Byron Pitts, a journalist with more than 30 years of experience, was deeply influenced by his Christian grandmother and mother, who taught him “you’re the one” and “let go and let God.”
Through the years, Pitts often had opportunities to speak to teens about obstacles he had overcome. One teen with whom he spoke especially affected him when she asked, “Mr. Pitts, when you were my age, where did you go, where did you hide, when the world hurt too much?” Her question became the catalyst for this emotionally gripping book in which Pitts shares the stories of six teens who have overcome many challenges—“poverty, family mental illness, abandonment, obesity, neglect, war, homelessness, violence, molestation, and bullying”—and their answers to this question.
Some of the teens relied on their Christian faith; others escaped through reading fiction, listening to music, or performing drama; still others retreated to safe physical or psychological places.
In each case, Pitts emphasizes that “a connecting thread across the stories is that they didn’t do this alone.”
Written for young people, Be the One is also relevant for pastors, teachers, counselors, parents of teens, and other leaders who want to reach out in Christ’s name to struggling youth. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.
