With All Due Respect

With All Due Respect – 40 Days to a More Fulfilling Relationship with Your Teens and Tweens
Written by Nina Roesner and Debbie Hitchcock
Published at Thomas Nelson

About the book

With All Due Respect is a handbook for parents navigating the difficulties of the tween and teen years. Roesner and Hitchcock help parents identify what successful relationships look like and give easy-to-follow lessons in enforcing rules, communicating lovingly, resetting relationships, overcoming fears and exhaustion, and handling rebellion. Each day features a story every mom can relate to, down-to-earth questions to think about, and a prayer to launch an action plan. As a result, the reader gains new skills and perspective, greater strength, and an ability to live out faith daily as never before. With All Due Respect is for all parents seeking not only to connect more deeply with and positively impact their teens and tweens, but also to grow more deeply in faith through the process.

My Thoughts

When I requested this book to review, I was having issues with my tween and I knew that I needed to change.   So I quickly downloaded the Kindle version because I wanted to become a better parent for all my kids when they hit the tween/teen age.   I already have a teenager but somehow dealing with his transition was not as difficult as his siblings following him.  I suppose I might have been less tired for him too but I knew that I lacked the skills of dealing with siblings rivalry since I was a single child.   So I immediately started reading it.

Essentially this book is divided into forty dares to do but instead of focusing on your relationship with your husband, it helps you to establish a better relationship with your kids – boys or girls.   Growing in the tween and teenage years can be confusing for anyone and this book will allow you to slowly develop an amazing relationship with your kids.  

The forty challenges for us parents are the following ones:

• Assess Your Parenting Interactions
• Revisit Your Childhood
• Focus on God’s Vision
• Push the Reset Button
• Be Careful With Your Words
• Communicate Respect Early
• Stop Yourself
• Take Care of the Temple
• Counter the Culture
• Refrain from Casting Blame
• Parent with Perspective
• Leap Outside Your Comfort Zone
• Encourage Rather Than Nag
• Use Humor When Things Got Hot
• Stay Out of God’s Way
• Practice Thankfulness
• Be True to Your Word
• Offer Compassion Instead of Judgment
• Give Your Kids Grace
• Take Time to Listen
• Coach Your Kids On Navigating Conflict
• Parent Ahead
• Talk Your Kids Through Disappointment
• Drop the Comparisons
• Invite Their Friends In
• Separate Your Identity
• Avoid the Blame Game
• Respond With Calm
• Remove the Mask
• Deal With the Person Before the Issue
• Respectfully Consider Your Kids’ Requests
• Teach Your Kids to Self-Process
• Be Sensitive to Other Parents
• Release Yourself from Worry
• Encourage Self-Discipline
• Point Out What Is Right
• Be a Relationship Architect

Each challenge starts with scripture and you get to read a situation between a parent and his tween/teen.  At the end of this reading, you will get the bottom line on how the parent helped the child to deal with the issue.   Then the authors encourage you the parent to develop the skills needed to help with a similar situation.   Once you have finished reading you will get to the What About You? section which contains questions that will allow you to ponder on your own growing up as a teen, how you might have responded differently, how you could develop the skills demonstrated by the parent and so on.  These questions are very helpful to remember your own teenage years and realize where you can do better.  For me some on these questions were like a 2x4 hitting my head.   Finally at the end of the chapter, you will be able to pray on this specific skill with a quick prayer written by the authors.  Often you will realize that you will add more to make it your own personalize prayer.  After all what I experience with my tweens/teens would be different than what someone else experience.

Even though this book suggest to read one chapter a day for forty days, I find it hard to do this with our homeschool and other things to do.   I also find that some chapters were a bit harder to “digest” than others.   So I decided to go through this book at my own pace and develop the relationship I have with my kids in the same process.    The book also suggest to go through it and applying the lessons with only one child at a time but I find I could apply the lessons to more than one so because of this I find that slowing down while reading this book is beneficial for our family.   

If you are starting to have issues with your tweens/teens, this book could help you to build a better relationship with them.   I do recommend this book in order to strengthen your interaction with your teenagers.  But as any other book out there on relationship, be aware that it takes work and honesty from your part to go through it.

With All Due Respect is available at your favourite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Nelson for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The Giver Quartet

The Giver Quartet
Written by Lois Lowry
Published at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

About the book

This first-ever Lois Lowry single-volume collection includes unabridged editions of the Newbery Medal-winning The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son. Lois Lowry's groundbreaking dystopian series comes alive in a single portable volume. An affordable addition to the shelves of teen fans and collectors alike.

My Thoughts

I first discovered the Giver novel when I realized that the book was been made into a movie.   Being the kind of person who prefers to read the book before watching the movie, I found a copy at a second hand store and quickly read through it.  By the time, I read the last line of the book I was hooked and wanted to read the rest of the series.  However, I was having trouble finding the other titles at a second hand store.   Imagine my delight when the four books were offered in a one volume edition.   I was so looking forward to read the rest of the series that I immediately jumped in this book when I received it.

