FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Pamela
McClure, 615.595.8321
pamela@mmpublicrelations.com
Jana
Muntsinger, 615.376.9442
jana@mmpublicrelations.com
He Chose You
is First Tween Book From Lucado
Book Combines Non-fiction Narrative with
Fictional Prose
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE—Max Lucado is publishing his first book
specifically for the 12 to14-year-old market.
He Chose You (Tommy Nelson, February 2002, $9.99) intertwines fictionalized stories of young teenagers by writer Monica Hall with Lucado’s narrative from his best selling adult book, He Chose the Nails (W Publishing Group). The resulting book is a graphically enhanced, 196-page book designed to help young teens discover God’s love through an exploration of the cross of Jesus.
Each chapter introduces a young teenager facing a situation familiar to youths worldwide—love, peer pressure, insecurity, fear and frustration. Within the pages of He Chose You, readers are introduced to several peers with whom they can identify, such as:
· Mike O’Hara, who desperately wants what every kid wants—to belong, to make friends;
· Jenny Archer, who is known for being the best at everything—until the “new girl” arrives;
· Nicole Ryan, who has dreamed of life as a prima ballerina, until Madame Nevetsky tells her the truth;
· And David, easy to overlook little, shy David, who is convinced he is really no use to anyone.
And as the stories of these young people unfold, Lucado explores a component of the cross of Jesus Christ—the nails, the crown of thorns, the path to Calvary. Lucado even discusses many of the over-looked parts of Christ’s passion—the soldier’s spit, the wine-soaked sponge, the burial clothing. He Chose You culminates with Lucado’s poignant thoughts on the empty tomb.
Lucado hopes his first book for tweens helps young people discover God’s love for them—and helps them realize that God knows what it is like to be in tough situations. “I am the father of three girls, all in the teen and tween ages,” says Lucado. “While being a teenager can be a challenge, I see that everything that a teen faces, Jesus faced.”
“Max is well-known and loved by kids—through his picture books and videos,” says Laura Minchew, Senior Vice President and Publisher, Tommy Nelson. “This project will extend his reach to the fastest-growing segment of the market—tweens. He Chose You is unique in its combination of fiction and non-fiction—helping tweens to see the ‘so what about me?’ factor in these timeless Biblical truths.”
Tommy Nelson sees the tween market as a cornerstone for its
business. The tween age group makes
decisions on $40 billion of purchases annually, according to the Marketing
to Kids Report, October 2001. By
2005 the teen group will be the largest single demographic, and they are the
tweens now. “Today’s tweens want
honesty and authenticity—Max Lucado delivers the goods,” adds Minchew.
-more-
He Chose You Release, page two
Over the past fifteen years, Lucado
has become recognized for what USA Today called
“his chatty, easy-to-read style.” With
more than 25 million books in print, Lucado is nothing short of a publishing
phenomenon. Max Lucado, his wife
Denalyn and their three daughters reside in San Antonio, Texas, where he serves
the Oak Hills Church of Christ.
Tommy Nelson is supporting He Chose You with an extensive marketing plan. For in-store promotion, He Chose You will be included in a Max Lucado end cap display in early 2002. The title will be also included in Tommy Nelson’s 2002 Summer Reading Program. He Chose You advertising has been planned for national retail/consumer catalogs immediately following its release in February 2002. Tommy’s popular website, www.tommynelson.com, will feature He Chose You prominently in Spring and Summer 2002.
# # #
November 1, 2001
He Chose You
By Max Lucado
Tommy
Nelson
$9.99,
Trade Paper, ISBN: 0-8499-7789-4