Angels: A 90-Day Devotional about God's Messengers

Angels: A 90-Day Devotional About God’s Messengers, by Christa Kinde, is as the title implies, 90 days of devotions about angels. Each day's devotion starts with a Bible verse about an angel that is mentioned in the Bible (i.e, Gabriel), or answers a question about angels. Other Bible verses are scattered throughout the text. 

Each devotion also includes a discussion about the day's topic and ends with a section called "Dig a Little Deeper." this section contains questions that require discussion and/or future research about the topic.

What I Like: I like the thorough way the author has addressed the idea of angels. She discusses the subject from multiple angles, giving in-depth evidence for their existence.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: Teens and up.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2015; ISBN: 9780310747659; Paperback, 192 pages, $9.99.

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The Kindle edition is available for $5.99.

Special Info: Visit the author’s website.

The Plans I Have for You Devotional

The Plans I Have For You Devotional by Amy Parker is a book of 90 daily devotionals. The book is divided into six sections; each section has 15 devotions. Each section highlights a character of the Bible as well as a specific thought

Each section highlights a character of the Bible, providing Bible verses and stories to show how the section title relates to that particular character as well as to our individual lives. A couple of section titles are "There's Nothing You Can't Do" and "I've Given You a Purpose." Moses is highlighted in the section called "There's Nothing You Can't Do" and Mordecai in the other one. Each section is filled with poems, stories, quizzes, scriptures and other items of interest that relate to the topic of that section.

Black and white illustrations by Vanessa Brantley-Newton are plentiful throughout and are multicultural in nature.

What I Like: Just about everything.

What I Dislike: Since the book is divided into 6 sections and each section has 15 devotions in it, and since the number "90" in printed in the upper left-hand corner of the cover, I thought each devotion would be numbered, i.e., #1 - #90. They are not. That's not really a problem; I just thought they would be.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: I'd say this book would be great for tweens and teens, so ages 9 and up would be about right.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2015; ISBN: 9780310725220; Paperback, , 160 pages, $14.99. 

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other books by Amy Parker. Visit Amy Parker’s website.

Beyond the Attic Door

Beyond the Attic Door,  by Tracy Del Campo, is set in the year 1925, the year of "the Scopes' Trial." John Scopes, a school teacher, is on trial for teaching about evolution in the classroom. The topics of God and the Bible, and of course evolution, are being hotly debated throughout the land. Many people think the outcome of the trial will be the death of religion.

But for Lulu and her 7-year-old brother, Buddy, who were raised in a family with a firm belief in God, their beliefs are not being shaken by the trial. Actually, their faith is still very strong. They do believe in science but they don't believe in evolution; their beliefs are based on Bible truths.

When the children visit their grandmother for the summer, they come across a machine their uncle made. He has it hidden in Grandma's attic. Not knowing what it does, they accidentally trip the device and end up in the past, all the way back to Biblical times. Their uncle invented the machine so he could go back in time to witness a major Biblical event. With his camera in hand, he could then take pictures and bring them back with him to the present, so he could prove the Bible is true. Of course, his plans don't work out so well.

What I Like: I like how the author combines the ideas of evolution, the Scopes trial, and a time machine in one story.

What I Dislike: However, although the premise is a good one, the storytelling part falls short. It feels like the author is trying to do too much in the story in such a short format. Perhaps, if the book were longer, the ideas would have worked better. The way it is written, the story is a choppy and not quite believable.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Westbow Press, 2014; ISBN: 9781490837079; Paperback, 90 pages, $11.95.

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Ten Things I Must Know: Bible Stories

Ten Things I Must Know: Bible Stories, by Elizabeth Akinteye, is a book of 10 Bible stories based on the 10 Commandments. The stories are preceded by an explanation of each commandment.

Colorful illustrations by Kate Solenova, that each make up a two-page spread, are scattered throughout the book.  Each chapter includes a head-shot of a child, which alternates between a boy and a girl.

What I Like: Sometimes it doesn't make a lot of sense to a child when you just give them a rule, like "honor thy father and thy mother." What does that really mean? The author does a good job of presenting the concepts of the commandments, with not only an explanation, but also a story that illustrates the point further.

What I Dislike: The illustrations of the children, both on the cover and in the book, appear to be computer-generated and are not very realistic.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: Ages 7 and up.

