Between Two Kingdoms

Between Two Kingdoms, by Joe Boyd, is a powerful allegory about living in the last days of Earth. Reminiscent of Pilgrim's Progress, but less didactic, Between Two Kingdoms tells the story of Tommy, Mary and their friends, who are given a chance to leave the Upper Kingdom (Heaven) and return to the Lower Kingdom (Earth), in order to prepare people for the last attack of the enemy. Tommy, Mary and Bobby live in the Upper Kingdom, where they are eternally seven years old, have continual access to the King and His son, the Prince, live on a diet of warm cookies and milk and spend their days building tree houses. Only their love for the Prince makes them willing to travel to the Lower Kingdom, which is ugly, polluted and ruled by the Dark Prince.

Tommy, Mary and Bobby are afraid, but are willing to appear as grown-ups and relive painful memories, in order to serve the Prince and persuade people to seek shelter in His life-giving River. The Dark Prince has devised a scheme to cast the entire Kingdom into darkness, in an effort to make people forget the light and doubt the love of the Great King and the Prince. The children soon meet Pops and Roger, who mentor them and teach them how to reach people who have forgotten about the King. The children and their mentors all have important roles to play before the Dark Prince and his Phantoms can be defeated and the separation between the worlds can be bridged.

This book is a unique and memorable allegory, comparing the Long Night to the end times, and using personality traits to define characters and remind us where our true allegiance should lie. Most compelling is Tommy's struggle to accept the role of leader, while retaining the gift of humility the Prince has given him. The Dark Prince appears kind, wise and attractive, but at the last moment, Tommy understands his true nature and remains loyal to the King. In the end, many people are saved, the Long night is ended, and the children are reunited, to share a breakfast of cookies and milk once more.

What I Like: I like the way the characters are presented as both seven-year-olds, and adults. I am embarrassed to admit I was half-way through the book before I remembered Jesus' words, ". . . unless you are converted and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). Boyd is creative and innovative in his portrayal of the kingdom of Heaven.

I also like how appealing the Dark Prince is. Of course, I didn't like the Dark Prince, but I think we often expect Satan to appear in a blatantly evil manner. We are reminded several times in this book things are not always as good as they seem.

There are also several true heroes in this story, both male and female and young and old. This tale will appeal to people of all ages and walks of life.

What I Dislike: This book is small (6 1/2" by 5+") and the type is also small. I am afraid this may make it seem overwhelming to more reluctant readers, even though the story is engaging and fast-paced.

I also had a hard time keeping the names straight. I am guessing Boyd used diminutive forms of names (Tommy, Bobby, Joey, etc. . .) to remind us of the characters' true nature as children, but it got confusing at times.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: not listed, but I would say 12 and up (older adults may enjoy it as well)

Publisher Info: Standard Publishing, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-7847-2358-6; Paperback, $9.99

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Monks and Mystics

Bringing history to life by presenting it like a novel, Monks and Mystics is one of the most entertaining history books you or your child will ever read. It is the second in the "History Lives" series by Mindy and Brandon Withrow and covers the "Chronicles of the Medieval Church."

The majority of chapters present part of the story behind an important figure in the early church, written with the action, dialogue, and description of a good novel. Interspersed between these chapters are a few short, strictly nonfiction chapters, explaining such things as how the pope came to be, how Islam affected Christian history, and the councils of the Medieval church.

The novelized chapters cover Gregory the Great, Boniface, Charlemagne, Constantine and Methodius, Vladmir, Anselm of Canterbury, Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of Sienna, John Wyclif, and John Haus.

Although a book covering Christianity during this time period must focus on the Catholic church (because there was no other church), the authors stress: "Modern Protestants disagree with quite a few medieval ideas, but that does not mean that the men and women of the Middle Ages were always wrong or that they did not love God's Word. In fact, despite their differences, later Protestants admired many medieval thinkers...Like Christians of all eras, they made both positive and negative contributions to the church."

Though Medieval Christians are perhaps best known for the Crusades, they also translated the Bible into several languages for the first time, including English. Constantine and Methodius even created a written Slavic language so they could give the Slavs a Bible. Like Christians of all eras, they also strove to help the needy, teach the gospel, keep the church pure, and deal with the politics surrounding them.

