[I received an electronic review copy from Netgalley and Shiloh Run Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
This devotional includes an introduction and 31 devotional entries. Each entry includes a few paragraphs on the topic (identity, prayer, friendship, reading the Bible, etc.), some applicable verses of scripture, several questions to answer with space to respond, and a design to color.
Review
In principle, this is a great devotional. The topics are appropriate for teens of all ages and each section is anchored in scripture. The thought questions aren’t too complicated or deep, but are a good starting point for readers to think about the topic raised.
The writing is both lovely and a problem. I read a lot of books for kids and teens, and from the first few paragraphs of the Introduction, I felt like the writing was too much for a typical teen audience. So I tested that impression by running a reading level assessment on a few paragraphs of the introduction (9th grade reading level), three random devotionals (12.4, 11.1, 13.9 – so end of high school/freshman year of college reading level), and the accompanying journal questions (6.3, 5.5, 5.2 – fifth and sixth grade, so the questions are great for most teen readers in regard to reading level).
I often talk to parents and teachers about reading levels. They are NOT for labeling students, but they are for labeling reading material and for professionals to help students find material that will help them both grow as readers and enjoy reading. Usually I am drawn into such conversations because the parent has a strong reader and a teacher is insisting that the student “read at his/her level.” The issue is that most contemporary fiction – with topics and characters that many kids relate to – isn’t written at a high school level. Even a lot of popular adult fiction is written at a 5th or 6th grade reading level. (As a comparison, I ran a few entries from Jesus Calling and A Moment to Breathe, two adult devotionals, through this as well. The Jesus Calling entries ranged from 5.2 to 7.6 while the Moment to Breathe entries I tested were around 5.0) While this devotional is nonfiction, and nonfiction for kids does tend to hit those higher reading levels, that will only work for the segment of the audience that can handle high school and college level reading material. The others will either need a lot of support to read and understand and gain the insights the author is hoping for, or they might feel frustrated and quit trying to push through. I wish the publisher had tried to put this at a reading level that more teens could access easily.
If you are looking for a teen devotional and this journaling/coloring format appeals to you or your reader, take a look at this. I think this would be an excellent resource for a college student. Even college students who aren’t strong readers probably have some strategies to help them negotiate tougher reading material. And I believe the content is still applicable. If you have a strong reader in the middle school/high school age range, this might work for them as well. Have them read the introduction or one of the entries and see if they are inspired by the writing. Amazon has a “Look Inside” option if you can’t find the book in person to check it out. If you are concerned about the reading level for your reader but you really want to use this resource, consider working through the book in a group or partner the teen with an older sibling or a parent/aunt/grandparent/mentor to help her get as much as she can out of the material.