Books published by publisher Zondervan/Youth Specialties

Who you are and who you want to be don’t always match up. Like most teenage girls, you’ve probably spent lots of time in front of the mirror wondering what you’ll be when you grow up—or dreaming of who you’ll become. Is it a supermodel, an actress, a dancer, or is it a businesswoman, a mom, or even a pastor? Brooklyn Lindsey grew up dreaming of being a supermodel. She even had a chance to do some modeling and became a festival queen. Her experiences taught her a lot about what she did and didn’t want in life. But it wasn’t until she became a youth pastor that she realized God had already set her “supermodel” dream in motion. God had plans for her to be a different kind of “supermodel.”God has a plan for you, too—and it’s probably bigger than anything you could ever imagine. Read along as Brooklyn shares stories of triumph and tragedy as an aspiring model, and learn how your faith and your friends play a significant role in who you are and who you’ll become. In Confessions of a Not-So-Super Model you’ll begin to reshape the way you see yourself and the way you dream. You’ll discover that being a supermodel doesn’t always require fabulous hair and a great figure.

Can psychics really see our futures? Do angels really float among us on earth? What about demons? And could the supernatural things that happen on TV and in the movies really occur? Using Barna research and biblical truths, Mark Matlock separates the truths from the lies we are told and helps teens like you avoid the traps that can lead to deception.We all know demogorgons aren’t real, and that evil dolls can’t come to life … but are there elements of the paranormal that are really around us on earth? And if so, what does that mean? In Don’t Buy the Lie, Mark Matlock uses the knowledge he’s gained in his role as a special project analyst and presenter for the Barna Group to present clear principles and intriguing examples that show you how to respond to the supernatural with wisdom, and without being duped. He identifies “thinking traps” that lead to deception, such as letting your emotions take over and convincing yourself something could be real until it seemingly is. And with clarity, he provides biblical answers to frequently asked questions about such things as miracles, angels, demons, and psychic abilities.Don’t Buy the Lie:looks at both the spiritual and “secular” sides of the supernatural to show what is real and what is falsehelps develop discernment when it comes to things you might encountercompares the supernatural claims in our world today with what was happening in the early church to present a biblical perspectivecontains real research and feedback from teens on each topic

Just look around and you’ll be reminded that our world is broken. People are hurting and dying every day. But it can change. God wants you to help change the world for the better. Zach Hunter is not that different from you. He’s a teenager who likes to listen to music and hang out with his friends. But he’s also committed to ending modern-day slavery and helping address other issues facing our world. Zach believes that your generation can be the one to change things —and this book will help you find tangible ways that you can be the generation of change. In the process, Zach hopes you’ll discover God’s love for you and for people who are suffering.Inside you’ll find stories about real people who are doing amazing things to change the world around them. As you read, you may discover the thing you’re passionate about changing, and you’ll find ideas that will help you do just that. Read about people who are:• Feeding the hungry• Healing the sick• Providing clean water for the thirsty• Clothing the poor• Housing the homeless• Protecting human rights• Taking the Bible to new people• Improving the environmentDon’t just sit there wondering why our world is so messed up. Get up and be the generation of change.

Inside Wisdom On…Growing in Christ, you’ll find biblical principles and practical tips to help you grow in your relationship with Christ. You’ll even be challenged to think about what it means to be a godly person, even if you decide to be something other than a missionary or a pastor when you grow up. You’ll discover how wisdom can not only help keep your faith alive, but help it grow.

Maybe you have days when you don’t feel so good about yourself… You’re not as tall or thin as you’d like, or maybe you don’t quite fit in or you just get left out. Well, you’ll start to feel a lot better about yourself once you start reading about Luke! Luke Lang calls himself a freak of nature. He’s a grown man who is the height of an average fifth grader―but that’s not what makes him a freak. He’s also about as wide as the average Sumo wrestler (but sadly, too uncoordinated to actually compete as a Sumo wrestler!). Luke knows what it’s like to feel left out or left behind. But he’s got a great sense of humor about his life’s misadventures, and he’s sharing the hysterical stories with you, in the hopes that you’ll feel encouraged―not just because you’re not as freaky as Luke, but because you’ll see that God can do extraordinary things through people who are pretty ordinary. While you’re reading Luke’s embarrassing stories, like the time he got beat up by a girl in Karate class or the time he was fighting for his life at Boy Scout camp, you’ll learn a little about God’s love and grace, and you’ll be reminded that you were created on purpose, for a purpose.

