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Bono's Faith and Tweens

Is Bono so big that his faith in God needs to be explained to the tween set? Apparently so.

A prominent publisher of evangelical books, Zondervan, recently came out with a book called Breaking Through by Grace: The Bono Story, aimed squarely at the nine to 12 year old market.

It’s a head-scratching choice for a kid’s Christian biography for sure, no offense intended to U2 star Bono and the amazing career he’s forged for himself both as a rock star and tireless philanthropist. Perhaps the folks at Zondervan feel he can be the next Harry Potter, too!

“Awards, fame, wealth … Bono has it all. But the biggest rock star in the world has something more important, something that has guided every step of his success: faith in God,” says a Zondervan blurb about the book.

“From growing up in Ireland during deadly times to performing on the largest stages in the world, Bono’s beliefs have kept him grounded and focused on what truly matters. Whether using his voice to captivate an audience or to fight for justice and healing in Africa, Bono is a champion of the lost and a hero to those who long for harmony.”

Bono didn’t actually sit for a series of interviews for the book. Maybe he’s even unaware that it exists. The author, Kim Washburn, who used to help publish books for the ultra-conservative group Focus on the Family, pulled her book together through Bono’s previous spoken words on his faith and the role it plays in life.

“One thing early on, I decided to only go with Bono’s words. Of course there was so much other people had said about him, but other than one quote from The Edge (U2’s guitarist) we really wanted it to be in his own words,” said Washburn, in a piece published last Friday on the site EverydayChristian.com.

“He’s a very hard person to put in a little Christian box,” Washburn added. “I thought it was really great to see the details of how he didn’t fit a lot of Christian stereotypes, and yet it’s very clear that he loves God, loves Jesus and loves God’s word.”

Amen to that! The book is 144 pages, about $6 and could make a nice stocking stuffer for the younger U2 fans out there.