Showing posts with label Christian books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian books. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Imagination Station - Books 8 & 9
Friday, March 16, 2012
God Gave Us Love
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
101 Bible Adventures
101 Bible Adventures: The Ultimate Quest for Truth by Carolyn Larsen and illustrated by Rick Incrocci is a great first devotional book for children ages 7-12 or family devotion. It's a compilation of 101 of the most action packed and adventurous Bible passages each with a brief history, key verse to note and a summarization. Each passage is short making it easy to read through one daily. I like that it includes the actual scriptural verses rather than a retelling of a Bible Passage. For the most part the summarizations are packed with great insight and questions, but I do wish they were in general a little longer and more in depth. Each passage also has a cartoon illustration with caption adding a little humor throughout. I plan to read through this as our next family devotional and hope in a few years that they will revisit this on their own, so I think we’ll get lots of great use out of this book.
I received a copy of this book from Tyndale for the purpose of this review.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
What a Son Needs from His Dad
Well, I'm not a Dad but I am a Mom to a son and I just couldn't resist checking out What a Son Needs from His Dad by Michael A. O'Donnell. While it is geared specifically to the Father/Son relationship there are many great insights and advice for parents of boys and girls throughout this read as well. Much of it is about being a great parent. It's a quick and easy read but that doesn't mean it isn't packed with information. I'd say it's geared more towards the older pre-teen/teen years but there is lots of things for even the youngest years like the chapter titled 'Effective Fathering' and a chapter on helping our son to discern good and meaningful friendships. There's scripture throughout this read, anchoring points back to Biblical teaching. It's a very thoughtful and thorough study. I will be sure to reference this book in throughout the years to come.
I received a copy of this book from Bethany House for the purpose of this review.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Christmas Gift Idea
One of my favorite Christmas gifts from a couple years ago was The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers by Crystal Bowman and illustrated by Elena Kucharik. I always did Bible story time and scripture reading but really wanted a devotional to do daily with my children. This book was the perfect fit for us. Each lesson is just a page long. There's a short story based on different Biblical truths, a Bible verse to tie the learning to Scripture and a short rhyming prayer. It's not just for teaching your children the Bible but for giving them the practice of daily time in God's word and prayer. There's a lesson for each day of the year and so they are often relate to season which I LOVE. The illustrations are adorable. They feature four sweet little friends as the grow, learn and experience life. We read through it the first year we got it, I took a break this past year and have been filling in with shorter devotional books, Bible stories and such but I really loved having a daily go to devotional activity aside from the usual Bible story book. We're all geared up to read through it again this year and I think next year we'll find The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers 2 by Carla Barnhill and illustrated by Elena Kucharik. I also included Blessings Everyday: 365 Simple Devotions for the Very Young also by Carla Barnhill and Elena Kucharik. While this one is probably too young for my two at this point my Nephew just might be getting this as a present for Christmas next year. I think these make the perfect Christmas gift to give to the special young children in your life.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Imagination Station - Books 5&6
I have been anxiously awaiting the next two books in the Imagination Station series and they are finally here. I have to admit I'm hooked on this series. Showdown with the Shepherd by Marianne Hering and Brock Eastman is book #5 of this series. Book #6 is titled Problems in Plymouth by Marianne Hering and Marshal Younger and both are illustrated by David Hohn. With this series you get to travel through time on an adventure to the unknown to find objects or people all while having fun learning history and Biblical truths. I love the balance of the fun and the educational aspects of these books, it’s a great combination. In book #5 we travel back to Biblical times and meet non-other than young David as he's heading to take food to his brothers in battle against Philistines and Goliath. This is one of my children's favorite Bible passages and I know they are going to enjoy this twist to the story. It's so enjoyable to imagine what it would be like to step back in time to experience firsthand these historical events and these books do a great job in imagining just what it might have been like. And then there’s the very timely arrival of book #6 which takes readers back through time to the first Thanksgiving celebration at Plymouth. I think I might just skip out of order and read this with my two as part of our Thanksgiving reading this month. These books of course are written as part of a series but a great feature is the prologue which can be found at the beginning of all books that sets the background storyline of the previous books in case you decide to read them out of order, making it so you can easily transition into the adventure for any of the books. It is simply an exceptional series for young readers and I am once again anxious to see where the adventure will take us too next. Here's a sneak peek at book #7 & #8.
