Cindy S Story

Often out of sight and certainly out of mind, the characters in Took You So Long inhabit the landscape of the Saugeen watershed south of Owen Sound, in the lee of Lake Huron A morel-seeking gastronome falls into a gopher hole and reflects on the multiple facets of restraint. A donation-bin picker is on the hunt for her next great find—and husband number four—despite cohabitating with three of her exes. A lonely widower discovers that his robotic full-service companion makes him lonelier than ever. A son’s hunting trip with his father forces him to confront the terrible certainty of physical decline. Compassionate, honest and propelled by forceful emotion, Matthews’s stories ask us to question who we are, where we belong, and how we move on in the face of adversity.

Fiorella and Mama Rose are two pups that have, what seems to be, the perfect life until one day their guardian drops them off at a shelter. Fiorella is left feeling abandoned and unloved wondering what she has done wrong. As the two anxiously wait to be adopted, Fiorella tries to change herself, thinking that would help her and her mama be adopted. Once she realizes being her imperfect self is enough, something wonderful happens.

Jason Zhou is trying to survive in Taipei, a city plagued by pollution and viruses, but when he discovers the elite are using their wealth to evade the deadly effects, he knows he must do whatever is necessary to fight the corruption and save his city.

A father tells the story of his daughter Cindy, as she dies from a brain tumor.

Cindy and Cristabelle are two little fainting goats with big worries. After all, while life at Lil' Steps Farm seems happy and safe, it could change at any moment! Yet no matter how cautious they are, their worries and fears keep growing, and soon Cindy and Cristabelle don’t know where to turn. Lucky for them, they have a friend in Wilbert the Pig. He’ll teach the goats that when you take a moment to appreciate the world around you, you’ll realize there’s a lot of reasons to feel as happy as happy can be! Cindy and Cristabelle’s Big Scare tackles the subject of childhood anxiety disorders in two stages: the storybook and the workbook. This approach helps adults to learn more about anxiety and how to manage it together with their child. Adults and children alike will love joining the animals of Lil' Steps Farm in learning more about worries and fears, and how to overcome them!

Gabi’s a girl in pieces. She wants a lot of things. Will she find the thing she needs most?

They were two best friends, who loved each other like sister's. They made plans for their future but those plans changed because of the actions of another. Now one friend has to deal with the loss of the other. A person's life is so important. Will our young people wake up before it's to late? How many of your friends are gone forever? I hope you find something within this story.