Devotions to Make You Smarter

by Ed Strauss

Written in the humorous, gross style of the 2:52 line, designed to ignite the interest of boys.
Devotions to Make You Smarter focuses on the mental side of boys' natures, helping them to grow wiser, the way Jesus did as described in Luke 2:52. In the
humorous, cheeky, and sometimes gross style that makes the 2:52 series so engaging and fun, this ninetyday devotional guides boys ages eight to twelve in developing their minds. It explores many facets of the mental process, such as learning, making decisions, and thinking before acting and speaking. It also warns of the dangers of zoning out, being impulsive, and harboring a critical attitude. Combining important principles with practical messages, the book teaches lessons boys need to learn and helps them put this valuable knowledge into practice. Each devotion presents a Bible verse, explains it, and shows how it relates to boys' lives, then offers tools to help boys cope with growing up, inspiring them to make choices that will ensure they grow up smart.
ED STRAUSS By his early teen years, Ed Strauss was writing several novels at once. He had a dresser for his clothing, but Ed had different priorities. The bottom drawer held his comic books---mostly Spider-Man, Tarzan, and Turok. The middle drawer overflowed with his story notes, research, and maps.
The top drawer was stuffed with clothing. On a nearby shelf was Ed's favorite reading material, an encyclopedia set he had won on a nationwide kiddie show. Ed lives in Chilliwack, BC.

193 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

Ed Strauss lives in British Columbia, Canada, with his wife and three tween-aged children. Ed is a freelance writer with a passion for Biblical apologetics and fantasy fiction. Apart from writing, Ed enjoys biking and exploring nature.

Reviews

[Katya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given this book to read when I was a child, and reread some of its devotions today. Many devotions teach excellent lessons, such as the importance of fact-checking or admitting when you're wrong. However, a large number of the devotions simply instruct readers to read their Bible or pray to God with no deeper insights. They seem to suggest that both readers and the people in their lives should be blindly receptive to the Bible. For example, one devotion recommends that when the reader hears a "deceitful, wild tale" from a friend, they should remember their Bible teachings and reply with "Hey! The Bible doesn't say that!". Another devotion brings up the complex issue of interpreting the Bible's readings, then confusingly tells readers to "use your brain and choose to do what God says to do." These devotions are too general and often contain no actionable advice.

If you are choosing a series of devotions to read with your child, I would skip this one and go with something more insightful.