{Book Review} and Free Book Giveaway: “The One Year Be-Tween You and God”

My thirteen-year-old daughter, Kennedy, and I recently reviewed Sandra Byrd’s recently released “The One Year Be-Tween You & God”, a devotional for girls ages 9-14.

About the Book

You have questions, some very personal and deep, others lighter and funny.  In this devotional, bestselling teen and tween author Sandra Byrd tackles 365 of those questions with scripturally based answers designed just for today’s girl.  

This devotional is like a personal diary between you and God.  Your questions and God’s answers from Scripture will lead you to a solid faith and deeper relationship with him.

Kennedy’s Thoughts

The outside cover of the book had a really cool design.  I think that is a big hit for girls my age.  Each devotional began with a “Dear God” question that is relevant and age-appropriate for preteen and teen girls like me.  I liked that each devotional had a corresponding scripture and an application prayer at the end.

I felt that the devotional lacked color and was kind of dull in appearance in the inside.  That part is not appealing for girls my age.  I like that while the book has a scripture index, I think that a topical index would help girls find devotions around a topic that they are going through at a given time.

Overall, I think the content is great and would help many girls my age answer questions about God and life in general.

Kathie’s Thoughts

I was thrilled to receive a copy of “The One Year Be-Tween You and God” devotional book for girls.  As a mom of a teenage daughter, I am always on the lookout for great resources to help her grow in her relationship with Christ.

The book contains 365 devotions, one for each day of the year.  Each devotional contains a “Dear God” question (written from the prospective of a “tween”); a “Consider This” devotional thought written by the author; a follow-up question; and a passage of Scripture. The scripture passages were taken from the New Living Translation, which I think makes God’s Word easily understood by preteens and teens.

I think that the majority of “Dear God” questions were age-appropriate.  They covered friendship, self-worth, popularity, fashion/beauty, school, following God and family relationships.  Some, in my opinion, seemed geared towards older teens.  For example, “Dear God, I still feel embarrassed about some stuff I did in the past.  How can I stop thinking about it?”  I’m not sure how much of a past a nine-year-old would have.

I agree with my daughter that it would have been more appealing if the pages were in color instead of black, white and gray.  I also agree that a topical index would allow for more personal application.  Finally, it would have been great if the book included a space for the girls to journal some of their thoughts.

Overall, I think the book is a great option for preteen and early teen girls.  I think it will help girls grapple with their faith and other issues they face during these impressionable years.

I am giving away a free copy of this resource!  You’ll be automatically entered to win when you leave a “Pick Me!” comment along with your name below.  The opportunity to enter ends at 5:00 pm EST on October 31, 2012.  

Tyndale House Publishers provided me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.