How This Mom Made Superheroes a Reality

Erin Weidemann wanted to give little girls encouraging role models, so she turned to the Bible for inspiration. Her new series, The Adventures of Rooney Cruz, focuses on five superhero women from the Bible—dubbed the “Bible Belles”—starting with the first book, Hannah: The Belle of Prayer.

Rooney Cruz, the main character, is an ordinary 9-year-old girl who learns she possesses hidden superpowers. Her first adventure takes her on a journey to discover her first secret superpower: the power of prayer.

“Rooney Cruz is a character who struggles through the challenges and difficult situations that most girls face as they grow up,” Weidemann says. “We want to help girls identify powerful ways to approach life’s challenges by highlighting real heroes, heroes for her.”

Weidemann, a mother, coach, five-time cancer survivor and full-time teacher, is writing from personal experience. She’s seen firsthand that, with God, nothing is impossible, and she’s seen how God has used negative situations to bring about good things in her life. These realizations, paired with a desire to promote strong female role models, led her to create Bible Belles for girls around the world.

The characters in The Adventures of Rooney Cruz are brought to life through high-quality illustrations by former Disney animator Rob Corley, best known for his work on The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. Like those Disney classics, Weidemann believes The Adventures of Rooney Cruz is a series parents and grandparents will want to share with their children and grandchildren. Parents of homeschoolers, Sunday school teachers and Christian educators, she believes, can use this resource to instill morals and values in the next generation.

The next book of the Rooney Cruz series, Esther: The Belle of Patience, is now available wherever Christian books are sold, in both print and a downloadable format. To find out more, go to biblebelles.com.

Taylor Berglund is the assistant online editor at Charisma Media and co-host of the “C-Pop” and “Charisma News” podcasts. {eoa}