What I Like: The concept behind these books is excellent. Very few of us don't enjoy reading a novel more than a dry history book. Monks and Mystics gives us the best of both worlds by giving us historic fact combined with good story telling.

What I Dislike: My only gripe with this book is its treatment of the Crusades. Unfortunately, many people have forgotten the fact that Muslim armies invaded Europe, hoping to make them Islamic lands, and Monks and Mystics doesn't seek to remind anyone of this. It almost seems as though the Withrows wish to make the Crusades apolitical and non-religious. This is not to say Europeans were without fault during the many Crusades, or that some endorsed the Crusades for political reasons or personal gain. However, there were understandable reasons for Europeans to fight many of the Crusades, also. (For a few ideas about the real history of the Crusades, click here.)

Overall Rating: Despite this flaw, however, the book is Very Good, overall.

Age Appeal: 9 - 12.

Publishing Info: Christian Focus, 2005; ISBN: 978-1845500832; paperback, $8.99

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Special Info: Read our other reviews of Mindy and Brandon Withrow's books.

Whitney Climbs the Tower of Babel and Learns What Happens to Snobs

In Whitney Climbs the Tower of Babel and Learns What Happens to Snobs, written by Therese Johnson Borchard, Whitney Bickham and her soccer team mates are on a winning streak. They are supposed to be preparing for the next game, but because they have done so well this year, they feel like they don’t need to practice any more.

When the team shows up for practice after their latest win, the coach gives them a lecture about their lack of effort during practice. Even though they have done well during the games, he’s fed up with their boasting and thinking they can slack off after each game. Instead of having practice, the coach sends the team home to think things over. His parting words to them are, “If any of you think you don’t need practice, I don’t want you on the team. I’d rather have a couple of struggling kids who work hard at this game than some gifted players who think they know everything.”

Whitney goes home and gets out her grandmother’s Emerald Bible. The Bible transports her back in time to the land of Shinar where the Tower or Babel is being built. Whitney gets to hear all the workers bragging about their tower – how big it is, how wonderful it is, how much better it is than any tower ever built. Whitney is around to witness God’s wrath when he turns the workers against each other by making them speak in tongues they don’t understand. She realizes how destructive an arrogant attitude can be and resolves to change her ways (and hopefully convince her teammates to do the same).

Detailed line drawings by Wendy VanNest liven up nearly every page. And, all the pages, those with text and those with just pictures, are highlighted with a green background.

What I Like: I like time-travel books where modern-day people get to travel back in time and witness historic events as they are happening.

What I Dislike: Whitney must open a magic Bible, her “Emerald Bible,” in order to get sent back in time. The Bible was a gift from her grandmother who shared many Bible stories with her, and Whitney travels back to Biblical times where she learns valuable lessons she can apply to her present situation. However, I’m a bit uncomfortable with the idea of a Bible having “magical” properties. The premise works well with this series, but I just don’t like the Bible being used for magic, no matter how good the intentions are. However, having said that, I’m sure this type of story is popular, and if it makes kids want to read, and learn about, the Bible, then it has its good side.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 9-12.

Publisher Info: Paulist Press, 2001; ISBN: 0809166755; Paperback, $5.95.

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Camp Club Girls: McKenzie's Montana Mystery

My eight-year-old daughter and I were thrilled to get McKenzie's Montana Mystery in our mailbox a few weeks ago. The third book in Barbour Publishing's Camp Club Girls series, McKenzie's Montana Mystery continues the story of six girls who met at camp and have remained on-line friends. Each book highlights an adventure a couple of the girls have. They keep in contact with the other girls in Internet chat rooms, and via email. In book three, McKenzie and Bailey spend time on a horse ranch, training for various rodeo competitions and trying to solve the mystery of a stolen horse.

Bailey joins McKenzie at a horse camp for girls in rural Montana. Bailey is nine, and the youngest of the Camp Club Girls. She enjoys spending time with McKenzie, but she also feels a bit jealous. McKenzie has been riding horses longer, and is better at barrel-racing and the other competitive events. Bailey also wishes she could take McKenzie's place in the Junior Miss Rodeo contest. However, the focus of the girls' attention quickly turns to their sponsor, Emma, and her prize-wining horse, Diamond Girl, who was stolen just a week before the rodeo.

