Nate Saint: Heavenbound

As a child, Nate Saint longed to learn to fly. His wish came true, and he eventually flew supplies to missionaries in Ecuador. In Nate Saint: Heavenbound, you learn of the life of Mr. Saint, who was killed in 1956 by natives he was trying to reach with the Gospel. This book is written by Renee Taft Meloche and illustrated by Bryan Pollard.

"When Nate grew up he learned to fly
and thought how he could be
a pilot and still serve the Lord
our God wholeheartedly."

With this, Nate and his family set off to Ecuador and begin flying in supplies to missionaries. It's when he decides to try to make contact with the Auca (which means "savage") that things go awry for Nate and he and some of his fellow missionaries are killed.

What I Like: The illustrations are especially eye-catching and give you a good feel for the jungle and its inhabitants Nate might have encountered.

What I Dislike: In a few spots, the rhyme didn't quite work. I would have liked to know who Nate flew with on his fateful final mission, too.

For younger readers, there's a section towards the end where the Auca Indian man tells a lie about spending the night with an Auca woman; this is the inciting incident that leads to the death of Nate and his friends. While I realize this is factual, I wonder if it could have been handled more delicately for the younger crowd.

Also, this book lacks a bibliography, which I would have liked to see for additional reference.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: 6 and up.

Publisher Info: YWAM Publishing, 2001; ISBN: 978-157658229-9; Hardback $8.99

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We've reviewed other books in the "Heroes for Young Readers" series by Renee Taft Melochee. You can find them here.