The Giver Quartet includes all the four books that are part of The Give series:  The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.    These four titles are linked through the series though you wouldn’t think so after reading the first and the second installments.  But when you arrive the the third and then the fourth, you realized how intertwined the books are.

The Giver is the story of twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment - world without conflict, poverty, unemployment, divorce, injustice, or inequality.   It is a time in which family values are paramount, teenage rebellion is unheard of, and even good manners are a way of life.  In Gathering Blue,  you will follow the life of Kira who, when left orphaned and physically flawed in a civilization that shuns and discards the weak, faces a frighteningly uncertain future. But Kira possesses a gift that the leaders of her village wants to use.  This novel will challenge you to think about community, creativity, and the values that they have learned to accept. Messenger is the story of Matty which was primarily introduced in Gathering Blue.  In this book, you will follow him in quest of a personalized name and in helping bringing life in the midst of death and fear. Finally, Son is the story of Claire who fled her village and is found on the shore.   She is on a quest of finding where she is from and what became of the child she has birth.  This compelling book is the conclusion of the series.

The four books are a delight to read and are different than any other kind of literature.   It is a perfect series to introduce the teen in your life to a different kind of society and how he/she would react if living in it.   Each books are thought provoking and make you realize that having the perfect society is not necessarily the best.  This series is a fabulous read and can open numerous discussions between you and your teen.  

This book is the perfect gift for a teenager this coming Christmas.     

The Giver Quartet is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The Case for a Creator Student Edition

The Case for a Creator Student Edition – A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence that Points Toward God
Written by Lee Strobel and Jane Vogel
Published at Zondervan

About the book

Has Science Discovered God? When Lee Strobel was a high school freshman, science convinced him that God didn’t exist. Since then, however, incredible scientific discoveries have not only helped restore Lee’s faith, but have strengthened it. Lee is not alone. More and more scientists, confronted with startling, cutting-edge evidence from many areas of research, no longer believe the universe just “happened” or that life arose by mere chance. Behind a universe of staggering complexity, they are seeing signs of a Master Designer. Are your science textbooks still telling you the same “facts” that Lee’s did years ago? Prepare to be astonished by what some of today’s most respected experts have to say about: The birth of the universe Darwinism and the origin of life The astounding fine-tuning of the cosmos Amazing molecular machines and DNA research Weigh the evidence for yourself. Then consider this question: Could it be that the universe looks designed … because it is?

My Thoughts

  Another great book from Lee Strobel.   I have never read the original edition of The Case for a Creator and the student edition is a great introduction on the subject.  In this book, Strobel explore the evidence of cosmology, explores evolution, take the time to look at the evidence of a creator in physics and astronomy, goes on with biochemistry, dig into the DNA and the origin of life before bringing you to the decision time and affirm that a creator is definitively behind all this.

With is personal touch and his investigative skills, Strobel will guide your teenager and encourage him/her to think and reflect on the evidence he presents through these pages.   There is a scientific evidence that points toward God is we take the time to look at it and learn at the same time.  

I find that Lee Strobel’s books are definitively a must read for teens whether they are struggling with their own belief or not.  It will give them a solid ground to defend their faith and be able to stand strong in the midst of criticism.

The Case for a Creator Student Edition is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

The book is also available on Kindle.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Zondervan for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The Case for Faith Student Edition

The Case for Faith Student Edition – A Journalist Investigates the Thoughest Objections to Christianity
Written by Lee Strobel and Jane Vogel
Published at Zondervan

About the book

Is Faith Possible in Today’s World? It’s not easy to believe in Christianity when there is pain all around you and issues that defy easy explanation. Unless there are answers to the questions you face. Lee Strobel knows how important it is to find answers that ring true. With his background as an award-winning journalist, asking tough questions has been his business. And while his search for the truth convinced Lee that Jesus is real, it also confronted him with some particularly knotty, gut-level questions about Christianity you’ve likely asked as well: Why is there suffering? Doesn’t science disprove miracles? What about hell---and the millions who’ve never heard of Jesus? Is God unjust? They’re the kinds of conundrums that can block---and have blocked---people’s faith. But those questions don’t have to block yours. Join Lee in a fascinating journey of discovery. You’ll gain powerful insights that will reshape your understanding of the Bible. And you’ll read true stories about people whose experiences demonstrate that faith in Jesus not only makes excellent sense, it makes a life-changing difference as well.

My Thoughts

This Student Edition of The Case for Faith will give the most important notions found in the original edition to your teenager in order to make him/her realize that faith is possible in our world today.   Lee Strobel has taken the time to present the important questions of: Why is there suffering?,  Doesn’t science disprove miracles?,  What about hell – and the millions who’ve never heard of Jesus, as well as Is God unjust? – in a format that any student of middle and high school can read.   

