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Jairus's Girl

(The Young Testament #2)

L.R. Hay (Goodreads Author)

4.47 · Rating details · 15 ratings · 10 reviews

Tammie’s life in a quiet fishing town would never be the same again.
Her future wasn’t looking good (understatement!), but things quickly went from bad to WICKED with the arrival of a strange grown-up with nice eyes.
And as for the business with Daniel’s lunch, or Dibs’s roof. . .

Jairus’s Girl is an entertaining and moving account of the Galilee side of the Jesus story - ...more

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Kindle Edition, 136 pages

Published December 15th 2015

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Average rating 4.47 ·

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· 15 ratings · 10 reviews

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Feb 19, 2020 Billy Buttons rated it really liked it

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Jairus's Girl
Author: L R Hay

Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 5/10
Of the 16 readers:
13 would read another book by this author.
8 thought the cover was good or excellent.
14 felt it was easy to follow.
13 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
Of all the ...more

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Nov 17, 2018 Grant Leishman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Jairus’s Girl by L R Hay is a biblically-based book aimed at probably middle-schooler’s and high school aged children that tells the story of Jesus, his teachings, his crucifixion and his resurrection through the eyes of a simple, young girl in the town of Capernaum in 33AD. Tammie is your typical pre-teen, full of energy and excitement as she enters her teenage years. Her father is the Rabbi of Capernaum, commanding much respect and honour for th Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Jairus’s Girl by L R Hay is a biblically-based book aimed at probably middle-schooler’s and high school aged children that tells the story of Jesus, his teachings, his crucifixion and his resurrection through the eyes of a simple, young girl in the town of Capernaum in 33AD. Tammie is your typical pre-teen, full of energy and excitement as she enters her teenage years. Her father is the Rabbi of Capernaum, commanding much respect and honour for the family. When an itinerant preacher comes to town and turns everyone’s lives upside down, Tammie is as excited about this Jesus as everyone else in the small town. When Jesus begins preaching and performing miracles amongst her family and friends, both Tammie and her father are convinced that Jesus is indeed the real thing and may even be the Messiah that the Jewish people have been awaiting so long for, as prophesised. Not everyone is convinced, however, and to some Jewish people he is seen as nothing short of a blasphemer and a heretic.

Author L R Hay mentions that her target audience is young people, but that some adults have also read and enjoyed the adventures of Tammie and her family. I can count myself as one of those adults enamoured and moved by this simple tale, Jarius’s Girl. Hay has crafted a sweet, funny and strangely moving tale that I have no doubt many young people will identify with. To put is simply, this book is a delight to read. The author uses the tool of “reader asides” to engage her readers and I found this a clever technique that subtly reminded us that although these things may have happened two thousand years ago, they are just as relevant today and the morals and lessons inherent in the story are equally applicable in modern times. I say to any doubters, forget it is about Christianity and just read and enjoy the adventures of a young girl in early Palestine. I’m certainly not overtly religious and I loved the story and the message it brought. It is a story well worth reading and definitely well worth the five stars I have given it. ...more

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Dec 05, 2017 Michael Rumney rated it it was amazing

Tammie at the start of the book is 11 years old and this tale of her, her friends and family's interaction with Jesus takes place over 3 years. It was an original way to tell the gospel stories from the view point of Tammie using language that modern day children can relate to. The author was not adverse to using words that wouldn't have been around in New Testament Capernaum, such as radioactive, selfie and spray-tanned. However L R Hay made sure in the narrative the reader understands that the ...more

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May 11, 2019 Rebecca L. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2019

Read more book reviews like this one on my blog at BeckieWrites.com

I really loved reading Jairus's Girl by L.R. Hay. This book had been on my “to be read list,” for a very long time, and I was so happy when I finally got the chance to curl up with it. I read this book immediately after a busy Holy Week. It was the perfect little book to rejuvenate my spirit. Although Jairus’s Girl is written for preteen readers, it is a book that is certain to delight all ages. I am an adult with a seminary de ...more

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Jun 30, 2018 Amy rated it it was amazing

Excellent!

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May 18, 2020 Conny Reviews rated it liked it

“Well I’m not dead now, and I’m hungry. It’s essential I get some food: this Jesus person said so,” Tammie demands after she is healed in L.R. Hay’s children’s book, Jairus’s Girl.

~ What ~
The second in the Young Testament series, this one-hundred-and-eighty-page paperback targets nine- to twelve-year-old children who like enhanced Biblical stories. With no profanity or adult situations, it is a young girl’s version of the life of Christ as an adult.

