Review of Michael is Stronger Than His Thoughts

[Annelore Trujillo]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Michael is Stronger Than His Thoughts" by Joel Gokool.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Michael Is Stronger Than His Thoughts by Joel Gokool is a children’s picture book about a child’s experiences as he interacts with others. Michael loves to draw. He is very proud of his drawings and shows them to his loved ones. However, he is not met with the positive responses that he expects. How will the responses from his loved ones affect him? Will they change the way he thinks about himself? Will he just forget about it and move on? You’ll have to read this book to find out.

The message in the book is good for children. It shows how negative experiences might affect them. Michael also thinks through these responses when they occur. We get to see his explanations for why his loved ones are acting the way they are. We also get to see Michael’s overall response to the cumulation of these experiences. I can’t say much more without spoiling the book, but I can say that it gives an overall positive message to children.

I like the illustrations. They match the book well and tell the story in an entertaining way. They are vibrant and colorful. Children will definitely be drawn in. I like the depiction of the auras the most. The illustrator did a great job with the progression of the auras throughout the story to match the chakras as Michael goes through his journey.

One issue I had with the book is that the first page with the depiction of heaven, or the astral plane, is unnecessary. It limits the audience that would enjoy this book. It doesn’t add anything to the story, and it isn’t brought up for the rest of the book. The same message can be told without adding this section. I would have enjoyed this page better if the story circled back to it. However, this is more of a personal opinion than an overall pitfall of the book. The editing could also use improvement. There are too many errors for such a short book. Every error is very easily fixable. It’s disappointing to see so many in a children’s book.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. My biggest reason for taking off a star is that the editing needs work. I didn’t like the first page of the book, but this doesn’t actually detract from the story. I wouldn’t have taken a star off for this piece of it. Otherwise, the story is told well, the illustrations are creative, and the message is good for children. This is a good book for children in elementary school to read. Those who don’t agree with teachings of the astral plane and chakras should not read this book.

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Michael is Stronger Than His Thoughts
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[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

What are these astral planes and chakras? Is this easy to understand for children? Thanks for your honest review!

[NutellaBanana]

This is an interesting and well thought of book. This is also an interesting and well-written review. This is also a book that I would definitely love to try out. Thank you for this wonderful review.

[Chinenye Achilike]

I wonder what Michael's reactions towards the negative responses were. I hope they were positive. If they were, then this will be a good book to teach children not to be discouraged by naysayers.