Lucy Out of Bounds

The second book in the Lucy series, Lucy Out of Bounds, follows the same precocious tomboy readers meet in Lucy Doesn’t Wear Pink. Even though it’s a sequel, this middle grade novel offers a great stand-alone story. I’m sure reading them in order would flesh out the background story, but the author does a great job filling in all the gaps and keeping readers in the know without being repetitive.

A terrible accident killed her mother, blinded her father, and left Lucy with more than a few questions about God and life. She tries to sort them out in her “book of lists”, which is her own way of praying, but all the things most important to her still seem in jeopardy. Her only link to her mom, her aunt, insists on making her more "girlie" -- that includes buying her bras! Lucy wants nothing to do with that. She loves soccer and is dying for a chance to join a real Olympic training team, but her teammates don't take the game seriously enough. The harder she pushes them, the less they like her and the more they goof off. J.J. is her best friend. His big troubles start with an abusive dad, an annoying tag-along sis, and social workers who only seem to make things worse. Lucy wants to help, but every time she does, she gets in trouble herself. Mora used to be her friend but since going boy-crazy, she wants nothing to do with Lucy ... that is, unless it involves stealing J.J. from her. To top it all off, a mountain lion prowls the town and Lucy's dad is losing trust in her.

A gentle, wise housekeeper (who is also Mora's abuela) provides a calm stability for Lucy. She insists on weekly Bible study with Mora and Lucy. Together the three explore the stories of Rachel, Leah and Jacob and individually discover secrets to getting along and becoming the women God created them to be.

What I Like: Just about everything! Nancy Rue consistently creates great stories with diverse multi-faceted characters. I loved the realistic struggles that the characters face in this book. I like that, by the characters' examples, readers are encouraged to weigh their actions and the resulting implications objectively and accurately. The emphasis on being a team player echoes loudly in contrast to our egocentric culture. I also really like the application pulled from the biblical story of Rachel and Leah. So often we look at that story from Jacob's perspective or that of the twelve sons. Rue offers a fresh angle that applies to anyone struggling to find peace with others.

What I Dislike: The main characters (Lucy and J.J.) often criticize others. I realize this is normal for kids and it plays into the story and their character evolution, but it still bothered me. They dance in stereotypes – not racial or economic, but rather social – and regularly mock J.J.’s little sister, a third-grader who characteristically acts far more immature than most 8-year-olds. The word “moron” appears more than once. As the mother of a current third-grader, it felt unnecessarily condescending.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: 9-12

Publisher Info: ZonderKidz, 2008; ISBN: 0310714516; FORMAT, 208 pages; $7.99

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Special Info: This book includes references to domestic violence, child abuse and the intervention of social services. Parents should also be aware that some bullying (mostly raw teasing or name-calling) takes place within the story. All situations are handled from positively and from a biblical perspective by surrounding adults.

Also of note: The story positively features key characters of Hispanic and Native American backgrounds, something uncommon in children's literature.

See more reviews of books by Nancy Rue or visit the author's website at www.NancyRue.com

Your Special Gift

Like most parents, Carol McCormick struggled to know how to talk to her preteen girls about sex. She wanted to inform them, but also avoid being explicit. Her girls were nine and eleven at the time. What she presented to them is now available to you in book form.

Your Special Gift: A Preteen Primer to the Facts of Life is "an analogy of sex, comparing their bodies to precious gifts and opening these treasures to having sex." The author begins by talking about Christmas, how wonderful it is to open presents that morning, and how awful would it be if they had already been opened, played with and enjoyed too soon.

Each chapter begins with a short Scripture quotation, frequently from 1 Corinthians 13, then approaches the topic in a conversational style. The author defines sex as a man and woman "joining their bodies." She goes on to say: "A man's body part works like a key and a woman's body part works like a lock, and as they fit together they open this wonderful gift." While always sticking with the predominant analogy, the text includes brief discussions of:

• various names and terms for sex
• God's intention for sex (between a husband and wife only)
• The importance of waiting to "open your gift" until after marriage
• The dangers of "opening your gift" too soon or to the wrong person
• Wrong motives for "opening a gift" and common forms of peer pressure
• Pornography, rape, prostitution and AIDS (mostly just definitions and why they are unhealthy)
• Bad touches and how to respond (child molestation)

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New International Version. A "Note to Parents" offers both an introduction to the book and a short explanation of why it was written.

What I Like: The author covers a broad scope of topics directly and with brevity. I like that she encourages parents to use this as a starting point for discussions with their children. I also like that she consistently reminds readers that they are valuable and that their bodies are special. While discussing predators and inappropriate touches, the author suggests to child readers that, if they have been violated and find it too hard to tell an adult, they can simply take the book and show them "this page." I think that's an excellent suggestion! Victims are usually embarrassed and scared. This provides a less intimidating way to get help.

What I Dislike: I struggle with analogies for important topics, especially sex. They seem to always fall short in one way or another, either being too descriptive or not enough. This book fluctuates in that area. For example, the author spends a whole page talking about AIDS, but never mentions the existence of other sexually transmitted diseases. The text uses words like hooker, intercourse, rape and pornography, but never once gives the accurate names for a man's "key" or the woman's "lock."

Also, in the section on predators, the author provides readers with things they can say if someone touches them inappropriately. One reads: "I'm going to tell someone if you don't stop." I find this very dangerous. Victims need to know that they ALWAYS tell, even if the violator stops.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 8-12

Publisher Info: Celestial Press, 2009 (print version), 2012 (e-version); ISBN: 0967536804; Paperback or Electronic; 32 pages; $5.98

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Special Info: Visit the author's website for more information on her, this book and her other titles.

