Description
For the first time in the history of her Grade 3 life, Brianna walks into Room 109 without one thought about Helper of the Day.
What a surprise when she sees her name on the board! And guess what? There’s an opening for her to join the Cheese Girls too! All she has to do is pick Kinsley to go with her to deliver the library books. But does Brianna have what it takes to be a Cheese Girl? Or does she even want to be one? Maybe spending time with a real friend is better than being included in a club.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Praise for Brianna Banana, Helper of the Day:
★“Readers will root for Brianna, while perhaps understanding why she has so few friends. A flawed but sympathetic character worthy of readers’ love.”—Kirkus, starred review for Brianna Banana, Helper of the Day
★ “Reminiscent of Junie B. Jones. Illustrations by Ogawa evoke Raina Telgemeier vibes and bring funny scenes of this charming read by Button to vivid life.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review for Brianna Banana, Helper of the Day
Author Bio
Lana Button is an early childhood educator and the author of more than a dozen books for children, including Brianna Banana, Helper of the Day, Stay My Baby, Tough Like Mum and the Kitty and Friends series. Her books have been shortlisted for the Blue Spruce Award, Shining Willow Award, IODE Jean Throop Book Award and Rainforest of Reading, and have been recognized as Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids and Teens, OLA's Best Bets and as an IBBY Outstanding Book for Young Children. Lana is a former actress who considers every read-aloud a mini performance. When not writing new stories, Lana spends her time traveling to schools and festivals to share her passion for social-emotional literacy. She lives in Burlington, Ontario.
Suharu Ogawa is a Toronto-based illustrator. Her love for drawing started in a kindergarten art school after being kicked out of calligraphy class for refusing to convert to right-handedness. Formally trained in art history and cultural anthropology, she worked for several years as a university librarian until her passion for illustration called her out of that career and into the pursuit of a lifelong dream. Since then, Suharu has created illustrations for magazines, public art projects and children's books, including All Consuming: Shop Smarter for the Planet, Cities: How Humans Live Together and Why Humans Work: How Jobs Shape Our Lives and Our World. She also teaches illustration at OCAD University in Toronto.
Prizes
- Telling Tales Reading ListCommended 2026
Review Quotes
“Young readers will appreciate the realistic portrayal of classroom cliques and reflect on what it means to be true to oneself despite an urge to be more popular through imitation. A powerful elementary chapter book that urges readers to celebrate learning differences and the many emotions of childhood.”
— School Library Journal (SLJ)Biographical note
Lana Button is an early childhood educator and the author of more than a dozen books for children, including Brianna Banana, Helper of the Day, Stay My Baby, Tough Like Mum and the Kitty and Friends series. Her books have been shortlisted for the Blue Spruce Award, Shining Willow Award, IODE Jean Throop Book Award and Rainforest of Reading, and they have been recognized as Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books and an IBBY Outstanding Book for Young Children. Lana is a former actress who considers every read-aloud a mini performance. When not writing new stories, Lana spends her time traveling to schools and festivals to share her passion for social-emotional literacy. She lives in Burlington, Ontario.
Suharu Ogawa is a Toronto-based illustrator. Her love for drawing started in a kindergarten art school after being kicked out of calligraphy class for refusing to convert to right-handedness. Formally trained in art history and cultural anthropology, she worked for several years as a university librarian until her passion for illustration called her out of that career and into the pursuit of a lifelong dream. Since then, Suharu has created illustrations for magazines, public art projects and children's books, including All Consuming, Cities: How Humans Live Together and Why Humans Work. She also teaches illustration at OCAD University in Toronto.
