This is what they are saying about  “The Night Nopat was left out” 

Easy reading; every community has a Nopat and family.  I can see teenage boys and girls arguing for character roles as they enact this culturally appropriate and appealing story......   What would a series of Nopat short stories do for local literature and you the author?

------- Cynthia Celestin, Early Childhood instructor, University of Trinidad and Tobago.

The story touches on the struggle of adolescents to find self while addressing the dilemma parents face in guiding them through this stage of development. Sibling rivalry, peer relationships, loyalty and trust are issues that also arise.”

 ------- Iris Hewitt-Bradshaw, Language and Literature instructor, University of Trinidad and Tobago.

Nopat finds out that strengths and weaknesses can be two sides of the same coin.

A tale engagingly told by Lynette Noel.
----- Denyse Rodrigues, Librarian, Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia

The Night Nopat Was Left Out was a delight to read.  Teenagers, particularly males, will certainly identify with the characters and the situations about which Lynette Noel writes. The story is one that will resonate with youth as they face the social challenges of adolescence.   I was drawn into the story from the first sentence; I wanted to know more about Nopat and to find out more about the details of being in “the thick of things.” As Noel tells us about the background of Nopat’s life, we begin to gain an understanding of the complexity of our social lives and of how the past influences the future and helps us to make decisions about social interactions. Most importantly, this story values the voice of youth and encourages them to “do the right thing” even when it means making a friend accountable for his/her actions!

------ Mary Jane Harkins, Associate Professor, Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia