Review: Be Your Own Best Friend Forever by Gary Robinson

 

BE YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND FOREVER!

by Gary Robinson

7th Generation

Picture Book

ages 9 to 12

Jayla knows to ignore voices that tell her she isn't good enough. She doesn't listen to the voice of self doubt and instead listens to her voice of self love, teaching herself to be her own best friend.

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BOOK BLINK

                                      * self-empowerment

                                      * tons of energy and positivity

MY TIDBITS

Bright illustrations, tons of positive vibes, and mounds of words of encouragement ensure self-doubt fades away.

Jayla is a girl just like any other girl. And like any other girl, she hears all those words, which put her down and make her feel bad about herself. If she lets them, that is. But Jayla knows how to force those words away and shares how she does it.

This is a book for those kids, who let the bad comments around them eat away at them. In other words, most. Jayla is a power house of positive energy on every page, and it sets the right atmosphere to support the message. While starting with the negative words, where they can come from, and what their value truly is, the book then slides into how to deal with these words. It builds self-esteem and explains why kids should love themselves. 

Now, this one is preachy, and that's something I usually steer very clear from. It bugged me a bit in these pages, and the idea of being your own best friend forever hit me as a bit over the top. At first. But then, I realized that I do know some girls who would love this book. I could see this one really speaking them, and they definitely need to hear the message again and again. Especially girls in elementary or beginning middle school will see themselves in Jayla and understand the very direct words. I do see some girls gripping this one tight and reading it when they feel down or to help build themselves up. So, I do recommend this one.

And here he is...

Award-winning writer and filmmaker Gary Robinson (Choctaw/Cherokee descent) has participated in the production of dozens of Native American educational, informational, and documentary television projects and worked to create Native American content most of his adult life. He is the author of sixteen books, including eight PathFinders teen novels. He lives in Santa Ynez, CA. For more information, visit his website at tribaleyeproductions.com.