An Adventure of Discovery through Then - and the Power of Now

Perhaps 3 1/2 stars.. somewhere between "I like it" and "it's okay." I very much admire Eckhart Tolle, as his insights expressed in his other books are truly inspiring. Parts of this book are beautiful as well, especially the dream sequence. However, the story falls somewhat flat is towards the end. The major premise of the story is that a bully shoved Milton so that he fell down and said he was going to "get" Milton "next time" because an adult intervened -- and yet, at the end of the story, when Milton actually does see him (when he's alone no less), the bully doesn't do anything! Perhaps this is the way some bullies act, but not in my experience. Though it's awesome that Milton saw how the bully was unhappy himself and thus wanted to make others unhappy, what if he had made good on his promise and done some real damage? Would Milton have been peaceful and happy then, with a broken nose or worse? I truly wish Mr. Tolle could have taken the story one step further -- could Milton have de-fused the bully? Violent things happen no matter how peaceful the recipient of the abuse is. As an adult I still do not know how to handle bullies, because just hours after I read this book, the ignorant bully at my office pooled his cronies and ganged up on me in a meeting -- I just sat there and smiled. Being in the "now" prior to the meeting, I had no verbal defense planned. I love the idea of living in the "now' because it reduces the natural tendency to worry and waste time.. but how does one handle the bully making good on his promise?

"That night, Milton couldn't get to sleep. He was thinking about what happened--and what would happen when he ran into Carter next time...The more he thought about all of this, the more frightened he became. He thought about it so much that he became more and more scared until he completely forgot that he was in a warm bed in his little room." - From the book

In the new book Milton's Secret, bestselling author Eckhart Tolle brings his message of the liberating power of Now to young people.

Co-authored with Robert S. Friedman, Milton's Secret uses the backdrop of school bullying, as well as a dog attack on a beloved pet cat, to weave a compelling story about a cheerful, bright boy named Milton who encounters these situations--and what happens when he becomes preoccupied with the possibility of harm on the schoolyard.

Concerned the past and worrying about the future rob us of our peace and joy.

Milton discovers that although his cat Snuggles had just been attacked by Brutus the Doberman, the furry pet was able to curl up on Milton's chest, purring blissfully. Wondering about this, Milton asks his Grandpa how his cat can be so happy after just being beaten up. Grandpa replies:

"Milton, cats are not like humans. Snuggles can easily let go of what happened yesterday, and he doesn't worry about tomorrow. He lives in the Now. That's why he's happy even though not long ago Brutus was attacking him. Most people don't live in the Now because they think of yesterday or tomorrow most of the time. And a lot of the time they are unhappy."

After dinner, Grandpa notices that Milton seemed troubled and asks him about it. Milton admits that he'd been fearful because a sixth grade bully named Carter pushed him down that day--and he was afraid he'd do it again. Grandpa then explains to Milton that worrying about Then and thinking about When are all in his mind--because they are not here Now.

That night in bed, Milton thinks obsessively about what Carter did, and what he might do next time. He then dreams about Carter and Brutus, who have him trapped in an alley. Weak with terror, Milton then notices a door that looks like an entrance to a store. "Enter Now", the sign says--so Milton quickly opens the door.

The ice-cream shop and the kind ice-cream lady he knew from his waking hours had been transformed. She offers his a ball of glowing white light on an ice-cream dish. No, it's not the sundae-of-the-month choco-cadabra--it's something much better: a light bubble that pops into a glowing shower of sparkles.

The ice-cream lady explains that the light is now "hiding" and asks Milton if he can find it. He hears a strange noise like a little engine--it's his cat, Snuggles, purring happily! She then explains that this "light" is a sense of aliveness that is felt only in the Now--that it's in his cat, the flower in the counter, herself...and Milton, too!

While Grandpa showed Milton what the "outside" of the Now looked like (Then and When), the ice-cream lady in his dream demonstrates the "inside" of the Now that is experienced from within. She explains:

"...when you feel the light inside your body, you are in the Now. And you're not scared anymore. The light helps you feel strong."

