Showing posts with label Self-Esteem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Self-Esteem. Show all posts

Friday, December 12, 2025

Yes - YOU Matter, YOU are Enough ~ Partners in Crime Tours Book Review & Giveaway!

Yes-YOU Matter, YOU Are Enough by Karin J. Lund  Banner

Yes-YOU Matter, YOU Are Enough
The Power of You Series
by Karin J. Lund

Young Adult / Self-Help 
Published by: G-Power Global Publishing
Publication Date: September 23, 2025
Number of Pages: 241

Synopsis:

Yes-YOU Matter, YOU Are Enough by Karin J. Lund

The Power of You Series 

Yes-YOU Matter, YOU Are Enough is about celebrating your life  and understanding and creating your value, while building confidence and resiliency.

The cover was designed with interlocking and layering lines to illustrate the many interrelated paths in our lives that give us the opportunity to change our direction at any time. This design reflects a journey toward self-reliance and resilience, encouraging us to embrace our true selves and build a strong inner foundation.

This is the book that will always remind you that:

YES-I MATTER, I AM ENOUGH.


BUY THE BOOK:

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BOOK REVIEW
I don't spend time on plot summary, so please read the book synopsis above.

HALL WAYS REVIEW: 4.5 STARS. Uplifting and thoughtful, YES - YOU MATTER, YOU ARE ENOUGH by Karin J. Lund is a terrific motivational coach for all stages of life. 


For those of a certain age, reading YES - YOU MATTER, YOU ARE ENOUGH will channel memories of Daily Affirmations with Stewart Smalley (IYKYK). While initially, the target audience seems mature middle-school-aged to high-school-aged kids, this mom of five sent photos of selected pages to her thirty-something kids, and found a few pages that seemed eerily apropos and relevant to her nearly sixty-year-old self. 


Early on, YES - YOU MATTER, YOU ARE ENOUGH shifts from pure pump-you-up motivation towards a self-help angle. With questions and topics posed and space given for readers to write responses, the level of reflection and introspection required lends itself to the book being beneficial for older readers as well. People going through relationship or job challenges, or even letting go of a friendship that has run its course, will benefit from the guidance provided. Don’t be intimidated - it’s not full-on journaling. There are checklists and even circle-yes-or-no sections that feel less pressured.


“Any time YOU feel sorry for yourself, reach out and help someone else instead. You will immediately feel better.”


The recurring emphasis on YOU, always all in caps, encourages readers to accept themselves, warts and all. YES - YOU MATTER, YOU ARE ENOUGH addresses life’s naysayers and how one must stay true to oneself and one’s path or purpose.  Yet it also reminds readers that sometimes self-help and self-growth starts with gratitude, looking out for and helping others, and taking responsibility for not only consequences but decisions. 


“If we don’t love, respect, and value ourselves, how do we teach others to love, respect, and value us?”


Rather than a one-sitting, cover-to-cover read, taking the book in chunks allows time for reflection and synthesizing of concepts, without being overwhelmed with trying to tackle and resolve every challenge. Pages get wordier as the book progresses, but the author doles out the advice appropriately, building up to the bigger, more complex hurdles in life.


There are not chapters, but the repeated, “Just remember, YOU matter. YOU are enough,” pages are dropped regularly throughout the book at critical moments remind the reader to take a break and breathe and think. There are a few shifts to the narrator intruding with first person opinions instead of general ones, which could be off putting or even preachy for kids (or adults) who are tired others telling them what to do. But this is a minor quibble in a stellar, valuable book that counselors, clergy, and teachers should keep multiple copies on hand.


“Celebrate YOU today, tomorrow, and forever.”


Well-designed, well-written, and well-edited, YES- YOU MATTER, YOU ARE ENOUGH offers just the right dose of motivation for anyone. Whether you’re experiencing self-doubt, some life confusion, or just feeling a little adrift in the world, YES- YOU MATTER, YOU ARE ENOUGH is sure to provide a beacon of light for readers.


