ODYSSEY MAGAZINE – Summer 2007 Review by Mandy Weyer, 11
Parents are always telling us kids about how important it is to be healthy. And it’s usually in terms of don’ts :Don’t eat junk food, don’t drink too much soda, don’t sit around playing video games, don’t skip breakfast. In this book, Aja King, a ten-year-old girl from Canada, tells kids what they can do to be happy and healthy. It’s a skinny little book written by a kid for other kids. Aja’s book has lots of good advice, such as eating healthy foods, drinking water and not just sugary soda, and playing outside with friends rather than spending all day at the computer. It’s much easier to think about these ideas when they come from another kid. Because Aja is setting an example of healthy living, she tells us about her daily routine, such as what she eats and what her activities are. She loves riding horses, being with friends, doing art, listening to music, and traveling the world. She even includes recipes for things like gratitude, peace, joy, and love. The book also contains four pages of questions with space for you to fill in your answers. The questions gently show how you can make your own life happier and healthier by looking at what you do every day and what you could be doing instead. Most important, Aja’s book shows that the best thing that you can do to be happy and healthy is to believe in yourself and follow your dreams. It’s a great book to get anyone started on the way to a better lifestyle.
