1. 24 CBA Retailers+Resources | 04.16 The Official Magazine of CBA
>>>Earlier this year GRAMMY-nominated vocalist Natalie Grant launched her first
book series for tweens in partnership with Zondervan’s Faithgirlz brand.The first“Glimmer
Girls”titles debuted in February, and with two more due later this year, Grant has come to
see this venture as a family project.
“My girls are entering their tween years and reading chapter books. They helped me
write these books by suggesting plot points, character names, and the cities the Glimmer
familytravelsto,”shesays.“Iwantedtowritestoriesthatkepttheirinterest,werefunnyand
fun, and offered faith lessons but didn’t have an excessively sassy character. My girls don’t
need any encouragement to be sassy!”
Grant’s children—twins Bella and Gracie and youngest daughter, Sadie—were also the
inspiration for the books, which aren’t a far stretch from the reality of her family. In the se-
ries, singer Gloria Glimmer takes her three daughters on tour around the world. Along the
way the kids investigate mysteries and have adventures while learning important lessons.
“‘Glimmer’ is a play on words,” Grant explains. “A glimmer of light may be bright or
it may be faint. This age group may have days when they feel bright and others when
“Glimmer Girls” helps tweens
find their identity in Christ.
New Series a
Grant Family
Project
they feel dim, but the light of Jesus
in them is constant.”
Shehopestweensfallinlovewiththecharacters,
are intrigued by the mysteries, and gain a better
understanding into the issues they face: sibling ri-
valry,problemswithfriends,insecurities,andmore.
“Tween girls worry about their looks, their size,
what their friends think of them. I try to protect my
girls from the messages the culture sends, but they
still hear them. It’s a battle,”Grant says.“These years
are both important and informative. Girls need to
get their understanding of Jesus at a young age.”
—Lora Schrock
If I Could Ask God
GregJohanson/GoTandem(Barbour)
p$7.99ISBN:9781630583514
Building on his years working
with teens, Johnson has gath-
ered common questions that
new Christians of that age would
ask. Topics include creation and
astrology, peer pressure and free
will, guilt and forgiveness, death
and heaven.
The answers are clear, easy
to grasp, and consistently point
readers to Scripture while us-
ing examples that will easily
be understood. His focus is on
teens and deals mostly with their
relationships, but he touches on
questions that will challenge new
Christians of any age.
As the chapters are short—one
to three pages each—the book
doesn’t offer deep theological ex-
position. If used for group study
with a knowledgeable leader,
however, the potential for serious
discussion is evident.
Recommend this book to
youth group leaders and those
teaching new believers, suggest-
ing they form their own outline as
there is no index nor are the ques-
tions organized by topic.
—ElizabethWisz
Our Father
RainerOberthür/Eerdmans
c$16ISBN:9780802854681
This charming book is a medi-
tation on the Lord’s Prayer for
primary children. It begins with
simple ideas about God and
prayer, and then quotes the clas-
sic KJV prayer children may hear
in church.
Next, the author looks at the
prayer a phrase at a time. He
doesn’t just give a paraphrase,
but offers sometimes-complex
images and ideas related to each
section. Although kids won’t un-
derstand it all right off, this pre-
sentation will definitely engage
their thoughts and imaginations,
and many of the ideas are very ac-
tion- and service-oriented.
The book ends with a child-
level paraphrase of the Prayer and
some final encouragement.
The lovely, somewhat collage-
like illustrations are simple and
easily accessible, but reward a
deeper look. Recommend this
book to thoughtful parents.
—Sue Grise
New Releases
Based on Eph.
6:10-18, The
PrinceWarriors
by Priscilla Shirer
with Gina De-
twiler (B&H Kids,
p, $6.99, ISBN: 9781433690198)
uses fiction to teach kids ages 7 to
12 about spiritual struggles.
DoodleThrough
theBiblefor
Kids by Jonny
Hawkins (Har-
vest House,
p, $7.99, ISBN:
9780736965200) uses humor and
art to help kids explore their cre-
ativity and learn about God.
Kids+YA Books+Media/
P R O D U C T I N T E L L I G E N C E
Review
Natalie Grant
