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Thomas and the Magic Violin
I found Thomas and the Magic Violin to be a deeply moving picture book that I would be delighted to share with children in my classroom. The story follows Thomas as he works hard to prepare for a spring concert, facing the frustration, self-doubt, and perseverance that are such familiar parts of learning something worthwhile. What I loved most is the book’s gentle message that growth often comes through patience, encouragement, and the quiet support of others. It presents musical practice honestly, while still wrapping the story in warmth and wonder.
This book stands out because it treats children’s emotions with real respect. Thomas is discouraged, embarrassed, determined, and hopeful, and those feelings are shown in a way young readers can understand. The relationship between Thomas and the older violinist across the courtyard is especially beautiful. Their connection is not built through long conversations, but through music, listening, and kindness. From a teacher’s perspective, that makes the story especially powerful, because it shows children that mentorship can be quiet, meaningful, and life-changing.
Illustrator Sofia Panchyshyn’s artwork is soft, expressive, and full of feeling, using warm pastel colors, floral details, and flowing musical lines to create a calm, magical atmosphere. The pictures help tell the story by showing Thomas’s changing emotions, the beauty of the courtyard setting, and the almost dreamlike presence of the master violinist’s music. I was especially taken by the scenes where the music seems to travel through the air, turning sound into something children can see.
I would highly recommend this book for classrooms, libraries, and families. It opens the door to thoughtful conversations about practice, resilience, artistic expression, grief, and gratitude, all in a way that remains accessible to young readers. Most of all, it is a lovely reminder that encouragement can leave a lasting mark on a child’s life. Thomas and the Magic Violin is a tender, memorable book that I loved, and I believe many children will find both comfort and inspiration in its pages.
Pages: 38 | ISBN : 978-9528206088
Reclaiming Your Voice
In The Permission Mission, you encourage readers to stop seeking approval for the life they want to live and grant themselves permission to make their own choices. Why was this an important book for you to write?
This book was important for me to write because I kept seeing the same pattern in so many capable, talented people, especially women. These women are smart, accomplished, yet they were still waiting for someone else to say, “You’re ready,” or “You deserve this.” They were waiting for permission to speak up, ask for more, try something new, or even sometimes trust their own instincts.
At some point, I realized just how deep that pattern runs.
Many of us (especially women) were raised to follow the rules, be agreeable, and not rock the boat. Those lessons may have served us at one point, but they tend to stay with us and can quietly hold us back later in life. So, I wanted to write a book that helps people recognize those invisible limits. I wanted to help people realize that the permission they’re waiting for isn’t coming from outside of them. It’s something they already have. Once you realize that, it changes the way you move through your life.
What made you decide to frame the journey toward confidence as a “mission” rather than simply personal growth?
A mission requires action. Personal growth can sometimes sound passive, as if it happens over time if we read enough books or listen to enough podcasts. But reclaiming your voice doesn’t happen by accident; it requires decisions, courage, and taking a few uncomfortable steps forward.
That is why I chose to call it a “mission” because this journey asks something of us. It asks us to question old beliefs, challenge the voices in our heads, and sometimes step outside the expectations that have shaped us for years.
But the beautiful thing about a mission is that it unfolds one step at a time. One decision at a time, one foot in front of the other. You just have to choose to trust yourself a little more than you did yesterday.
You identify those who tend to stifle our progress as “backup singers.” What is the first step we can take to recognize when they are running the show?
The first step is simply awareness. Most of the time, “backup singers,” those voices in the back of our minds that seem to echo lessons from the past, feel so familiar that we think they’re our own thoughts. But when you pause and listen closely, you start to recognize them.
Maybe it’s a parent’s voice saying, “Don’t get too big for your britches.” Maybe it’s a teacher who once told you that you weren’t ready. Maybe it’s a cultural message about what someone like you is supposed to do.
When you hear yourself thinking things like “I shouldn’t say that,” “Someone else is probably more qualified,” or “I don’t want to make waves,” that’s often a backup singer stepping forward.
Once you notice that voice, you can ask a powerful question: Is this belief still true for me today? That moment of awareness is where the shift begins.
If readers remember just one idea from The Permission Mission, what do you hope it will be?
I hope they remember this: The only permission you need is your own. And you already have that. You just need to realize it.
So many people spend years holding themselves back because they believe they need approval from a boss, a family member, a mentor, or society before they can move forward. But the truth is that most of the time, no one is standing in your way.
