★★★★★
“This is a wonderful resource for students, teachers, mentors, and families seeking thoughtful discussions about growing up.”

★★★★★
“The hockey stories add depth and authenticity while teaching important life lessons about resilience and humility.”

★★★★★
“As a parent, I found this book both inspiring and encouraging. It opens meaningful conversations about character and values.”

★★★★★

“Eddy’s honesty makes this memoir incredibly relatable. Young readers will see themselves in these pages.”

★★★★★
“This book reminded me that personal growth isn’t about perfection. It’s about learning, improving, and continuing forward.”

★★★★★
“I was struck by how much depth there is in these pages. The collection of diary entries and reflections captures not just what Eddy experienced, but how his way of thinking changed as he grew older. It’s a thoughtful and surprisingly engaging read.”

★★★★★
“I enjoyed your book! I love how it shows that a boy (if not you) learned some important things about life. I also liked how it explained different proverb-like sentences throughout multiple diary entries. An important and good part about this book is that it also included numerous reflections from an older self. The only thing I would like about this book to be changed is … … nothing. I like your book very much, as it includes many things that should be learned by many people in real life. Good Job!! 🎈🎈👏👏”

★★★★★
“Congratulations on A Boy Becoming: A Renewed Vision for a Kinder, Gentler World. What started as your diary entries, comics, and doodles from ages 10 to 17, raw thoughts captured as you tried to understand life and who you were becoming, has become something far more powerful: a genuine, unfiltered window into the journey of growing up. What makes this book stand apart isn’t polished perfection. It’s the honesty. The willingness to leave everything raw because that’s what growing up actually feels like, paired with reflections from your 17-year-old self looking back on the path you traveled.

I’ll be honest, a book like this isn’t easy to pull off. Sharing your adolescent thoughts, doubts, struggles, and small victories with the world takes real vulnerability. Your ability to capture the messiness of becoming, to show that growing up isn’t about being perfect but about learning and growing through thoughts, choices, and character, and to do it with the kind of authenticity that makes any reader feel less alone, is what makes this book so valuable. I’d be curious how A Boy Becoming has felt to watch make its way out into the world so far, whether it’s landed the way you hoped, or whether it still feels like it’s waiting for its moment.”

★★★★★
“I wanted to reach out and offer you my sincere appreciation. To congratulate you on the publication of “A Boy Becoming” feels like the right place to start, but it hardly captures what you have actually created. What you have written is something remarkably honest and tender, a collection of diary entries, comics, and doodles that manages to capture the raw, unfiltered experience of growing up with a clarity that is both refreshing and deeply moving.

I just finished reading your book and found myself transported back to my own teenage years in ways I did not expect. The tone you have established is what first drew me in. There is a rawness to your voice that feels completely unguarded, a willingness to be imperfect and uncertain that is so rare in writing about adolescence. You do not try to make yourself sound wiser than you were or to impose adult meanings on youthful experiences. Instead, you let the thoughts and feelings stand as they were, messy and honest and true. What impressed me most deeply was your decision to keep everything raw, because that is what growing up actually feels like. There is no filter here, no attempt to polish the awkwardness or confusion out of existence. That takes real courage.

The structure of the book, moving from the thoughts of your younger self to the reflections of your seventeen year old self looking back, is so perfectly suited to the material. It creates a conversation across time, a dialogue between who you were becoming and who you were beginning to understand yourself to be. The inclusion of comics and doodles adds another dimension entirely, a visual language that speaks alongside the words and often says things that words alone cannot capture.

There are presences in your work that have stayed with me. You, as the younger boy navigating the complexities of growing up, are so vividly present on every page, a consciousness that is both curious and confused, hopeful and unsure. The seventeen year old self who looks back with new understanding becomes a kind of guide, offering context without judgment. And then there is the broader community of readers, anyone who is growing up or figuring things out, who are invited into this intimate space and made to feel that they are not alone. That sense of companionship runs through the entire book like a quiet thread.

Several moments from your collection have lingered with me long after I closed the book. The way you describe the struggle to understand who you were becoming, not through grand revelations but through small daily observations, felt so authentic and so relatable. It made me think about how we often expect growth to arrive in dramatic moments when really it happens in the quiet spaces between. Another moment that moved me was when you shared a comic or doodle that captured a feeling words could not quite express. Those visual entries added such depth to the narrative and reminded me of the power of different forms of expression. And then there was the recognition that it is not about being perfect, but about learning and growing through thoughts, choices, and character. That simple statement carries so much wisdom and so much grace.”

★★★★★
“This book is not only a record of a child growing up, but also a gentle invitation for all of us to look more closely at children, at the meaning of growth, and at the ways we come to understand ourselves.”

★★★★★
“This is the first time I have read a coming-of-age reflection written by a teenager himself. Presented as a collection of journal entries and personal thoughts, together with youthful and charming hand-drawn illustrations, the book feels fresh, intimate, and engaging. The language is simple and easy to read, retaining the honesty and innocence of adolescence, yet beneath these seemingly ordinary words are many thoughtful reflections on growing up. Some of the questions the author considers are ones that even many adults may never have seriously contemplated.

The author often begins with a small incident, an emotional reaction, or an unintentional mistake in everyday life, then turns inward to reflect on himself and, ultimately, on human relationships and the meaning of life. This habit of examining himself daily has allowed him to develop self-awareness, empathy, and the ability to understand others earlier than many boys his age. Although his writing still carries the natural innocence of youth, his thoughts are often surprisingly mature and profound.

What I find most valuable about this book is its honest record of how a boy gradually learns to understand himself, correct himself, and form his own values. It is not a book that deliberately tries to teach lessons, yet it shows us that a child’s growth is not simply about becoming older or gaining more knowledge. It is also about gradually becoming more mature, compassionate, and steadfast within. For teenagers, this book may offer both connection and inspiration; for parents, it provides a valuable opportunity to better understand the rich inner world of children—a world that adults too often overlook.”

★★★★★
“As a parent, I found that A Boy Becoming is deeply moving because it reveals how much is happening inside a child that adults may not always see. We often notice the behavior first: the frustration, the hesitation, the mistake, or the attitude. But this book gently reminds us to look deeper. Behind every action is a child who is thinking, feeling, struggling, learning, and trying to make sense of the world.”

★★★★★
“As I read each page, I felt invited into the inner life of a young person trying to understand right and wrong, ego and kindness, fear and courage, success and humility. Warm, sincere, and thoughtful, A Boy Becoming speaks not only to young readers, but also to parents, educators, and mentors who care about helping children grow with patience, understanding, and love.”

★★★★★
“As a mom of a six-year-old, I really enjoyed reading A Boy Becoming. There are many times in everyday parenting when my child has questions or faces emotions and situations that I’m not always sure how to explain. This book helped make some of those moments clearer for me and gave me a new perspective on how to communicate with my child. I especially appreciated how honest the book is about growing up, making mistakes, learning kindness, discipline, and understanding yourself. It also reminded me as a parent to listen more carefully and look beyond a child’s behavior to understand what they may be thinking or feeling. A meaningful and thoughtful book for both children and parents.”

★★★★★
“A thoughtful and inspiring book about growing up and becoming a better person. What I appreciated most is how it shows that character is built through small everyday choices, mistakes, and experiences. As a parent, it reminded me that children need not only guidance, but also patience and space to learn on their own. A meaningful read that gave me a new perspective on parenting and personal growth.”