True: 52 Stories About God Showing up in the Every Day, Vol. 2 by Irene DunlapYouthSpecialties/Invert, 2007, 335 pp., $12.99
www.zondervan.comThe power of a good testimony is undeniable. Personal stories about how God intersects with our world challenge listeners to look for God outside of the local church building. This book is a compilation of testimonies that young people will find meaningful and captivating. The format is in the style of the
Chicken Soup series, with stories loosely grouped according to what the author believes each reveals about God. This includes “He Is a God of Transformation,” “He Is a God of Answers and Guidance” and “He Is a God with a Powerful Presence.” A word of caution: Many of the stories deal bluntly with drug and alcohol use, sex, date rape and similar topics and may be better suited to older teens and young adults. —Dan Kreiss
Advertisement
Multnomah, 2007, 209 pp., $19.99
www.multnomahpublishers.comGoing All the Way is a great handbook for dating, navigating young adults through the perilous journey of hormone-driven relationships as well as establishing deeper connection for committed, engaged or newly married couples. With an easy-to-read style, Craig Groeschel uses humor and some very frank talk about sex to guide Christians through dating relationships. His personal experiences lend wisdom and insight, and he challenges singles to be godly in choice and behavior. Those who share Groeschel’s traditionalist take on gender roles will love this book. Others may find a few of his assumptions disagreeable. Either way, this would be a worthwhile addition to an older teen’s library. It could also serve well as a group read for older high school-students and college-age to stimulate discussion. —Cheri R. Gillard
Radiant: Discovering Beauty from the Inside Out by Chandra PeeleNew Hope Publishers, June 2007, 173 pp., $12.99
www.newhopepublishers.comInterior design consultant Chandra Peele tackles that persistent question: How can we help our girls see themselves as they really are? Peele uses her expertise in design as a metaphor for how Christian teen girls can do a “makeover” for their hearts by encouraging them to “learn to like ‘the me’ that God created.” When girls learn to grasp that, they will be radiant and truly beautiful. Pointed questions and copious journal space provide a place for girls to work through and internalize this concept. —John Dunham
Growing Up Super Average: The Adventures of Average Boy by Bob Smiley and Jesse Florea