Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein & Todd Hillard {A Review}

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Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein and Todd Hillard
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
List Price: $12.99
Ages: 12 and up



Rarely do I find a book that both of my girls love as much as I do. Although this book is geared for teens, it is a great read for anyone who has ever longed to make a difference. My basketball loving, book hating daughter called it the "best book I ever read." My book loving, basketball hating daughter said she felt "challenged to make a difference". I read it last month during the 30 Day Giving Challenge and was motivated to think outside the box with the way I gave.

Take Your Best Shot chronicles the story of 9 year old Austin Gutwein. After watching a video of
a 4 year old girl in Zambia who has been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic, he told his parents he wanted to do something to help her. Although most parents would be tempted to dismiss this desire, his parents believed he could make a difference and placed a call to World Vision.

When Austin spoke with World Vision, they asked him what he liked to do and his response was "I like basketball." Little did they know that God would use this small boy who wasn't good enough to make his school basketball team, but loved basketball, to touch the lives of hundreds of kids in Africa (and thousands of kids across America).

Here are some thoughts from my daughters:

"This is the best book I've ever read. It made me think about what I can do to help people. I know that with God's help, I can make a difference too."

"Have you ever felt like a book is speaking to you? Or like a hammer is hitting you really hard on the head saying "Hello!?! Have you figured out the message God is sending you here? Well that's what Take Your Best Shot did to me. I mean Austin is no older than me and he is already helping millions of children in Africa. Reading what he had to say really got me going. Lately I've been given more than I deserve and yet all I want is more. A feeling of guilt is now kind of haunting me. I now know that if Austin can be bad at basketball and still save lives, I can do the same. I believe that maybe it's time to take MY best shot!"

I can't tell you enough how highly I recommend this book and I think it's highly fitting that I'm reviewing it on World AIDS Awareness Day. This would make a great stocking stuffer for the teen in your life or would make a great book to read out loud as a family if your children are a little bit older.

Disclosure: Take Your Best Shot was provided to me free of charge by Thomas Nelson in conjunction with Mama Buzz. All opinions expressed here were my own and those of my daughters.