Publisher Info: Grosvenor House Publishing, 2015; ISBN: 9781781489802; Paperback, 80, $13.99.

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Special Info: Visit the author’s website.

That's Not Hay in My Hair

That’s Not Hay in My Hair,  by Juliette Turner, is the story of soon-to-be sixth-grader Juliette (Jules) O'Connor. After her end-of-the-year school party, she and her mother are leaving New York City to live on a cattle ranch in Texas. Her mother was born and raised in Texas, but left the state to live in New York City to work on her career as a writer. She bought a ranch in Texas, but never lived there, only going back to visit. Now, she and Jules will live there full time.

Jule's mother is familiar with life in Texas and life on a 300 acre cattle ranch. But, Jules has no clue what things will be like. She is terrified by stories of snakes and scorpions and coyotes. When the two arrive at the ranch, fully expecting to be looked after by long-time caretaker Beau-Dee, they are surprised to learn he will be leaving the ranch for good the very next day. How will the two survive on the ranch by themselves?

What I Like: I appreciated all this little "factoids" that were thrown into the storyline. The author did a good job of adding useful and interesting tidbits to the narrative, increasing my knowledge of cattle and horses.

What I Dislike: It was difficult for me to get into the story. I thought from the opening chapters, when Jules is preparing to move out of New York City and into a cattle ranch in the heart of Texas, there would be lots of conflicts between the city life and the country life. There wasn't. There was barely any mention of it at all.

I thought there would be a lot of problems that they would have to deal with on their own that they would normally have relied on Beau-Dee's help to figure out. Although there were a lot of problems to deal with, they didn't exactly have to do things by themselves. There was always someone who was just a phone call away. Turns out they really didn't need Beau-Dee, although the opening of the story made it sound like they would.

The author included a lot of things in the text that left me with more questions than answers. Here are just some of them (Unfortunately, there were many more.): How could a dog drag mud into the house when it hadn't rained? If Texas was so hot, why did Jules wait so long to react to the heat? Who actually set off the fireworks at their 4th of July party? What kind of vine has thorns in it?  If Maggie's left foot was so sore, why was that the one that she stamped the ground with? How come Jule's mother was caught totally off guard when Jules mentioned her first day of school was the next day?

There was also overuse of the actions of eye rolling, smirking and shoulder and head patting.

Although the book was published by Zonderkidz, Christianity seemed to be just an after-thought. Jules does superstitious things like crossing her fingers and her toes. Her mom kept using the phrase "Holy Moses." Prayer was offered before only one meal, by Jule's grandmother, at the end of which she crossed herself, even though Jules stated she wasn't Catholic. Early parts of the book mentioned they went to church in NYC, but there is no mention of them going to church in Texas.

Overall Rating: Ho hum.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2016; ISBN 9780310732440; Paperback, 240 pages, $8.99.

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TheKindle edition is available for $5.99.

Special Info: Just for girls.

That's Not Hay in My Hair

That’s Not Hay in My Hair,  by Juliette Turner, is the story of soon-to-be sixth-grader Juliette (Jules) O'Connor. After her end-of-the-year school party, she and her mother are leaving New York City to live on a cattle ranch in Texas. Her mother was born and raised in Texas, but left the state to live in New York City to work on her career as a writer. She bought a ranch in Texas, but never lived there, only going back to visit. Now, she and Jules will live there full time.

Jule's mother is familiar with life in Texas and life on a 300 acre cattle ranch. But, Jules has no clue what things will be like. She is terrified by stories of snakes and scorpions and coyotes. When the two arrive at the ranch, fully expecting to be looked after by long-time caretaker Beau-Dee, they are surprised to learn he will be leaving the ranch for good the very next day. How will the two survive on the ranch by themselves?

What I Like: I appreciated all this little "factoids" that were thrown into the storyline. The author did a good job of adding useful and interesting tidbits to the narrative, increasing my knowledge of cattle and horses.

What I Dislike: It was difficult for me to get into the story. I thought from the opening chapters, when Jules is preparing to move out of New York City and into a cattle ranch in the heart of Texas, there would be lots of conflicts between the city life and the country life. There wasn't. There was barely any mention of it at all.

I thought there would be a lot of problems that they would have to deal with on their own that they would normally have relied on Beau-Dee's help to figure out. Although there were a lot of problems to deal with, they didn't exactly have to do things by themselves. There was always someone who was just a phone call away. Turns out they really didn't need Beau-Dee, although the opening of the story made it sound like they would.

The author included a lot of things in the text that left me with more questions than answers. Here are just some of them (Unfortunately, there were many more.): How could a dog drag mud into the house when it hadn't rained? If Texas was so hot, why did Jules wait so long to react to the heat? Who actually set off the fireworks at their 4th of July party? What kind of vine has thorns in it?  If Maggie's left foot was so sore, why was that the one that she stamped the ground with? How come Jule's mother was caught totally off guard when Jules mentioned her first day of school was the next day?

There was also overuse of the actions of eye rolling, smirking and shoulder and head patting.

Although the book was published by Zonderkidz, Christianity seemed to be just an after-thought. Jules does superstitious things like crossing her fingers and her toes. Her mom kept using the phrase "Holy Moses." Prayer was offered before only one meal, by Jule's grandmother, at the end of which she crossed herself, even though Jules stated she wasn't Catholic. Early parts of the book mentioned they went to church in NYC, but there is no mention of them going to church in Texas.

Overall Rating: Ho hum.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2016; ISBN 9780310732440; Paperback, 240 pages, $8.99.

Buy now at ChristianBook $7.19!

Or buy at Amazon $8.99.

TheKindle edition is available for $5.99.

Special Info: Just for girls.

Power Prayers for Boys

Power Prayers for Boys by Glenn Hascall is, as the title implies, a book of prayers for boys. Each chapter deals with a different "type of power." For instance, some chapter headings are "My Attitude: The Power of My Thoughts"; "My Family - The Power of Love"; and "My Respect - The Power of Honor." Each chapter has 15 prayers relating to the chapter subject matter and each prayer is preceded by a corresponding Bible verse.

The writers use several different versions of the Bible for reference: NIV (New International Version); CEV (Contemporary English Version); NCV (New Century Version); NLT (New Living Translation); NLV (New Living Version); and NLT (New Living Translation).

What I Like: This looks like a good book for boys to go use. It gives them guidance and insights about 21 different topics that are relevant to them in their daily lives.

What I Dislike: I don't really like the type size used for the pages. The book is printed in a rather small type face. I think it would feel more user-friendly if the type were just a bit bigger.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Shiloh Kidz, 2015; ISBN: 9781630588588; Paperback, 218 pages, $7.99.

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Special Info: The title suggests this book is just for boys. Although some of the issues are specifically addressed to boys, many of these are relevant to girls, as well.

Read our reviews of other books by Glenn Hascall.

Glimmer Girls: A Dolphin Wish

Glimmer Girls: A Dolphin Wish, by Christian Grammy winning artist Natalie Grant, is the second book in the FaithGirlz Glimmer Girls series.  Once again, Mia and Maddie are solving a mystery  again with their little sister Lulu!  Their mother is a famous singer so the entire family gets to travel with her around the world to her concerts. In the last book they traveled to London.  In this book they travel to the San Diego, California. While there, they visit an amusement park and encounter a mystery involving the animals.  The sisters also deal with feelings of jealousy between them while in San Diego.

What I Like: I appreciate that this book can stand alone from the first book in the series.   You will not be lost at all if you haven't read the first book and decide that you want to start with this one.

If you read my review of the first book, you will remember that I was concerned about  one of the characters sneaking out at night and not receiving consequences.  This disobedience was addressed more thoroughly in this second book.   I also appreciated the family discussions and their reliance on God throughout the book.

What I Dislike:  There was nothing I disliked about this book.

 
Overall Rating: Excellent.
 
Age Appeal: 8-12.
 
Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2016; ISBN:0310752531; Paperback, 144 pages, $8.99.

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Special Info: You can read my review of the first book in the series, Glimmer Girls: London Art Chase by clicking here.

Glimmer Girls: London Art Chase

Glimmer Girls: London Art Chase, by Christian Grammy winning music artist Natalie Grant, is the first book in the Faithgirlz Glimmer Girls Series.  Mia and Maddie are 10-year-old twins who fly to London with their little sister Lulu to watch their famous mother Gloria Glimmer sing in concert. While there they encounter a mystery.  The girls and their nanny try to solve who stole art from the National Gallery.