Not only will you see how Strobel himself have decided to find the answers of his own questions but you will read amazing testimonies from a friend of his as well as Ravi Zacharias.    I believe strongly that learning other people testimonies are very powerful when you discover their own struggles.  

I have read this book in 2 days – mind you I am a fast reader.   The main reason why I requested this title is because I want my 8th grader (and eventually his siblings as well) to go through this book during the school year.    This little book will answer questions he might have about his own faith that he has not formulated to us.  It will also give him a solid base on how to speak with people who can disagree with his own faith.   While reading this book, I have gained new insights that have deepened my own faith (and I want to read the full book!). 

If your teen is struggling with his/her faith, this little book will provide the guidance in reshaping their understanding of the Bible.   I would suggest that the parent read the book as well in order to talk about it with your child if he/she wants to discuss what has been said in a specific chapter of the book.

The Case for Faith Student Edition is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

It is also available on Kindle.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Zondervan for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Teen Study Bible NIV

Teen Study Bible (NIV)
By Lawrence O. Richards and Sue W. Richards
Published at Zondervan

About the Bible

The bestselling NIV Teen Study Bible has an all-new updated design to appeal to the next generation of teens. Packed full of study features that help today's students learn more about God, the Bible, and how God's Word relates to their lives, this Bible includes the following features:

• "We Believe" unpacks the Apostles' Creed to reveal the biblical foundation of faith
• Topical indexes help with in-depth Bible study
• Book introductions provide an overview for each book of the Bible
• Bible promises highlight Bible verses worth remembering
• Q and As test Bible knowledge
• 4 color pages include a presentation page and information about the Apostles' Creed
• 8-page full-color map section
• Biblical advice about friends, family, school, and other issues
• Complete text of the bestselling New International Version (NIV) of the Bible

With over 3.5 million copies sold, the NIV Teen Study Bible continues to be a teen's top resource for discovering the foundational truths of the Bible.

My Thoughts

Your child has a children Bible and not that the teenage years have arrived you wonder what Bible should you get for him/her.   Fear not because there are amazing Bibles that you can entrust your teenager with.   One of them is the NIV Teen Study Bible.   This bestselling Bible will help your child to discover eternal truths of God’s Word and apply them in the issues he/she faces today.

Inside this beautifully redesigned and revamped Bible your teenager will be able to discover the Apostle’s Creed in a section called We Believe.  The Apostle’s Creed can be read in its entirety at the beginning of the Bible and the young person can also read the historical information behind it.  However, also provided in the Bible is a verse-by-verse breakdown of the Apostle’s Creed which  provides explanations on this foundation of Christian truth and the Bible passages on which it is supported.   I find it is an interesting why to study the Apostle’s Creed – something I never had the chance to discover myself until today (which by the way I am planning to do during the summer time).

Every once in a while throughout the Bible you will find the Panorama sections which will help the teenager to keep the big picture of each book of the Bible in view.  This section will reminds him/her what is the main theme of the book.  Another section provided inside this Bible is also the To The Point which will demonstrate where the Bible is relevant to today’s problems and explains a passage of Scripture at the same time.     The Instant Access sections will  cover almost every problems and situation that you can think of for a teenager.  The text provided in this section will be direct, honest and will tell you what God has to say for your hard situations.   

The NIV Teen Study Bible also contains book introductions with an overview of each of the 66 books in the Bible, Bible promises that are highlighted, key indexes which will encourage your teen to study the Bible in-depth, the Dear Jordan sections which provides advice on questions you ask most often as well as Q&A section to tests your knowledge of the Bible as you read it.

Complete with the New International Version of the Bible, this Teen Study Bible is contemporary and written for your teen to understand.   The Bible highlights the text in a bright green color which would be attractive for boys and girls. 

I find this NIV Teen Study Bible would be a great gift for your child when he reaches the age of thirteen.   A perfect way to start the teenage years by having a great tool in your hands to encourage your walk.   At this point I am unsure whom I should give this Bible to.  My oldest – a brand new teen – has expressed a desire to have an NIV Bible but I have another cool one coming my way that I think would be perfect for him.   So I might keep it for his younger brother who actually has a ESV Kid’s Bible.   I think it would be perfect for him to read in an NIV now that he is more confident with reading the Bible.   

