Al’s Journey: The Night Everything Changed: A Magical Story of Growing Up Fast and Learning Who You Are
Written and Illustrated by Marin Darmonkow
This intriguing book contains 32 illustrated pages, but is far more than a picture book story.
The author has combined an earthly tale with mystical elements. At the outset, readers encounter a young boy being raised by his grandfather, who is the shaman of the village. When the shaman turns one hundred years old, he informs his grandson that he must climb the mountain to talk with God about his mission and purpose in life. The boy is guided by fireflies as he continues on his journey.
A book that begins as an adventure story becomes one of philosophical questions as the boy must grow up virtually overnight. Older readers will come face-to-face with finding answers on their own journey.
The illustrations are compelling. They draw the reader into the story and rapidly change its mood as the story evolves. This is a book that can grow with the reader who will return to it time and time again.
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Can You Hear Me, Daddy?: A Heartwarming Children’s Book About Loss and Grief
Written by Y.Y. Chan
Illustrated by Pearly L.
This book explores how cancer affects children in a family. It is written in first person from the point of view of a young daughter whose father has been diagnosed with cancer.
Written in the calendar format of a diary, the daughter explores the ups and downs of cancer. There is surgery, then hope, and then despair. The dying father tenderly explains that his daughter will always be able to talk to him in her heart.
While the book discusses a sad topic, the author presents the topic with empathy and hope. I would recommend the book for families who face cancer and would like an approach to opening up the topic with their children.
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Berticus: How I Survived School! and Bullies! and Farley Finnigan!
Written by Brian Silbert
Berticus dreads the first day of school because his birthday always falls near opening day. This year, it is even worse because he is facing the transition to middle school.
Berticus tries hard to pay attention and do his best, but his ADHD keeps getting in the way. This middle-grade novel addresses the common trials of middle school, bullying, and peer pressure. The cast of characters is so relatable. Action is non-stop. This book is a page turner with unexpected twists and turns.
Two bonus resources enhance its value. The Student Activity Pack contains word searches, crosswords, a class discussion guide, and problems for students to solve. In addition, a Teacher’s Guide examines the characters, provides discussion topics, analyzes the story arc, and provides chapter summaries.
Whether you purchase this book for a home library or develop a lesson for a large classroom group, this book is sure to please readers ages nine through twelve.
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This fictional story is set in a rural Australian town in the 1930s. Willow Vale is a small town that lies at the end of a railroad line. This town has suffered a decline in population with little opportunity for upward mobility. Most of the inhabitants work on the railroad, in the mines or farming. The tiny schoolhouse has only four teachers and each classroom accommodates two grades.
Baddar and his sister, Delari are the offspring of the last Afghan cameleer and his wife, Rose, who is an aboriginal raised by missionaries. Baddar feels confused and trapped by his mixed heritage and feels he doesn’t fully belong to either group. He spends a lot of time with his friend Billy, with whom he has several adventures. Baddar’s family tries to help him by organizing a camel trip with his Afghan grandfather, but an accident mars the trip. When a brushfire threatens to destroy Willow, the aboriginals step up to team with Billy, Baddar and the citizens of the town to make a last-ditch effort to save their community.
There are a host of issues addressed by this fictional tale, coming of age, family and community struggles and relationships, cultural divides, poverty, and economics. The children set an example for the adults. Minor editing issues need to be addressed, and the plot tends to ramble on here and there, but the book gives a glimpse into a forgotten part of Australian history.
Middle-grade readers will enjoy the adventures and believable characters. Recommended for readers ages ten and older.
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Magical Stories: A Collection of Short Stories for Children Aged 3-103
Written by Píaras Ó Cíonnaoíth
A collection of ten short stories that stimulate the imagination. While I would not classify this book as a picture book, each story starts with an illustration of the main character.
