
I want to thank CF4K for a review copy of Fanny Crosby.
Blessed Assurance
As a child, one of my favorite hymns was most certainly Blessed Assurance. I would stand in church (or in the kitchen with my broom) and belt out:
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.”
My favorite part of the hymn was always the refrain:
“This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long;
this is my story, this is my song,
praising my Savior all the day long.”
O, how I longed to be that girl… praising my Savior all the day long.

Fanny Crosby Story
Blessed Assurance was written in 1873 by a remarkably gifted woman named Fanny Crosby (1820-1915). Blind at the age of just six weeks old, Ms. Crosby was able to memorize and recall the Scriptures early in her life. She was blessed to have a grandmother and later a boarding house matron who helped her accomplish this task. Fanny Crosby had a remarkable feel for poetry, and using her gift for memory, was able to compose poems and hymns quickly without forgetting them.
Fanny Crosby is credited with writing at least 9,000 hymns in the course of her long life.
Prior to her decision to use her remarkable gift for the glory of the Lord, Fanny Crosby also wrote many, many poems and secular songs.
However, once she decided to follow Christ with her life, Fanny Crosby not only dedicated herself to writing popular hymns, she also spent her life speaking to society’s downtrodden. Fanny Crosby was a frequent visitor in the run-down tenements of New York, in prisons and in shelters. In spite of her commitment to the poor, Ms. Crosby was also known worldwide. Among her friends were D.L Moody, Ira Sankey, and President Grover Cleveland. In fact, Fanny Crosby’s songs were frequently used in Moody’s evangelistic campaigns.