A timely message for those who worry incessantly and anticipate worst-case scenarios, Milton's Secret is a wonderful introduction to Tolle's teaching on the power of Now--yes, even for adults!

My husband and I had just been teaching our 10-year old son about the Now, especially since he tended to worry about past "mistakes" and obsess about "inventing" in the future. We reminded him that every moment he spends beating himself up over perceived imperfections or anticipating a future life as an inventor, he was missing precious treasures found only in the Now--the love from his cats, the beautiful fall leaves, the warmth of his clothes, the joy of smelling, and so on.

When we first read Milton's Secret, he was amazed. "This is what you've been telling me, Mom!" he exclaimed. Sure enough, it was! And how wonderful that Mr. Tolle and Mr. Friedman birthed this collaboration that can aid parents and caregivers in demonstrating why Now is all we really have--and how worry and anticipation can rob us of the only thing we're ever guaranteed...the present moment.

Disguised as a children's book, Milton's Secret is a wonderful book for adults, as well. However, the scene on bullying, as well as Snuggles the cat getting a chunk torn out of his ear, may be too frightening for younger children. When my son first tried to read this book on his own, he seemed uncomfortable, saying that it was "dangerous". I then read it to him, and he understood that it was actually a realistic story about things that could happen to someone (or some cat)--and how we can deal with it while still maintaining our peace and sense of well being.

-- Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present

Shocking! I honestly wonder if Tolle even wrote this book or just allowed his name to bed the cover. It is filled with negative things. I could not believe as I turned the pages what I saw in the imagery and what I read in the words.

Milton gets bullied, he feels sad, bad, down, he worries, he has nightmares. Then his cat gets beat up by a dog, and it actually showed the image of a cat dripping with blood! Really? In a children's book? I understand why that was in there, to show that the cat moves on and doesn't dwell on the past. But surely there are other uplifting ways to show that?

Then the book suggests that the light, the NOW, *feels* a certain way. His hands tingled and his body felt warm. This is also misleading. For someone to experience the now, those sensory experiences are not always part of it! Imagine if we always had to feel warm and tingly when we were aware of the Now. It simply is not true.

It is like this book is for adults and made into a simplified language under the guise that it is for children.

No way I will read it again to my child, and it is in the recycling now. I was appalled, disgusted. So much so that I felt the need to write this review, which I do not normally take the time to do.

I found this book to be very lame and cheesy for children, with poor underlying ideas. I am so glad I pre-read it before reading it to my children. It does not give kids enough credit to understand concepts. Plus, "Let's keep the inside of the Now a secret just between the two of us, okay? Most people are not ready to understand this." That part of the story really annoyed me. A stranger asking your kid to keep a secret is no-go in my book. In addition, the concept of the "Now" is made to sound weird and cultish because it's a secret and we shouldn't tell people, plus we are also not going to tell our own grandpa how to find the inside of the Now because we made a deal with some stranger who owns an ice cream shop. Really? C'mon! As I said, this story is awful. Glad I only borrowed this from the library and didn't pay for it! "I Am" by Wayne Dyer is a much better book for kids.

We bought this book to help our worrisome 5 year old cope with some of the anxiety he was feeling on a daily basis. We'd been exposed to mindfulness practice for adults, but this did a fantastic job of synthesizing the power of now for kids. It has helped our son immensely and is his favorite book to read!

What a perfect introduction to the liberating, enlightening teachings of mystic Eckhart Tolle. He is a real way-shower for all faiths, and not only children get glimpses of the Divine by reading this first children's book by such a venerable spiritual teacher. My 10-year-old's teacher said she loved the book, our Sunday School youth group teachers said it is awesome, and my 5-year-old was helped by its anxiety soothing "techniques" during a recent hospitalization for pneumonia. She also applied its wisdom to dealing with a not-nice boy in school, and mentioned it after seeing a "bad man" on the news. "He doesn't feel the light in him," she said. I am giving it as Christmas presents to all my nieces and nephews and starting a campaign to get it in all our local school libraries, the hospital's library of children's books, and the county libraries. The adult book by Tolle to read is A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. Milton's Secret is the golden-nugget version of that "teaching", accompanied by beautiful almost Norman Rockwell-ish illustrations. Oh, I am also sending a copy to my conservative Christian mother so that it can be at "Grandma's house," too. And great-grandma's house, in her case. She and my Dad enjoy Tolle's life-freeing teachings for adults, as well. They have read both A New Earth and The Power of Now. If you haven't yet, jump on this bandwagon. All your relationships will improve, with your partner, your children, your parents, your boss and co-workers and with God. We are talkin' about the ability to make instant connections to the Ultimate in any situation that might come your way, be it unpleasant or pleasant...