The characters include many favorite types such as dragons, elves, fairies, tigers, and mermaids. It is equally appealing to male or female readers. The average length of the tales is approximately five pages, making it ideal as a bedtime story or classroom read-aloud. Each includes a moral lesson for young minds to ponder and appreciate.
Adults may enjoy reading them along with their children.
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Publisher’s Book Summary: The Night Everything Changed: A Magical Story of Growing Up Fast and Learning Who You Are
What if you woke up tomorrow… a different person?
In Al’s Journey, young readers are invited into the magical story of a boy who grows up overnight—and must learn what it means to grow truly. With dreamlike illustrations and a message that resonates with kids and adults alike, this gentle parable offers a meaningful bedtime read and a touching reminder of the changes we all go through.
Perfect for ages 5 to 9, this book explores:
The mystery and beauty of growing up
Emotional self-awareness for young readers
Gentle lessons in identity, transformation, and empathy
Give your child a story they’ll never forget—with a lesson that will stay with them forever.
Can a child grow up overnight?
Al’s Journey is a magical tale about an orphan boy and his wise grandfather, the shaman of a gold-obsessed tribe that disregarded eating and sleeping while searching for the yellow metal. On his 100th birthday, the shaman announces to Al that it is time for him to begin his own life journey. The boy must climb the mountain alone to reach the roofless sacred hut of the old shaman, where he can ask God crucial questions. As Al makes his way up the mountain peak guided by mystical fireflies, he faces challenges that test his courage and strength. When he finally reaches the summit, Al asks the creator profound questions about the true meaning of life. The valuable experience of the voyage and the response of the supreme being help Al grow mentally, emotionally, and physically overnight and become the healer his tribe needs.
His name is Marin* and he marinates his picture books in a creative concoction brewed on the very beach of the Atlantic East Coast. Marin writes the stories, illustrates the pages, designs the covers, arranges the layout of the elements, and publishes the books. Sometimes he creates new fonts for his titles to make them complete pieces of art. His food-for-thought creations contain only natural ingredients. They are nutrient-dense and perfect for a balanced brain diet.
WARNING: Marin’s books tend to inspire young readers!
*Recipient of the Literary Titan Book Award, Wishing Shelf Book Award, and Creative Child Magazine 2025 Picture Book of the Year; 2024 American Book Fest finalist
This stunningly illustrated picture book offers much food for thought for beginning readers. Marin relates a familiar tale of greed, portraying villages that forget the importance of human dignity while relentlessly pursuing their quest for gold and material wealth. Alongside that storyline, an elderly shaman struggles to train his young adopted grandson to assume the responsibilities as the village shaman. This young boy, Al, climbs the mountain to answer three questions and save his people.
Adults reading this book aloud are given multiple opportunities to explore deeper questions, such as the spiritual nature of God and the important values of life, including empathy and the dignity of the human spirit. Al must learn to assess his own strengths and abilities as well as his frailties. Readers are then encouraged to evaluate their own.
GIVEAWAY
Everyone who enters the giveaway will receive links to download two of Marin’s creations: a free e-book and a free audiobook! One grand prize winner will receive $200 via PayPal along with the audio version of Al’s Journey. Another winner will receive $50 via PayPal and the audiobook, and a third winner will receive $20 via PayPal and the audiobook.
This adulting thing can be hard, very hard. That’s true whether you’re raising a family or just yourself. In some cases, we were warned by our parents. For the most part, though, becoming an adult looked amazing, with little to no downside.
As a child, you saw your parents doing what you thought was whatever they liked. Little did you know that their efforts were driven by a desire for you to have the best possible life. While that was the case, all you saw were people who got to stay up late and make the rules.
Wouldn’t that be awesome when you were finally able to do it? It’s something you begin to look forward to … growing up.
Your parents and other grown-ups jumped into their cars whenever they wanted and drove anywhere. They could go shopping or to a restaurant. They always had money to buy things. You never had money and certainly weren’t able to drive a car.
