Tag: preteen

Girl Talk: A BookLook Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Faith Girlz new devotional, Girl Talk: 52 Weekly Devotions by Lois Walfrid Johnson, is written for preteens and young teens. As the introduction explains, this devotional is intended to help girls who are growing up think through everyday and important decisions in their life. Each week has an introductory story which develops the main idea of a central chosen verse. There are daily journal prompts to engage young ladies in thoughtful responses to how they can apply the story and Scripture to their own lives. The last day brings the story around full circle to the Scripture. 
The layout of this devotional and style of writing is excellent. I think the stories are engaging and thought provoking. The third person limited perspective will enable girls to see themselves in the stories while giving enough distance from the story to hear the message. There are a variety of personalities presented and many real-life situations for girls to think about. The stories will often also help girls have empathy towards others facing difficulties they aren’t experiencing themselves.
While I think this is a well-written, thought provoking devotional, be aware that not all pre-teens and even young teens will be ready to discuss some of the topics. It would be a good idea to read through the index and peruse the topics and decide if this is a good fit. Some of the topics are a little heavy and while important to address, you will want to make sure they are reflecting your own family’s values with regards to thing like boy/girl relationships, alcohol, etc.
I personally am also cautious about how much I push the idea of dating and boyfriend/girlfriend on my daughters. While we do talk about their future and dating to a degree, we approach the idea of relationship without a heavy emphasis on dating, more on building friendships. Because of this I am going to wait to have my own pre-teen read this. I still highly recommend this devotion, but do use discernment before giving this to a pre-teen/young teen in your life.

Disclaimer: I received this title as a part of BookLook bloggers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. These opinions are my own.

Just Sayin’: A Book Look Blogger Review

Grace-Filled Writer
A friend of mine was lamenting the woes of parenting a preteen and I said how I couldn’t really relate because I had not yet reached this stage. With raised eyebrows she informed me preteen refers to kids ages 8-12 and I suddenly realized she was right! I have an official preteen under my roof!
I have recently been studying and reading articles concerning teenagers/adolescents and was surprised to find this is a relatively recent term fairly unique to the western culture. While the ages are universal, the phenomenon of the difficult teenage years is something our culture has created and subsequently embraced. My husband and I are doing our best to raise kids in a counter-cultural way, but it is increasingly difficult as my daughter sees friends say and do things she is not allowed. I’ve been looking for ways to help her grow and be discipled in addition to the times she has at church.
Rose and I were both excited to have a chance to review Just Sayin’ new devotional for just for preteen girls. It is designed to go beyond just reading, but engage them emotionally and creatively. The layout is simple and short so it has so far enticed my daughter to want to complete a devotional each day. Carol McAdams Moore is highly experienced at writing for kids and my daughter was excited to hear she had written for Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. magazines. She definitely knows how to speak into the hearts of this age and my daughter says this is the coolest book she’s had about God!
The super fun feature about this devotional is it is interactive. Each devotional encourages drawing or something else artistic right in the book. My girl loves anything artistic so this excited her right off the bat. When I told her it was fine to decorate, add glitter, draw, or whatever right on the pages her eyes got huge and she was shocked! Then she ran off to get some glue and glitter. 
I appreciate that the text is appropriate for this age group, no matter where they are reading-level wise. Rose has never struggled with reading, but I feel comfortable recommending this devotional to anyone with kids this age no matter their abilities. 
The only part Rose said she would like changed was more Scripture to read and to use her Bible, not just have it written there. My daughter has been raised in Awana and strong Sunday School classes as well as discipleship as part of our homeschoooling curriculum. Her desire to see more Scripture is something I know is unique for one her age. In some ways I think the simplicity of meditating on one verse has been good for her. I also feel the simplicity makes it something I can recommend for anyone’s child no matter what their background is with the Bible.

Rose has loved this book and will continue to use it. After just one day she asked me, “Is there another book after this one is done I can get?” I hope the author is planning a volume two! 

Disclosure:  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook.com® <http://BookLook.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.