What I Like: I liked the elements of faith that were written throughout the book.  The characters struggled with feelings of jealousy, not fitting in and fear.  These were all addressed with the characters being told to pray and trust in God.

What I Dislike: There is a part in the story where the 10-year-old main character sneaks out of her hotel room in London to try to solve the mystery on her own.  She ends up being okay but I was disappointed that she did not receive consequences for sneaking out and putting herself in danger.  I think this really would have been a good opportunity for a teaching point on honesty, obedience and safety.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2016; ISBN: 987-0-310-75265-3; Paperback, 208 pgs., $8.99

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Ori's Amazing Story: Faith in God's Plan

In Ori’s Amazing Story: Faith in God’s Plan, by Mike and Carol Wyrick, Ori is a young donkey. He is sold to a merchant who uses him to pull his cart. Ori isn’t really happy to just pull a cart as he believes he has a higher purpose. One day, a couple of men borrow Ori for a special purpose. Ori becomes the donkey Jesus rides into Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday.

There are small black-and-white illustrations scattered throughout the text, with full-size illustrations at the beginning of each chapter.

The authors include a detailed Discussion Guide at the end of the book, with questions relating to each chapter.

What I Like: I like reading Bible stories told from different perspectives other than the traditional one. This one is told by a donkey.

What I Dislike: Nothing, really.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Trusted Books, 2014; ISBN: 9781632692498; Paperback, 80 pages, $11.99.

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Trouble at Silver Pines Inn

Trouble at Silver Pines Inn, written by Gloria Repp is a Christian mystery novel for children ages 9-12.  The main character, Nick encounters mystery and adventure while working with his mother and brother at his aunt's beach side inn.  Nick meets a variety of interesting guests at the inn and also needs to take care of his grouchy grandfather.

Readers will love that the story is told from Nick's point of view.  They get to join him as he shares his faith and belief in Jesus Christ with others.   It is fun to travel with Nick as he solves mysteries in the inn, learns about the Jersey shore, makes new friends and encounters disaster!

What I Like: As a 5th grade teacher in a Christian school, I am always on the lookout for quality Christian literature for this age level. I truly loved this book!  It was exciting and suspenseful.  The characters were truly realistic and will remind the children of people in their own lives.

The author also truly did her research!  She wrote detailed descriptions of the setting and animals of the region. There was also scientific information included within the story line about why kites fly.  Best of all the author includes scripture and Biblical principles.
 
What I Dislike: There was nothing about the story or the writing that I disliked. However, I didn't think that the illustrations did the story justice.  The drawings are black and white and not as beautiful as the descriptions in the story.

Overall Rating: Very Good


Age Appeal: 9-12
 
Publisher Info: JourneyForth BJU Press 1998; ISBN:978-1-57924-000-4;  Paperback chapter book, 149 pages, $8.99

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Special Info: Teachers and Homeschooling Moms should be aware that a Trouble at Silver Pines Inn Teacher's Guide is available for $23.89.  I use this guide when I read this novel with my students.  I find it extremely helpful.  It provides a verse to apply to each chapter and worksheets, activities and science experiments.

The Story of An Ordinary Lion

In The Story of an Ordinary Lion, by Janet Doolaege, Leo is a lion living in the desert. One day, after suffering a thorn stuck in his paw, a winged lion comes to him in a vision and tells him to go to a nearby monastery. There he will be well cared for.

Leo limps his way to the monastery where he is met with fear and amazement by everyone except Father Jerome. Father Jerome removes the thorn and tells Leo he can stay as long as he likes.

Leo’s paw heals quickly. He decides he likes it at the monastery and has no real wish to leave. He is given the task of guarding Rebecca, the donkey, when she is out hauling firewood for the monks. When Rebecca comes up missing, Leo is accused of killing her and eating her. He is, after all, a lion. But he didn’t do it. How can he convince the monks that he’s innocent?

Only a few colored pictures by Paolo Santoro are scattered through the text, but they are all nicely done.

What I Like: I really like the illustrations. I also like the main theme of the story, that no one and nobody is really ordinary.

What I Dislike: However, having said that, I must point out that the author tries to cover many themes in the story. He mentions the importance of accuracy when translating scriptures, forgiveness, and friendship. He also throws in the idea of logic, winged lions and angels. While all of these are good topics and themes, they just seem like too much to deal with in the same book, especially for children.

