* Take Your Best Shot: Review and Giveaway *

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Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein and Todd Hillard
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
List Price: $12.99
Ages: 12 and up







Melissa J's Thoughts:

While this book is geared for teeangers, Take Your Best Shot inspired me - -in a great way!  If  9 year old can start a movement to raise a million dollars in international AIDS releif and build a school and medical clinic in Zambia, surely I, a 34 year old woman, can impact my world, somehow, someway!

It started with a four minute video about a little girl named Maggie, living in Zambia, orphaned by AIDS and left without aunts, uncles, grandparents, and her little brother. Nine year old Austin Gutwein watched that video and couldn't get it out of his head. He began telling his parents he wanted to do something. Thankfully, Austin had parents that believed in their son, with God, and supported his desire to do something! His dad put in a phone call to World Vision, and they agreed to talk to Austin. 

When they heard his heart and asked him what he liked to do, his response was, "I like basketball."  While they gave him their ear, they later said they thought they'd never hear from him again. Little did they know what God, in a 9 year old boy would do!  


It began with Austin making the commitment to shoot 2,057 sponsored free throws. This goal would support eight AIDS orphans. Austin, with a numb arm, completed this goal but that wasn't the end. It was only the beginning. The following year he began recruiting others to do sponsored free throws and a grand total of $38,000 was raised!  The third year, 1500 kids were doing shooting hoops and more than $85,000 was raised. Austin was on his way to a million dollars of raised money, something that he hadn't even dreamed of four years prior!


Take Your Best Shot is more than Austin's story (which is what I was initially expecting). It is a story that has God's fingerprints all over it, including the salvation story. Not only that, it is a book that causes adolescents to ask themselves some deep, heart searching questions - questions that have the potential to bring about world change as it did in Austin's case!





Mel's Thoughts:
After going through World Vision's Step Into Africa and seeing the faces of the children who are affected by AIDS, day in and day out, this book really hit home for me.  It really confirmed a calling in my own heart as I read the story of how Hoops of Hope came to be.  Take Your Best Shot is so beautifully written; I am amazed by the wisdom of Austin Gutwein, as he shares his story.  As the story weaves through several chapters, there are many quotes and Scriptures used to back up everything that is taught throughout the book.  Each chapter also ends with discussion questions/ things to ponder. 

Who would have ever dreamed that one kid, one video, a basketball, and a hoop in America could be used to change lives half a world away?  The story started in 2004 when nine year old Austin Gutwein saw a World Vision video, titled Maggie's Story.  He was already writing to a child named Ignatius, whom his family was sponsoring, in Africa; but something resonated within him when he saw Maggie's story, and he was so moved that his father contacted World Vision to see how Austin could help, what a nine year old boy could do to help.  James 1:27 came to life for him- Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (NKJV).  As he shares his story, he also shares the stories of others who are "taking their best shot": Ayla, who is making a difference, even though she is suffering from cancer; Buna, who was forced into prostitution but has been able to turn that around and do a work that is so necessary.  He shares how we can become world-changers....in essence, he is speaking to teens throughout this book, but I felt God speaking to my heart at various times throughout the book; no matter the age, I highly recommend this book.  Anyway, he alternates between stories of his travels and experiences in Africa with spiritual insights that have come about.  In order to be world-changers, we don't have to be a certain age or a certain class.  It starts with a broken heart and a mindset that is set on eternity more than on the temporary things of our everyday lives.  He says that it's not about what we do, but it's about who we are.  It's about our availability to God and willingness to be used by Him.  In doing the will of God for our lives, in reaching beyond our comfort zones to help those in need, our hearts will, in turn, be blessed.  He cautions to check your motives at the door, though.  Vision and passion are other necessary ingredients.  Sometimes it's just the little things done without anyone else's knowledge that can make all the difference in the world.  Tidbits of wisdom are sprinkled throughout. 