Tyndale House Publishers has provided me complimentary copies of these books.
Imagination Station Blog Tour Q&A with Maria Hering
1. The first two books focus on the Vikings and ancient Rome. The next two books focus on Kubla Khan and the War of the Roses and now books five and six take readers to the Holy Land and back to Plymouth Rock. How did you and Paul decide which historical events to write about?
Paul and I aren’t the only ones who weigh into the decision. Paul and I have a creative team that also includes Adventures in Odyssey writer Nathan Hoobler, book publishing director Larry Weeden, and marketing manager Brock Eastman. I’m fortunate to have such a well-rounded and experienced bunch helping decide on setting, cover scene, and title. All that said, I do most of the research or verify the other writers’ research for the book’s outline. I’ve written a lot of historical fiction and had many of the ideas for settings and conversations in my mind and heart for years. I try to choose moments in history that reveal a hero’s Christian character and are historically accurate. The exception is book 4, Revenge of the Red Knight, which covered the War of the Roses. Because that war was so convoluted and political, it was difficult to find a well-defined real-life hero we could hold up as a role model. The hero, Sir Andrew, in that book is 100 percent fiction. The other books all have a true-life hero as a role model.
2. How true to history are Showdown with the Shepherd and Problems at Plymouth?
Let me start by informing readers that it’s my intent to answer all of these questions on TheImaginationStation.com website. The historical information is already posted in the parents section for books 1 and 2, and book 7’s material will be posted momentarily. I’m working on filling in the “what’s true and what’s not true” material for books 3, 4, 5, and 6. Hopefully in the next week.
Showdown with the Shepherd expands on the David and Goliath story. For readers who are not familiar with the story, we kept it as biblical as possible while adding three time travelers and a catapult. The Philistines are still gruesome and fearful and want to take the Israelites as slaves. Young shepherd boy David is mocked by his brothers. King Saul is still afraid to fight Goliath himself. David still whomps Goliath with God’s help. (I did get Goliath’s helmet wrong on the cover. The Philistine helmets had a funky topper.--I missed this because I was on vacation when the cover roughs came through and I didn’t check everything as carefully as I should have. Sorry for that. I work hard to get the details of the art to be accurate and feel bad when I overlook an important detail.) The setting was as accurate as I could make it. I did ask my boss to pay for me to fly to the Valley of Elah for “research,” but he wisely thought that would be a waste of ministry resources. :-)
Problems in Plymouth—the events all happened, just over a longer period of time than it did in the book. In reality, these events happened over about a year period. In the book it’s two days. John Billington and his family are real. John did get lost. Mr. Billington didn’t agree with William Bradford on what to do about Indian relations. Chiefs Aspinet and Yellow Feather are real. The Pilgrims did accidentally shoot some innocent Indians. The doctor is real. The issue of the stolen corn is real. The Pilgrims did fear that Squanto was kidnapped, and they set out to rescue him. The Pilgrims did bury their gun powder. The storage room did exist. The meeting house was described accurately as were the cannons. There were several types of muskets models used by the Pilgrims. The details of the first Thanksgiving were basically accurate. We depicted the traditional bell-shaped blunderbuss. However, many Pilgrims probably had muskets without the bell-shaped musket. Marshal Younger and I took some small liberties with the history (besides, of course, Hugh and the cousins). For example I’m not sure who was actually on the shallop that came to rescue John Billington. The dialogue between Bradford and Standish was based on research, but the actual words were fictionalized. We did try to quote Bradford in some places, but his language was so outdated we had to modify it a lot.
3. These books are geared towards young readers, ages 7 and up. What is the number one issue that children learning to read struggle with?