Also, the author uses the word “caravanserai” in the text, but that word is never defined. I don’t know what it means. Do you?

And, she uses the phrase “…we ran hell for leather…” which doesn’t seem very appropriate for a book of this nature.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 6-12.

Publisher Info: New Generation Publishing, 2014; ISBN: 9781785070242; Paperback, 112 pages, $11.99.

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The Kindle version is also available for $2.99.

The Case of the Campfire Caper

The Case of the Campfire Caper (Bill the Warthog Mysteries) by Dean Anderson is one in a series of Bill the Warthog Mysteries books.

In this book, Bill and Nick and several other boys go on a week long trip to camp. As each chapter accounts a part of the day Bill and Nick are living, a small "mystery" occurs. Based on the information read through the chapter, children are encouraged to figure out the solution to the mystery and why the content of the day was important to the biblical theme woven throughout the story.

In The Case of the Campfire Caper, the theme throughout the book is Creation. Rather than going through the typical "Day one- God made light," a subtle mention of light is made and then children are asked why if was so fitting for light to be the answer to the solution on the first day of camp.

The solution answers are at the back of the book and include another page of reading to end each chapter. Although this book would be great for boys (the characters in this particular book are all boys), my seven and a half year old daughter enjoyed it very much.

What I Like: Because the Creation account is so foundational to our faith, I love finding books that reiterate and review Creation for my children. I also like the way this story causes children to stretch their minds a bit in order to solve the mystery in each chapter.

What I Dislike: I liked this book very much.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 8-12 years.

Publisher Info: Legacy Press, 2011; ISBN: 978-1-58411-081-1; paperback, 112 pgs., $7.99


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40 Days, 40 Bites: A Family Guide to Pray For the World

In 40 Days, 40 Bites: A Family Guide to Pray for the World, author Trudi Parkes covers the needs of more than twenty different countries around the world. She talks about hunger, poverty, the need for clean water, and the need for Bible translators. As hard as it might be to believe, there are still millions of people around the world who have not yet heard about Jesus.

Each day’s devotion focuses on a different topic or a different part of the world. Each devotion has a Bible reference. The layout and info varies, but some day’s devotions have sections called “New Words,” “Did You Know?” and “Fact File.” Each of these includes additional information about the day’s topic. Each devotion also includes a sample prayer as well as a specific item to pray for.

What I Like: I like the format of the book, with 40 different ways to pray for people around the world, so you can learn about one person/one place each day for 40 days. You can do one chapter every day or break it down into whatever form works best for you.

What I Dislike: I’m puzzled as to why the title is 40 DAYS, 40 BITES, when this book does not deal with food in any particular way. Perhaps the author liked the way it sounded because it's almost like "40 days, 40 nights?" I think the title is a bit misleading as I was expecting a book that perhaps provided 40 different ways to eat healthier in 40 days or 40 ways to help stamp out hunger in 40 days.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: The way this book is written, it’s great for the whole family. Young children would need the book read/explained to them, while older ones could read for themselves. The targeted reading age would probably be 10 and up.

Publisher Info: CF4Kids, 2014; ISBN: 9781781914014; paperback, 96 pages, $7.99.

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Special Info: Be aware the author spells many words the British way. For example, “organization” is spelled “organisation” and “labor” is spelled “labour.” This isn’t a problem, it’s just good to be aware of the different spellings so you don’t think the text is filled with typos.

 

Tales from the Circle C Ranch

Author Susan K. Marlow has done a clever thing: She's created three different series of books featuring the same heroine at different stages of life. In the Circle C Beginnings books, plucky, horse-loving Andrea Carter is just starting school, at age 6. In the Circle C Adventures books, Andrea is 12 years old. And in Circle C Milestones, Andrea is a teen. Therefore, as readers grow and mature, so does the heroine of Marlow's books. Since the Circle C Beginnings books have been a blessing in our house, I was excited when I learned Marlow had just released a book of short stories that tie together all the books in her three series. My daughter has not yet read the next level of books (those in the Circle C Adventures series), and this new book of short stories, Tales from the Circle C Ranch, seemed like a perfect way to ease into them.

In Tales from the Circle C Ranch, the author has combined a variety of stories from her three series. Perhaps they were chapters that were cut from her other books, or perhaps she just had shorter stories she wanted to tell about her young heroine affectionately known as Andi. Either way, readers will be delighted that Andrea continues to get into "fixes" in each story in this book - and learns a few lessons, too. As always, she loves her horses, struggles against early 1900s social norms, and has plenty of adventures.