When you give yourself permission: to try, to speak, to lead, to change your mind, to go after what you want, you step into a different relationship with your life. You stop standing in the background. You start trusting your own voice.
That single shift can change everything.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website | Book Website | YouTube | Amazon
Polite. Agreeable. Grateful.
You did exactly what you were told—and it cost you your voice, your choices, and your life.
If you’ve been biting your tongue, over-apologizing, saying yes when you meant no, or following “rules” you never agreed to…The Permission Mission will help you trust your own voice and take your life back.
This isn’t your life. It’s the result of compliance.
You’ve walked away from conversations thinking, I wish I had said something? You’ve talked yourself out of the raise, the boundary, the opportunity, the dream—because a louder voice (yours or someone else’s) told you not to make waves?
The Permission Mission is your wake-up call and your roadmap if you’re tired of living a life that works for everyone but you. Dr. Cindy McGovern helps you identify the “backup singers” in your head (the old voices, expectations, unspoken rules, and borrowed beliefs that keep drowning out what you actually want). Then, she hands the microphone back to the only voice that matters: yours.
You’ll embark on your own personal permission mission, where the insights you gain actually become the momentum you need, even when you second-guess yourself. Because confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build, one brave decision at a time.
On your journey, you’ll learn how to:
• Spot the invisible rules you’ve been living by—and break the ones holding you back.
• Clean out your emotional closet and ditch the old stories, rules, and doubts that are holding you back.
• Turn fear into forward motion by using imposter syndrome and self-doubt as your launchpad, not your limitations.
• Own your worth without shrinking, over-explaining, or self-editing.
• Say no without guilt, yes to what matters, and speak up where it counts.
• Get out of your head and out of your own way.
• Advocate for what you want—at home, at work, and in the conversations that shape your future (yes, even negotiation and “selling”).
• Give yourself permission instead of asking or waiting for it.
So, whether you’re just starting out, starting over, or simply sick of playing small, The Permission Mission gives you the strategy, support, and spark to finally go after what’s yours.
These pages won’t tell you who to be. They remind you who you already are. This book is your invitation to come back to yourself.
The only permission you need is your own.
The Permission Mission: Reclaiming the Power to Trust Your Own Voice
The Permission Mission is a self-help book in which author Dr. Cindy McGovern invites readers, especially women, to stop waiting for approval and start granting themselves permission to live the life they actually want. She frames life as a stage, with “backup singers” made from parents, teachers, culture, and old rules that keep you stuck in the chorus instead of in the spotlight. Across five parts and forty-four short chapters, she walks through how those voices get inside you, how fear and imposter syndrome keep you quiet, and how grit, self-trust, and daily “permission slips” can help you speak up, set boundaries, and own your worth in work and life. The last section turns that idea into very concrete permissions, like permission to say no, to say yes, to run your own race, to pause, and to celebrate even small steps forward, each with simple reflection exercises at the end of the chapter.
I liked the way McGovern opens with personal stories about staying silent as a girl, then circles back to that discomfort from different angles, so the big theme never gets lost. Her voice is warm and direct, and she uses pop-culture examples like Dumbo learning he could fly without the feather, or office workers in 9 to 5, to make abstract points feel concrete and familiar. The language is plain and easy to follow, and the chapter structure is tight, which makes it very “flippable” for a busy reader. The recurring backup-singer metaphor and the coined term “in-power” give the book a strong, recognizable language that makes its core message easy to remember. The overall style is clear, compassionate, and accessible, with a good mix of story, research, and coaching questions.
The central claim that you already have the right to go after what you want, and that the main permission you need is your own, is not new, but she grounds it in gender socialization, wage gaps, and media examples in a way that feels honest rather than fluffy. I especially appreciated the way she names the “imaginary rules” we carry, links them to early praise and criticism, then has you literally rewrite them and practice asking if an old belief is still true today. The sections on worthiness, media portrayals of women, and how we talk differently to girls and boys felt powerful and concrete, and the epilogue’s reminder that each of us becomes someone else’s backup singer gave the whole project a wider, almost generational scope that stayed with me.
