The
Girls ‘N Grace Collection: Mesi -- A Girl ‘n Grace in Africa
Pam
Davis
Reviewed
by Charity R. Bartley Howard
“Today’s little girls are growing
up faster than ever, urged toward adolescence by the kids at school,
television, movies, music and even by the toys that they play with –and
each of
these influences will, in some way, shape who our daughters become,”
author of
The Girls ‘N Grace Collection Pam Davis says in a press release. Then
she continues,
“But even in the midst of so much commotion, God is also speaking. Now
is the
time for young girls to learn that when you live in the amazing grace
of God,
you don’t have to give in to the kind of pressures that often lead to
bad
decisions.”
That’s where her new book
collection comes in for girls around 6 years old and older. Davis, a
Christian
and mother to her young daughter, has considered, “the lasting imprint
that
‘playtime’ can really leave on an impressionable little girl. In that
moment,
she began to envision an exciting new possibility. With the right
character as
a role model, God could use those sweet afternoon tea parties, hours of
make-believe and sleepover to sow seeds of faith in tender hearts.”
This
concept is the foundation for The Girls’n Grace Collection and Mesi,
pronounced
Maycee, is one of her role model characters.
“Mesi: A Girl ‘N Grace in Africa,” is
one of the first books in the collection. This book is an inspirational
story
about Mesi a girl growing up in Africa. Mesi’s story focuses on how she “finds God
despite her
hardships”. This is a wonderful read, which disguises a moral lesson
within a
story perfect for a young girl. Mesi wants little more than to go to
school,
“Mesi filled her basket with the okra. Miss Ama was rarely wrong. I
suppose
there’s no harm in asking God about school, Mesi thought. She paused in
her
picking and bowed her head as she’d heard she was supposed to do.”
Mesi and her family are dealing
with a drought along with the rest of the village, which threatens
their crops.
Therefore, there is no money for her family to sent Mesi to school.
Mesi
remains home helping her family while still dreaming of going back to
school
someday. However, Mesi had even more on her mind. She had worry, “I
might as well
do something to keep me busy, she thought. She pulled out a dress she’d
been
working on for Toolie with the scraps that Grandmother had given her.
She’d
started it around the fire in the tent town last night. It helped
distract her
from her worries. She’d used a gold satin piece for the bodice and
layered the
skirt with lace and sparkly gold silk. It reminded her of a princess’s
wedding
dress.”
Another great element of this book
is the lesson page in the back and added information about Africa. The
lesson page asks questions about the story and gives Bible verses to
read to
bring the story and the Bible together. The Africa
information helps bring Mesi’s world alive for the reader and includes
a brief
about a real “Miss Ama”, which is a character in the book.
This collection of books,
including Mesi and other characters from around the world through
different
decades, also introduces a product line, “designed to fulfill Davis’ dream of demonstrating to today’s young girls
what it
means to be girls of grace.”
Character dolls are
available to
give readers an item to cherish along with the stories of their
favorite
character, which adds to the connection. The dolls have a mini Bible
and a
secret address code that gives access to the Girls ‘n Grace virtual
world.
There is an also a free reader’s club and website with games, quizzes
and even
prizes. There are icons throughout the book that indicate when there is
a quiz
section on the website.
Author Web Site
Review: Sydney Clair