Pioneer Clubs
Publisher: Tyndale House
Publish Date: September, 2010
Paperback, 448 pages
ISBN 10: 1414333234
ISBN 13: 978141333236
Description:
The One Year Choose Your Own Ending Devotions is an interactive and engaging devotional for elementary-age kids and their families. It’s the perfect devotion for dinner time or family time discussions. A short fictional story is given without a complete ending; after reading the scripture passage, readers are encouraged to make up an ending to the story that would follow the Biblical message/theme/lesson. A summarizing point ends the devotion. (Suggested endings are posted in the back of the book for kids and families to compare their endings).
This book also follows the monthly themes of the Pioneer Clubs, a church-sponsored midweek program for kids across North America. Writers of Pioneer Clubs curriculum wrote the devotions to coincide with their calendar, and the group will market devotions as a family companion to their curriculum.
My Take: For some reason, when I read "elementary-age" as who this was marketed to; I thought it was for the younger elementary set. My Bebe Boy James is 10 and in 4th grade, so I thought it would be a good devotional for him.
Of course, we're not finished, as it is a full year of devotionals, but we've been reading the devotions daily. James likes it, but it does seem to be barely at his level; I would consider it more for tweens than elementary-age.
Each day of the year has it's own devotion, which means that no matter when you pick up the book, you can start at that calendar date and continue throughout the year.
There are short fictional stories, such as a little boy riding on a plane next to a scared passenger. When he inquires about why she is scared, he finds that she doesn't believe in God. The story asks "What would you do" in this situation, and you are to make your own ending. There is a related scripture, then questions, and suggested endings are at the back of the book.
I think that this is a good idea; however, the book really is very advanced for elementary-age children, and the stories are too "thin", I think, for children to have time to feel them enough to come up with their own good ending.
Bebe Boy James loves reading scripture every day, though, and he makes certain we get to this book every evening. I find that I have to coach him a lot, more than simply guidance, to get him through the questions and to help him come up with an ending.
Making children think about how to apply Scripture in every day settings is a good idea, however, and overall, I'm glad that we have this one in the house. I would recommend this book for older children (again, tweens) more than for younger ones. Ages 10 and up would probably be best, making it more of a middle reader.
Of course, we're not finished, as it is a full year of devotionals, but we've been reading the devotions daily. James likes it, but it does seem to be barely at his level; I would consider it more for tweens than elementary-age.
Each day of the year has it's own devotion, which means that no matter when you pick up the book, you can start at that calendar date and continue throughout the year.
There are short fictional stories, such as a little boy riding on a plane next to a scared passenger. When he inquires about why she is scared, he finds that she doesn't believe in God. The story asks "What would you do" in this situation, and you are to make your own ending. There is a related scripture, then questions, and suggested endings are at the back of the book.
I think that this is a good idea; however, the book really is very advanced for elementary-age children, and the stories are too "thin", I think, for children to have time to feel them enough to come up with their own good ending.
Bebe Boy James loves reading scripture every day, though, and he makes certain we get to this book every evening. I find that I have to coach him a lot, more than simply guidance, to get him through the questions and to help him come up with an ending.
Making children think about how to apply Scripture in every day settings is a good idea, however, and overall, I'm glad that we have this one in the house. I would recommend this book for older children (again, tweens) more than for younger ones. Ages 10 and up would probably be best, making it more of a middle reader.
Book Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
BUY IT: Through Amazon, and other on-and-off-line booksellers.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title through Tyndale Publishers to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and I was not required to write a positive review.
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