If I asked you, I’m sure you could think of more than a handful of strong, Christian women who have impacted the world, couldn’t you?
Which names come to mind first?
Elisabeth Elliot? Amy Carmichael? Ruth Bell Graham?
What about Amy Sullivan? Have you heard of her? She’s a gutsy girl — and she’s impacting the world.
Amy Sullivan has created a series of children’s books called Gutsy Girls: Strong Christian Women Who Impacted the World. The first book in the series is all about missionary Gladys Aylward — an ordinary woman who did extraordinary things for God — and, Amy is giving away a Kindle version of the book to one reader! Click the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for a chance to win!
[Tweet “Enter to #win a copy of Gutsy Girls by @AmyLSullivan1!”]
The series is aimed for children aged 4-8, but all three of my kids (ages 8, 10 and 13) really enjoyed the book. Even though we’ve read a full chapter book on Gladys Aylward while homeschooling, this picture book stirred up memories of things my kids had already learned. The whole time I read Gutsy Girls aloud to them, my kids exclaimed, “Oh yeah! I remember that!”
My daughter was shocked to learn that Gladys was only five feet tall. “That’s only a little bit taller than me!”
This is a fantastic resource for introducing children to heroines of the faith. Most importantly, it gives the clear message than anyone — anyone — can make a difference for God.
I had the privilege of meeting Amy at a writing conference in October. Her warm, vibrant personality is contagious. She is the real deal. I asked Amy two questions about the Gutsy Girls series:
Q: What made you decide to start writing the Gutsy Girls series?
A: I believe our kids deserve access to literature about real role models. No age is too young to learn about women doing great things for God. There are biographies on Christian women for older readers and young adults, but there is a giant hole in the picture book market. I am praying Gutsy Girls will fill that hole.
(As a side note, when I asked my eight-year-old son what he most enjoyed about the first Gutsy Girls book, he said, “I like that it’s about a real person.”)
Q: Rumor has it that the second Gutsy Girls book, this time on Corrie Ten Boom, is due to release in the summer of 2016. How do you choose which Christian women you will feature in your books?
A: We (the illustrator and I) had a plan as to which women we would highlight and the order in which we would publish the books. However, after book one of Gutsy Girls came out, we were flooded with suggestions from moms and kids about who they would like to see next. We took every suggestion seriously. However, we paid special attention to those made by kids. One young reader asked if we would include a scientist. Someone else asked that we highlight a musician. Another girl said one of her mom’s heroes was Corrie ten Boom, but the girl didn’t know why. Expect to see a scientist, musician, and our next gutsy girl, Corrie ten Boom in upcoming books.
Thanks, Amy, for filling the gap in such a kingdom-building way!
Click here to purchase your copy of Gutsy Girls: Strong Christian Women Who Impacted the World — Book One: Gladys Aylward
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Great Christmas gift idea! Click HERE to order your copy!
When Amy L. Sullivan was a child, she imagined stories in her head and forced unsuspecting neighbor children to listen to tales of magical dragons and faraway places. Today she writes for oodles of print and online publications. Find her at amylsullivan.com.
For more on Gladys Aylward, check out these resources as well:
Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime, by Janet and Geoff Benge
Gladys Aylward: Daring to Trust, by Renee Meloche
Related books:
Check out these other two books related to strong, Christian women impacting the world:
50 Women Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Heroines of the Faith, by Michelle deRusha
Every Little Thing: Making a World of Difference Right Where You Are, by Deidra Riggs (review coming soon!)
So fun! I would love to win this book for Carissa. It’s a little over her right now, but would be perfect in the coming years.
Asheritah,
First off, you have a beautiful name! Second, I hope your Carissa wins the giveaway for GUTSY GIRLS!
I really think Corrie ten Boom’s book Hiding Place was a life-chaning book for me. I also think an amazing woman from history was Ruth Graham!
-Sarah 🙂
Right now I am rereading the Hiding Place for the third time! Classic for sure!
Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts completely changed my perspective on life!!
Miranda,
Oh, that One Thousand Gifts is a good one! Ann V. certainly has a way of weaving words together, doesn’t she? Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment.
What a great series of books. I can’t wait to add these to my home library. I think of 2 women who impacted the world. Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong. They were both Southern Baptist women who opened the door for missions in the US and around the world! I would love to see books written about them. I know they would be HUGE sellers in the Southern Baptist arena! Thank you for this amazing opportunity!
Leah,
Thanks for the encouragement about the Gutsy Girls series! I always love it when readers offer up suggestions as to who they would like to read about. Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment!
Well, Ann Voskampanf my best friend Dawn.
*Voskamp and