Milton Secret - Book Review
We were provided with an advance copy of Milton's Secret and here is our review (as provided to the publisher, Namaste Publishing).

As an Australian publisher of children's spiritual books we receive an abundance of questions from parents, retail outlets, spiritual teachers etc from all over the world. The number one question is ...have we published or do we know of any childrens' books that reflect Eckhart Tolle's wisdom? We can now assure them, `To Look No Further'.

Perhaps once in a decade a book like The Power of Now comes along. The author Eckhart Tolle, now brings the philosophy in that book to a young audience with Hampton Roads co-founder Robert S Friedman. It is truly wonderful that the message is now readily available to children through Milton's Secret: An adventure of discovery `through Then, When, and the Power of Now'.

Eckhart Tolle has a simple message for everyone--"Living in the Now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment". Milton's Secret brilliantly reflects the teachings of The Power of Now, in a language and storyline suitable for young children and is enhanced with the visionary art of Frank Riccio, illustrator of The Little Soul and the Sun.
The setting and mood for the story is familiar to many children who have experienced or seen bullying. When Milton is bullied at school he retreats into himself, worrying his family. Milton's grandfather patiently convinces the boy not to dwell on the past (Then) or the future (When) but on the present (Wherever you are, that's the Now). The story doesn't end there, it skillfully presents new characters whilst validating the Now such as the cat Snuggles or the ice-cream lady who shows Milton how to feel the Light (The inside of the Now).
As children follow Milton's adventure they see first hand how he learns to stop projecting his past fears into the future--and live simply and happily in the moment. What a golden opportunity to demonstrate to children that there is no such thing as `What If?' - there is only Now!
Congratulations, authors Eckhart Tolle, Robert S Friedman and illustrator Frank Riccio, you have brought the message of The Power of Now to children worldwide - what a wonderful gift you've given.
Milton's Secret - I believe the best secret about this book is that it's going to be a hit with adults, too!

Review By: Julie-Ann Harper
Co-Founder
Pick-a-Woo Woo
Publishers of Children's Spiritual Books

I thought it was a great story, easy to read with a great message. I think my 9 year old got slightly bored reading it, because its a little long for her attention span. She did however, get the message it sent, which was the goal and the purpose of the purchase, so as a mom, I was happy.

A beautiful story that maps out a simple yet extremely profound tool that can be used by children and adults alike. Very useful for my kids, and for me!
I love Eckhart Tolle's teachings, they have helped me countless times.
For those who haven't heard, Milton's secret is now being made into a movie in collaboration with director/producer/screenwriter Barnet Bains (producer of What Dreams May Come.) They are using crowd funding to raise the money to produce it. As big fans of Barnet and Eckhart my husband and I were really excited to make a contribution. You can select a perk if you want as a thank you for your donation. Go to [...] and check it out if you would like to support transformational movie making! :-)
I highly recommend This book!

I bought this book because it was apparently authored by Eckhart Tolle although it doesn't have the quality, depth or inspiration of Eckhart Tolle's previous masterpieces. I'm disappointed and I'm sorry I bought it. I would not recommend this book for a child's library. I didn't get the message of the value presence and doubt that a child would either. Definitely not your best work Eckhart.

I spent all day long reading this book to my 5 year old daughter. She kept asking me to read it to her over and over again. We had so much fun reading it together. We even acted out some of the parts of the book. We also felt the tingling in our hands, our feet , our legs and arms and finally our whole body. We stopped, we looked, we listened... She absolutely loved it!!! And I did too!
I recommend it to any parent who wants to instill the Power of Now to his/her children.