Speed processing. The kids who are slower reading learners usually need more help with sight words and fluency. That’s just practice at an accessible reading level. These are just slower readers in general—I’m not counting kids with true auditory processing issues or other learning disabilities, which represent between 3 and 10 percent. Most kids can learn to read better with one-on-one instruction and a loving atmosphere. I’ve posted reading tips on the website for each book and lists of words to practice before tackling a chapter. See TheImaginationStation.com.
4. What kinds of books do you recommend children read?
I don’t only recommend books. There are fabulous magazines out there for this age group. Not all kids like fiction, so magazines draw them in with nonfiction and pictures. There are some good book series out there—I personally give my children the tried-and-true series written years ago, like Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books. My boys enjoyed the Horrible Harry books by Suzy Kline. My daughter was a Gertrude Chandler Warner/Boxcar Children fanatic. Parents can ask librarians to recommend books. One of my sons loves anything about animals in the nonfiction section—I don’t make him read fiction unless it’s for school. I do have to review their books first, and that can take a lot of time, but it’s worth it.
5. What are some ways that parents can help their children develop their reading skills?
(Get their vision checked for not only vision but for tracking issues as well.) Turn off the electronics and make reading a fun time. You can read to them or they can read to you. Make reading an event. Your kids will complain for about two weeks while the electronic addiction wears off. Then they will be better able to engage in literary pursuits. For free reading, let your kids read “easy” books. Don’t judge. If they want to read Hop on Pop twenty times, that means that’s where they are comfortable. If you push your kids beyond what they perceive to be the right level, they will rebel. Better a lot of fluent reading at an easy level than choppy reading at a higher level. Reading with starts and stops is a bad habit to let them get into.
6. Can you give us any “sneak peeks” into what we can expect in future books?
Here’s the not-so-sneak peek. Book 7 is advertised in book 6, and I already have material about it on TheImaginationStation.com. Book 7 is set in ancient Egypt and involves a mummy and a scary tomb. Book 7 is at the printer right now. It’s my favorite cover so far
Book 8 is exciting because we have a new author joining our team. We’re writing this one with best-selling Christian author Wayne Thomas Batson. We wanted to tell a pirate story, and since he’s an expert and had already written some fabulous pirate stories, we asked him to help us. Book 8’s title is Mystery of Starlight Island. Look for Wayne Thomas Batson’s “Focus on the Family approved” pirate books, The Isle of Swords and The Isle of Fire (for upper elementary and tween readers). Go to FocusontheFamily.com/resources and type Wayne Batson in the search box.
Book 9 sneak-peek. We’re going to the most modern setting yet. The kids will be visiting a famous person who lived during WWII.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Bible Stories for Preschoolers
Bible Stories for Preschoolers, by Monika Kustra, adapted by Betty Free Swanberg and illustrated by Andrzej Chalecki is an exceptional children's Bible story book. It is well written for the preschool age comprehension. I loved how there are questions throughout the text that just flow as part of the reading. It is a great way to engage and maintain interest in the story. The illustrations are lively, cute, and even humorous at times. I think any child would enjoy flipping through this book to enjoy the pictures. At the end of each story are several questions and talking points to help with story comprehension, and reinforce the lessons being learned. There's a memory verse too for every story. And my favorite part is the activities. They are really exceptional, doable, simple but really fun. All the activities really excited me as I read through them. I can't wait to do them with my children as we read through this book together and plan to come back to add their creations to this post. One example is with the story of Joseph and the famine is to create a 'store house' jar with trail mix type ingredients. You could even ration out the food throughout a week sharing how Joseph was in charge of collecting and sharing the food so that everyone could survive during the years of famine. It's also a great collection of Bible passages, very comprehensive. I could not be more pleased with this book and would love to see more from this collaboration, maybe a book of Psalms and Proverbs with pre-school devotional type format. I am very happy to be able to add this book to our collection.