I voluntarily reviewed this book and received an e-ARC from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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Author Bio:

Karin J. Lund, Founder of G-Power Global Enterprises, works with corporations, universities, and non-profit groups, that want to embrace a compassionate, culture empowered, workplace environment. A culture that employees, and management, actively support, because the culture acknowledges personal and professional values, understands the importance of an inclusive work environment, and includes a corporate dedication to improving the local, and/or global community.

Karin was only the 3rd woman to be hired in Central Operation Sales for J & L Steel, in Pittsburgh, Pa. She later accepted a position with a Canadian steel company who was expanding operations into the United States. As a regional sales manager with an international territory, Karin managed a $140M sales territory, and saw firsthand how various steel mills, and manufacturer’s work culture and environments, impacted morale, productivity, and profits.

As an author, speaker, and facilitator, Karin was a civilian responder directly after 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina. Working with the children and families from Bay St. Louis, MS after Katrina showed her the expansiveness of loss, life events, and the resilience of this special community. Karin is an adult facilitator for Caring Place, where families can receive help after the loss of a spouse, parent, child, or extended family member.

Through these experiences she has witnessed how life events impact employees, and what employees need from management to help them adjust and move through these life events. Productivity and morale need not suffer if embraced appropriately.
Her online program, “Your Journey through the Islands of Grief and Loss,” encourages individuals and employees to confront issues related to their personal journeys around different aspects of life events and loss. Corporate comfort gifts, journals, and other products support this effort. Catch Up With Our Author:

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JOIN IN ON THE GIVEAWAY

ONE WINNER receives a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
(US only; ends 1/17/2026)

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Yes-YOU Matter, YOU Are Enough by Karin J. Lund

Can't see the giveaway? Click Here!

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!

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Saturday, May 2, 2015

Nobody!: A Story About Overcoming Bullying in Schools

Frankel, E. (2015). Nobody!: A Story About Overcoming Bullying in Schools. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing. 

Children's Illustrated / Bullying / Self-Esteem

I gave this book 5 out of 5 Stars

Expected publication date 5/15/15

Publisher's Blurb:  Thomas feels like no matter what he does, he can’t escape Kyle’s persistent bullying. At school, at soccer—nowhere feels safe! “Mom said Kyle would grow over the summer and stop picking on me, but he didn’t grow up, he just grew.” With support from friends, classmates, and adults, Thomas starts to feel more confident in himself and his hobbies, while Kyle learns the importance of kindness to others. The book concludes with “activity club” pages for kids, as well as information to help parents, teachers, counselors, and other adults foster dialogue with children about ways to stop bullying.
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Will you look at little Thomas's eyes??  I just want to hug that drawing, and though I know we're not supposed to judge a book by the cover, it was the cover that got me to read this book. The text is great -- will get to that -- but what absolutely make this book great are the richly detailed illustrations by Paula Heaphy. What looks like colored pencil sketches perfectly capture the emotions and expressions of the characters, which help readers experience for themselves the wide range of feelings going on.  The scenes are realistic, and readers will relate to the settings that are shown in the book.

Happily, the text of this book is just as wonderfully done as the illustrations.  Author Erin Frankel has provided a story that allows readers to see not only the perspective of the child being bullied, but also some insight into the bully himself, and even the actions/reactions of bystanders who witness bullying.  Nobody! progresses in a way that establishes Thomas's parents, sister, and friends are aware of how Kyle treats Matthew, but that Thomas realizes he has some power in changing his own attitude to lead to different outcomes. This is a good introduction for kids to managing their own feelings and relationships and empathizing with how others feel. Hopefully, with the type of guidance, perspective, and talking points this book provides, kids will learn early on how to navigate bullies (including being one) and carry those lessons with them as they grow older.  Bullying gets so much nastier as kids get older, so this is a semi-gentle way to start the dialogues at a young age.

I highly recommend this book, especially as a read along with an adult book, and think it's ideal for ages 7 to 9. The publisher recommends this book for ages 5-9, but I think that for little ones, there are too many words and some concepts are beyond their scope of understanding and it could be scary or confusing. 

Thank you to Free Spirit Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an eBook copy in exchange for my honest review -- the only kind I give.