That desire for adult-like independence was the reason you couldn’t wait to learn to ride a bicycle. You felt like a grown-up because you had a sense of being able to get up and go and explore. You could jump on your bike and take off! The end of the block, or “just down the road,” felt like it was a million miles away. This was, to you, your first taste of grown-up freedom.
Fast-forward a few years, and you’re leaving high school. You’ve heard as long as you remember that you can become whatever you want to become. You can’t wait to officially enter adulthood. It’s going to be so sweet! Then you get out on your own at 18 or 20, or 25 years of age. What are all these responsibilities? There’s so much to do. Where is all the freedom and independence you thought your parents had when you were a kid? Why is life so tough?
Then the truth of the situation hits you. This grown-up thing isn’t very fun, and being a kid definitely was.
Ask any grown-up if they have enough leisure time, and they’ll look at you like you’re speaking a language from another planet. Of course, they don’t have enough time to do what they want? Why ask such a crazy question?
There’s never enough time for fun and playful activities. Only the independently wealthy can truly enjoy their lives, spending as much time as possible doing what they want rather than what they have to do.
That’s the number one reason grown-ups will give you if you ask why they don’t spend more time on enjoyable activities. They’ll tell you their job, family responsibilities, social commitments, and other “have to do” activities keep them from having any downtime. They have to be serious 24/7. There simply isn’t any time for humor and fun, and play.
Then there’s the fact that adults constantly worry.
Kids don’t. A child just does what he does for the sake of doing it. He’s not too concerned about consequences. He chases a butterfly or goes out of his way to splash in a rain puddle just because. It’s fun. So he does it.
The Top 10 Fears That Hold Adults Back
What is it that adults worry about most of the time? According to Inc. Magazine, in a blog post titled “The Top 10 Fears That Hold People Back in Life, According to a Psychotherapist”, here’s what your adult mind is stressing over most of the time. (They are listed in no particular order.)
Change (Good or Bad)
Being Lonely
Failing
Being Rejected
Uncertainty
The Results Are Going to Be Bad
Being Hurt
Judgment
Feelings of Inadequacy
A Loss of Freedom
As an adult, you need to understand that change is inevitable. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes bad, but it is guaranteed to happen. Many changes are out of your control. Instead of worrying and fretting over change coming into your life and wreaking havoc, accept that it will appear and stop stressing about it.
If you worry about being lonely, guess what’s going to happen? We often create self-fulfilling prophecies. This means that concerning yourself with loneliness can lead to that reality. The fear of loneliness can also keep you in less than healthy relationships rather than going it alone.
Look, everyone hates failing. Sometimes we adults would rather simply not try because we’re scared of what will happen if we fail. This mindset will always fill you with stress and anxiety, which means less fun and happiness in your life.
Adults are constantly worried about being rejected in relationships and on the job. They don’t attempt new things or reach out to connect with others because they’re uncertain about what’s going to happen. The result could be bad.
Adults fear getting their feelings hurt, especially by loved ones. If they reach out to others for a little fun or just less seriousness, what if they’re judged poorly? They might feel inadequate to those around them.
Finally, adults are often fearful of a loss of freedom. Be careful that this doesn’t lead you into a bad situation. Someone who embraces freedom may avoid getting a steady job, which can lead to financial issues.
If these and other grown-up worries are constantly rolling around in your head, force yourself to take a break. Call your friends for a night out on the town. Take a walk, cycle with your BFF, or watch a funny movie.
Play, laugh, and smile like a child again. Enjoying the present moment without expectations can help remove yourself from these bothersome adult worries that can cause physical and mental stress.
You Probably Have More Free Time Than You Think You Do
By the way, the common excuse that adults don’t have much free time for playing around and goofing off might not be correct. Consider this.
NBC News reported in September of 2021 that the “… sweet spot for free time is about 3 or 3.5 hours per day.”
Life satisfaction was at its highest when people “had in the neighborhood of 2.5 hours of free time a day.”