I received a copy of this book from Tyndale Publishing for the purpose of this review.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
My First Hands-On Bible
My First Hands-On Bible from Tyndale Kids is a great family devotional for those with preschoolers. The illustrations are charming, simple and colorful. There are two ' character friends' that follow along through the book, a little kangaroo named, Pocket, and a lamb named, Cuddles. They are at the end of each story with activity suggestions and a prayer. My two-love finding Pocket and Cuddles. While it isn't a complete copy of the NLT Bible there are numerous scripture passages that are taken directly from scripture. I would say they achieved the goal of creating a very hands-on experience with focus on engaging and connecting young children with the story. Small handprints are throughout the text that suggests activities to do that relate and highlight what is being read throughout the story. For example, in Joshua 6 when they are marching around the walls of Jericho some of the during the reading activities are to count to seven, the number of times they were to march around the wall, and to all shout together as they did after their seventh time. It's been great for keeping my children's attention and engaged with what's being read. There's a prayer, talking points and a few activity suggestions for each story. Everything is very doable, and some are really quite simple. There is also a connection note that links the teachable lessons from the verses to Jesus, it's called the Jesus connection. While overall we are really enjoying this book, I have to say that the NLT is just not one of my favorite translations, I also wish there was a scripture verse suggestion for memorization. This is a book we will revisit for our Bible time, to use as a devotional and just as a resource for ideas for teachable activities.
I received a copy of this book from Tyndale for the purpose of this review.
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Dragons of Chiril
The Dragons of Chiril by Donita K. Paul takes you on a journey to a world where dragons befriend you, giant parrots talk and wizards battle. Paul's writing style is wonderfully descriptive and imaginative. She has a definite knack for writing about dragons and I am looking forward to reading more of her dragon novels. I adored the four minor dragons that joined this unusual band of heroes on their quest to save a famous artist’s life and the world. The story is about a young girl, Tipper, who is left to maintain her home with her absent minded mother after the mysterious disappearance of her father, Verrin Schope, a talented and famous artist. The giant parrot, I mentioned above is named Beccaroon a close friend of her fathers is left to watch over Tipper, to train her up in the way she should go. One night while her mother is visiting family her father appears back home with a wizard and a librarian and a quest that could save his life as well as the world as they know it. So begins an adventure where our young heroine and we learn more about Wulder who is the creator of their world. Through their quest it becomes more and more apparent that they are also meant to share Wulder with the citizens of Chiril, a sort of mission trip. While this book was primarily about the quest to save the artist, the sharing of Wulder with Chiril I believe is more of the focus in the book 'The Dragons of the Valley' which I have not read or if not I felt this book is leading to another novel in which this group is to take up that mission. I really enjoyed this adventure and looked for every opportunity I could to read more. I thought Paul did a wonderful job sharing scriptural truths, lessons and a Christian worldview throughout the story. Specific scripture passages came to mind throughout this read like Matthew 6:21 for example.
I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of this review.
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Imagination Station - Books 3 & 4
The Imagination Station series continues on with books 3 & 4. The books are called Peril in the Palace and Revenge of the Red Knight by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker. They are illustrated by David Hohn. Once again we join cousins Beth and Patrick and inventor, Mr. Whittaker on time traveling adventures aboard the Imagination Station. In these next two books we first travel to China in 1271 meeting up with non-other than the famous world traveler Marco Polo as he is on a visit to Kublai Khan in Peril in the Palace. It made me think of the great book Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino that centers around these two famous men. A very interesting relationship and time period to continue on with in the Imagination Station series. I have to say they have done a wonderful job so far in selecting the time, place and cast of characters for these books. That is a big part of what has drawn me in. These are exciting books about intriguing times of history that are sure to help kids grow in their interest of both reading and history. And once again these books do a great job of integrating God's truths with lots of teachable moments as Patrick and Beth navigate through their adventures with hope and faith. Right up after the cousins run in with Mongol warriors they find themselves in England at the time of knights, castles and jousting in the Revenge of the Red Knight. The books are very well paced reads and I could not put these latest books down. I was also surprised that several mysteries and answers were revealed in Revenge of the Red Knight which is book 4 out of a now 12 book series. There is no lack of suspense though as new twists come to the storyline and I think revealing some of the unknowns early on was great for me to become even more invested into the plight of Mr. Whittaker and his distant relative Albert. These next two books have solidify this as a must read series for young readers for me.
