Dear God, I Don't Get It (2nd Edition)

In days where our children are bombarded by anti-Christian or at best, secular attitudes and messages, good Catholic books are an indispensable S.O.S. for their faith. The bonus is that these books are entertaining even older kids and parents who Patti keeps being told, “couldn’t put them down.”

This book is a must read for elementary school kids. Aaron Ajax is a character kids can really relate to. We laughed out loud beginning with the first chapter. Between laughs there is a great message about God's love for us and his plan for our lives.

In Dear God, I Don't Get It, Patti Maguire Armstrong paints a realistic picture of a boy's spiritual struggle as he adjusts to circumstances beyond his control. In an era when children's authors promote pop culture values in stories that ignore their readers' spiritual yearnings, Armstrong offers a wonderful real-life example of questioning and commitment to one's faith that results in a genuine friendship with God. In particular, in a world where the Catholic faith is often portrayed negatively, Armstrong gives young readers a heartwarming story of a Catholic boy's faith journey. Finally, by providing discussion question at the end of the book, the author gives readers and leaders the tools to understand the story's message. An essential book for every Catholic school library!

Prayer is a hard subject to discuss; it is difficult to relate and explain to children, especially when our prayers seemingly go unanswered. Armstong pens a beautifully accurate portrait of Aaron who (like myself) 'does not get God' ---but still retains a robust faith life. I laughed, I was inspired, and I above all -- was reminded in the universality of this Catholic church that Armstong describes so well. Can't wait to share this book with young catholics in my parish.

My 11 year old son absolutely LOVED this book. He is gifted and reads at college level, and he read this book TWICE in just a few days time. In his own words, "The book is AWESOME and I LOVE it! Every time I read it I get worried for Aaron. Fantastic....Enriching....Hilarious!"

Shortly after reading the book, my son jumped out of our car at the store to help a lady put her groceries in her car. Since he had never done that before, I asked why he did it. He said it was because it reminded him of the book! All I can say is that it is FANTASTIC to have a book that inspires kids to do great things. I highly recommend this book!

I wanted to read, Dear God, I Don't Get It, because of it's nostalgic summary, having had something very similar happen to me at age twelve. Patti transported me back, with her descriptive moments of fear and flight, apprehension and anger, and prayer and faith to exactly how it felt to make a new life in a new place as a kid. This is an inspiring book that guides the reader to the blessings that God delivers when we walk with Him through hard times and abide in truth in our decision making. Absolutely a refreshing read!

This is a delightful story of a young man, Aaron Ajax, who thinks that God doesn't answer his prayers. His father loses his job, the family moves and he has to leave his best friend, he's then the new kid and has many issues at his new school. I enjoyed how the author (the mother of many children) teaches the importance of being honest and asking for forgiveness. Most importantly, I think the author did a tremendous job of illustrating how God can and should be trusted with our lives. This is a great book not only for middle-schoolers, but for parents as well.

This was an enjoyable novel about a 6th-grade boy who moves to a new area and tries to understand why sometimes prayers are not answered in quite the way we want them. On top of that, he wants to become a hero so he'll be able to make friends. Aaron has to learn what being a real hero is all about.
While the central character is a 6th-grader, I'd recommend this book to students a little younger than that. It would make an excellent read-aloud for third- or fourth-graders to enjoy as a class or with their parents.

In a funny and engaging way, Patti Armstrong tells the story of frustrated young Aaron Ajax who cannot understand why God doesn't seem to answer his prayers. The more Aaron prays, the more obstacles seem to appear: his father's job loss, a family move, having to leave his best friend, being the new kid on the block, and getting off on the wrong foot at school. Armstrong, with years of experience in raising her own large family, delightfully weaves in important concepts of being honest, asking forgiveness, and trusting God, all without being preachy or pretentious. She shows us how God can take the messes of our lives and bring about surprising and joyful outcomes. A great book to read along with your children to explore these concepts more deeply.

Dear God, I Don't Get It is an entertaining book that helps kids understand why God isn't answering their prayers. This is an issue all kids struggle with at some point and this book is written at a child's level in a fun way to help them explore their feelings around this issue. Children will be able to relate to the different characters, who each have different personalities and enjoy the story line, which is entertaining beyond the lesson it imparts.

