A novel by Barry A. Mills

Every life is built one choice at a time.

A story about friendship, peer pressure, and the quiet power of choosing well. Written for boys and girls ages 10 to 17, and honest enough for any adult who has ever stood at a crossroads.

Buy the Gift Set on Etsy See all three options
Ages 10 to 17and the adults in their lives
24 chaptersa story with heart
Real keepsakethe YES / NO coin
The Silver Coin book cover, two girls on a park bench sharing a small silver coin The real Silver Coin, YES side

Reader ratings and testimonies

What readers are saying.

The Silver Coin is newly released. As readers, parents, and teachers share their thoughts, the approved ones will appear right here.

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A young reader's perspective

Did Millie's story remind you of something in your own life? Tell us what stayed with you.

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A parent or teacher's perspective

Did the book open a conversation at your table or in your classroom? We would love to hear how.

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A personal testimony

Sometimes a story lands at exactly the right moment. If this one did, we would be honored to know.

The Silver Coin paperback cover

Friendship | Grace | The power of choice

Millie is twelve, and she feels like everyone else knows exactly who they are.

The right friends. The right table. The right words. All she has to do is go along.

Then she meets Grace, who shows her a cherished possession. A silver coin. One side says YES. The other side says NO. Not a coin of chance, but a reminder about making good choices.

That experience unlocks the weight of Millie's decisions. The little lies. The dares. The things she does just to fit in. Until going along starts costing more than it pays.

The Silver Coin is for anyone, at any age, who has ever stood at a crossroads and wondered which way to go. You don't get to skip the choosing. You only get to choose.

What will you do with your coin?

Belonging Peer pressure Forgiveness Everyday courage

More than a symbol

The coin in the story exists.

YES on one side. NO on the other. It is never flipped, because chance does not get to make the choice for you. You hold it, you read both sides, and you put it back in your pocket. The choice was always yours.

40 mmA substantial keepsake, about the size of a silver dollar
Silver platedDeep-relief scrollwork with a polished mirror finish
Protective caseReady to keep, carry, or give
"Choose you this day whom ye will serve."Joshua 24:15
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Both sides of the real Silver Coin, YES and NO, on dark velvet

Three ways to bring it home

Choose the story, the keepsake, or both.

Every option is sold through our Etsy shop, with secure checkout, buyer protection, and a signed copy in every book order.

The Silver Coin paperback
Read

The Paperback

$14USD

The full story of Millie, Grace, and the silver coin. Signed by the author, personalized on request.

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The Silver Coin keepsake, YES side Remember

The Keepsake Coin

$15USD

The real 40 mm silver-plated YES / NO coin in its protective case.

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Signature gift The Silver Coin gift set, signed book and keepsake coin Give

Book + Coin Gift Set

$22USD

The signed book and the coin together in one package, ready to give. Save about $7 compared to buying them separately, and pay shipping only once.

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Prices shown in US dollars and rounded. Etsy confirms the exact price and shipping for your address before you pay.

Reader resources

Keep the conversation going.

These questions are for you. Some you might want to think about alone. Others are better talked through with a friend, a parent, a classroom, or a small group. There are no right answers.

The Silver Coin Study Guide, coming soon

A companion for classrooms, families, and book clubs. Dig deeper into Millie's choices. Then take a look at your own.

  1. Millie spends most of the book wearing a mask. She says things she doesn't mean, laughs at jokes that aren't funny, and agrees with people just to fit in. When in your own life have you done the same thing? What were you afraid would happen if you didn't?
  2. Grace shows up determined to be Millie's friend even though Millie never asked for her. Have you ever been the one being chased? Maybe by a person, or a feeling, or a quiet voice you keep trying to ignore? What did you do with it?
  3. There's a chapter where Millie realizes she doesn't feel guilty anymore when she rejects Grace. The tug in her chest is just gone. What do you think happened inside her? Has anything like that ever happened in your own heart?
  4. Millie lies to her dad about Grace's birthday and goes to Brooklyn's party instead. In the moment it feels like a small thing, but later she has to live with what she did. Is there a time you have made a "small" choice that turned out to matter more than you thought?
  5. In the hospital, Grace tells Millie, "I see you. The real you." How does it feel when someone sees the real you, not the version you have been performing? Is that easier or harder than being unseen?
  6. Millie's choice to walk across the cafeteria and sit with Grace and her friends costs her the popular crowd. What is something it might cost you to walk across your own cafeteria and sit with the right people instead of the cool ones?
  7. The very last thing Millie asks Grace is to give her "that little smile" whenever she catches Millie being fake. Why do you think Millie asks for that? Is there someone in your life you could ask to do the same thing for you?

Reviews and testimonies

Share what the story meant to you.

Every review on this site comes from a real reader, parent, or teacher, and every one is posted with permission. Yours could be next.

Honest review policy

Submissions are screened for authenticity, privacy, spam, and abusive content, never for whether the response is positive. We publish first names only unless you tell us otherwise, and we never publish your email address.

Before you buy

Questions parents and teachers ask.

Who is this book for?

Boys and girls roughly ages 10 to 17, and any adult who has ever struggled with a decision. Though the story follows Millie and Grace, the situations are universal, which is why it works as a whole-class read the same way Hatchet does.

Is it a Christian book?

The Silver Coin is a story about choices, friendship, and grace. Faith runs underneath it, and the coin itself carries a verse from Joshua, but the book never preaches. Families of faith will see the deeper layer. Everyone else gets an honest story about growing up.

Is the book signed?

Yes. Every paperback ordered through our Etsy shop is signed by Barry, and you can ask for it to be personalized at checkout.

Do you ship to the United States?

Yes, most of our readers are in the States. Orders ship from our studio in British Columbia, and Etsy shows the exact shipping cost and delivery estimate for your address before you pay. The gift set ships as a single package, so it is the best value if you want both.

Can I use it in a classroom, church, or youth group?

Absolutely. The discussion questions above are a good starting point, and a full study guide is on the way. For bulk orders, email us and we will work something out.

Also on the way

The story of the silver coin doesn't end with Millie.

Companion

The Silver Coin Study Guide

A companion for classrooms, families, and book clubs. Dig deeper into Millie's choices. Then take a look at your own.

Novel

Two Sides of the Silver Coin

Two kids. Two stories. One coin. Will and Ava have never met, but they're both about to learn what their choices really cost.

Novel

Alan and the Silver Coin

A boy who doesn't fit in. A school that doesn't understand him. And a coin that shows him another way.

"The story began one ordinary morning, when I noticed that the prayers Amelia and I had shared every day had started to feel like a script to her. Rather than press harder, I sat down and wrote her a story."Barry A. Mills

About the author

Barry Mills is a father, a believer, and a man who has spent nearly four decades chasing two callings: building things in the marketplace and serving people who have far less than he does.

He has worked in business since the age of seventeen. Beyond the boardroom, he has carried that same drive into mission work in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Those trips have a way of rearranging a person's priorities and reminding them what actually matters.

Barry lives in Kelowna, British Columbia, with his daughter Amelia, who inspired The Silver Coin. When he isn't writing, he is at work on several other books, including a middle-grade superhero series he is co-creating with Amelia.