You Are Special

You Are Special, by Max Lucado, is a Christian children’s book. My mom read this to me when I was very young, encouraging me to be myself and not let what anyone says to bother me. In this story, Max brings to life what it means to be valued in the eyes of God. Wemmicksville, the name of the town in the story, is full of selfish people who classify each other with either a gold star or a gre

y circle (you do the math as to which sticker represents what.) The God figure, Eli, in the story helps the main character, Punchinello, discover that he is special and unique no matter what everyone else says. This heartwarming story really embraces the Christian aspect, giving children a perspective that they can easily understand.

A review by Alexa Maring on goodreads.com states “The perfect book to read to a student who feels as though they are not good enough to fit in or are different from those around them.” Yes this is a Christian book written by a Christian author, but it doesn’t have to be portrayed as all Christian. In public schools, teachers may have trouble using this book as it is viewed as spiritual and religious. Yet it can be used in ways that aren’t necessarily portrayed as so, and are still meaningful to a student’s life.