[American Psychology Association – Having Too Little or Too Much Time Is Linked to Lower Subjective Well-Being – Sharif, Mogilner, Hershfield]
Adults will tell you they don’t have anywhere near that amount of free time. They might agree that they would have a much better life if they could enjoy their hobbies or other playful activities for a few hours each day. As it turns out, most adult Americans have more free time than they think they do (or will admit to having).
As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), research from doctors Roland Sturm, Ph.D., and Deborah A Cohen, MD, reveals that you might have more leisure time than you realize. Here’s one big takeaway from that study.
“Americans averaged more than 5 hours of free time per day; no subgroup reported having less than 4.5 hours of free time per day.”
[Sturm R, Cohen, DA – Free Time and Physical Activity among Americans 15 Years or Older: Cross-Sectional Analysis of the American Time Use Survey]
No subset of the data had less than 4.5 hours of free time each day. This means people in their late teen years and twenties, thirties and forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, and older all had a minimum of 4.5 hours of leisure time.
CONCLUSION
Take an honest look at your life. How many 10 or 15 or 20-minute blocks of free time do you have? You don’t have to have fun in large doses. You can fill those small sections of your day with playtime and laughter rather than worry and stress.
We know that engaging in fun and enjoyable activities just for the sake of the activity itself, not for a specific result or achievement, is a great stress reliever. It can also put your life in perspective and help you learn not to take life too seriously all of the time.
It means that adults, including you, probably have a good bit of time to stop and smell the roses.
Prioritize play in your life. You never know when your number will be called, so why not have some fun? You know how good you feel when you laugh and smile. Schedule time for those activities that put a smile on your face. Hang out with that friend that makes you laugh.
Go out of your way to schedule more play and less seriousness. You can live a happier, healthier, and longer life. You can also find a lot more appreciation of your life, yourself, and the people in it.
Here’s to you smiling and laughing more and stressing out less.
The story begins with dark images of Salma, trapped under the rubble. Just a moment before, she was with her family. Now she is calling out for them.
Finally, she hears her brother’s voice. Then she meets a bird who asks where are her wings. Salma is confused. She wants to join her family, but apparently, this is not her time.
The author paints a picture of everyday life for children who live in war-torn areas. The illustrations carry the message perfectly.
This book will encourage discussion of the topic among children and their adult caretakers. Appropriate for older children and teens. Not recommended for primary grade readers but highly suggested for teachers and parents who want to discuss difficult topics with older children.
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From the Desk of Lizzie Lazowski: A Middle Grade Novel
Written by Melody J. Bremen
Lizzie is an eighth grade student who has difficulty making friends. When her teacher assigns her the task to find a pen pal, Lizzie decides to put her message in a bottle and launch it into the ocean at the beach. To her surprise, she receives a response by email. She is disappointed that her bottle did not travel far across the ocean.
As time goes by, Lizzie reveals more details about her life. Her pen pal signs only as Grand Slammer. Will Lizzie discover the identity of her friend? Is he or she someone she may already know?
I would describe this 300 page book as a coming of age novel with well-defined characters and a plot that is appealing to both middle grade and young adult audiences.
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Illustrated by Obayomi Aanuoluwapo and Dirisu David
A beautiful multicultural picture book that teaches children about life in rural Ghana.
Kwame is respectful, obedient, and grateful for his simple life in a rural village. In this story, Kwame wakes early to help his mother wash clothes by hand. Then he sweeps the dirt floor of his one room hut before dressing in his uniform to walk to school at the Royal Promise Mission. Today is a special day. The children from around the area will be marching to celebrate the anniversay of Ghana’s independence.
Children from around the world learn a bit about the food, flag, customs , language, and difficult life of a small rural village. Kwame provides a good role model for children. Charming illustrations and an interactive activity keep readers engaged with the tale.
Highly recommended to parents and teachers of elementary school readers.
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December 24, 2025
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