Set in Capernaum two-thousand years ago, eleven “Well I’m not dead now, and I’m hungry. It’s essential I get some food: this Jesus person said so,” Tammie demands after she is healed in L.R. Hay’s children’s book, Jairus’s Girl.

~ What ~
The second in the Young Testament series, this one-hundred-and-eighty-page paperback targets nine- to twelve-year-old children who like enhanced Biblical stories. With no profanity or adult situations, it is a young girl’s version of the life of Christ as an adult.

Set in Capernaum two-thousand years ago, eleven-year-old Tammie is an only child who loves to help others with her tender heart as she happily keeps tabs of everyone and everything in her village. When she becomes deathly ill, she is awoken by a wonderful man named Jesus, who does miracles near and abroad. As she hears about Him and meets His friends such as Matthew, Simon Peter, Andrew, and Lucius, she learns and witnesses the many stories from the Gospels from Christ’s miracles and healings to His death and resurrection.

~ Why ~
This is a charming, quirky read from a young one’s standpoint living when Jesus comes to Earth. I enjoyed the blend of many Biblical characters such as the healing of the centurion’s slave, the woman with the issue of blood, the paralyzed man, and others. The added humorous comments and conversations between Tammie and her friends, Daniel and Dibs, will delight some readers.

~ Why Not ~
Those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ may not approve of this book. Children who do not like chapter books written about the Bible may not appreciate it. Others may not agree with the made-up scenarios that have a young protagonist hearing, seeing, or talking about the multiple miracles of the Son of God. The eternal plan of salvation contains no obvious confession of one’s sin.

~ Wish ~
Due to the British punctuation, spelling, and grammar differences in the book, I wish an American version were offered to make it easier for young readers here in the United States to comprehend. I found the main character to be too perfect and idealistic. I prefer all pronouns of God capitalized for reverence.

~ Want ~
If your preteen likes historical fiction of Jesus in the New Testament, this would make a nice gift, albeit ample liberties have been taken that are not completely accurate to the Word of God.

Thanks to BookCrash and the author for this complimentary book that I am under no obligation to review. ...more

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Dec 02, 2017 Emily-Jane Orford rated it it was amazing

Shelves: childrens

There is a story in the New Testament of the Bible about a little girl whom Jesus raised from the dead. Just when family and friends had given up hope, Jesus arrived and told the girl to rise up. And she did. The is Tammie’s story. Tamar Bilkiah Keren Happuch Bath-Jairus. Rabbi Jairus’s daughter. It was a name she hated, but she learned later to like it, to appreciate it, especially when Jesus told her the meaning of her name: Tamar, meaning beautiful, Keren Happuch meaning splendour of bright c ...more

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Dec 17, 2017 Stephen Bigger rated it it was amazing

This is a story written for 8-12 year olds about Jesus in the gospels. Although there are a number of simplistic books on Jesus, this one is written as an engaging story which should appeal to primary school children. Everything that happens is in the gospels so I cannot give spoilers! The central character appears in the Gospels as Jairus's daughter, named here as Tamar or Tammie. Her other names are given as Bilkiah (a name given as meaning revival) and Keren Happuch, the name of Job's daughte ...more

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Mar 21, 2018 Lucy Grimm rated it really liked it

This is a delightful story told through a child’s eyes. For this review, I will try to keep the humor used by the author, L. R. Hay, and will call Tamar, Tammie, otherwise, you will be reading this when you are seventy sitting in a rocking chair trying stay warm.
What if you were one of the miracles performed by Jesus? In this story, it happens to Tammie. She gets to meet, and talk to Jesus. That would be so awesome! Reading this story, a child will discover what life might have been like when J ...more

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Dec 04, 2018 Raechel Lenore rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-reads

What a delightful story! My family and I have discussed how lovely it would be to have more Biblical fiction written for younger ages – and this book fits that marvelously.
Through this story, we see many of Jesus’ miracles and healings through the eyes and experiences of Jairus’ daughter – the girl whom Jesus raised from the dead. In this book, the girl’s name is Tamar – with some more names after that; the author affectionately dubs her as Tammie. Easy to say and remember!
Reading “Jairus’ Girl” ...more

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About L.R. Hay

L.R. Hay

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Lynn Robertson Hay's writing covers TV, film, radio and theatre, including a Writers' Guild award. Jared Harris (CHERNOBYL, THE CROWN etc) is due to play the lead in BRAVE THE DARK, a screenplay she co-wrote. Lynn was also a quarterfinalist in the Academy's prestigious Nicholl Fellowship (yes, *that* Academy), from 6,400 screenplays worldwide.

As an actor Lynn has played parts ranging from Lady Mac ...more