Mia couldn’t have been more surprised if Jennifer had
reached down and pulled the rug out from under their feet. Did Jennifer know?
She couldn’t. But then why was she asking them this question? Mia’s heart
thumped in her chest, and the silent words, “Don’t do it, Lulu. Don’t do it!”
beat in her ears. But how could she expect her little sister to keep the secret
at a moment like this, with the eyes of… everyone… watching? Mia knew she
should say something, but she wasn’t sure what to say. She couldn’t lie on
national television? No, of course she couldn’t. But what could she do?
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Target Audience: Girls 10-14
Subjects: Sibling Relationships,
Truth, Helping the needy, Showing love to others
Summary: The whole city is to
be lit up! Candles everywhere! But not just with lights, with love too! A week
has been declared to reach out to the hurting and needy in the city of New York and the Glimmer
family has a role to play in it. Mom will put on a concert and the girls will
do a part of a concert too in an effort to promote their own album – the one
they created with their friend who had been homeless. They are raising money to
meet the needs of the homeless too, just like the adults are. As soon as they
arrive in New York City
though, a mystery greets them. Some mysterious person is leaving gifts all over
the city with a snowflake attached. The gifts are always personal, just the
perfect thing for the receiver. Yet they are all over the place, with seemingly
no connection to each other. A pair of wool socks, a birthday cake, a blanket
of their favorite color. How does one person know all these different people?
The Glimmer Girls are determined to find this mysterious Snow Angel, as the city
is calling it. But in the meantime, Maddie and Mia have some lessons to learn
about how to handle an annoying little sister!
Notes: Light Up New
York is the fourth in the Glimmer Girls series – a series by music artist,
Natalie Grant. She writes a story comparable to her own life – 3 daughters, the
oldest two twins, a singer mom, a producer dad. The strength of the story is in
the way the family lives out their faith, making it a party of everything they
do. It shows young girls asking the kinds of questions girls do at that age and
parents giving them the answers they need, directing them to the right source.
In this fourth book, the twins, are
wrestling with how to show love to their little sister. Lulu is first of all,
just simply being annoying, being whiny and getting her way, being
embarrassing, being irresponsible and once, just plain spiteful! Maddie and Mia
learn a lesson about how to return meanness with kindness and about how to tell
the truth in a way that encourages forgiveness and builds trust rather than
brushing things over and claiming they are ok while really harboring
bitterness. They learn to be honest, not just with their sister, but with their
parents. Here’s an example: “Mia nodded, trying to reframe what she needed to
say from an accusation into words that felt more truthful.” “Plus, you’d be
doing what big sisters should do, model a way to be. You’re showing Lulu that
it’s okay to talk about being upset. Maybe after a while, she will try it
herself. You never know. Maybe she’ll start talking to you about her feelings
rather than acting out. Or crying.”
There is also the spiritual element of
giving to the needy. The Light Up New York event the Glimmer Girls are
participating in encourages everyone in New
York City to reach out to others. People are sleeping
outside on a cold winter night to raise awareness for the homeless. Talented
people are raising money to donate to charities or education. And the Snow
Angel (SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!) winds up being people who have decided to listen
to those around them and find unique ways to secretly meet the small needs they
become aware of.
Interestingly, in contrast, the book
also seems to promote a materialistic mindset. The Glimmer Girls are apparently
very wealthy. They are staying in what is portrayed as a very nice hotel for
days, renting 2 rooms of it, visiting numerous tourist spots, eating out at
restaurants for every meal, and the girls keep getting toys and money to spend
on souvenirs. It’s an interesting contrast – supposedly they are in the city to
help the poor, but they are clearly quite comfortable living with a very
materialistic mindset. Some might find it offensive the way the girls are given
so many toys and souvenirs merely upon the asking for it.
It also shows the girls turning to
prayer and at one point, it says, “Breathe, she told herself. Then she realized
she was trying to do things on her own again. She wondered why her first
impulse when she was worried wasn’t to pray. It was so easy to forget that God
was right there, waiting for her to reach out.”
I highly highly recommend this book
and the others in the series! They are very well done books that challenge
young girls to grow in their faith.
Spiritual
Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5
Reviewer: J:-)mi
Matthew 19:21
- Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect,
go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a free
review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion! I greatly enjoyed
it!
Summary: Guided by a
supernatural powered stone, Oriannon, her friends, her dying father and
unfortunately, the hateful Sola, are in a space ship traveling from way station
to way station warning them of a coming attack from an enemy Oriannon knows
nothing about. Sola is still breathing out threats and insults against
Oriannon, her owling friend, her father, and pretty much anyone who disagrees
with her in any area whatsoever. Her father is barely clinging to life. And the
people Jesmet wants them to warn? They don’t want to believe the truth. Most
outright reject it. Some turn violent at the news. None welcome it. Spreading
the news of Jesmet is not going to be easy!
Posts
