Book overview
"Children and adults will laugh and cry through the experience of reading this brief, heartfelt book about the miracle of Charm." - Rating 5.0 stars from Midwest Book Review. Charm is a tender and loving story of a small cat that is found, lost and found again under the most mysterious conditions. It will make you wonder about life, love and the existence of a higher power. Ask yourself: Do you believe in the existence of a higher power and afterlife? Do you believe in God, miracles and reincarnation?
Here is what people say about Charm:
"A beautifully illustrated, real life story of rescue, love, loss and rebirth. Charm is very honest account of the life of a little black cat. Full of emotion, Charm is the perfect book for anyone who has a lost or terminal pet, and a great way to start a discussion with your child. Well done Leyla." - Hayley Rose.
"A delightful little story with depth of meaning inside it. Being a Religion teacher who is currently teaching a small unit on miracles, this book came to me at exactly the right time. Although some people may consider the events in this book to be coincidences, Leyla certainly shows how they can feel like miracles from God.
I would recommend this book for senior primary students and it deals with a number of important issues: love for animals, particularly cats; unconditional love; loss and death; whether miracles do occur, amongst others". - Chris Miles.
"This well written story would be excellent to help teach children about the responsibilities involved in owning and caring for a pet. It would also be a great book to help children who are mourning the loss of their own pet." - Harley.
"The book is aimed for people of all ages and I imagine that many people will find something enjoyable in this story. That's the magic of the book, actually. It has high points and low points which I think ought to be found inspiring; that if you get through difficult times, you might often find redemption or portions of life which make the struggle worthwhile. I found the book to be almost magical. It's a truly beautiful story of a little cat and its owner with beautiful illustrations as well. Overall, I found it to be a truly pleasing story. I think it's definitely worth five stars. I think I would love to read further stories of Charm's adventures!" - Catteria.
"Wonderful little book of an uncanny tale. Leyla Atke shares a true story that you can tell she is compelled to tell because it is so filled with charm and magic. After reading this lovingly written book with its fanciful illustrations I couldn't get the story out of my head. The extraordinary other-worldliness of it made me wonder and reflect: what is life and what of it do we know. You'll like this book and will be compelled to share the story yourself! Nice." - Ace.
"What a great book! Leyla touched on all the emotions and showed how important the relationship is between humans and their animals, and humans with other humans. A wonderful read and a labor of love. Well done, Leyla!" - Gary R.
Winner of these prestigious INTERNATIONAL literary awards:
2026 American Legacy Book Awards Winner - Children's Nonfiction
2026 American Legacy Book Awards Finalist - Animals/Pets: General
2026 American Legacy Book Awards Finalist - Children's Mind/Body/Spirit
2015 - Readers Favorite Honorable Mention - Nonfiction Animals
2014 - Readers Favorite Honorable Mention - Nonfiction Short Story
2014 - Readers Favorite Finalist - Children Animals
2014 - Readers Favorite Finalist - Animal Nonfiction
2014 - Readers Favorite Finalist - Short Story Nonfiction
2012 - International Book Awards Finalist - Children's Nonfiction
2012 - Readers Favorite Finalist - Animal Nonfiction
