Awakening Consciousness: A Girl's Guide!

REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker, reviewer with Stories for Children Magazine Since both of our children are boys, I may not be the best-qualified to review this book, but I know many parents who are looking for books to help them in guiding their daughters to seeing the big picture. Awakening Consciousness, which is Book #4 in Loving Healing Press's "Growing With Love" series, is a workbook that girls and young women can use to learn about their own spiritual self-awareness. The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data lists it under the categories, "Children--Psychic ability" and "Parapsychology--Juvenile literature." Author Robin Marvel begins her note to parents by saying, "There is a shift taking place in our world, and Universal Awareness will prevail." This book contains good advice that applies not only to girls, but to everyone. Marvel counsels, "Always be true to who you are even if it isn't what everyone else is doing. You get to make the choices that affect you. So what if you aren't the most popular in school? You are your own person" (p. 9). All children need to know that. There is also practical information about other issues, like developing good hygiene habits, being thankful, and apologizing to others. The book is divided into twelve chapters, and each one has exercises or activities to reinforce the material in it. Families from traditional Christian, Jewish, and Muslim backgrounds may not find reading about some subjects, like energy fields, auras, chakras, karma, yoga, mindful meditation, aromatherapy, grounding, reiki, pendulums, mind reading, tarot cards, crystals, and past lives particularly beneficial, but those who are interested in these subjects might come across something that they can use.

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (1/09) "Awakening Consciousness: A Girl's Guide!" by Robin Marvel is Book #4 in the "Growing With Love" series of books published by Loving Healing Press. In this unique book, Marvel aims to promote awareness of self and encourage children to become more in touch with their spiritual side. The information is presented in a straightforward, hands-on manner that would be very easy for a preteen or teenager to understand. The workbook style format of the book helps to reinforce the points made and aid in the reader's comprehension and retention of the subject matter at hand. In the Note at the beginning of the book the author states that "There is a shift taking place in our world and Universal Awareness will prevail. As parents we have the opportunity to guide our children to a path of true awareness. Children are the future and by adding metaphysical teachings into their lives we can guide them towards seeing the big picture." The short lessons present information relating to a variety of different areas including auras, chakras, meditation, aromatherapy, dreaming, crystals, and angels. Each of the teachings strongly promotes reader participation, which I think truly drives home the points being made. For instance, in the section in which chakras are discussed, there is first an introduction in which a general definition is given as to exactly what a chakra is. Then, Marvel goes on to provide descriptions of all seven existing chakras. The next page has a matching exercise where the reader is to match the named chakra to its corresponding color. Following that, there is a space for the participant to draw a body outline and label each chakra. Finally, the remaining pages in the lesson focus on keeping all of your chakras healthy by exercising each and every one of them. Movements to do this are explained in detail, along with photographs showing actual children doing them. "Awakening Consciousness: A Girl's Guide!" provides easy, interactive, and fun activities that any child will definitely enjoy and effectively learn a lot from. Marvel's workbook is a great tool to help our younger generation explore deep within themselves, increase awareness, and encourage spiritual growth.

Kids these days are bombarded with images and pressures on how they should act, think, believe, and look by society. This book gives girls the tools to look inside themselves and learn who they are and embrace that and love themselves. I am very open-minded when it comes to religion and allow and encourage my children to research and explore all their options. My girls would tell you they are Christians and I see no problem with this book going along with their choice. Ultimately, the goal in life, regardless of religion preference, is to be the best person you can be inside and out. Treat others well and stay positive. BE YOU! Great job on this book Robin. I commend you for stepping out of the boundaries and offering your knowledge to help young girls. Every young girl should have this book!

Reviewed by Brenna Bales (age 10) for Reader Views (12/08) When I first started reading "Awakening Consciousness" I had a very different perspective on life. Reading this inspirational guide can actually cleanse out a lot of the bad thoughts you may be having in your life. The exercises and meditations that the author outlines in the book can have an almost purifying effect on your soul, filtering out feelings of hurt or discomfort. The exercises in particular spiritually "work" all of your "chakras." Chakras are the spinning centers of energy at the bottom of your spine, and end at the top of your head. Your body feels lighter and more at peace after doing them. Several of the chapters include game-like activities which are very enjoyable and interesting to do. I would definitely rate the book a 5 out of 5. This book sparked something inside of me that I had never felt before. The exercises in the book can wash out feelings of uneasiness, worry or tension, and they can be done anytime you feel upset. The book was very engaging right from the beginning. It has some unique concepts that other books do not discuss. It gives some practical ways to guide the reader through spiritual movement. If readers come from traditional Christian, Jewish, or Muslim backgrounds, they may not be as open to receiving the information outlined by the author. The book focuses on teaching how to connect with your inner being and/or consciousness, and generally leaves out techniques found in the Bible and other religious works. I was extremely eager to read the book the moment after I received it. The book just looked like it had some secret waiting inside for me to discover. I would recommend "Awakening Consciousness: A Girl's Guide!" by Robin Marvel to anyone looking to explore new ideas about their spirituality.

As a kid, I remember being told in no uncertain terms that I needed to curb my imagination. Like any child, I had questions that no one seemed to be able to answer. All I learned was that adults tended to be afraid to even acknowledge things like auras and angels. Unfortunately, over time, I learned that it was better to keep these things to myself. When I became a Mom, I began to see things from a different perspective. However, instead of brushing off my children's questions, I encouraged them to explore the mysteries of life and their own personal power. I think more and more, parents are recognizing how important it is for children to love and understand themselves. Awakening Consciousness is a workbook meant to help guide children on their path to self awareness. The topics are quite varied with everything from instructions on how to see auras and do active chakracize exercises through fun aromatherapy crafts and reading tarot cards to using affirmations and choosing to use positive energy in daily life. The author also includes plenty of places for children to draw or write about their experiences or record their goals.