This superb book's message is to respect and love yourself- no matter what. Everyone is worthy of being loved. Acceptance of self is so important, and at times hard. The important question many ask is- am I good enough? This book answers that question with an unqualified YES! Diversity should be respected and everyone should be accepted for who they are. It feels so good to hear someone say, "I believe in you." It is a matter of high importance to believe in yourself. This is a great book for teaching children about self-esteem. Children will love this story and find it relatable. This fun book for ages 3-9 teaches children about how to appreciate what they already have instead of being jealous of what others have. Children will enjoy being reminded to choose themselves instead of wishing to be like someone else. The concepts are taught in a simple and direct way that children can understand. It is a serious theme that is taught in a delightful manner. This book about self-esteem and appreciation is fun to read. It is a excellent message for all children. It is important to teach children about character building, and to reinforce the concept of acceptance of self and others, and of self worth. GET TO KNOW ALEX HORNER! A wise person once said, "Everyone is "smart" in different ways. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree it will spend its whole life thinking that it's dumb." How would you respond to that? In the past, what defined a kid as "smart" was their ability to follow directions and complete (mostly book based) work. Given this fact, many kids that had talents not meeting this narrow definition were made to feel "less than" others. In today's far more modern view of education, we know that it is important to help kids shine no matter what that looks like. We all have different talents and that is amazing! Instead of looking down on others because of their differences, let's celebrate the fact that others have incredibly diverse and equally marvelous skills that are different than our own. Another wise person once said, "If we were all the same the world would be an amazingly dull place." I whole heartedly agree with this and am so grateful that the world can be as diverse and amazing as it is. If you could have an unlimited supply of any object, what would it be? (It can't be magical, have special powers, or anything like that. Just an ordinary, everyday type of object.) This may seem somewhat contradictory (as I am somewhat of an environmentalist), but I would have an unlimited supply of gas. In the summers I typically try to travel as much as I can. Given the fact that my vehicle (an 85 VW Van) is not great on fuel, an endless supply of fuel would allow me to see even more of this great country. Within British Columbia (and Canada for that matter), we are so fortunate. The land we stand on is filled with beauty. Although unlimited fuel would make travel far easier, I would still be determined to travel this land if I had to walk every step.  Who is your favourite fictional character? (a person you consider to be a hero) If I were to pick a favourite character from a novel, I would choose Lois Crisler from the novel Arctic Wild.  Although this book is older, it is amazing. In it, Lois and her husband live in the Alaskan wilderness and try to capture footage of a caribou migration for a film company. This story is set in the 1940-50s, so when I mean capture footage, I mean the duo must carry a large film cameral over vast distances to keep up with the herd. The experiences described in this book are incredible and I can only imagine the hardships that the Crislers faced in making this mission a success. If you had to pick, where would you rather write- a noisy coffee shop or a quiet library, and why? Personally, the coffee shop writing atmosphere has never really worked for me. Between the copious amounts of coffee, constant noise, and long discussions with friends, I never seem to get anything done. A library, on the other hand, is another matter. I love to work in silence, and for this, the library is usually great. This being said, it is important to understand that all libraries are not created equal. Some can be just as noisy as a busy street; others can be silent. For me, the silent ones are the best as they usually have a great atmosphere, and the silence within them gives my thoughts room to move around freely.