Paul McCusker was given his first typewriter early in his childhood and hasn't stopped writing since. Paul has written over 300 half-hour audio episodes for Adventures in Odyssey and has also written 18 tie-in novels and two screenplays for the animated series. He was the producer for the series from 1992 to 1996 and the executive producer from 2000 to 2004. Paul is now Director of Creative Content at Focus on the Family. 
Marianne Hering has written six children’s mystery books and more than 40 Bible phonics readers. Now a general book editor for Focus, she is passionate about developing a series for beginning readers. Don't forget to enter the giveaway for these books below.
I received a copy of each book for the purpose of this review from Tyndale House Publishers.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Leaving
I would like to start off by sharing that I am a big fan of Karen Kingsbury 'Red Gloves Collection' of books for the Christmas season but really never kept up with reading her other novels/series, so when I saw an opportunity through Zondervan to review Leaving by Kingsbury I gladly signed on. This latest book had all the depth, detail, and emotion of the other books I have read. I was impressed by this book in its believability with the story of love, fame, stubborn pride, growing up and ultimately moving on to the next chapter of life for the young people of this story. Several things struck me about this book, such as how characters of this story while not perfect are wonderful examples of Christian life, steadfast in their faith and using every opportunity to shine brightly for the Lord in the paths that He has led them. The young lead of these stories Baily Flanigan is a gifted, beautiful young girl that excels in all she does and gives her all to her passion of acting more specifically following the dream of performing on Broadway. Yet instead of being starry eyed, hungry for the fame and fortune that comes with performance and possibly a life as an actress with one successful film already on her resume she is grounded, and humble. Bailey is simply following her dreams, doing what God created her to do and hopes to be a shining light for Him. She is truly an interesting young role model to introduce young men and women to.
There's so much that I liked about this book and about the concept but I must confess it just wasn't the right read for me. It wasn't one of those books that I just couldn't put down; in fact I had to remind myself to take the time to read through it. Reasons for this I think include the fact that most of the characters have come from other book series by Ms Kingsbury. So while this was book one of the Bailey Flanigan series there wasn't much character building or early attempt to make a new connection for those just joining in. Things just seemed to pick up quickly from the other series so right away I didn't feel drawn in. Second it's not my season of life. I'm not on the brink of leaving my family to start my career and life. I am also not a parent of a young adult about to do so. There's also a lot going on and it got a bit overwhelming jumping from several character perspectives and just one or two too many story lines for me to want to dive into.
I received a copy of this book from Zondervan blogs for the purpose of this review.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Money and Marriage
Money and Marriage: A complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples by Matt Bell caught my eye as my Husband and I while not newly married often have a hard time communicating and being on the same page when it comes to budgeting. Plus it's a Christian perspective on money management so I was excited to have scripture to back up our financial planning and decisions. I would say while this book would make a great engagement gift, wedding or 1st anniversary gift, I would also recommend this book for any couple that struggles over finances and budgeting in their marriage no matter how long they have been married.
The book did not disappoint me. It is filled with scripture as well as sound financial advice and budgeting practices. It starts with a section called 'Decoding Each Other's Financial DNA' which is exactly what my Husband and I needed to help us understand each others perspectives and where we are coming from. Part two goes into action plans that covers such topics as budgeting, how to avoid debt, and giving. All which are built around what God's word says. The last section shares on how as a couple you can foster financial oneness with one another covering topics like prenups and deciding whether you should have shared or separate bank accounts. There are also recommended monthly spending guidelines based on salary, recommended housing guidelines and budgeting examples. This book will definitely help couples begin the discussion of finances, start with a strong financial plan/foundation for their marriage and helps also to share many of the items that get overlooked and therefor not planned for. It's a good flowing read too, I read through it with interest and ease. I'm not typically interested in financial topics so it was a great read for me to go through as it engaged me on a personal level. I appreciated the blend of finances, scripture but also the personal aspects that go into two people coming together to create a family like minded in the area of money.
