for the musical while playing with his friend Molly and forget about his upcoming science test. Supported by eye-catching illustrations from Brian Martin, and a good text layout that adds interest, BRAVO, JALEN is an excellent and important tale for growing kids about overcoming text anxiety and learning how to manage their emotions by staying S-H-A-R-P.

Entertaining and educational, a great read, and a perfect book for any school library to have.

I've been reading children's books on behalf of my niece and nephew (to find books for them), and my 5 year old nephew might be a little young for this book. But having been a child with serious text anxiety, I can definitely see how this book would help young children when they're beginning to take tests. Would make a great classroom read in maybe 1st or 2nd grade.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boys Town Press Publishing, and Ashley Bartley for the eARC of this children's book!

This is a book about a kid worried about their next test. This is a typical Boys Town Press book. It states the problem and then it gives a pneumonic device to navigate the problem. I do like that the author chose not to Reiterate the character using these steps repeatedly. But that’s probably because they reached the maximum number of words they were allowed already. The detail that they go to describe each aspect of the pneumonic device is long winded. I get what this book is for, and it serves a purpose and I do think there are kids out there that would find this book helpful. However, as a picture book with staying power, I don’t think it’s got it.

I appreciate this book so much! My daughter has test anxiety, and she thinks that a lot of these tips are going to help her manage in the future. All of the steps in the acronym SHARP are easy, quick, and effective enough for any test. Additionally, it all makes sense. Simply preparing and studying for a test, as well as taking care of your mind and body are tried-and-true tips for tests, this book just puts it all in a different and more entertaining package. Seeing a main character with test anxiety and following him on his journey to work past it makes for a more personal reading experience and adds to this book's impact. Lastly, I love how the illustrator demonstrated different emotions using shapes, colors, light, and facial expressions on every page; it really helped to add a lot of life to the book. Bravo!

The book is children self-help book, helps children to manage their emotions and thoughts before taking a test with effective strategy, and the book present this approach in a conversational, story-driven format, making it engage and visually appealing with attractive images. This not only helps for test, but also for the future life events, where they must handle the situations coolly, staying emotionally stable.
The author's writing style is immersive, and the Jalen, sharing his problem to a friend, make the conversation much more engaging. It shows it is ok to ask for help and take advice from our friends. At the end he realizes what his name stands for.
I would recommend this book to the children, educators and teachers to help students manage their emotions during challenging situations. I give rating for this 4.5/5.
Being a Professional Reader on NetGally, I appreciate the opportunity to review this book and share my thoughts.

Like you and me, Jalen feels extremely nervous before an exam. The heart palpitations, the sweaty palms and the blank mind kind of nervous. But with a friend’s help, he learns the best way to tackle his test anxiety is by being SHARP – Some worry is ok; Have all your materials; Ask for help if you need it; Relax; and Practice! This book is a wonderful read for children ages 7 years and above, when they actually start realising the importance of exams and testing and performance in academics and extra-curricular. Jalen's struggles are something each one of us will be able to relate too. And therefore, this book will be effectively and helpful in teaching young children how to combat the pre-exam anxiety.

This is a good story about test anxiety, but I feel that it is a targeted towards kids who already have test anxiety.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Targeting a Real Topic: Testing Anxiety

Test performance anxiety is so real ranging from your weekly testing to formal state testing requirements. I absolutely love that this book has a website with additional resources. The end of the book lists our signs and actions to take for caregivers and educators to take to help with these anxieties as well.

The illustrations did a fantastic job at painting what real classroom settings look like-technology involved and all!

This book says it’s targeted for kids age 7-12 and I agree based on the language used.

This book would be great to read before the first test of the year and/or any state testing. I think this could be a great springboard for a student/classroom that underperformed on a test recently and is nervous moving forward.

I received a copy of this book from Ashley Bartley. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.

Bravo, Jalen! is a helpful story of a child who struggles with test anxiety. This book teaches what anxiety is and also helps young readers understand what they can do to manage those feelings using the SHARP approach. The SHARP approach resonated with my older listener and my younger listener understood the three Fs. This book has lessons that any tester can benefit from!

A great book for ages 7-12, but honestly, it could help many adults who still remember the anxiety of test days. I never ate before exams, afraid of getting a stomachache—no one taught us breathing techniques or coping strategies, and reading this brought back those stressful memories. I truly wish our kids could have better tools and succeed without that fear.