Chances are, if you're holding this book, you know who Jesus is. But do you really know about Jesus? He is probably the best-known person in history, and yet there's a lot that people don't know about who he was, what he did, or why he did it. He was loving, miraculous, controversial, and confusing at times. But more than anything, he revealed to us how much God loves us. In this 48-week devotional, you'll spend time reading Old Testament predictions of Jesus, stories about Jesus, what he taught, and the miracles that he performed. With daily scripture and thoughts, questions to get you thinking, and plenty of space for you to journal your thoughts, you'll get to know the real Jesus, and how you can become more like him. Discover how Jesus' life can impact your own life.

You’ve probably heard the story of the garden of Eden—the paradise that God created for humans to live in. There was plenty of room for everyone, there were trees and flowers and plenty of food. When you look out your window today you don’t see the paradise God intended for us. This world is crowded, polluted, and headed for trouble. But it’s not hopeless. Emma Sleeth is only sixteen, and she’s working hard to save our planet. She believes that we’re called by God to protect the resources that he gave us, and she wants to help you learn how to live a sustainable lifestyle. She’s speaking out to her generation in the hopes that you will be the ones who can end global warming and restore our world to the paradise that God desires for us. In It's Easy Being Green you’ll learn how to honor God in the choices you make and you’ll begin to understand the impact those choices have on the environment. Emma will help you see how you can make a difference at school, around the house, and all over the world as you make choices about everything from transportation to food to clothes. Imagine the kind of paradise you can help to create for the next generation—for your future children! Join Emma on the quest to serve God by saving the planet.

In My Future, you’ll think about the next years of your life and get advice to survive each phase of your future. You’ll get helpful tips to help you survive high school, dating, and life after your teenage years.After reading the books in the Middle School Survival Series, you’ll be ready to take on the rest of middle school with the confidence and knowledge you need to survive (and thrive) as a young teen.

A practical and personal approach to apologetics for students. How many times has your teacher asked you a question, and you stare blankly at the ceiling, hoping to discover the answer lingering there? It’s frustrating when we don’t know the answers to the questions we’re asked by others, but it can be even more frustrating when we don’t know the answers to the questions we are asking ourselves. Have you ever asked one of these questions? • Does what I think really matter? • What is truth? • Is God there? • Has God spoken? • Am I important enough? • Am I good enough? • What’s so great about heaven? If you’ve ever wondered about any of these questions, you’ve come to the right place. In Living with Questions, Dale Fincher will help you look at each of these questions in such a way that you’ll discover clues, helpful tools, and answers―and what they all mean for your life and your faith. The answers you find will put you on a path to dig deeper and gain confidence in your faith. As Dale addresses the big questions that he’s been asked by students across the country, you’ll find that you’re not alone in your doubt, confusion, or questioning. As you learn to live with questions, even the answers are only steps in the right direction. You’ll find how they whet the appetite to go deeper into your purpose on this planet and to discover something big―yet very personal―that’s worth living for.

Help your students hear what Jesus has to say to them Following the Youth For Christ 3Story model of evangelism, this 60-day devo presents Scripture to students in daily letters from Jesus. They'll learn to abide in Christ and connect their own story to God's story through the daily readings and journaling opportunities. In this daily conversation they'll discover their role in God's story.

The Bible is full of characters, especially in the Old Testament. Whether it's the first humans created, the first murderer recorded, or the few righteous people on earth, the characters we find in the Old Testament reveal a lot about ourselves, and our relationship to God. But more than that, these stories reveal the character of the God who loved us enough to not give up on us even though we have disappointed him throughout history. In this 48-week devotional, you'll spend time looking more closely at how God, Jesus, and the characters of the Old Testament are all connected, and you'll better understand how you fit into this big story. With daily scripture and thoughts, questions to get you thinking, and plenty of space for you to journal your thoughts, you'll find that God's character becomes clearer to you. You'll even discover what it takes for you to take on more of God's characteristics in your own life.

What is going on inside guys’ heads? Why do things often seem easier for them in society? And what can we young women do to understand them better—and help them understand us? This book looks to give insight into those questions and more, using proven biological information and social findings, and a little humor, to explore just what is up with the teen boys in your life.They don’t always bathe when they should. Or they seemingly spend all their time with friends hitting each other and having weird contests. Deep down, we like them, but boys can be hard to comprehend sometimes. Especially when our culture seems to value the male gender more than our female counterpart. Thankfully, experienced author and youth leader Crystal Kirgiss has done some research and has answers to the questions you’ve often asked about the guys in your life. Going beyond stereotypes and looking at the real facts—from the biological to the social to even the biblical—What’s Up with Boys? will help you understand, appreciate, respect, and accept guys as they are … and give you straight-forward information to help them do the same when it comes to you.What’s Up with Boys: contains honest comments from girls like you, taken from thousands of interviews and surveysbreaks down erroneous stereotypes—both the ones we have about guys and the ones they have about uslooks at what is actually different between men and women, and why those things should or should not matter when it comes to how we treat each other in relationships and in societyis an easy-to-digest guide packed with information