by L.J. Salazar
This is Salazar first children's book in English. It's a fantasy that addresses issues such as growing up, insecurity and self-doubt, the innate need for confidence and the importance of good relationships with those we love the most - whether they are human or animal.
I am a firm believer in self-realization and visualization, but I think this presentation is somewhat preachy in the early chapters. True, it's aimed at a middle-school audience and some of these ideas may be new to them, but I kept wondering how my grandchildren would respond to the obvious telling.
There were several times that Chin would visualize something he wanted, like a bow and arrow, and the next day it showed up int the mailbox. How is that going to be translated by young kids?
The fantasy story was good and I'm sure would appeal to young readers. And I liked how Chin fights the shadow minions that are whispering negative thoughts to the neighbor children. Chin has discovered he has a very important mission and in order to accomplish all his tasks he must find all the magic stones and conquer the Shadow Lord. In this book, Chin discovers two of the stones so there will be more books coming out that will continue the adventure.
My suggestion would be to read this book along with your child so you can discuss the ideas at the beginning of the book together.
5 comments:
Despite the fact that you say this book is a bit preachy, it sounds great to me. I think I'll love it!
I got the book and my 8 years old grandchild loved it. The dog Eagle was his favorite character and the riddles got him very interested. He did not struggle much with the concepts of visualization as he never said anything about it but now that you mention it I will talk about it. I think visualizing expecting a positive outcome is always a nice thing to do in life. I found that as an adult I enjoyed the book very much when reading it to our 5 year-old niece.
I think is a wonderful book, I am just sad that the second book is not out until next year. Probably because this is from a new author. I posted the question at amazon and nobody really knows when book 2 will be out. Do you know how to contact the author or publisher?
I think my kids are probably a bit too old for this series, but I can think of a few younger kids I know who would probably love this book and benefit from it. Though you say it's a little preachy, I think it would still be a good choice for the young ones I know. Thanks for the great review!
I have never even heard of the author or this book. Thanks for a great review and insight into this one.
I think kids need to learn the difference between positive thinking and immediate gratification. Does it teach anywhere that Chin should work for the things he wants?
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