Austin was able to use his passion for basketball to start the organization Hoops of Hope.  The second year that Hoops of Hope was going, when World AIDS Awareness Day came around on December 1, they were able to raise enough money to sponsor over 100 AIDS orphans.  The dream kept going, though.  In the next few years, as more and more kids got involved around the country and the world, they had raised enough money to build a school and two medical clinics.  A lab is set to follow in 2010.  It's simply amazing what God can do in the life of someone who has a heart dedicated to taking his best shot.  A nine year old boy answered God's call to action, and look what God did through him.  Throughout the book, Austin stresses the importance of living the one life we have to the fullest.  We only have one short life in lieu of eternity....when you think about life in terms of eternity, it is like a needle in a haystack, so minute.  That's why it's crucial to use our time here wisely.  

I definitely would encourage everyone to read this book.  It's one that I will be keeping on my shelf to read to my boys when they get older.  It has ignited a fire in my own soul.  At $12.99 on Thomas Nelson, I would definitely purchase this book.  It would be a great book to share with teens or even with others who might benefit....in my opinion, anyone would benefit from reading this book.  

We have one copy of this book to give away. Simply leave us a comment with your email address and we will use an online random generator to pick our winner on December 19th. 

 

The Attitude Girl by Mila Bernadkin

The Attitude Girl by Mila Bernadkin 


Review by Melissa j


Teenagers live in a tough world. It becomes even more tough when things like cancer, suicide, and family drama enters that world. It's not wonder adolescents walk around with attitude problems.

The Attitude Girl models what could more than likely be a journal entry, for today's modern teen girl. Teens will enjoy the book, feeling validated in their world of chaos and confusing situations.


At times, dialogue becomes a bit confusing to track with and Ialso  lost track of who was who (alot of names are thrown around), but overall, this book epitomizes the teen world and thought process. Mila adds the inner monologue going on in Vicky's head while she dialogues verbally with her friends, neighbors, and family, showing the ambivalence that teens find as a part of their usual inner conflict.


This is a coming of age novel, and although Vicky does not arrive at full maturity by the end, we see a progression towards adulthood that each of us had to go through. From ego-centrism to sacrifice. From attitude-out-of-control, to attitude-properly-channeled. 

* Note: More conservative readers will not like this book, as it contains language that they may not approve of, as well as sexual situations and discussions. While for me, a woman who has worked extensively with teens, I found it only a realistic portrayal of the teen life, those who practice only conservative, Christian-based novels in their home, this book would not be for them.

Mel's Thoughts:

The Attitude Girl, by Mila Bernadkin, is a coming of age novel for teen girls.  From the very beginning of the book, I could tell that the main character, Vicky, definitely has an attitude.  Honestly, though, she had good reason to have an attitude, in my opinion.  With everything she had been through in her life, as well as issues and problems that were going on presently, this teen was going through some pretty hard times.  From being abandoned by her father as a child to now dealing with the fact that her mother had lost her job and might have cancer on top of it all, plus the fact that her grandparents who rejected her before now want her in their lives, she had real issues.  These are issues that a lot of our teens face today. 

Vicky had a tight group of friends, though, Jackie, Liza, Chloe, and Alex.  The book focused on this group of friendships quite a bit throughout the story.  I was a little concerned at some of the things they did throughout the story, but to me, it was more like the author was trying to tackle major issues that teens face today.  The girls had to deal with issues such as drinking, sex, mean girls (bullying), suicide, and just growing up, among other things.  I really appreciated the scenes centered around bullying myself, because I know that so many kids are affected by this today, myself included when I was younger.  So many kids are depressed and trying to hurt themselves because of bullies at school.  I thought that the author handled these issues in a realistic way. 

Yes, Vicky had an attitude, and it might have even caused rifts that had to be mended, but she was as real as a character could be.  Her emotions were raw and really caused the story to be more thought-provoking for me.  Written in first person, Vicky takes you through her thoughts and into her heart, and you're really able to delve into her character.  I did have a couple of qualms with the book.  If you are more conservative, this book might pose a problem, as one issue is that there's the use of swear words throughout the book, especially in the first part.  There are also scenes in the book that might not set well with more conservative readers, although without those scenes, the story might not be as real.  Does the story solve today's issues with teens?  No, but it does confront them head-on, albeit, in a less conservative way.

You can get The Attitude Girl for $16.95 from Five Star Publications.  The following is from the Media Kit for The Attitude Girl. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In her debut novel, a first-place winner in the Arizona Authors Association Annual Literary Awards contest, Ludmila "Mila" Bernadkin draws on her experience as a teacher, mother and advanced graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature to identify with the tremulous world of confusing emotions and mixed messages of "maturity" today's teens live in as they feel their way through the process of becoming young adults.


