Denver, Colorado (April 9th, 2008): "Arvada-based Glowmundo Creations releases Discovery of Glow, a book designed to encourage elementary-age readers to empower themselves and think beyond their circumstances," announced Candice Bataille Popiel, the book's coauthor and cofounder of Glowmundo Creations.

Discovery of Glow is the first book in a planned series of Glowmundo chapter books featuring stories that teach children mind-body awareness and emphasize the impact an individual's thoughts and feelings can have on his or her reality. The book's authors, Candice Bataille Popiel and Jennifer Jazwierska, have years of experience supporting children to use their thoughts to creatively and positively influence their lives.

"My motivation for taking on this project was my own youth growing up in the inner city of Caracas, Venezuela, and other subsequent experiences," says Bataille Popiel. "Challenged by the reality that surrounded me, I made a pact with myself at a young age to see beyond what I was experiencing and not let it determine who I was. At age 12, I joined a children advocacy group that coached us in how to cope with the challenges we faced. We learned skills that helped us create our own happiness and fulfillment. After attending many of those sessions and ultimately becoming a coach myself , I started seeing the difference such tools made in my life and the lives of those other kids. Then I knew that my life's mission was to support others as they worked to develop their full potential, and by doing so I would also do the same. That realization took me to more than 40 countries around the world to work with youth to do just that. As a result I was inspired to coauthor this book so that children would have access to tools that empower them to rise above such everyday challenges as test anxiety, peer pressure, family issues, and bullying. We all encounter obstacles, but if we aren't careful these things can overrun our lives. Children cannot escape the trials and tribulations of growing up, but if we empower them at an early age and skill them with practical tools to deal with adversity and use their innate intelligence they will be better off when their lives grow more complex."

Coauthor Jennifer Jazwierska, Ed.S, NCSP, has witnessed the benefit of this kind of learning. "My work as a psychologist in inner-city schools led me to study empowerment and resilience," says Jazwierska. "I have observed many students over the years, and was initially perplexed yet intrigued to see how children respond differently to extremely challenging situations. Some children would suffer and struggle continuously year after year, while others appeared increasingly resilient, pulling themselves up and succeeding even when the cards were stacked high against them. I began to study and apply techniques from resilience theory and cognitive behavioral therapy, and saw the positive effects in students' lives. I have witnessed the powerful life-change associated with showing children the link between their thinking and the experience of their own environment, and I know the benefits that such awareness brings."

Discovery of Glow is fully illustrated with original artwork by Thom Buchanan and Jill Haller, a creative team from Denver, Colorado. Numerous commissioned works by Buchanan and Haller grace the Children's Museum, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Butterfly Pavillion, and the Denver Zoo. Other Buchanan/Haller commissions can be seen in museums, state parks and other public spaces across the American West.

Discovery of Glow is unique in that much of the book's material draws on scientific notions culled from contemporary brain research and cognitive science, successfully intertwining psychological insight with entertainment. Young readers join the character Lumina and her friends on a journey of discovery into the phenomenon of "glow," i.e., the realization of their human potential via personal empowerment. With the help of her upbeat pals, Lumina realizes that our ability to glow in the world is proportional to the quality of our thoughts and the feelings they create.

Discovery of Glow effectively launches Glowmundo's vision of creating and producing conscious entertainment for young people, living up to the company's motto: "Empowering children around the world one thought at a time." While Glowmundo already has its own website, other planned ventures include e-books, music, video games, feature films, and a TV series. The creative duo of Candice Bataille Popiel and Jennifer Jazwierska have combined their respective experience to create products that provide tools for young people to rise above the distractions and sometimes unhealthy detours of our fast-paced, contemporary world. Lumina and her friends literally invite young readers to shine.

For more information, visit www.glowmundo.com