My only downside is the text formatting—some pages are beautifully designed, but others feel cramped with small, tight lines, making them uncomfortable to read (though this might be an e-version issue).
Overall, an important book for young students navigating test anxiety!

As a teacher, I absolutely loved this picture book. This book focuses on the three Fs of testing anxiety! However, the main character learns that his acronym, SHARP, for stage fright can be used for test taking as well. Test preparation does not begin with the test, but rather days or weeks or months before it! I liked how the story showed that anxiety isn’t always transferable. Some kids may have anxiety about tests but NOT being on stage.

Bravo, Jalen illustrates the reality of text anxiety in a relatable way that children can understand and provides a brilliant acronym to help them feel more prepared and comfortable for any assessment. Not only would this book be a fantastic addition to my lesson about test-taking tips for our annual state-mandates assessment, but also useful guide for my teenage daughter who experiences test anxiety. I highly recommend this book for teachers from second grade and beyond; even middle and high schoolers love a good read aloud!

Jalen is very nervous for his school's testing days! He always freezes up and is filled with anxiety. His friend helps him learn ways to prepare and relax to be able to do his very best.

I can tell that this is written by someone who works or has worked in a school. As a former elementary school teacher, I could definitely see myself using this book the day before the test to talk about strategies and good practices. When Jalen's computer is low battery on the first day, we can talk about what would have been good options for him instead of rushing through the test. It feels very relatable for today's students. Often materials that I was encouraged to use to help with test anxiety or other school related anxiety had situations that just weren't relevant in today's schools.

The illustrations are fun and I think would appeal to test-age kids as a read aloud. Overall, I think that I would definitely recommend this to any teachers coming into my library asking for good books for testing season.

There are likely some people who enjoy taking tests and perform well, but according to some research studies, on average, around 40% of polled participants experience test anxiety, with symptoms ranging from mild to moderate to severe. Ashley Bartley is a seasoned professional with childhood challenges. Bartley holds an M.Ed while working as an active school counselor, she utilizes her experiences and situations in a story format for young readers (and readers of any age) to comprehend and take away lifelong narratives.

In her previous works, Bertley has tackled topics such as tattling, feeling overwhelmed, racing thoughts (and everything else!), stress, separation anxiety, and worry. Her newest book, "Bravo, Jalen!", focuses on the uncomfortable sensation known as test anxiety, which affects even the most capable students. The inclusion of problem-solving solutions makes for a well-rounded book.

Being in the mental health field who works with kids, I appreciate the importance of this story and its potential to shift kids' perceptions of school and improve self-esteem and self-confidence by eliminating the immediate excuse, "There's nothing I can do about it!" Reading with my kids (9 and 10-year-olds), they mentioned learning helpful tips and tricks to feel prepared to manage anxiety if they encounter it at any stage of their lives.

Before I launch into my review, I would like to say a warm thank you to Ashley Bartley, Boys Town Press Publishing, and Netgalley for the Advanced Digital Reader Copy of this title. For anyone with their eye on this title, here is my personal review of the book to help you decide whether you are interested or not. All opinions offered are my own.

I selected this book because I have children of an age where they are about to start sitting various types of tests at primary school. I wanted a resource that would help them to alleviate any stress of fear and ultimately reduce any pressure they might be feeling.

Aside from the really small font that is quite bunched together, I do not have a bad word to say about this book. The author employs bold font and colorful words to emphasize certain points and ideas such as feelings and behaviors. However, there are a few occasions where the author might have used more contrasting colors to make the small text stand out.

I enjoyed the bright, vibrant illustrations that worked well with the text. I also appreciated how they likened completing a test to performing in a play. I didn’t get the initial scene-setting, but it was made clear quite quickly and delivered an ‘a-ha!’ moment.

The book is well pitched for children preparing to sit phonic tests and SATS, but the lessons are just as valuable for older children and adolescents taking high school and college tests. I highly recommend the book and value the supporting tips for parents and educators. Overall, it is a fabulous resource.

Bravo, Jalen! Does a great job of explaining test anxiety, identifying stressors and explaining some solutions. I read it to my friend’s daughter and she enjoyed the story and the illustrations!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

This was a great book for kids that teaches them how to deal with test anxiety. I would say this book could be read by anyone older than first grade. I enjoyed the illustrations in the book and I thought the book was easy for kids to follow.