I came away feeling encouraged and pretty energized to try a few of the exercises. I would recommend The Permission Mission to women who are competent on paper yet still hesitate to raise their hand, negotiate, or say what they really think, as well as to early-career professionals, new managers, and anyone who keeps hearing old voices in their head whenever they try something bold. If you like practical self-help with stories, reflection prompts, and plenty of straight talk about worth and boundaries, you’ll love this book. For readers ready to step a little closer to the spotlight and want a friendly shove in that direction, this book is a solid pick.
Pages: 372 | ISBN : 978-1646872411
The Prince’s Dress Dilemma
The Prince’s Dress Dilemma, by Sara Madden, follows young Prince Eric, a kid who seems to have it all. He is growing up in a palace with his twin sister, Erica, and their dog, Arthus. His days are full of games and little adventures, and every night he pulls on his favorite nightgown and drifts off to sleep completely content.
One morning, though, everything feels different. Eric wakes up to discover he’s had a growth spurt. Overnight, he’s shot up so much that none of his clothes fit, especially not anything fancy enough for the upcoming royal ball. He’s worried, but his parents aren’t. The king and queen quickly come up with a plan: they’ll send him to the dressmaker to have a royal ballgown made just for him. Once his new outfit is finished, Eric heads to the ball ready to enjoy himself, confident that he looks exactly the way he wants to look.
The Prince’s Dress Dilemma, by Sara Madden, is a short children’s book that feels perfect for young kids, especially as a bedtime read or a cozy rainy-day story. The plot is simple, the language is accessible, and the pictures help carry young listeners through the story without losing their attention.
It’s hard to talk about this book without mentioning the obvious: Eric wears nightgowns to bed and prefers dresses during the day. The book is welcoming to the LGBTQIA+ community, even though those terms never appear in the book, and it tells a supportive story for anyone who may find themselves in Eric’s shoes. Eric’s family accepts his clothing choices without fuss, and that quiet, steady support turns the story into one about exploring and celebrating gender expression that doesn’t always fit traditional expectations. The warm and charming artwork reinforces this, especially scenes from the ball that show same-sex couples dancing together.
Parents who want their children to grow up seeing and valuing diversity are likely to embrace The Prince’s Dress Dilemma. The story itself is gentle and good-natured. It encourages kids to feel comfortable in their own bodies and their own choices. That’s a message many parents can stand behind. And for the children who read this book, there’s a clear and valuable lesson: acceptance and kindness toward people who are different from you are not just important, they’re normal, and they’re good.
Pages: 43 | ASIN : B0C5P1TN2H
Emotional Safety
Karl’s Marsupium follows a young kangaroo boy born with a pouch who navigates his own confusion and the teasing of others with the help of his patient and supportive mother. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Karl’s Marsupium grew out of a desire to create a story that doesn’t rush kids (or parents) past their feelings. I wanted to offer something gentle — a place where difference is noticed, held, and allowed to make sense in its own time. Writing this book felt less like delivering a message and more like making room.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Listening, belonging, and emotional safety were central themes. I was exploring how children experience feelings in their bodies, and how much changes when those feelings are met with patience instead of correction. The story also explores how something that might have once felt confusing or shameful can later be understood as meaningful.
What was your process for writing the interactions between Karl and his mother to develop the bond they have?
It was really paying attention to what wasn’t said as much as what was. Karl’s mom doesn’t try to fix or explain him — she just stays present. I wanted their interactions to model a kind of quiet support where listening itself is the connection and the marsupium is a safe place to be.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m continuing to explore Karl’s world through new stories and reflections all the time, but am letting them take shape slowly and organically. There isn’t a set release timeline yet for anything new — Karl tends to arrive when he is ready. ☺️
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Website | Amazon
He was also born with a wise and caring mother who helps him understand that being different doesn’t mean being alone.
Join Karl and his mom as they navigate life with tenderness, curiosity, and courage.
Together they explore big feelings, new experiences, and what it truly means to belong in your own body.
A gentle, beautifully illustrated story for sensitive kids, anxious kids, kids who feel “different,” and every family growing their emotional toolkit.
Perfect for ages 4–8, this heartwarming picture book supports conversations about feelings, self-esteem, identity, and the magic of being yourself.
For parents, educators, and therapists looking for emotional-literacy picture books — Karl’s story is a soothing and empowering companion.
Mind, Body & Spirit
Who Trains, Wins is a personal guide to growth through martial arts, written with a mix of tough love, lived experiences, and clear admiration for the warrior path. You describe martial arts as a blueprint for living. When did that shift happen for you?
