Book Review: 100 Extraordinary Stories of Prayer for Courageous Girls

About the Book:

Praying girls are world-changers! And this deeply inspiring storybook proves it!

Just for the girls in your life, ages 8 and up, this collection of 100 extraordinary stories of praying women of faith--from the Bible, history, and today--will empower girls to know and understand how praying women have made a difference in the world and how much smaller our faith (and the biblical record) would be without them. Featuring full-page, colorful illustrations alongside the true stories of praying women like Anna, Esther, Hannah, Anne Bradstreet, Shirley Dobson, Lottie Moon, Ida Scudder, Corrie ten Boom, Phyllis Wheatley, and dozens more, the stories of these 100 women will encourage and inspire girls to become the praying world-changers God created them to be!


My Thoughts:

I read through 100 Extraordinary Stories of Prayer for Courageous Girls: Unforgettable Tales of Women of Faith by Jean Fischer without my daughters. Normally, we’d sit down together and read through, but I plan to give it as a Christmas present.  Both of my daughters (ages 7 & 4) enjoyed its predecessor 100 Extraordinary Stories for Courageous Girls and I’m pretty sure they’ll enjoy this as well.

While reading though 100 Extraordinary Stories of Prayer for Courageous Girls, I noticed some overlapping stories between it and its predecessor. So, I pulled out my daughters’ copy of 100 Extraordinary Stories for Courageous Girls and compared the two.  It’s the same format with a story on the left page and an illustration on the right page. While some of the stories are basically the same, the narrative is worded differently and the illustrations are different.

Things I liked:

• The built-in bookmark!
• The emphasis on prayer. Some entries focus on a woman’s specific prayer that was answered. Others focus on someone who was known for praying, but are more biographical rather than citing a specific request and answer.
• The diversity. The stories included people from different faiths – Evangelical Christians, Catholics, Quakers, and Puritans. It included several women who stood up to racism and fought for racial equality. It advocated for gender equality and cited examples of female preachers. (Which some readers may disagree with.)

Things I did not like:

• In the original 100 Extraordinary Stories for Courageous Girls, it would give the story and usually ask a question for reflection. However, in 100 Extraordinary Stories of Prayer for Courageous Girls, there was often an imperative at the end of the narrative. I felt like the author took these women and their personal callings and twisted it to create a principle that applied to everybody. Because of that, when I read through this with my girls, I will be sure to examine and discuss those statements with them.
• The story of the Canaanite woman who cried out to Jesus to heal her daughter. This story has been interpreted in many different ways and I found the message in this book pretty revolting: “Sometimes when you pray, God will ask you to be like the Canaanite woman, to be like a patient dog at a dinner table.” (Pg. 30). This just didn’t sit well with me. If I’m a child of God, then I’m a child of God – not a dog (even if it’s a beloved lap dog).  Frankly, I don’t like the message it sends to my daughter and I really wish the author had left this story out. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of the book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

Book Review: How to be a Courageous Girl of God

About the Book:

Encourage the girls in your life to become courageous girls of God!

Featuring brief descriptions of dozens of  Bible women, your girls, ages 8 and up, will be inspired to become courageous, too, as they learn from the examples of strong women of faith--including Abigail, Anna, Deborah, Dorcas, Elizabeth, Mary, and dozens more! Each section prompts girls to read the complete story in their own Bible, draw a related picture, journal their thoughts about courageous women of the Bible, and think about how they, too, can be a courageous girl! This delightful journal makes a great standalone or companion to 100 Extraordinary Stories for Courageous Girls and The Bible for Courageous Girls.

My Thoughts:

How to be a Courageous Girl of God: An Interactive Journal Inspired by Extraordinary Women of Faith from Shiloh Kidz Publishing features thirty-four women whose stories are noted in the Bible. Combining inspirational Bible stories with plenty of space for writing and drawing, the journal aims to empower girls to live courageously. Over a span of five pages for each woman, the journal directs the user to read the Bible story, examine why this woman was considered courageous, and contemplate a life application.

In my opinion, some of the stories in How to be a Courageous Girl of God were stretched. Regarding Noah's wife, the text says that “she must have shared Noah's strong faith and trust in God.” While it is likely that she did, we really don't know as it's not addressed in the Bible. For Priscilla, the narrative says that she and her husband spent time with Paul, “making tents and talking about the Bible.” This choice of wording is a bit misleading. While they had the Torah and other sacred texts in the early church, they didn't have what we know of as “the Bible.” Maybe these things seem nit-picky, but they didn't settle well for me.

The How to be a Courageous Girl of God journal is spiral bound with a cover that is slightly thicker than a normal paperback cover. Just from the mailing, three of the four corners have damage and the spine has substantial creasing. Considering that my daughter will likely use this for an extended time period, I think a hardcover would have been a better option.

Despite the things listed here that I did not like, I'm pretty sure my daughter will be happy when I present the How to be a Courageous Girl of God journal to her. At seven, she's developed a love of journaling and likely would understand the concepts, but I'm not sure she's ready for critical thinking and life application yet. Late elementary to highschoolers will probably benefit most from this journal.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

100 Extraordinary Stories for Courageous Girls by Jean Fischer

About 100 Extraordinary Stories for Courageous Girls:

Girls are world-changers! And this deeply inspiring storybook proves it!

This collection of 100 extraordinary stories of women of faith – from the Bible, history, and today – will empower you to know and understand how women have made a difference in the world and how much smaller our faith (and the biblical record) would be without them.

Featuring true stories of amazing women like: Lydia, Naomi, Rahab, Rebekah, Jane Austen, Corrie Ten Boom, Bethany Hamilton-Dirks, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa and dozens more!

The stories of these women will encourage and inspire you to become the world-changer God created you to be!

My thoughts:

My daughters and I love reading this book! I'm learning about these women right along with my daughters. I knew most of the Bible characters and some of the modern women, but there are many featured in this book I had never heard of before. Henrietta Mears, Saint Blandina, and Elizabeth Fry, to name a few. I was delighted that at least three of the stories are about women who are still living as my older daughter had asked early on if any of these women were still alive.

Take a moment to look at the photo next to this text. The items in photo were things I found in my house and they were all produced or started by women featured in this book!

Now, more about our experience with this book: 100 Extraordinary Stories for Courageous Girls by Jean Fischer is available in hardback binding with a built-in bookmark (which I love). My older daughter remarked on how much she likes the illustrations. There is one vibrant illustration for each woman's story. Some resemble the actual women and others seem to be artistic interpretation.

Both my 6YO and my 3YO enjoy this book. My older daughter and I read about six stories at a time. My 3YO loses interest after two or three. It is probably most appropriate for children ages 6-12. Each narrative concludes with a concept for reflection or a question for discussion.The stories are in alphabetical order which led to a little confusion for my 3YO as we read about Elizabeth (the mother of John in the Bible) and then about Elizabeth Elliot. She questioned if it was the same Elizabeth.

I recommend 100 Extraordinary Stories for Courageous Girls by Jean Fischer to any family with daughters. The true stories are entertaining and, as the title suggests, aimed at helping girls learn to be strong and courageous.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this complimentary book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."