Choices

Premarital sex is about more than hormones. Choices, a novel by Katrina L. Burchett, skillfully entwines the lives of five teen girls as they face this issue in York, Pennsylvania.

Shauntice, the central character of the book, feels trapped in many ways. Her father is an alcoholic and a mean drunk. His frustration explodes through fists against his wife and children. Shauntice trusts God implicitly, but, because of her father's abuse, cannot trust men. When Terry enters her life, her scarred emotions battle her attraction. Soon her relationship with Terry serves as an escape from her painful homelife. Is her faith in God stronger than her need for relief?

Angel may be rich in material things, but the void in her life is tangible. Raised by her grandmother, Angel never knew her father and barely knows her workaholic mother. Even though her best friend, Shauntice, is a committed believer, Angel wants nothing to do with God or church. She's been with the same guy for two years, but the signs (and her friends) suggest Randy's bad news. When another girl enters the picture and Randy becomes more physical, Angel has some choices to make. Is she worth saving or is Randy the best she deserves? To what lengths will she go to keep him?

LaKeeta is a Christian, but now pregnant. Once committed to abstinence, great grades and being a stellar basketball player, she's now not speaking to the baby's father and neither her father nor her best friend, Bridgette, are speaking to her. All she wanted was someone to love her unconditionally, but maybe that Someone was there all along. Now that her life is changed forever, what can she do?

Bridgette is a virgin committed to abstinence and has no problems preaching about it. When her best friend gets pregnant, she feels betrayed and comes off more than a little judgmental -- not just to Lakeeta, but also to Angel and just about everyone else that doesn't exhibit the same passion for God's ways. The path of judgment can prove a lonely road.

Hope leads a very different life from these other girls. Her mother is ultra-controlling and far too over-protective. Hope is faithful to her church and Christian beliefs, but she also feels like a freak, no thanks to her peers who treat her like one. When her father dies in a sudden car accident, Hope blames her mother and finds the strength to rebel against her strict rules. This earns Hope some street cred and a bit of self-esteem, but she may be getting in too deep too fast.

What I Like: This book is very well written. The author has a gift for creating three-dimensional characters and true-to-life dialog. The plot moves at a good pace. I especially like the multi-faceted approach to the topic.

Burchett clearly promotes abstinence, but also acknowledges the pressure teens receive from all sides -- social, physical, emotional, etc. -- and she provides grace in the knowledge that no one is perfect. Readers will walk away knowing that everything comes down to choices. Living right is not just about saying "yes" or "no" to sex. The issue is much bigger than that and encompasses how you treat others based on their choices and how you respond when your choices seem to be stripped from you.

I like that the book boldly relays the consequences of choices and encourages the characters and the readers to consistently seek God's direction when making choices. His definition of right and wrong is the only definition that matters. Scripture is quoted and referenced throughout the text. The Gospel message is fully presented and explained.

What I Dislike: The characters use the word "fornicate" frequently; I struggled to see this as realistic. It seems too adult and sterile for the characters. Perhaps this a cultural or generational distinction, but no one used that word when I attended high school in urban Philadelphia twenty years ago.

Also, curse words are employed a handful of times. I recognize that this effectively builds authenticity in the dialog, but it causes me (a parent) to hesitate in recommending to everyone.

Finally, the ending felt abrupt. Not all of the threads were tied up nicely, which I like, but a few of the threads definitely felt unfinished. I want to know what happened and, as such, hope for a second book.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: Young Adult

Publisher Info: Kapri Books, 2007; ISBN: 0979390508; Paperback; 328 pages; $9.99

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Special Info: Parents should gauge age-appropriateness on an individual basis. This book tackles several difficult topics, some of which may be too intense for some teens. Readers encounter the real-life issues of promiscuity, teen pregnancy and motherhood, under-age drinking (and adult drunkenness), verbal abuse, domestic violence and rape. All of this is handled from a profoundly Christian foundation and perspective, but some of the scenes are quite graphic in nature. Parents should also be aware that curse words are employed within the dialog a handful of times.

This book is intended to be the first in a trilogy. At the time of this review, however, no release date has been set for the second book. Learn more or read an excerpt of this title on the author's website.

The Trouble with Max

The first book in the Max and Me Mysteries series, The Trouble With Max was written by Patricia H. Rushford, a registered nurse with a Masters degree in counseling.

When Jessie Miller finds an unexpected best friend in newcomer Max Hunter, the two become a pair of unlikely heroes. Jessie is small, skinny and bald, thanks to an ongoing battle with leukemia. Max is loud, confident and more unpredictable than this small, lakeside community is accustomed to. When the girls stumble over a possible drug deal, a string of trouble attaches to their heels.

Before long Jessie discovers that Max’s aunt and uncle are abusing her and that they moved here after a previous run-in with child protective services. The friendship, Max's safety and Jessie's health are all put to the test as the two girls attempt to solve separate mysteries. Believing it will keep her out of foster care, Max wants to cut off the drug supply that feeds her aunt and uncle’s habits, but Jessie wants to find a way to get Max away from her aunt and uncle without losing her only friend.

What I Like: This was a great read! I really enjoyed it. I like that it features uncommon characters. Not everyone wants to read about the beautiful, talented cheerleader all the time. The author depicts the characters' struggles and triumphs with believable details which had my emotions run the gamut between heartbroken, joyful and anxious with suspense.

What I Dislike: Nothing, really. A few strings were left loose, but I'm okay with that. I trust the author handles them in the subsequent books of this series.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 9-12

Publisher Info: Moody Publishers, 2007; ISBN: 0802462537; Paperback; 140 pages; $6.99

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Special Info: You can read the first chapter of this book online. There you can also learn more about the author and her other books, including two more in this series: Danger at Lakeside Farm and The Secret of Ghost Island.