What I Like: Andrea's character is one my children can easily relate to. She means well, but often gets into trouble. Marlow does a wonderful job of making readers love and relate to her heroine and some portions of the book are funny, while others are touching.

What I Dislike: If you've not read every book in Marlow's three different series starring Andrea Carter, you will occasionally feel left out. A few times, events are mentioned you'll know nothing about. However, my children and I didn't find this problematic - and it only made my daughter want to read more of Marlow's books. Also, while God and prayer are mentioned in this book, I wish the theme of faith played a stronger role. Nevertheless, this is a good read for fans of Andrea Carter.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: The publisher says 8 - 12, but I think kids as young as 6 will enjoy this book as a read aloud.

Publishing Info: Kregel, 2015; ISBN 978-0825443794; paperback, 160 pgs., $7.99

Buy at Amazon for $7.99; or buy the Kindle version for $6.15.

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The Fight for Kidsboro (Adventures in Odyssey)

If your family loves Adventures in Odyssey's radio dramas, your kids are sure to find The Fight for Kidsboro exciting. Because if there's anything better than an Adventures in Odyssey show, it's an Adventures in Odyssey book!

Based on the radio drama of the same name, Kidsboro is written by Marshal Younger and follows the original script closely, though it's not exactly the same: In the woods behind Whit's End, there's a whole little town where no one over 14 years old is allowed. But this means the kids have a lot of struggles to experience: Who's in charge? What to do about the lawsuit against them? And what about the alternate town some other kids created? There's a huge learning curve for the kids - and a way to make Kidsboro a ghost town - or a united kids' town.

What I Like: My children love the audio drama version of Kidsboro and were thrilled when they learned there was a book version they could read. I love the story - because I think it has so much to teach about real life situations, especially conflict and relying upon God. It's also got plenty of action to satisfy young readers.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: The publisher says 8 - 12, but I think kids as young as 6 will enjoy this book as a read aloud.

Publishing Info: Focus on the Family, 2012; ISBN 978-1-58997-675-7 paperback, 321 pgs., $14.99

Buy at Amazon for $13.43; or buy the Kindle version for $10.49.

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A Miracle for Micah: Faith in Hard Times

A Miracle for Micah, by Mick and Carol Wyrick, starts with a young cripple named Reuben, who is crawling away from home in an attempt to kill himself. He feels he is a burden to his family and cannot understand why God has made him unable to walk since birth, and is ready to simply end his struggles. Exhaustion sets in before Reuben can carry out his plan, and an old priest rescues him. Soon the priest has Reuben settled by a warm fire in his home. The priest presses Reuben to explain his actions, and then tells him a story about a boy in a similar plight… a boy named Micah.

As the story progresses, we see Micah facing the same kind of despair as Reuben; people treat him with contempt, he feels like he is a burden, and he doubts God. But in the priest’s story is a young hero, a fellow villager and peer named Ariel. Ariel is a well-liked leader. Micah’s parents hope that the two can form a friendship, so they enlist Ariel to help Micah with the fishing nets. Sure enough, the two bond. Shortly after that, Ariel hears about a man named Jesus. He learns Jesus is able to heal the sick and determines to take his friend to see him.

At this point, the reader may recognize the Bible story about the friends who lower a paralyzed man through the roof to see Jesus because the crowds are so big. This, indeed, is what happens to Micah. He is lowered through the roof, encounters Jesus, and is told his sins are forgiven. Then, to prove that He has power over all things, Jesus tells Micah to get up and walk. A miracle occurs, and Micah picks up his mat and walks away.

Reuben is astounded by the story. Furthermore, he is encouraged to view his troubles in a new light when the priest says, “You have suffered from a physical disability. Others have been sick, or lost their jobs, or had a family member die, or watched their family break up, or experienced failure of some other type. Each of these causes pain, fear, anxiety, anger, loneliness, and lack of hope. It is often difficult for these individuals to find comport and support. People who haven’t experienced these things are unable to understand…”

And so Reuben sees how he can choose to be a warrior for God because his life experiences put him in a unique position to comfort and encourage others.

