You Are Special: An exhibit from the Max Lucado Papers

The Max Lucado Collection was established in 2015 when Lucado designated his alma mater’s Brown Library as the repository for materials documenting his career as a missionary, evangelist and writer. Lucado was the university’s Oustanding Alumnus of the Year in 2003 and earned bachelor’s (1977) and master’s (1982) degrees from ACU.

“It was at ACU that I was found by Christ. I don’t think I found him, I think he found me and literally re-routed my life and my family’s for generations,” Lucado said. “I pray these papers can show some of that story to someone who needs a discovery of grace.”

 

You Are Special in China
A Chinese child focuses on his new copy of You Are Special. Since 2006, nonprofit
New Song China has distributed copies of You Are Special in Chinese to children in
every province and municipality in China.

Chinese
Lu Ka Du, Ma Di Ni Si, Hui-wen Qiu, En-hui Guo, Max Lucado, and Sergio Martinez. 2000. Ni hen te bie. Tai bei shi: Dao sheng.

You Are Special Around the World
Since its first publication in 1997, Max Lucado’s You Are Special has sold more than a
million copies around the world in dozens of languages and a variety of print and
video formats. You Are Special introduces a village of wooden people, the
Wemmicks, made by Eli, the master woodcarver. The Wemmicks series has eight
book titles. Among his 126 books, Lucado has written 42 different books for
children and youth. More than 200 million of Lucado’s books and related items have
sold around the world in 54 languages.

Icelandic
Lucado, Max, Sergio Martinez, and Guðmundur Karl Brynjarsson. 2007. Þú ert frábær.

Afrikaans
Lucado, Max, Sergio Martinez, Max Lucado, Max Lucado, and Max Lucado. 2005. Jy is spesiaal ; Jy is myne ; Die heel beste. Vereeniging: Christelike Uitgewersmaatskappy.

Italian
Lucado, Max, and Sergio Martinez. 2005. Tu sei speciale: una storia per tutti. Cinisello Balsamo (MI): Edizioni Paoline.

Welsh
Lucado, Max, Sergio Martinez, and Angharad Tomos. 2005. Rwyt ti’n arbennig. Bangor: Cyhoeddiadau’r Gair.

English
Lucado, Max, and Sergio Martinez. 1997. You are special.

Japanese

Japanese
Lucado, Max, Sergio Martinez, and Fumiko Matsunami. 2000. Taisetsuna kimi = You are special.

Tibetan
Lucado, Max, and Sergio Martinez. 2009. [You are special].

Thai
Lucado, Max, and Sergio Martinez. 2005. Khuṇ pĕn phiṣ̄es̄ʹ.

German
Lucado, Max, Sergio Martinez, and Gabriele Herling. 2005. Du bist einmalig: eine Geschichte für Sie. Holzgerlingen: Hänssler.

South Africa
Lucado, Max, and Sergio Martinez. 2006. You are special. Vereeniging: Christian Art.

Fan Mail in Response to You Are Special

Letter from child, 9 June 2014. Box 121 of 153, Series III. B Box 15 of 15, Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Letter from child, 7 October 2004. Box 121 of 153, Series III. B Box 15 of 15, Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Letter from child, 11 March 2014. Box 121 of 153, Series III. B Box 15 of 15, Max Lucado Papers, 1965-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #316. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

 

How You Are Special Got Started
The text of You Are Special appeared first as part of “The Secret of Greatness” in
Lucado’s Tell Me the Secrets (1994). Reconceived as a free-standing book and
illustrated by Sergio Martinez, the story of wooden Punchinello — who meets the
master carver who made him — took on compelling visual form in 1997.

Lucado, Max, and Ron DiCianni. 1993. Tell me the secrets: treasures for eternity. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Books.

For more from the Max Lucado Papers please visit our other digital exhibits:

This exhibition was curated by Carisse Berryhill and was on display in the ACU Library Learning Commons from March-October 2019.  This digital exhibit was prepared by Amanda Dietz, March 11, 2019.