Fans of the JStu videos will enjoy this funny and thoughtful challenge-filled devotional.
The creators of the JStu YouTube channel challenge readers to go on a 100-day journey with God.
Content creators Justin and Andrew divide their 100 days of challenges into 13 themed sections, each focusing on one aspect of a person’s relationship with God (e.g., “Understand Who You Are,” “See a Need, Meet a Need”). Each day’s entry opens with a Bible verse, followed by personal and biblical stories based around a faith lesson written by one of the authors. Many Christian tweens and teens will relate to the lessons, which explore questions of personal image, belonging, goals, and dealing with life’s troubles. Other topics include learning more about God, living authentically, having faith, maintaining hope, and trusting in God. Each section ends with a Challenge Project related to the overarching theme, such as building a skateboard (“God is a maker!”) or facing your fears by spending a night in the wilderness (with a trusted adult). The budget and materials required for each project vary, making some more accessible than others. The authors’ short, clear messages will speak to believers as well as those who are just beginning their relationships with God. Wacksman’s fun cartoon illustrations in black, white, and blue supplement the entertaining stories.
Fans of the JStu videos will enjoy this funny and thoughtful challenge-filled devotional. (Religion. 10-16)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2024
ISBN: 9781400250431
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
Barnard’s brave effort to cram such an immense subject into 40 pages leads to some debatable claims. He opens with a sweeping history of Muslim expansion (“Early Muslims knew they had a lot of catching up to do to equal or surpass the great civilizations that preceded and surrounded them”) and continues generalizing throughout (“Until the twentieth century, most buildings in most cities owed much of their look to Islam”). Single-topic spreads cover the development of Arabic calligraphy and the mass production of paper, revolutions in mathematics and medicine, artistic and architectural motifs, astronomy and navigation, plus the importation of new foodstuffs, ideas (e.g., marching bands, hospitals) and technology to the West. The array of street scenes, portraits, maps, still-lifes and diagrams add visual appeal but sometimes fall into irrelevancy. Labored stylistic tics stale (the Caliph’s pigeon post was “the email of the day,” the astrolabe was “the GPS device of its day,” the translation of Classical texts was “the Human Genome Project of its day”). The author winds down with a discussion of how the dismissive attitude of Renaissance “Petrarchists” led to a general loss of appreciation for Muslim culture and scholarship, then finishes abruptly with a page of adult-level “Further Reading.” Enthusiastic, yes; judicious and well-organized, not so much. (Nonfiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: April 5, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-375-84072-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
The chapters about Carter's early years are insightful in examining how growing up in the segregated South shaped his...
This informative biography examines how Jimmy Carter's Christian beliefs have influenced his actions and decisions throughout his life.
The chapters about Carter's early years are insightful in examining how growing up in the segregated South shaped his sensitivities to discrimination and inequality. Carter's sense of compassion and fairness was largely instilled by his mother's examples. Raum chronicles Carter's careers as naval officer, businessman and politician. Quotes from interviews and Carter's memoirs show how he relied on faith and prayer to guide decisions he made as president and throughout his life. Although his presidency is often characterized as weak, Raum notes Carter's significant achievements in championing human rights and Middle East peace, as well as his visionary energy-saving initiatives. His work as a humanitarian with the Carter Center and as advocate for Habitat for Humanity are, surprisingly, given less attention. There are odd superfluities in the text, such as the definition of "possum" in the glossary as an "informal name for opossum." Suggesting to readers that they "put into practice the teachings of Jesus Christ" to live a compassionate life like Carter's will probably put off non-Christians, but they are not the audience for this book anyway.Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-310-72756-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Review Posted Online: Aug. 9, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