I received a copy for review from NavPress Publishers Blogger Review Program.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Holidays with Crystal Bowman
Crystal Bowman is the author along with illustrator Claudine Gevry of a series of over sized die-cut board books that celebrate the seasons and Holidays with a Christian perspective. The illustrations are engaging and simple as is the storyline of these books. We own a few of these books one of which is An Easter Gift for Me. In this book with rhyming text Bowman shares the story of Jesus from birth, his life, his miracles on to his death and Resurrection. Of the stories I read the ideas are clearly presented for the preschool audience. These are great starter books to share about the different Holidays, seasons and traditions we hold.
Other books in this series include: My Happy Pumpkin, My Thanksgiving Prayer, Jesus, Me and My Christmas Tree, Christmas Angels, My Christmas Stocking, My Christmas Gift, J is For Jesus, A Star for Jesus and My Valentine Story.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Imagination Station
The Imagination Station is an impressive new series which I had a chance to preview the first two books. The books are called Voyage with the Vikings and Attack at the Arena by Marianne Hering and Paul McCusker. They are illustrated by David Hohn. They are about two young children, Cousins Beth and Patrick and their friendship with an inventor named Mr. Whittaker. Mr. Whittaker has invented a time machine called the Imagination Station. During his travels someone else is now able to communicate with Mr. Whittaker through the Imagination Station. This someone else is in need of help but not from Mr. Whittaker rather from Beth and Patrick. So begins Beth and Patrick's adventures traveling through time aboard the Imagination Station.
These books are sure to spark the imagination of young readers. I love the concept and how these stories layer Christian history into the story. I must confess that I have never been much of a history buff but after reading these two books I was online searching, reading and looking for more information about the subjects of these books. In addition to the history, the action, the adventure at the center of these books is solid Biblical teaching by example in how the characters of this book act in word and deed. Your children will be learning a variety of aspects in these books and having fun doing so. One of the many lessons that I took away from these reads is that God is in control. If we follow His will even when it makes no sense it will work out as He planned in the end. We just have to be willing to trust and follow Him. I’ve seen this happen in my life and really connected with the events of this story, how answers were revealed at the needed time. My children aren't old enough for these reads but I am looking forward to sharing with them. I know that they too will have their interest peaked in history and God's word when they do. This is a really fun series and I can't wait to read the rest of the books.
I received a copy of each book for the purpose of this review.
Imagination Station Blog Tour Q&A with Marianne Hering
1. What inspired you to write the Imagination Station series?
Paul (McCusker) had always wanted to write stories about the Imagination Station. When looking to do a kids’ series about it, we chose early elementary to introduce new readers to the Adventures in Odyssey world. We also wanted to touch on a group of kids that didn’t have many Christian books written for their level. There seemed to be a gap from picture books to later elementary readers.
2. The Imagination Station device is well-known to fans of the radio drama Adventures in Odyssey. Why did you and Paul decide to use it in a book series?
It lends itself to stand-alone adventures. It’s a fascinating device. Why wouldn’t he want to write about it? It allowed us to write about settings outside of Odyssey. We’d like some of the books to augment the history kids learn from public school textbooks or TV. The Imagination Station radio dramas are also among the most popular. We thought that kids would like them, that’s all!
3. How true to history are the books?
Now, this is a spoiler. Mr. Whittaker isn’t real. Neither are Patrick and Beth. Though they are named after Paul’s children. Patrick and Beth are his children’s middle names.
Most of the events are based on sagas, legends, or some sort of historical base—except for book 4. All the characters in the War of the Roses story are fictional. For plot purposes, I sped up the storytelling. For example, the events in the Kublai Khan story took place over months, not hours. Same with the Viking book. I wanted Leif to leave for the New World shortly after he brought back the gospel from Norway. In reality, a lot of time passed between the events. I did make some vocabulary exceptions. For example, Marco Polo was Venetian, but I called him Italian—a more familiar term for the readership. But the basic events of books 1 to 3 are true, and the War of the Roses did occur in England with Lords fighting their neighbors, etc. We really just wanted to write about the jousting. Paul did a lot great research for the jousting scene. I had to cut a lot of it, and that made me sad. On the website The ImaginationStation.com, I’ve listed what’s true and what’s exaggerated for each book. There are also nonfiction pages for the kids to read about Leif Ericsson and the other Christian heroes.
