Alexander the Abstinent

You are not your body.

Alexander was a happy little boy who laughed loud and loved the whole wide world. Then something hurt his heart, and nobody saw.

That's when the bad guys came knocking. First Candy Chaos, who promised to make the hurt go quiet. Then Org the Overeater, who never said stop. Then Boom Boom the Binge Beast, who whispered, "Nobody has to know." And behind them all, pulling the strings, stood Mr. Compulsion.

Alexander grew up fighting them alone. He tried everything. Every time, the bad guys won.

Until the night he finally said, "God, help me."

Through the door marched the Abstinence Army: nine soldiers, each carrying one simple tool, and one message he had waited his whole life to hear. You've fought alone long enough.

Alexander the Abstinent is a picture book for two readers at once:

• For children who are teased, left out, or hiding a hurt, it says the truth plainly: you are not the problem, and you don't have to fight alone.
• For adults who were once that child, it tells the story of compulsive eating honestly, without shame, and shows the way out.

With 21 full-color illustrated spreads, a "Meet the Army" page, and a message of faith and freedom, this is a book to read together and talk about afterward.

For every kid who was ever told they were less than they are, and for every grown-up who still remembers.

Stay Abstinent! TJ: Trust Jesus.