When I was young, I was living by trial and error. I could be told what to do, but many times I needed to learn the hard way. I found that when I was training regularly and spending the majority of my time with those who were focused on self-improvement, I was consistently getting better all around results in my life. When I wasn’t putting in work on my spiritual/physical side, I would move backwards, and my general life results became poor quickly. I am a slow learner, but around age 26, it eventually became ridiculously obvious. I found the rhythm for my success required continuous work in mind, body & spirit – all three equally. If I slacked, I paid in kind.
Was there any story you hesitated to include but ultimately felt needed to be there?
Such an insightful question. In writing this book, I wanted to focus on the reader and where they want their life to go. Originally, I included many, many personal stories that seemed to be relevant as examples in each section. Ultimately, I cut 98% of them as they were just that, personal, and weren’t broadly relevant to a wider audience. I didn’t want to drown out, drone on, and hijack a success formula self-help book, to instead make it an autobiography. The martial arts is a very personal journey and each person should start “tabula rasa” – as a blank slate, and let the martial arts principles and their discipline bring them where they need to go. I didn’t want to inject any bias or limit the scope of what’s possible for those in completely different circumstances to my origin. So the stories I told I felt were just enough to make a connection with the reader, and I tried to leave lots of room to write in their own story and personal comparisons.
How can someone with no martial arts background start applying these principles immediately?
A self-assessment is the place to begin. Identify your ideal experience in this human form that you think is achievable for yourself. We don’t need to be talking lofty goals. Just a few simple improvements. Are you on the path to getting there? If not, why not? I believe many people don’t realize life can be navigated with more success if you first draw up a map for where you want to go. That map needs to include a regime to shore up 3 areas: 1. Spiritual, 2. Physical, 3. Mental. These three separate systems must run at peak potential simultaneously for quick results. If they are optimized, backed by a plan, a road-map of who you want to be and where you are going, the world will make way for you, and you will get much further than you can imagine.
How do you help readers stay motivated when progress feels slow or invisible?
This is the secret sauce and one of the hardest questions we all must face. Love is the key. Love for your pet, your grandmother, love for yourself. The motivation, love, and joy bring are boundless. I cannot instill work ethic or push you, you need to want to be there. Love feels scary to give unconditionally, but if you love yourself, then you will want what is truly best for yourself. We live in a society that makes food and cars and sex about self love. Those can quickly become traps and negatives. True self love means staying healthy, focusing on positive things, helping those in need. Giving of yourself and your time is empowering and uplifting. So find and hug your grandmother today, time is limited for those. Go outside and smile at a stranger, the rest of their day they will remember that. Look in the mirror and say I love you three times out loud, and see if you don’t all of a sudden look just a little more attractive. I’m smiling just thinking of you doing that. That’s the key to staying motivated – love.
Imagine taking on your biggest challenges with the mental fortitude and unshakable confidence of a seasoned fighter. This isn’t reserved just for black belts or elite athletes. Anyone can apply these principles to daily life and see real results.
The truth is, you already have the tools inside you. You just need to sharpen them through deliberate practice. Like a fighter perfecting their stance or a martial artist drilling their forms, success in life requires consistent training in the fundamentals. Use the same proven martial artists techniques for any challenge you face.
This book will guide you to the core essentials that separate those who achieve from those who simply dream. Through the same discipline, mental toughness, and strategic thinking that masters have used for centuries, you’ll develop the warrior mindset that makes unlimited success inevitable.
Who Trains Wins reveals how martial arts discipline translates into wealth, success, and fulfillment—not through shortcuts, but through becoming the complete person capable of achieving any goal.
This isn’t theory. It’s a battle-tested roadmap.
YOU’LL LEARN:
• How to choose the right martial art, school, and master (and what red flags to avoid)
• Training regimes broken into achievable daily steps
• How to master emotions, conquer fear, and build unshakeable self-respect
• Ancient philosophies adapted for modern success
• Nutrition and physical optimization for peak performance
• Spiritual practices including meditation and energy work
• The warrior’s path from student to teacher to master
Train your mind. Hone your body. Transform your life.
The path is clear. The methods work. I’ve walked it, and so can you.
Join me in training to WIN.
About the Author;
(Drawing on decades of training across multiple disciplines—from Tae Kwon Do to BJJ, from close protection operations to high-risk contracting—author Matthew Black distills the martial wisdom that transformed his life into practical tools anyone can use.)