4. What do you hope kids will walk away with after reading Imagination Station?
A smile and a desire to learn more about history and faith in Jesus Christ.
5. Can you give us any “sneak peeks” into what we can expect in future books?
Book 5 is a Bible story, a familiar Bible story. The title is “Showdown with the Shepherd.” I think that’s a fairly strong clue. Book 6 is about Miles Standish and William Bradford and Native American relations. It centers on a certain holiday in November. That will end the first story arc. As for the next set of 6, that may depend on sales of the first set. (That’s a strong hint to readers to buy the books so we can keep developing the series.) Be sure to check out the click book for book 1 at TheImaginationStation.com. That way you can tell if these books will be at the right level for your kids.
About the Authors
Paul McCusker was given his first typewriter early in his childhood and hasn't stopped writing since. Paul has written over 300 half-hour audio episodes for Adventures in Odyssey and has also written 18 tie-in novels and two screenplays for the animated series. He was the producer for the series from 1992 to 1996 and the executive producer from 2000 to 2004. Paul is now Director of Creative Content at Focus on the Family. Marianne Hering has written six children’s mystery books and more than 40 Bible phonics readers. Now a general book editor for Focus, she is passionate about developing a series for beginning readers. ***Don't forget to enter the giveaway to win your own copy of these books. Winner to be announced next week.***
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari
The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari is the second book in an interesting new series by Donita K. Paul, Evangeline Denmark and illustrated by Vincent Nguyen. I love the characters of Padraig the dragon and Roger the turtle, two really good friends indeed. In this adventure the two friends are camping out for the evening. They are having fun pretending that they are explorers on a safari and wondering what wild animals they will see in the morning or that they are hearing that night. The two friends have a series of fears, and troubles to overcome in their night camping out. But the two friends help one another and work together to overcome each one. The story itself doesn't make reference to scripture or to God as Christian children's books usually do but it does illustrate being courageous, concern for others and how to be a good friend. In the back of the book there is a discussion topic page with questions for you and your kids to discuss which does relate the story to scripture and God's teachings. The authors also share the scripture that this story was based on in this section, Deuteronomy 31:6. It's a longer read good for ages 5 & up. The use of British phrases seemed out of place and caused us to step back from the storyline as they are unfamiliar to my two but other than that it was a fun adventure to join in on. There's also a bonus silly tale in the back called 'The Legend of Mount Sillymanborrow' which is a little of a puzzler read. The watercolor illustrations are colorful, charming and imaginative. I'm looking forward to reading the first book in this series now, titled The Dragon and The Turtle.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Beginning Reader's Bible
The Beginning Reader's Bible compiled by Tama Fortner and illustrated by Marijke ten Cate is impressive. First I must say I simply love the artwork in this Bible. Marijke ten Cate has done an incredible job illustrating this collection of scriptures from the Bible. The pictures are very engaging, vibrant, colorful, detailed and visually beautiful. Anyone would enjoy simply looking through this illustrated version of the Bible. This is a collection of various scripture passages from the Old and New Testaments, 13 from each and is not the Bible in its entirety as the title seems to suggest. The translation used is the International Children's Bible, which isn't one of my favorites but I see how it is understandable for children. There is also a resource guide in the back including items like Bible facts, songs about Jesus, and charts for tracking progress. It is a good Bible for family devotions with young children as well as a great first devotion Bible for older children. Included along with each scripture passage is a scripture verse for memorization, an applicable activity to do along with the reading and another scripture passage selected as a prayer verse. I appreciate this relation of read, memorize, apply and pray. It sets up a good practice of how to read through the Bible. We will use and enjoy this book for many years.
