Every so often, a parent in our Preteen Ministry will ask me for recommendations for devotionals and other reading material for their preteens.  So when an opportunity comes my way to review materials for that age group, I tend to jump right on it.

Today, I’ll share my thoughts regarding “The One Year Father Daughter Devotions” by Jesse Florea, Leon C. Wirth, and Bob Smithouser.  The book was released in October 2012 by Tyndale House Publishers.

About the Book

“Daddy-Daughter relationships are special.  But how do you keep that special bond during the early teen years?  One way is through daily devotions–discussing God’s truth using simple, everyday examples and activities.  You’ll also find two helpful bonus features: a daddy-daughter date guide and a movie list with discussion questions.  This devotional gives more than 365 creative ways to connect fathers and daughters–to God and to each other!”

What I Liked

The book contains 365 devotions, one for each day of the year.  Each devotional contains a creative title, Daddy-Daughter Time reflections/discussion questions for a father and daughter to do together, and a “What’s the Word?” section, which shares a verse or two about the chosen topic.  The scripture passages were taken from the New Living Translation, which I think makes God’s Word easily understood by early teens.

The topics covered were definitely age-appropriate for early teenage girls.  Topics covered included building a strong relationship with your dad, anger, technology use, forgiveness, inner beauty and communication.

As mentioned above, the book features 2 bonus features.  One bonus feature is “Father-Daughter Movie Nights”.  This section shares ways that dads and daughters can view a movie together and then a few questions to guide a discussion.  The suggested movies were rated “G” and “PG” and included a mix of newer titles (such as “Soul Surfer”) and classics (such as “Charlotte’s Web”).

The second bonus feature is “Daddy-Daughter Dates”.  This section outlines reasons for going on daddy-daughter dates, date ideas and conversation starters while you’re on the date.  I thought this was brilliant, as some guys need a little boost in the conversation department.

What I Think Was Missing

I would have loved to have seen a prayer included with each devotional that the dads could pray over their daughter.  I think having a dad pray over a teenage girl is very powerful and helps her to get a glimpse into what having a spiritual covering looks like.  I am a visual person, so having more color throughout the book, especially when trying to appeal to teen girls, would have been a plus.

My Recommendation

Overall, I think the book is a great option for girls ages 13 and older.  The content was solid and written in a relevant way.  Not only does the book help girls grow closer to their Heavenly Father, it helps them grow closer to their earthly father as well.  That’s a winner in my book!

Have you read “The One Year Father Daughter Devotions”?  What were your thoughts?

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