Born and raised in Odessa, Ukraine, a beautiful resort city on the Black Sea, Bernadkin emigrated from the former Soviet Union and came to the United States in 1977. She graduated from the Brest Music College with a BA-equivalent degree in theory of music and music literature, and accepted a teaching position at a children's music school. After moving to the States, she became a Senior Programmer-Analyst, working at several of the largest financial institutions in New York City. However, medical reasons forced her early retirement, which turned out to be a blessing as she realized her life-long dream of becoming an award-winning published writer.


Bernadkin resides in Brooklyn, New York, with her daughter, a graduate student who is working on her Master's degree. Bernadkin loves to travel, listen to music and read.

(Disclosure: This book was provided, free of charge, by Mila Bernadkin/Five Star Publications, in association with MamaBuzz.)

* Curse of the Spider King *

The Curse of the Spider King: Book 1 in the Berinfell Prophecies

By: Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper


Ages: 12 - 17


Put out by: Thomas Nelson

Price: $14.99


Disclosure: Thomas Nelson provided complimentary copies to Mama Buzz reviewers for the purposes of this blog tour.

Mel's Thoughts:
Curse of the Spider King, written by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper, is Book 1 in The Berinfell Prophecies.  When I first started reading this book, I thought that this was just going to be another magical story, and I thought that parts of it were going to be boring.  I was so wrong.  As I continued reading, I realized that this was quite the adventure story, reminding me, only at times during the stories of Berinfell, of The Lord of the Rings.  The story weaved in and out of 7 different kids' lives, as well as having sections that told about the night that the city of Berinfell fell.  It was an action-packed story that truly kept my attention with its vivid detail and descriptions of what was going on.  One of my favorite parts of the book was the car chase between Kat and her housekeeper and the mysterious man, who kept showing up in a long trench coat.  Only this was no detective; this man had been watching all seven of the kids.....and he wasn't the only one.  He was a Drefid, and he was out to kill Kat, for the sake of the Spider King, who wanted them dead before they could help to restore the Elvin kingdom.  This scene in the book had such action in it that I felt like I was watching a movie. 

The story alternates between the seven kids' lives and how each one is given a book, The History of Berinfell.  The seven kids are Tommy Bowman, Autumn and Johnny Briarman, Jett Green, James "Jimmy" Lewis Gresham, Kat Simonson, and Kiri Lee Yuen.  These kids had no idea who they really were, royalty.  As each one was given the mysterious book, they would begin to read it, and the words on the pages would literally come to life before their very eyes, showing them the story of Berinfell.  The night that Berinfell was destroyed, seven royal children were taken and later exiled to live in the human world.  Now, eight hundred years later, they are discovering new things about themselves; but they don't have time to take it all in; they have to fight in a war they could have never imagined.

This book is definitely a book that Jacob would enjoy, but I may wait a while before I let him read it.  I might would read it to him at this age, although I don't think he'd have much of a problem reading it or understanding it himself.  Some of the fighting scenes were just a bit graphic, nothing too harsh, though.  It is the type of story that he would love, though.  At $10.19 on Amazon, it's definitely worth that, in my opinion.  I honestly think it would make a great Christmas present for a slightly older child, maybe middle grades.  It's a hardback book, 372 pages filled with action-packed stories that will surely keep his attention.  The beginning of a book has a Principal Cast list that lists each character from the book and describes who they were.  It's a little overwhelming at first, but as you read through the book, you can go back to it and truly understand who you are reading about.  There is also a Principal Locations list.  I give this book two thumbs up.


Melissa J's Thoughts

 The day this book becomes a movie and hits the movie theater, I am so there!  I know that sounds pretty adolescent, but that's what I was thinking about 1/4 of the way into the book. This is one awesome series, and even if I don't have to review the rest, I will be buying them for my own library!  

In some ways, it feels like the same type of story that so many other books are made out of. Children who transverse across worlds (think Chronicles of Narnia) and colorful scenes that involve elves and evil beings (think Lord of the Rings) are not a unique literary theme by any means. However, Wayne and Christopher have such an amazing talent with written words and intricate story lines, it seems new in Curse of the Spider King. 