Dear God, I Just Don't Get It arrived in my mail on Monday. I read it the same day. Couldn't put it down, actually. It's a wonderful story about sixth-grader, Aaron Ajax, who, when life seems to be going his way, realizes that he's taken his relationship with God for granted. Where is God when parents can't find jobs? Where is God when we have to leave our best friends? How easy it is to have a comfortable relationship with God when things are going smooth.

This book teaches that God is in the details, and He is in charge. And sometimes, his answers to our prayers aren't what we expected. A wonderful story for 3rd through 6th grade Catholic kids, it even ties Catholic teaching right into the story. There are questions and activities at the end of the book if you'd like to make it a study. (Great retreat for Lent or Advent!)

If you Catholic school has an accelerated-reader type program, talk to your principal about making it a must-read. Use it for a night-activity with your own children (my friend has my copy now, she's reading it daily to her kids), then put it in your parish or school library. This book is a wonderful example of a religious book that's actually quite fun to read - even for adults.

As the father of three boys (Ephraim, Eli, and Ezra) - who have an uncanny resemblance to Aaron, Luke, and Tyler in this story I love the way Patti Armstrong used the themes of redemptive suffering, dying to self, and forgiveness and weaved them into a heartwarming story any young adult would enjoy and relate to. My ten year old learned valuable lessons on honesty, intent, and how heroic sacrifice is what brings true peace to one's conscience and joy to one's life. Even in the most unexpected circumstances. A must read for any young adult and a helpful way for parents to point to theological truths that can be difficult for teenagers to embrace and understand. Reading this book with your child is a great way to introduce them to the deeper beauty of the Catholic faith on their individual journey.

My eight-year-old has a sense of when I'm reading a book she'll like. This is one of them: it's perfect for her, and though I don't have a middle grade son, I think this book would work for either boys or girls. It's cute, in the "I'm an adult reading a kids' book" way, without being cutesy.

The storyline is basic and yet...is there anything basic about being in sixth grade? Just thinking of those years makes my throat clench and my palms sweat and...well hey, I'm glad I don't have to go back to it. Armstrong knows her audience, and she doesn't downplay what's important. Reading it as an adult, I empathized. I'm pretty sure that, reading it as a kid, my eight-year-old will come away with the clear sense that she's loved by God, she has many opportunities for grace, and that forgiveness is freely given.

And the little brothers? Absolutely priceless. I suspect Patti, as a mother of 10, has some stories she could share...and what better way than in a book that will help other kids?

Good little book and definitely worth giving to the kids in your life.

Why does God answer some prayers and not others? This is a question that plagues even adults. Sometimes, we pray so hard and think we know what God should do in our lives. And then, God does something else or He does nothing. What gives? For children, these questions can be even more acute. Without a lifetime of experience to rely on, God ignoring a prayer can be a faith-shaking incident.

That is the premise behind "Dear God, I Don't Get It." Patti Maguire Armstrong tells the story of sixth-grader Aaron Ajax. His father just lost his job and he has to move from Montana to North Dakota as a result. He prayed and prayed that this would not happen, and God just didn't pay attention. He has to leave his friends behind and while his younger brother Luke is making new friends easily, Aaron seems to only be making enemies. Nothing is going well for him. He concocts a plan to be a "hero" in order to get some positive attention, but that blows up in his face as well. Yet, God can use even bad things for good, and by the end of the story, everything has worked out, and Aaron decides that God knows what He is doing after all.

Armstrong writes with a good sense of humor that will appeal to the 8 - 12 age group that this book is targeted toward. It is a story with an important lesson on prayer for children, and the adults who care for them (and who might read this book with them). For those interested in delving into the story on a deeper level, there are discussion questions in the back.

I have just finished Patti Maguire Armstrong's delightful and insightful Catholic novel for young readers, "Dear God, I Don't Get It," and before I say another word, I have one very important question to ask: where was Armstrong's book fifteen or twenty years ago, when I was raising my five sons?! I sure would have liked to see them bringing this gem home at book report time, instead of some of the mainstream, secular award-winning books that were stocked in their Catholic elementary school's library.