I've been looking for a way to communicate "being in the moment" to my grandkids. This book is great. It tells a story the kids can relate to about being bullied and it introduces them to Then (Past), When (Future) and Now. The book was powerful for me! I'm giving this to each of my grandkids and family friends. I think kids from 4 on up will like the story - I did! I gave it to my 11-year old niece who is an excellent reader (she's read Harry Potter) and she loved the book. This book is "The Power of Now" for Kids and anyone else who wants to get present to the power of now right now!

This is co-written by the author of "The Power of Now." It is a great book to teach kids about staying in the now. This helps so much when we don't stay in the past and don't obsess over the future.

This simple sentence from this book is worth everyone's contemplation: "Yes, when you feel the light inside your body, you are in the Now. And you're not scared anymore. The light helps you feel strong." The book motivates one to stay in touch with the light and increase it in oneself and in others.

I'm a big fan of Tolle's work and have read all of his book. I bought this book to read to my daughter to explain the concepts. The book is great, however, it is not suited to the Kindle. There are several illustration pages that have the words printed on them and you can't read those pages on a Kindle. If they were going to offer this to Kindle readers those pages should have had the text removed and printed on a separate page. Otherwise, good book.

For anyone who has benefited from the spiritual teaching of Eckhart Tolle, this book is a perfect way to expose children to his message. I was concerned about how the profound teachings could be consolidated into a meaningful children's book, but I was very impressed. My children, ages 4 and 7 both loved the story, and ask to hear it often.

I bought this book for my six-year old son - knowing the concepts of A New Earth and the Power of Now are pretty deep for adults, I was curious to see how Tolle could create a message for children. He did a splendid job. My son enjoyed the story, and it gave us "bigger" things to talk about, including living in the Now.

This is a great book for anyone who has been moved by Tolle's philosophy of living in the now and escaping the trap of obsessing on the past and the future and wants to introduce this simple concept to their children. For any parents there,like myself, who have been transformed by this idea and wanted to get their kids onto this path early on, this is the book to get started. Loved it.

This story of a boy who was made fun of and pushed to the ground by a bully at school is beautifully illustrated. Although the book's main lesson is not to obsess over the past and project it into the future, it does not effectively address the problem that it sets up: schoolyard bullying. Children are often injured by bullies, and being able to put your mind elsewhere will not prevent future bullying. So I think that fear of bullies is not a good example of unnecessary worrying.

The parent or librarian who reads this book to a child might use it as a starting point to discuss bullying and how to handle it (if indeed they have a good solution). Understanding that the bully is unhappy or being able to appreciate the "now" will not prevent serious injury if the child is attacked again.

I came across this book as I was looking for a gift for my five year old nephew. I thought, well, perhaps this might be worth a look, given the fact that this is from Hampton Roads. I have enjoyed their books and the Esther Hicks books for children are so enjoyable, but I had a problem understanding the point here of being in the now for kids. I don't really see this as a sincere or effective way to help children deal with these sorts of issues. I couldn't help but think this was merely for the name familiarity as the story is so weak and slipshod. There are far better, more creative stories for children to be had.

Shame on Hampton Roads in trying such a cloying tactic to expand their profits.

This is an absolutely wonderful introductory book to New Age theology for your child. This mindset will be particularly useful as we rapidly approach the creation of a one-world government system.

By all means, train your child to avoid critical thinking and creative problem solving. Foster selfishness and self-centeredness. Make them dependent; quash individualism and freedom. Yes, let's just teach them to stay in the NOW...no wisdom from past experiences, no dreams for the future.

There is an occult element to this book. It introduces the child to occult symbolism (dream sequence - crystal ball-like ice cream with the saleswoman looking very much like a tarot card reader) and to the concept of "secret knowledge". Having been in the occult, I suggest very strongly that you protect your child by not buying this book or anything related to the New Age, but, of course, it is up to you.

Lastly, Tolle choses an authority figure other than the parents to teach Milton this new "secret knowledge". It falls right in line with the words of such globalists as Al Gore and Van Jones who tell children that they know more than their parents. Didn't Hitler do this with his youth corps and Mao with his Red Guard?