The NIV Teen Study Bible is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Zondervan for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

One Realm Beyond

One Realm Beyond
Written by Donita K. Paul
Published at Zondervan

About the book

Cantor D’Ahma waited his whole life for this day. Born with a gift to jump between worlds, the young realm walker is finally ready to leave his elderly mentor and accept his role as protector and defender of the realms. But mere hours after he steps through his first portal, Cantor discovers that his job will be more dangerous and difficult than he ever imagined. The realms are plagued with crime and cruelty, and even members of the once-noble Realm Walkers Guild can no longer be trusted. To make matters worse, his first assignment---finding a dragon to assist him on his quest---has led him to Bridger, who is clearly inept and won’t leave him alone. With the help of his new friends Bixby and Dukmee, Cantor must uncover the secrets of the corrupt guild before they become too powerful to be stopped. But his skills aren’t progressing as fast as he would like, and as he finds himself deeper and deeper in the guild’s layers of deceit, Cantor struggles to determine where his true allegiance lies.

My Thoughts

I hesitated when I requested this book to review because I had not clicked with another title from the author.   But I figure if one book was not a good fit for me it didn’t mean that another title from the same author would have the same effect on me.   Besides the idea of “walking” from one realm to another was interesting.   After all, when do you come to contact with other dimensions/realms?  In science-fiction.   And I really enjoy that kind of theme in science fiction.   So I figure I would enjoy it in fantasy as well.

Well, let’s be honest with each other from the bat.   I didn’t enjoy the book.   For some reasons I can’t connect with the characters in any shape or form.   I tried a few times to pursue the reading of the story but every time I get disconnected.  Not sure if it is the fact that I have trouble reading the names of the characters, the way the author writes or simply the storyline but this book is not a good read for me.   Some of you might think that it is because the book is geared for teens but I have read other teen books in the past and really enjoy them.   And it isn’t because it is a fantasy story because I have read other fantasy books as well and loved them.   Through the years, I have found that if I quickly click with an author then I wouldn’t have any problems reading other titles from him/her.    Clearly, I should have stayed away from other titles of Donita Paul since I didn’t enjoyed reading a previous novel from her.  

Now, please keep in mind that because I didn’t enjoy the story and couldn’t click with it, it doesn’t mean it isn’t good.  For example, I know an homeschooler whose son really enjoy the Donita Paul books.    And my own kids might even enjoy reading her novels.   

One Realm Beyond is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

Paperback Edition

Kindle Edition

Disclaimer: Thanks to Zondervan for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

7 Steps to Knowing, Doing, and Experiencing the Will of God for Teens

7 Steps to Knowing, Doing, and Experiencing the Will of God for Teens
Written by Tom Blackaby, Mike Blackaby, and Daniel Blackaby
Published at B&H Publishing Group

About the book

More teenagers than ever before seem to be spinning their wheels a long time before gaining any traction in life. Based on the world-renowned Experiencing God teachings of Henry Blackaby, Seven Steps to Knowing and Doing the Will of God for Teens provides students with relevant spiritual direction as they move toward adulthood.

Throughout, authors Tom, Mike, and Daniel Blackaby (Henry Blackaby's son and grandsons) utilize fun formatting with cartoon illustrations, jokes, real-life stories, and graphically engaging treatments to bring strong focus to a message teenagers need in their often random settings.

My Thoughts

This book was also part of a package deal with two other titles linked to the Experiencing God at Home.   If you are familiar with the book Experiencing God, you will immediately recognized the name Blackaby and know a bit of what the book is about.   After many  years of transforming believers throughout the world, the Experiencing God book has been adapted in order to help you transform your household.  Today, I am presenting the book that is specifically written for teens by non other than members of the Blackaby family!   The idea behind this book is  to allow teens to go deeper in their relationship with God.  Packed with cartoon illustrations, true-life stories, and fresh graphics I find that the book has a look that will grasp the attention of teens.

The table of content is simple yet direct at the same time.   It will start with what it means to know and doing God’s will.   I will be honest, I wish I would have read this book while I was in my teenage years.  But it wasn’t the case and I hope to instill a love for God to my kids.   We want them to experience God in their life in ways we haven’t while growing up.   My oldest son has just turned twelve this week and I want him to live a life fulfilling God’s plans for him.   Consequently, I have decided that this book will be part of his 7th grade homeschool curriculum in September.     The book will help him to discover God at work around him, to realize that He is pursuing him, that He invites him to be involved in His work, that He speaks through the Holy Spirit, and that obedience will allow to fully experience Him in our lives.

At the end of each chapter, you will find a section titled “Walking With God” which will  allow your teen to jolt down answers to questions based on the reading material he/she has done in the chapter.   These sections will allow your child to discover God in his/her life and help him/her to grow spiritually in a deeper relationship with God.

I strongly believe that this book will help many teens to understand God better and realize that He is not dead after all.   It is am amazing resource to guide your teen into experiencing God’s will in their own life whether they are going at school or being homeschool.  

7 Steps to Knowing, Doing, and Experiencing the Will of God for Teens is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

   

The book is also available for Kindle.

   

Disclaimer: Thanks to B&H Books for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.