Max Lucado - You Are Special

"Mom, I used the book today." were the first words out of my daughter's mouth when I picked her up from school. I knew what book she was talking about, we had read "You Are Special" last night and it is a favorite of my family. She went on to explain how some kids were teasing her about how her belly button looked. (I must explain that the only reason they saw her belly button was that it was "Beach Day" and they were wearing swimsuits!) My precious little princess looked me in the eye and said, "But, you know what? It doesn't matter what other people think. God made me this way!". I could have cried. I don't know if I was proud of her for realizing that she was special to God or if I was crushed that someone had made fun of her. Either way, I know that she is learning a very important lesson from this book by Max Lucado.

I like this book because it teaches an important lesson. The basic idea is that it doesn't matter what other people think, instead we should look to our maker for approval. My favorite line is "The stickers only stick if you let them." This comes at a point in which one of the little wooden people characters was upset because he kept getting "labeled" with stickers that he was not good. My family often tells each other that simple little line. Even my husband was upset over an angry client calling him some unprofessional terms, my family's response....."Dad, the stickers only stick if you let them". What a valuable lesson for people of all ages!

This author is very easy to understand even for my preschool age child. His books are the kind of books that promote family discussions on God and things that are most important in life. Max Lucado has another book called "Just in Case You Ever Wonder" that is equally as wonderful for children and adults.

I believe that every child should have this book read to them often. It is one that will help develop self esteem in young children and remind kids as they get older that it is not what other people think that matters most.