Soon after, Reuben’s parents arrive, crying with relief and gratitude to see their son alive and well. On the way out, they stop to thank the old priest, calling him by name. Micah.

At the end of the book, the author provides a list of inspirational Scripture passages and anywhere from four to eight discussion questions for each chapter of the book. David Miles did several line drawing illustrations. These pictures strike a nice balance with the text, using a somewhat realistic style that is appealing to the audience without being overly cartoonish. They help the reader visualize the story.

What I Like: I appreciate the Scriptures and questions the authors provide. This allows readers to make connections with the story and drives home the idea that God has a purpose for each of us.

What I Dislike: In places, the language was a little stiff for me, making parts of the story read more like a Sunday School paper than a chapter book. This also had a fairly predictable story line. However, it was still an enjoyable story. It is also a little pricey for a paperback. You may want to stick with the FREE Kindle Unlimited version, which is definitely worth a look!

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: No age is suggested, but I think it would work for both the K-1 grade and the 8-12 age group.

Publisher Info: Trusted Books, 2015; ISBN:978-1632692658; Paperback or Kindle, 92 pgs., $11.99

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Special Info: This book won the Moonbeam Children's Book Award and Mom's Choice Award.

The Nature Girl, A Guide to Going Green: A Guide to Caring for God's Creation

How green are you? Authors Karen Whitling and Rebecca White encourage everyone to go green. Their book, The Nature Girl, A Guide to Going Green: A Guide to Caring for God’s Creation, is packed with information about what it means to be green and how to do the best you can to help save our planet.

The 10 chapters in the book cover such topics as food, recycling, and being good to the earth, among others. Each chapter has applicable Bible verses sprinkled throughout the text, suggested activities and/or recipes relating to the chapter topic, a list of Eco-Careers that relate to the chapter topic, as well as a short quiz about the chapter. The end matter of the books contains an extensive list of resources the authors used when writing the book.

What I Like: Everything.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 8-teens.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2014; ISBN: 9780310725008; paperback, 170 pages, $7.99.

  

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The Kindle edition is available for $4.99.

Special Info: Read our reviews of other books illustrated by Rebecca White .

FaithGirlz Samantha Sanderson: Off the Record

FaithGirlz! Samantha Sanderson Off the Record, by Robin Caroll, is the third book in the publisher’s Samantha Sanderson series. Samantha, Sam as she is known by her friends, aspires to be a professional journalist when she grows up. Right now, she is on her middle school’s newspaper staff. She is working hard to be recognized for her talents.

In previous books, she has solved the mystery of who phoned in a bomb threat to a local movie theater as well as figuring out who the bully was in her school. In this episode, she enlists the help of her best friend, Mackenzie (Mac) to figure out who hacked into the school’s computer system and changed the grades on report cards.

Sam always strives for journalistic honesty and integrity, but sometimes she cuts the corners a bit when she feels she is hot on the trail of a particularly juicy story.

What I Like: This is a good story that illustrates how easy it is to jump to the wrong conclusions. It also teaches a lesson about loving your neighbor.

What I Dislike: There were several typos sprinkled throughout the text. Also, at one point in the narrative, the power goes out, but somehow the people are still able to use their dryer. Hmmm.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2015; ISBN: 9780310742494; paperback, 224 pages, $8.99.

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Special Info: This is the third book in the Samantha Sanderson series. Visit the author’s website. Read our reviews of other books in the series.

Leon's Share

In Leon’s Share, by Mabel Elizabeth Singletary, Leon lives with big brother, Derrick, and his grandparents. Derrick is a star student and athlete who gets lots of attention. Leon wants his share of attention, too.

Leon likes to crack jokes, and he decides the “best” way to get attention is to be the class clown. That works well some of the time, but when he tells a joke about his new friend, Autumn, not knowing she has a disability, Autumn’s feelings get hurt and Leon comes off looking like a bad guy.

What can Leon do to make things right with his new friend?

What I Like: This is a good story about the true meaning of friendship.

What I Dislike: The story is told from Leon’s point-of-view. Leon is in the fifth grade but the language used to tell the story is not appropriate for that age group, as fifth-graders don’t generally talk that way. I think using a third person point of view would have worked much better.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: MabelSingletary.com, 2012; ISBN: 9780988655300; paperback, 132 pages, $9.99.

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Special Info: This is the first book in the Young Conqueror’s Series. Visit the author’s website.