The Penny was chosen for April's "book of the month" because we wanted to read something different. I think this book lived up to our expectations. It was a nice mixture of fiction/ self-help/ and inspirational. The message was simple but clear--God will always be there for you and he loves you unconditionally.
"God puts his love right in the middle of your path. He drops it right there to catch your eye, to show that he can change your life if you'll just let him."
I think this message would translate well into a children's book about kindness. I've been talking with my kindergartners over the past two weeks about small acts of kindness that make a big difference in the lives of others. The message in this book fits perfectly in with what we've been discussing--little decisions, little acts of kindness can add up to make a huge impact. An example was when Jenny gave all of those pennies to others throughout the summer and they later came spilling back onto her from the portable reminding her of God's presence and love.
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While I agree with Amy about the "God is always there" message in the book, I also think there was another message. That message was that even though God is always there and we may do "all of the
right things", life may not go as we think it should. Jenny's father didn't stop abusing her and her friendship with Aurelia was still strained. Don't you think that one of the hardest things about our walk with God is that everything is in God's own time? Since we don't know His ultimate plan for our lives, we have to have faith and trust in His direction for our lives. When Jenny prayed the "prayer of salvation" she thought that nothing changed in her life but when she began to understand Miss Shaw's grace and forgiveness she began to take action in the belief of that salvation. I think our relationship with God does require action on our part. The process of finding each penny separately over the course of a whole summer was the symbol of hope that kept reminding Jenny of God's faithfulness.
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