Description
Ten-year-old Mary Mae loves to sing hymns with her Granny, go to Sunday School, and learn about trilobites. She has lots of questions about how the earth looked millions of years ago. Trouble is, Mary Mae's mother thinks it's wrong to believe the world is that old. Mama believes God created it six thousand years ago and she believes that nobody should teach Mary Mae otherwise. When Mary Mae starts taking her questions to church, asking how God created the earth in six days or how eight people could take care of animals on an ark, Mama puts her foot down: homeschooling. Mary Mae must decide where her loyalties lie: with science and Miss Sizemore, with God and Mama, or somewhere in the middle.
Sandra Dutton grew up the daughter of Sunday school teachers in Ohio. She was as curious about the book of Genesis as she was about the fossils in her backyard. She says, "I wrote this book for kids like me who love discovering things, whether in the Bible, the backyard, or a history book. I want them to have to courage to ask questions."
ISBN-13/EAN: 9780547249667 ; $15.00
Hardcover; 144 pages
Publication Date: 06/28/2010
Mary Mae and the Gospel Truth
June 2010
"No matter what kinds of truth you adhere to, and just how long you think this old world of ours has been around, you're going to love getting to know Mary Mae and her granny--the songs they sing, and their courage in facing up to the fact that there is no mention of trilobites in Mama's Bible."
--Zilpha Keatley Snyder, three-time Newbery Honor Winner and author of The Egypt Game
"Dutton has tackled a thorny subject--creationism versus evolution--in a way that treats both arguments with respect by channeling the whole controversy through the inquiring mind of the disarming and delightful Mary Mae. And that's the gospel truth!"
--Amy MacDonald, author of Little Beaver and the Echo
"Sandra Dutton demonstrates here that the quest to integrate faith with the fossil record can be a most enriching experience, and that it is never too early to allow our children to experience the joy of integrating their religious beliefs with a solid science education. This is a delightful -- but also serious -- work. It will appeal to parents, pastors and educators. We need more works like this."
--John F. Haught, Ph. D. Georgetown University, author of Making Sense of Evolution: Darwin, God, and the Drama of Life
"Dutton's brave book sings out the truth with humor and love."
--Robin MacCready, winner of the Edgar Award and author of
Buried.
Cover by Kelly Murphy
For Blog go to:
Starred Review from Publishers Weekly
*Mary Mae and the Gospel Truth
Sandra Dutton, Houghton Mifflin, $15 (144p) ISBN 978-0-547-24966-7
Mary Mae’s inquiring mind and keen observational skills get affirmation from her fifth-grade teacher but distress her creationist mother. Refusing to take her pastor’s advice to “trust the Bible scholars,” Mary Mae ends up with more and more questions as she tries to reconcile the Bible’s account of creation with what she’s learning in class about fossils and the age of the earth. Eventually, Mary Mae’s questioning leads her frustrated mother to yank her out of school to provide Bible-based homeschooling. “Why can’t you be my sweet little Mary Mae?” she asks. “It’s all so easy if you just believe what the Bible says and don’t go asking no questions.” Dutton (Dear Miss Perfect) sensitively navigates the sticky debate between creationism and evolution both through the young narrator’s delightful curiosity and honest questions, and through the various responses she receives from numerous caring adults, who all strive to provide truthful guidance. Concluding with a pastor’s affirmation that faithful people can have different opinions, it’s an honest portrayal that respects both viewpoints, as well as those that slot somewhere in between. Ages 8–12. (June)
A Memorable Character Whose Search for Truth Drives the Narrative
From Kirkus:
Ten-year-old Mary Mae loves questions. She adores her teacher, Miss Sizemore, who shows her fossils found right in her school’s backyard. She adores her Granny, who plays the guitar and will make up songs about anything. And Mary Mae loves Jesus with all her might. But she doesn’t understand why her church teaches that the earth is 6,000 years old, while Miss Sizemore says it’s more like 6,000,000. Her Mama doesn’t like Mary Mae’s questions. Don’t they show a lack of faith? Very few books for this age group tackle religious subjects as this one does, in a way that shows respect for all sides. Dutton allows Mary Mae to retain both her questions and her faith; instead of a definitive answer, she shows evolutionists and creationists working to find a small, shared piece of middle ground. Mary Mae is a memorable character—spunky but not defiant—whose search for truth drives the narrative.
For a review of Mary Mae and the Gospel Truth, (March 11, 2010) go to:
Just for fun I made the puppets that appear in Mary Mae and the Gospel Truth