"Dear God, I Don't Get It" is such a winning combination of entertainment and enlightenment, and as the mother of all sons, I especially appreciate the fact that it's told from the perspective of a young boy. It has been my experience that so much of the modern fiction aimed at youngsters is written to appeal more to readers of the feminine persuasion--but this story is one that both boys and girls can enjoy in equal measure.

The protagonist and narrator of "Dear God, I Don't Get" It is 12-year-old sixth-grader Aaron Ajax, the oldest in a family of three brothers. He introduces us to the rest of his family members, and even to their pets. Of Leonardo the parakeet he says, "I had just taught him to say `pretty bird' and `good morning.' He had taught himself to say, `It wasn't me.' I guess he'd heard it enough around our house that he'd picked it up on his own." Hearing those simple words, we know that the Ajax family is a normal one that includes spirited and sometimes naughty little boys. But Aaron also tells us that his family has recently gone from being somewhat apathetic in their faith--sometimes even missing Sunday Mass when it was inconvenient--to truly putting God first in their lives.

The Ajax family has had a good life in Kalispell, Montana, and Aaron is surrounded by longtime childhood friends, including a best friend from his first day in kindergarten. Therefore, he is distraught to find out that his dad has lost his job--and now that he's found a new one, it means that the family must move from the only home he's ever known to Bismarck, North Dakota, where he will be the dreaded "new kid" in school.

Aaron prayed that this wouldn't happen; why didn't God listen to his prayers? And that is the underlying question posed by Armstrong's book: why does it seem that so often, our prayers aren't answered the way we want them to be?
Aaron goes through some cringe-worthy experiences as he adjusts to his new life in North Dakota. He longs to be both a saint and a hero--inspired by the books he's read about such individuals--but falls into the age-old human trap of rationalizing his actions, of thinking that the ends justify the means. As his life seems to be spiraling downward, he begins to doubt that God is listening; yet he continues to pray for help and guidance, to trust that God must have a plan for him.

Luckily, Aaron has the kind of parents who have passed on the Truths of the Catholic Faith to their boys. And luckily, his wise and caring parents expect him to live up to a higher standard, but at the same remember what it was like to be young and don't mete out unreasonably severe punishments for the mistakes he makes. What's beautiful is the way Armstrong reminds us, through Aaron's father's words to his oldest son, that we must put ourselves in our Father's hands, with childlike confidence: "It helps if you turn your troubles over to God instead of carrying the burden alone...Many times when I haven't gotten what I wanted, down the road I saw that in God's wisdom, he gave me something better."

Thanks in large part to his parents' loving guidance, Aaron Ajax is changed by the end of the story, even though it takes place over a very short period in his young life. Ultimately, he sees that God can use all things--even the bad things that happen--for good. Aaron not only learns to accept God's will, but he also learns the true meaning of being a hero.

Armstrong's book is humorous at times, and exceedingly well-written, and her characters are fleshed-out and utterly real. The story draws the reader in (even this adult reader, who found as much to enjoy in it as any middle-schooler), and it imparts some serious Catholic theology, morality lessons, and information about the lives of the saints--but it does all this without preaching from atop a soapbox or cramming those lessons down the reader's throat.

Every kid who reads "Dear God, I Don't Get It" will be able to relate to Aaron's difficulties and the way he struggles with his faith when things don't go his way; and every adult will do the same, and be reminded of the need to understand that when we pray, we must pray that God's will be done, not ours.

A great book to help children understand struggles they go through and how struggles can turn out to be blessing!

I got this book for my son as one of the Christmas gift. Some people would think books are not for Christmas gift. But my son loved it and he learned to appreciate the gifts and the blessings we have.

What a great book! It discusses challenges in life (in this case moving across country) for young people. It incorporates the Catholic faith and follows the journey of a boy as he questions God while making good and bad choices.

This is a cute book for younger middle-grade kids. It’s about Aaron, a 6th grade boy whose family must move to another state. Aaron doesn’t want to leave his friends and prays that his family will be able to stay put. When his prayers aren’t answered, he begins to question God.
I enjoyed this character, his brothers, and the classmates he encounters at his new school. He learns some valuable lessons about telling the truth, being yourself, and understanding God’s will. This would be a great book for any youngsters who are struggling to face a new situation.