Secret Keeper Girl: The Power of Modesty for Tweens

By: Dannah Gresh

Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie

Is your tween prepared for what's ahead?

It used to be that middle school was the time to talk to kids about topics like modesty and body image. Unfortunately, the at-risk demographic for distorted views on the body is now girls ages 8-10. Fortunately, Dannah Gresh has provided a resource for this need.

Secret Keeper Girl is geared toward helping tween girls understand their dignity in Christ.

Here's what author Dannah Gresh has to say about the motivation behind the book: "My past 15 years of studying at-risk teen and tween behavior has over and over again led me to good news: girls who are exposed to an age-appropriate, Bible-based understanding of beauty and fashion between the ages of 8-12 tend to be less likely to engage in early sexual activity or have body image issues. They are also more likely to have healthy friendships, excel academically, and become positive social contributors in their communities, all while expressing their beauty and value appropriately.

"It's not rocket science. It is social science paired with a whole lot of prayer and Bible study. We can change what tween girls see when they look in the mirror by changing what's inside their hearts."

This is the heart behind Secret Keeper Girl: a desire to teach tween girls how valuable they are and how to honor their God-given dignity. Ultimately, it's about grounding girls in their identity in Christ so the tumultuous teen years don't uproot them.

©2017 eChristian (P)2017 eChristian

Love it!

My daughter loves this book she listens to it every day I love it to girls should be well dressed

Cute, but misses the mark on key points

The first few chapters are cute and fun. And overall it’s way better than what we 90s kids were taught about modesty in the evangelical world!

The masterpiece painting analogy (which is a key part of the book) can be good and helpful, but without further clarification it could be interpreted in a way that normalizes objectification of girls.

The missing piece in the book is this: your body is you. It’s not all of you, but it really is you. Eternally. The body is inseparable from the person, and we all need to learn to see bodies (and all their parts!) as people rather than objects.

Additionally, the Bible simply never commands wearing clothes (only exception is priests serving at the altar). Jesus and his disciples are described as unclothed at various points and this is never a problem. Thus to imply (as the book does) that insufficient clothing is a sin that offends God is simply false.

This book should teach girls that objectification of their bodies is wrong and never God’s intention. It’s important to clarify that biblical modesty is a heart attitude which can be maintained completely clothed or fully not clothed.
We should teach kids the practical wisdom of taking a middle ground in how they dress in order to reduce the risk from predators (Shiela Wray Gregiore has some great tips about this). In the Bible, clothing is about comfort, protection, decoration, and social respect. It is not a moral issue in God’s view. His original declaration still stands: the human body - all of it, and of both males and females - is pronounced “very good”.