Who Trains, Wins: How anyone can train for SUCCESS & WEALTH with THE MARTIAL ARTS Train and Grow Rich
Who Trains, Wins is a personal guide to growth through martial arts, written with a mix of tough love, lived experiences, and clear admiration for the warrior path. The book blends personal stories, practical training advice, and reflections on discipline, emotion, and mindset. It walks through the author’s own training across many countries and styles, and it ties each lesson back to everyday life. The message comes through loud and clear. Training shapes the body, the mind, and the choices we make.
Some parts felt almost like a coach shouting from the sidelines, and other parts felt like a quiet conversation late at night when you admit things you rarely say out loud. I liked that contrast. It kept me awake. Author Matthew Black writes with a kind of sharp honesty that sometimes pokes at you. I felt it most in the sections about discipline and frustration. They reminded me how often we get in our own way. The storytelling adds heart. His memories from childhood scraps or tough nights on the job land with real weight. They give the book grit and color, and I appreciated that he never tries to make himself look perfect. It made the lessons easier to trust.
His talk about training against yourself really resonated with me. It is easy to chase external markers of progress. It is harder to sit with your own limits and push past them. I liked how he tied emotional control to fighting, and how those thoughts spill into everyday challenges. He writes in a way that makes you feel both seen and pushed. At times, the tone got intense, yet it also carried warmth. It made me feel motivated and a bit humbled at the same time.
By the end, I felt the book had given me more than advice. It had given me a mood. A sense of wanting to do better for myself. I would recommend Who Trains, Wins to anyone who wants a mindset shift and not just a workout plan. It is perfect for people who crave discipline, or who feel stuck and want a spark to move forward, and for anyone curious about the deeper side of martial arts.
Pages: 290 | ASIN : B0G4NFFWX8
Vulnerability Is Strength
The Work In Between is a memoir sharing your experiences of losing over 100 pounds, surviving cancer multiple times, and going through a period of self-reinvention. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I kept getting asked where my book was. People assumed I had written one given my experiences. After a lot of self-reflection, therapy, and conversations, I felt I was ready to tackle a book. To be honest, I wasn’t convinced I had that interesting of a story. I wasn’t sure anyone would care. However, some conversations made it clear that it might be helpful to others, if only to show you can go through some pretty tough stuff and still be a compassionate, successful, and joyful person. So, I wrote it. The response has been overwhelmingly positive.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
It’s the only way I know how to be. I’m not very good at sugar coating things or only telling one side of the story (i.e., where I only look good). The hardest part was writing about when my brother Eric died. I cried when I was writing about losing all of my family, but Eric’s death was particularly difficult. Still is. I laughed a lot, too, though. I ended up remembering things I had forgotten. Good memories. Happy memories.
How has writing your memoir impacted or changed your life?
I’m happy that it’s resonated with so many people. Writing the book has made me realize I have a lot more work to do. I wrote a chapter in The Backyard Peace Project anthology and got a fantastic response to my chapter about loving ourselves harder when we stumble and fall. I think it’s a really important message to get out there, especially with all of the negativity and skewed reality from social media.
I’ve learned through my book that vulnerability is strength. Most people are tired of branded packages of unrealistic life. I think they are hungry for real, honest conversations about hard things. That’s how we grow. I was once told that I talk about things people usually keep in the shadows. That’s true. I do that because if I try to carry it all alone, it makes me sick: physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally unhealthy. We aren’t supposed to walk around with shame and guilt. Talking about it is healing, and it helps others process their experiences. Everyone has experienced hard things; sharing them helps us heal and grow.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
That they are worthy just as they are and worthy of love and a good life. It doesn’t matter what the scale says, what other people tell you, or where you started in life. If you want to improve your physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual health, great. Do that. However, you are worthy of love and an amazing life no matter what.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
Witty, frank, and richly thoughtful, The Work In Between is peppered with wisdom from the author’s expertise in the field of Health Communication. Holmes brings an astute eye to the relationship between outward appearances and medical experiences as she draws from her doctoral education and years of service as a hospital executive. And yet, the complex web of stories that characterize The Work In Between extend far beyond Holmes’s own experiences. As this memoir makes clear, we carry family trauma in our bones. Until we do the inside work of facing our demons and declaring our worthiness, we cannot live the full, happy lives we were meant to live.
