4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book Review No Girls Allowed, September 23, 2010
This review is from: No Girls Allowed: Devotions for Boys (Paperback)
No Girls Allowed by Jayce O'Neal is a wonderful devotional book for boys. I loved the structure of this book. It's organized well for both parents and kids. Each begins with a Bible verse that is the basis for the devotion. Then comes the devotion. Next is a prayer relating to the theme. Then there is some sort of game such as word searches, secret codes, and unscramble puzzles. Following that is a "Things To Do" list about how to put the topic into action in a boy's life. Very practical and hands-on. Next comes "Things To Remember" which is full of other pertinent Bible verses relating to the theme. And finally there is a wisdom section which contains quotes from both historical and modern people from all walks of life.
I enjoyed the devotional stories which were the perfect length. They were long enough to get the point across while not being too lengthy for an active young boy. The content varied for all interests and covered many relevant issues.
This devotional book was not cheesy as I've found some to be. With the added sections as described above, the book is well-rounded and simply fun. I highly recommend this book.
This book was given to me to be reviewed by Tyndale House Publishers. I was not paid for this review. All opinions are my own.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun, Easy to Read & Bibically Sound, September 24, 2010
This review is from: No Girls Allowed: Devotions for Boys (Paperback)
No Girls Allowed by Jayce O'Neal is a devotional geared towards boys ages 8-12. An odd choice for this single mother of none, I know. However, I AM a teacher and an aunt of two boys within this age bracket.
I specifically requested this book for my nephews. As expected, the puzzles and secret codes were a hit (although the crosswords are probably a bit difficult for the younger boys since there is no answer bank and not all the questions are taken word-for-word from the text). I particularly like the basic format of having a scripture to start with, a little story or scenario and then ending with a short prayer. The puzzles and secret codes reinforce the theme and there's even an application section that gives the boys some suggestions for applying what they just read about to their lives at home and/or at school. After the application section are a few scriptures to give more biblical backing to the theme. I love that there are three quotes printed to the right of the scriptures at the end of each devotional selection; it makes my English major heart go pitter-patter! The quotes are taken from famous authors, historical figures, christian intellectuals, superhero movies, athletes, etc. I personally think it's good exposure for the kiddos.
Another thing I like about O'Neal's devotional is that he keeps it real. In a gentle way he explains that life is not always ice cream and action figures; bad things happen, even when you did nothing wrong. He encourages your child with the fact that God is still there and still loves him and will help him through the difficult times.
If you homeschool your children OR if they are particularly sheltered then this might not be the best fit for your young child. O'Neal makes references to classroom scenarios that homeschool kids have never been exposed to so may not connect with. He also makes connections to movies and tv shows extremely sheltered kids may not be exposed to (SpongeBob, Batman, Star Trek, Hulk, Transformers, Starwars . . . just to name a few!). Not to say that these show or references are bad, just that they might pique your child's interest before you are ready to show them those particular things (and yes, I know folks whose children don't watch any of the aforementioned shows). But if you're willing to work through and discuss the book with your child then you both should be fine.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me by the Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for writing this review.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
No Girls Allowed, June 1, 2011
This review is from: No Girls Allowed: Devotions for Boys (Paperback)
I chose this book for my son to read through during our `quiet' time. He really enjoyed the devotions, but didn't want to do the activities. He was 12 when I gave him this book so he was really on the top end of the age range. As a homeschooled child, he wasn't able to personally connect with the classroom scenarios that were sometimes referenced in the book. However, he does have friends who are not homeschooled so the scenarios weren't completely foreign to him. Overall, we recommend this devotional for pre-teen boys.
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