Book Review: My Name is Brain Brian by Jeanne Betancourt

Book Review: My Name is Brain Brian

While searching for books to share with my dyslexic children, I came across My Name is Brain Brian by Jeanne Betancourt. This touching and insightful novel follows Brian, a sixth grader who struggles with reading. He and his friends form the Joker’s Club, a group that thrives on pranks and jokes. However, as their antics spiral out of control, Brian is forced to rethink who his real friends are. At the same time, he is battling his own academic challenges, trying to hide his struggles from both his peers and parents. With determination—and the support of his new teacher, Mr. Bingham—Brian begins to understand his dyslexia and discovers strategies to improve his reading and learning. His journey is an inspiring testament to resilience, self-discovery, and the power of perseverance.

At just over 100 pages, this chapter book may be challenging for a young dyslexic reader to tackle alone, but it makes a wonderful read-aloud for parents and children to share together. I truly appreciate how Betancourt captures Brian’s learning struggles with authenticity while also addressing the complexities of childhood friendships. The book doesn’t shy away from the tough reality that some friendships may not be genuine, yet it presents these issues in an age-appropriate and hopeful way.

Overall, My Name is Brain Brian is a heartfelt and relatable story that I highly recommend for parents and their dyslexic children. It’s a book that not only fosters understanding of dyslexia but also encourages important conversations about perseverance, self-advocacy, and the value of true friendship.