Reviewed by Ann Linus for Readers' Favorite

Growing Up with Brandon by Claire Nance is a collection of three short stories featuring young Brandon through three incidents in which he must choose between doing what is right and being cool. In Brandon’s Promise, Brandon’s friend persuades him to ride to the supermarket across the highway for some candy. Brandon loves candy but is reluctant to make the trip because he promised his mom that he would stay away from the highway. In Brandon’s Midnight Adventure, Brandon is nervous about going on a midnight adventure with his friend Rusty, but joins him anyway so as not to offend the bold and fearless Rusty, who had just allowed him to hang around. In Brandon’s Challenge, Brandon faces a taunting opponent, Steve, during baseball team tryouts and manages to keep his cool. However, when Steve throws stones at him afterward, Brandon seriously considers giving Steve a taste of his own medicine. In all three instances, a voice in Brandon’s head reminds him of what God would want him to do, but does Brandon always listen?

Growing Up with Brandon is a short, engaging, and impactful collection with strong moral lessons. The stories, only loosely connected, span two cities and several years, with Brandon being 8, 10, and 12 years old, respectively. Across the three stories, I experienced Brandon grow from a child whose impulses were driven by candy to an adolescent navigating the complexities of social acceptance; this change was a fitting reflection of the title. I loved that the stories were captivating and quite unpredictable despite their brevity. Claire Nance subtly incorporated details about the settings without disrupting the flow of the narrative. I enjoyed her writing style as a whole. I also enjoyed following Brandon’s thought process as he worked through each dilemma. Growing Up with Brandon is rooted in the belief that God desires what is best for us. Brandon consistently reflects on what God would want him to do. There is no mention of any particular religion, making it a good fit for young readers in general. I enjoyed this book and recommend it.