Customer Reviews

Signs and Wonders from Our Journals

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I enjoyed this book. It is written for kids of youth book age, but the warm happiness it exudes made it a pleasure for me to read myself. Parents and teachers of religious education will want to recommend the book because they'll see it as a way for kids of religious background to develop a closer relationship with God. The story is told by young characters, who are writing in their teen diaries, sharing their thoughts with God. I wish my own children had read this book in their teens, learning to bring their worries, hopes, and their new self-understanding into a conversation with God.

Signs and Wonders from Our Journals is a rare gem geared to the pre-teen engulfed in that "who am I? - doesn't anybody understand?" stage. Through the journals of a diverse group of middle-school students, young readers discover that nobody has it easy, and that they are not alone. While Buckman's book appeals to these kids, perhaps more importantly, it offers a unique and profound insight to adult readers.

Signs & Wonders from our Journals is a powerful testament to the value of journal writing both as a coping mechanism and as a personal and spiritual growth tool. As we read their journal entries, we recognize milestones in the lives of each character, and tag along as they discover the lessons of life.

The real value of this book for the adult reader is in Buckman's ability to transport us back to the awkward and often painful world of adolescence, and to help reacquaint us with the emotional roller coaster of growing up. Any adult struggling to understand the seemingly random and irrational behavior and thought processes of a middle-school child will appreciate the insightful quality of this book.

Adults and pre-teens alike will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it as an important resource for counselors, religious education instructors, and other youth leaders using journal writing as a personal growth tool for kids.

Author Carole Buckman has done an amazing thing-- she has entered the scary place of the young adult's experience and invited her readers in for some quality time. In her new novel, Signs and Wonders From Our Journals, readers get to invade the lives of several middle school-aged kids by reading their secret journals. As one reads these journal entries, stereotypes and preconceptions about pre-teens fade away, leaving only real human beings with real problems. The challenges these students survive (obese parents, fear of being dumb, the results of cruel practical jokes on other people) are not contrived, but reminders of the universal (and ageless) human struggle. Instead of focusing exclusively on what we think pre-teens worry about (being popular, making cheerleader), Buckman focuses on deeper questions that concern every human (who am I? where do I fit in this world? how do I know God?). Mostly, this book will engage readers because it tells wonderful and hopeful stories about people helping people and learning to survive in an imperfect world. Although this book could be used wonderfully in Sunday School classes as a fun teaching tool, don't be afraid to give it to any non-religious middle schooler, boy or girl. Not only will they (and their parents) find it a delightful read, they'll also feel, perhaps, a little less alone after meeting the characters. A fabulous investment that gives me hope for our childrens' futures.