At first, I couldn't quite track with the book. There are, at first read, several characters in both the here-and-now world, as well as the world of Allyra, but thanks to the character list, I was able to keep track of who was who. Truth be told, I like books that are a bit more advanced than just cursory reading.  Curse of the Spider King delivers that to me.  

Seven, thirteen year olds, all of which have nothing in common, are tied together by one single thread. That thread puts their lives in peril, as well as the ones they care for. Also at stake, is the entire existence of Allyra and the elves. In a destiny that not only affects them, but also many others and each teenager must make the choice as to what role they will play in a drama that involves two worlds and countless lives. 

The Berinfell Prophecies may just become the next Lord of the Rings series and I am thrilled to begin adding it to my library. 

PS--check out The Underground at the Berinfall website and join the adventure! 


 

Redefining Beautiful by Jenna Lucado

Mel's take:
It was honestly such a blessing to be able to review the book, Redefining Beautiful, by Jenna Lucado.  This book is written mainly for teen girls, but I found my mama's heart encouraged by the words that I read in this book.  As we get older, we sometimes forget what it was like to be a teenager, and although I wouldn't want to go back and do it all over again, I do wish this book had been out when I was younger.  I found that it was such a refreshing read.  

Jenna writes this book, along with excerpts from her dad, Max Lucado.  She makes the book so relateable and real for teens today.  Every topic covered has to do with not just outer beauty, but more importantly, inner beauty, because most of the time, what is happening on the inside, is reflected on the outside.  Jenna illustrates that concept really well by not only giving examples of different types of teen scenarios/characters, but also by explaining how that relationship with God can be found and can flourish.  It's not all serious, though.  Jenna has a way of throwing in funny little tidbits, and I found myself giggling as I read, especially stories she shared about growing up with her dad.  There are also several places in the book, where  you can journal or answer certain questions, to help you better understand and be able to grasp what is behind a lot of thought processes that go on when you're a young girl, struggling to understand. 

Along with the inner beauty, there are little boxes she has added with real beauty tips that can be tried, and I found myself wanting to try just a few, especially the Vaseline on the feet....I don't think I knew there were so many uses for Vaseline.:)    

I was so impressed with Jenna's candid voice throughout the book and how she just seemed so real.  It was easy to see that she has a heart for the Lord and a heart for reaching out to our young girls today.  I've been trying to think of a young girl I could pass this book on to, but I'm not sure I want to give it up just yet.:)  I highly recommend this book, especially if you have a teen girl in your midst that could use a helping hand, a fresh new outlook on God and what it means to be His forever. 

To read more reviews on this book, visit Thomas Nelson.

Melissa J's Thoughts 

Redefining Beautiful is a breath of fresh air in a world that thrives on (indecent, shallow, and shocking) shows like The New 90210 and Melrose Place, all geared towards a adolescent audience. 

Instead of pre-marital sex being a given, Jenna calls out for a sexual purity that allows dignity and grace to remain intact. Instead of girls who chase after boys, Jenna encourages girls that they are worth being pursued. Instead of tight-fitting clothes that leave little to the imagination, Jenna challenges girls that modesty can be beautiful. 

In Redefining Beautiful, teens girls are presented with an alternative definition to the word beautiful.. 

Beautiful: What God sees when God sees you. 

While this may seem like a Christian cliche to throw out to struggling adolecents, who live in a world where beauty is based on looks, it isn't. Not when it is encased in Jenna's writing. She presents this definition with a realism of how hard it is to believe, in light of the lies the world feeds girls. She writes of "ugly days" and zits and isn't so far removed from her own teen years that she has lost touch of how devatasting those things can be for a girl. 

While empathizing with teen girls, Jenna holds true to her message in each chapter--true beauty is what God says is beautiful. It proceeds out of an intimacy with Daddy God and manifests in a spirit that no amount of money can buy and the world's most beautiful person can't duplicate with their own power. 

Redefining Beautiful is more than just a book to read. Jenna has given her readers places to write notes and answer questions, so the truths she writes, hit home just a little bit more.  It's a book very needed in today's culture and I'm proud to have it on my book shelf of books for teen girls!






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Redefining Beautiful

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