I received a free copy of this book from Book Sneeze blogger review program for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Precious Moments Storybook Bible
I'm always interested in Children's Bibles and was excited to see Precious Moments had one! It's called Precious Moments Storybook Bible by Sam Butcher. It's filled with adorable Precious Moments illustrations of those cute teardrop eyed children and animals making it a very sweet Children's Bible indeed. It has a section in the front to fill out such items as who this book belongs to, a family tree and a record area for special events. The Bible stories are broken up into three sections: 'Favorite Bible Classics, Words of Praise and Wisdom and More Stories of the Faith'. I really appreciated the section 'Words of Praise and Wisdom' which includes scriptures from Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Isaiah. There's also a section of 'Songs and Prayers' including such favorites as 'Jesus Loves Me' and 'Amazing Grace'. These Bible stories are great for 3 - 8 years old as the stories are a bit lengthy and not the short rhymes that you find in many children's Bibles. I have a few problems with a couple of the stories for example, the creation story leaves off the 7th day of rest and the story of Joseph focuses on the story up to when he's sold into slavery. It concludes summing up the rest of Joseph's story with the fact that Jacob 'didn't know that Joseph would become a successful ruler in Egypt and a faithful man who loved his God'. I would have liked to see more included on Joseph's time in Egypt. It's a beautifully illustrated book with thoughtfully selected Bible stories and lots of opportunities to personalize it into a special keepsake for your child.
I received a free copy of this book from Book Sneeze blogger review program for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt is a life changing, eye opening read about what the Bible says about discipleship and the need to care, not just give, for the poor. This book shines the spotlight on these areas of our lives using scripture. It is all too easy to sit back and say that God has not called me to go or to give up everything for Christ's sake but do we really seek God's will in these areas? Many have bought into a comfortable Christian message that conforms to our desires, our focus on achieving the American dream with our time and talents rather than pursuing to become more like Jesus. I think anyone who reads this book will be changed and have a new perspective on the contrast of simply living out the comfortable American Dream Christianity versus following what God's will is for our lives. Read this book, meditate on the scriptures that it's based on, apply it and see how God changes you. At the end of this book is a section called 'My Radical Experiment' that will help you apply what the Bible teaches about discipleship and helping others in practical, tangible, transforming ways.
I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah blogger review program for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Double Shot
Double Shot by Erynn Mangum is the third book in her Maya Davis series. After reading the 2nd book of this series, ‘Latte Daze’ I was very excited to have the opportunity to review this new book. This book picked up at Maya's roommate Jennifer's wedding and concludes with her own. But from wedding to wedding is not an easy time. Maya's resistance to change is pushed to its near limits. It was an enjoyable read and I had a hard time putting it down. There were some changes from ‘Latte Daze’ though. I found this book not as filled with scripture and Bible truths which I had found surprising, different and refreshing in ‘Latte Daze’. ‘Double Shot’ was more storyline focused with some scripture referenced more typical to other Christian fiction novels I’ve read. This book also focused primarily on Maya with very little development of secondary characters which lead to a minutia of detail in Maya's day to day that got to be overwhelming at times. All and all it's a great light read with a good message. I look forward to following along as Maya embraces the upcoming big changes in her life.
I received a free copy of this book from NavPress for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
God Gave Us Christmas
God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren and illustrated by David Hohn is a wonderful journey that a young cub and her mother take to find out how God gave us Christmas. This story is not just another perspective on the Scripture story of the birth of Jesus, this rather speaks to the why Jesus came and who he is. There are many Biblical truths shared in this story as response to the sweet innocents of child's questions. Through their travels the evidence of God and his good gift is found in the awe and wonder of the natural world around us, from the Northern Lights to an early spring flower. These natural wonders show the power, goodness, light of God from the dark and more. I couldn't agree more that evidence of God is all around us. This is a wonderful read to reveal the true meaning of Christmas and the wonderful gift God has given us. The artwork is bold, colorful and engaging. This story also responds to the question and curiosity children have with Santa at this time of year. I love the simple answer that 'Santa reminds us of many good things like generosity and care.'
This is just one of the polar bear stories from the God Gave Us... series by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Others in this series include: God Gave Us You, God Gave Us Two, God Gave us Heaven and God Gave us Love. Coming out in January is the latest of this series, God Gave us the World.
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