Fanny Crosby Biography for Kids
Lucille Travis has written a fantastic biography of Fanny Crosby’s life for ages 8-14. Fanny Crosby: The Blind Girl’s Song (Christian Focus Publications, 2013) is an encouraging story of a woman blind from infancy, her use of the Lord’s gifting, and her refusal to allow a disability to rule her life.
Fanny Crosby: The Blind Girl’s Song is the 35th book in the Trailblazers series. I love, love, love the series and we use them frequently to study Christian history. I appreciate the Gospel focus of the Trailblazers books.
I highly recommend Lucille Travis’ Fanny Crosby: The Blind Girl’s Song. It’s the story of a woman committed to God’s glory, and God’s hand in her life.
Fanny Crosby: The Blind Girl’s Song coordinates well with studies involving:
-
Character Traits: Creativity, Joy, Commitment
- God’s gifting (and using it to his glory)
- The development of schools for the blind and braille
- The 1800’s or early 1900’s
- The cholera epidemic in New York City in 1849
- Poetry or hymn studies
- The American Civil War (1861-1865)
- The Second Great Awakening (Evangelical movement in America)
Purchase Fanny Crosby: The Blind Girl’s Song:
Fanny Crosby: The Blind Girl’s Song (Trail Blazers)
Christian Book:
More Christian Focus Trail Blazers Books for Your Kids
Our family loves the Christian Focus Trail Blazers books. They’re perfect for ages 7-14. We read them as we studied history! Check them out.
Eric Liddell: Finish the RaceJohn Chrysostom: The Preacher in the Emperor’s Court
Samuel Rutherford: The Law, the Prince and the Scribe
Francis & Edith Schaeffer: Taking on the World
Titanic: The Ship of Dreams
William Tyndale: The Smuggler’s Flame
Wilfred Grenfell: Courageous Doctor
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Spoke in the Wheel
Elisabeth Elliot: Do the Next Thing
Betty Greene: Courage Has Wings
Ulrich Zwingli: Shepherd Warrior
Lilias Trotter: Daring in the Desert
Isobel Kuhn: Lights in Lisuland
Jim Elliot: He Is No Fool
George Müller: The Children’s Champion
Adoniram Judson: Danger on the Streets of Gold
Patricia St. John: The Story Behind the Stories
Helen Roseveare: On His Majesty’s Service
John Newton: A Slave Set Free
John Calvin: After Darkness Light
John Knox: The Sharpened Sword
Billy Graham: Just get up out of your Seat
Richard Wurmbrand: A Voice in the Dark
Mary Slessor: Servant to the Slave
Joni Eareckson Tada: Swimming Against the Tide
Hudson Taylor: An Adventure Begins
Augustine: The Truth Seeker
Patrick of Ireland: The Boy Who Forgave
Brother Andrew: Behind Enemy Lines
Lottie Moon: Changing China for Christ
D L Moody: One Devoted Man
Nate Saint: Operation Auca
John Welch: The Man Who Couldn’t Be Stopped
Michael Faraday: Spiritual Dynamo
William Wilberforce: The Freedom Fighter
C. S. Lewis: The Story Teller: Trailblazers Series
Jonathan Edwards: America’s Genius
Charles Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers
George Müller: The Children’s Champion
George Whitefield: Voice That Woke the World
Amy Carmichael: Rescuer By Night
Mary of Orange: At the Mercy of Kings
Martyn Lloyd-Jones: From Wales to Westminster
Hannah More: The Woman Who Wouldn’t Stop Writing
Fanny Crosby: The Blind Girl’s Song
Paul Brand: The Shoes That Love Made
Frances Ridley Havergal: The Girl Who Loved Mountains
Corrie Ten Boom: The Watchmaker’s Daughter
Gladys Aylward: No Mountain Too High
John Bunyan: Journey of a Pilgrim
David Brainerd: A Love for the Lost
John G. Paton: South Sea Island Rescue
Billy Bray: Saved From the Deepest Pit
John Stott: The Humble Leader
Bill Bright: Dare to be Different
Charles Simeon: For Christ in Cambridge (Trail Blazers)
William Carey: Expecting Great Things (Trail Blazers)
Jack Turner: Truth in the Arctic (Trail Blazers)
Elaine Townsend: At Home Around the World (Trail Blazers)
Thomas Clarkson: The Giant With One Idea (Trailblazers)
John and Betty Stam: To Die is Gain (Trail Blazers)
Maud Kells: Fearless in the Forest (Trail Blazers)
Jim Elliot: He Is No Fool (Trail Blazers)
Elizabeth Prentiss: More Love (Trailblazers)
Polycarp: Faithful unto Death (Trail Blazers)
Thomas Cranmer: The King’s Ambassador (Trailblazers)
Olaudah Equiano: A Man of Many Names (Trail Blazers)
Christian Biographies for Kids | Christian History for Kids | Theology for Kids

Christian History Matters for Our Kids.
History matters. Now, more than ever, we see how important it is for our children to know and understand history and the Bible.
Here’s why:
- God is the sovereign ruler of all things. It’s important for our kids to see his hand in the history of nations and in the lives of both peasants and kings.
- Christian history is the story of our family history. Our kids get to see how people who love Jesus follow him.
- Understanding history can help our kids learn historic and biblical theology. They learn what the Bible says and what that means for us. They also see when the study of Scripture has taken important turns that have changed the Church.
- Reading Christian biographies and history can be a wonderful way for kids to think outside their own time and culture. God’s Church spans centuries and includes people from every nation.
- Christian biographies help kids consider their own faith, walk with Jesus, and the impact their witness may one day have on others–and on history.

The Who What Why Series is the perfect resource to teach your kids about history, while helping them apply biblical truths to their lives today.

Bible Resources for Your Kids
Bible Road Trip™ CurriculumLearn More HereStarter BundleLearn More HereBible Road Trip™ Memory Verse CardsLearn More HereBible Road Trip™ Notebooking JournalsLearn More HereHelp Your Kids Learn and Love the BibleLearn More Here

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Great review Danika. Thanks for your continued enthusiasm for Christian Focus 4 Kids.
Shaun Tabatt
Christian Focus Booknotes Blog
I truly do love Christian Focus, Shaun. Thanks for the opportunity to review such wonderful books. 🙂
~ Danika
I love both that hymn and Fanny Crosby!
It IS a wonderful hymn! And she was quite brave. 🙂