By Betty Ward Cain
Bedford Publications
www.bedfordpublications.com
2201 Heritage Place Dr. NW
Cleveland, TN 37312
423-472-3658
Shy Sharon is a chapter book on CD written by Betty Ward Cain. The book tells
the story of a young girl growing up in the 1950s. She is extremely shy, but
she eventually learns how to cope and gains some confidence along the way. As
her relationship with Jesus grows, her fears disappear.
This book is targeted toward children ages 6-8. It can be used in a homeschool setting as supplemental reading material, but I don't believe it was written specifically for homeschooled children. The book is in a PDF format that you access from the CD. This product would appeal mostly to non-visual learners.
The strength of this story is in the lesson it tries to teach children about overcoming weaknesses and finding shelter in Jesus Christ. I like that the author was able to show how Sharon relied on God and not on others to combat her fears. The author also emphasizes that being young should not discourage a child from seeking God.
Because I did like the idea of the story, I was disappointed to find that the writing does not match the strength of the plot. Grammatical and spelling errors are common throughout the story. There are many elements of the story that did not need to be included (like the time that Sharon went to the bathroom outside); some of these things are, in my opinion, not appropriate for the audience. The writing is choppy and disjointed, having no real flow to it. Sadly, I did not feel that I could even read this book to my 6-year-old to find out her response to it.
As much as I wanted to like Shy Sharon, it was hard for me to finish reading the book. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book. I do want to say, though, that I appreciate the author's heart and her intentions in writing this book. Through this story, Betty Ward Cain made clear the offer of God's free gift of salvation for the young and old alike.
Product review by Jenny Thompson, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March 2010
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