The girls continue to train, but use all their free time to collect clues. Soon, they realize a strange horse is being kept in an abandoned Western town near the camp. They sneak out and clip some of its hair to send to Kate, who will use a science kit to test for dye. When Kate tells them the horse has, indeed, been painted, they realize it is Diamond Girl in disguise. However, when they try to tell Emma, they find out she is in the hospital with a possible broken arm. Then they receive a threatening note, and decide they better keep their clues to themselves until they find out who stole Diamond Girl. At the end of the rodeo, after McKenzie has won both the barrel-racing and the Junior Rodeo Queen competitions, and Bailey has won the sheep chase, the clues all fall into place. Maggie, a neighboring farmer, stole Diamond Girl so she could win the rodeo events and start a new therapy ranch. At the last minute, the police arrest her, and Emma is reunited with Diamond Girl.

What I Like: This mystery series is perfect for young girls who love God, value their friends, and like suspense. All six of the main characters are sweet and kind, but with their own quirky and unique personalities. The mysteries are old-fashioned and will remind readers of Nancy Drew, while being tame enough not to cause any lasting stress. I also like how the series emphasizes loving God, knowing His Word, and trying to do what He would want.

My daughter and I learned lots of fun information about horses and rodeos, and I enjoyed the interactions between Bailey and McKenzie. Shari Barr realistically portrayed the tension between Bailey and McKenzie. Bailey loved her friend and wanted her to win the competitions, but still felt jealous and insecure. McKenzie understood Bailey's feelings and did her best to comfort her, but still competed to the best of her ability.

What I Dislike: Although I enjoyed the book overall, the writing wasn't as tight and the biblical message wasn't as solid as in the first two books. Each book is written by a different author, and this time it was more apparent. Some of the conversations were awkward, and the plot didn't resolve until the last half of the last chapter. It felt like there were extraneous clues, and at several points, the girls should have told Emma what was going on.

Also, the biblical theme was centered around McKenzie suspecting a stable hand of being involved in the disappearance of Diamond Girl. She asked for forgiveness more than once, but there didn't seem to be anything to forgive. Although McKenzie suspected the stable hand, she still treated him with kindness and didn't voice her concerns to any of his superiors. A better biblical theme would have been Bailey overcoming her insecurity to be happy with who God made her.

Also, there were only a few Scripture references this time, as opposed to a half-dozen in the other books. In the other books, at least one Scripture was repeated often enough for readers to really internalize its message.

Overall Rating: Good, by itself, but Very Good as a series

Age Appeal: 8-12

Publisher Info: Barbour Publishing, 2009; ISBN: 978-1-60260-269-4; Paperback, $5.97

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other Camp Club Girls books here.

The Astonishing Journey of Teddy Bodain

If you are looking for an adventure story that will make you both laugh and cry, The Astonishing Journey of Teddy Bodain is a book you'll want to add to your personal library. Teddy (Theodora) Bodain, is a ten year old girl who is on her way to Florida with her family in the late nineteenth century. As they are traveling by wagon train, she writes letters to her best friend Martha. The whole book is comprised of the 130 letters she writes on her journeys.

The illustrations by Dave Olson, are as historically accurate, as they are well done. There are illustrations on every page spread.

Teddy's journey takes her from Mississippi to Florida encountering events joyful, humorous, and tragic. The love the Bodain family shares is beautiful to read. They brave river crossings, sickness and death, separation, and thievery. As Teddy recounts her experiences to her friend, you will see that she is a very brave little girl!

What I Like: This book is so hard to put down, a compelling read. There's a glossary at the end of the book that is so helpful. I found it very useful when I wasn't sure what linseed oil was! My little girls are too young for this story, but I cannot wait to read it with them when they are old enough. This is a special piece of literature.

What I Dislike: I really don't dislike anything about this book.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 8-12, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would imagine that a teenager would find it very interesting.

Publisher Info: Buttery Moon Multimedia, 2009; ISBN:0979009456 ; Paperback, $10.95

Buy it Now from the author's website for $10.95.

Special Info: Parents may want to know that there is a death in the book. Teddy's baby brother dies of yellow fever. The whole event is handled compassionately in the book and is appropriate for its intended age appeal. Are you a teacher? On the author's website, there is a teacher's edition of the book that includes 130 lesson plans.