I was recently given the opportunity to receive The NIV Boys Bible to look over, use and review. I have two boys and 3 girls and I know that they "require" different things to keep them interested and focused. So, I was excited to receive this Bible.
First off, I LOVE the cover, it's very masculine! Then, you have all the wonderful features inside, like:
* What's the Big Deal -- Need-to-know Bible stories and people
* Check it Out -- Interesting and funny facts about Bible times and characters
* Grossology -- Gross and Gory stuff you never knew was in the Bible (a favorite for my boys!!)
* Makin' it Real -- this section helps apply Bible stories to your everyday life
* Words to live by -- 1 verse pulled out (every few chapters or so) that would make a great memory verse
As if that weren't enough to make this a great Bible for boys... they also include the following things:
* Through the Bible in a Year -- a list of daily Bible readings just in case you want to try to read through in one year.
* Promises from the Bible -- There are things that happen in life that we all need answers to or help with. This section gives verses when seeking God on things like temptations, sadness, fear, obedience, Spiritual gifts, pride and anger.
* Table of Weights & Measures -- this helps us understand what biblical measures would be in both American and metric equivalents.
* The ABCs of Becoming a Christian - if the reader is not a Christian or if the read wants to lead someone else to Christ, this page will help them find the verses and explain the steps of becoming a Christian.
* Perspectives from the Bible -- similar to a topical index. It will show you where to find passages on specific topics.
* My Notes Pages -- lined pages in the back where you can make your own notes.
Each book also contains an introduction that answers these questions:
-Who wrote this book?
- Why was this book written?
- What do we learn about God in this book?
- Who are the key people in this book?
- When did this happen?
- Where did this happen?
- What are some of the stories in this book?
The only thing I don't LOVE about this Bible is the hard cover. I love the design on the front, but I think that the hard cover is more likely to come off quickly. My boys are boys... they are rough and tumble. They don't take as good care of things as I would like to see. Of course, a Bible Cover would take care of this problem, so it's not a big deal.
This Bible would be great for 9-12 yr olds and would make a great gift (Easter, birthday, etc). It would also be a good Bible to have in your Children's Department at church or to use for family devotions (esp if you have just boys).