Everything from climbing mountains to cooking meals to bird watching to acts of service and much much more! 12 Tasks: Creating a Rite of Passage. You would think this is an adventure book. And in a way it is. This book is a good read for any adult who is interested in helping a young person grow into maturity. This is a practical guide to one great way to help a young person enter into adulthood, particularly for those who are Christians and desire to instill faith in the lives of children and grandchildren. But it is not only for believers. This book is specifically geared toward creating a rite of passage involving the completion of 12 specific tasks for young tweens and teens. This book helps to fill a gap regarding rites of passage that is largely missing in western culture today. It is packed full of wisdom, real life examples and it gives you all the tools you need to create a rite a passage that is suited for an individual.
One of things that I most enjoyed about this book is all of the real-life examples that are given, both the successes and the failures. I also appreciate the fact that it helps adults and their young person tailor a program that is suited for him or her. There is no one size fits all formula that is suggested but rather a basic outline and a lot of ideas to help you come up with a plan that will work for your family. Don’t let the fact that the vast majority of examples given have to do with fathers and sons be discouraging for moms and daughters. 12 Tasks should be read by both dads and moms as both should be involved in the process. Be warned, if you read this book and decide to go for it, it really is a family affair and it takes a whole lot of time and commitment from the grown-ups as well as the kids! I know because we did tasks with our two sons and our daughter. But it is very well worth all the time and effort it takes! I hope dads, moms and grandparents of pre-teens all around the world will not only read this excellent book, but will also put 12 Tasks into practice with a young person in their life!
-Melissa Eager