Brave Mee and the Forest of Tangled Lies — Laura Wright

"Brave Mee and the Forest of Tangled Lies" is part of the "Brave Mee" series. Mee is never given a gender, allowing the reader to internalize the character and join in the adventure. In each book, Mee has had their happiness stolen by things like lies, anger, and anxiety.

In this book, the first in the series, Mee, a thoughtful child has had their happiness stolen by cognitive distortions, lies. Mee is confronted by Big Sister and others who belittle Mee. Mee internalizes these lies, causing unhappiness.

Mee is assisted through the trials of the forest by three adorable and relatable characters. These characters give voice to the truth and help Mee see the beauty we all have in us. The animal friends who help Mee along the are Ernie the owl, Rizzo the elephant, and Rocco the rabbit. 

With each book, Laura hopes to empower the reader to seek out their own happiness. We are all in control of our reactions and indeed our own happiness. Happy people can experience sadness. It is how we react to sadness or distressful situations that determines our level of happiness with life in general. Give the gift of empowerment.