Girl on a Mission

Teens interested in going on a church mission trip may enjoy reading Girl on a Mission by Cindy Ellis. In the story, thirteen-year-old Emery heads to Cawley, West Virginia on a summer mission trip with Christian Teens Service Corps. Once there, her local group joins a number of other teens. They are divided into smaller working teams that offer manual labor service to needy families. Emery is placed in a group with a boy she finds both inspiring and attractive.

The story follows Emery’s group as they interact with a family (a grandfather and his granddaughter) touched by tragedy. When Emery sprains her wrist, she can no longer work on the outdoor projects. Instead, she takes the opportunity to visit with the family. She learns more about their painful past and develops a strong relationship with them. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Emery must deal with a misunderstanding that leads to heartache and a broken friendship.

Toward the end of the mission trip, disaster strikes Emery’s adopted family once again, leaving her frantic with worry. She must grapple with tough life questions and come to understand her own faith on a whole new level. And, because of her special connection with the grandfather, she alone is in a unique position to change his life. I don’t want to give away this story’s ending… so that’s all I’ll reveal on the matter.

Through Emery’s eyes, the author zeroes in on key experiences common to many teen missions, such as the anxiety of meeting new people, the kinship developed with fellow teammates, new insights into faith, fun ice-breaker activities and games, and group dynamics.

After the story’s conclusion, the copy I had contained a bonus excerpt from a new (unrelated) book by this author called Rising Shadows. For those readers who like the first four chapters, Ellis also included a link to download the full story.

What I Like: Since my own children recently went on mission trips, the powerful impact such ventures produce on teens was fresh in my mind. To me, Ellis seemed spot on about the emotions and activities that take place during such trips. I then learned that Ellis—a teacher of twenty years—drew on her own real life youth mission trip experiences when writing the story. I guess that explains why she captured it so well! Overall, the story was somewhat predictable, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it anyway. In fact, I read it in one sitting because even though I thought I knew what would happen next, I still couldn’t wait for the next day to find out. Finally, through Emery’s thoughts and actions I felt like Ellis provided great insights on how to deal with “drama” problems a typical teen might deal with.

What I Dislike: Even though I enjoyed the main character, I felt like Emery seemed more mature than thirteen. By the way she spoke and carried herself, I kept thinking she was sixteen or seventeen. Plus I couldn’t help thinking that if she actually was older, I would have felt more comfortable about her romantic inclinations toward the aforementioned inspiring and attractive boy.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: None given, but I'd say ages 12 through 15, possibly 16.

Publisher Info: Kirkdale Press, 2012; ASIN:B008P4LRHI; Kindle version, 224 pgs., $7.99.

This book is not available at Christianbook.com.
Buy the kindle version at Amazon.com for $7.99.

You Were Made to Make a Difference

If you are looking for a positive, uplifting and challenging book to encourage teens to be their best for God, You Were Made to Make a Difference would be an excellent choice. Father-daughter team Max and Jenna Lucado speak to teens who love Jesus and are ready to take the next step.

The Lucados encourage teens to be who God made them, and inspire teens to reach out and share Jesus' love with the world. Each chapter includes biblical teaching, personal testimonies from Jenna and Max, real-life stories of teens making a difference, space for readers to record their thoughts, and practical suggestions for action teens can take. The chapters close with a passage from the Bible and a prayer. The book would be perfect for youth groups or teen small groups to read together. It would also work well for families to read together.

The focus of the book is on meeting the needs of those around us, as Jesus did. The book begins by looking at ways to reach out to family, friends, and schoolmates, and moves on to look at ways teens have influenced the world. The chapter, "Stand up for the Have-Nots," highlights organizations such as Heifer International, which fights global hunger; Do Something: Teens for Jeans,which sent jeans to people in Haiti and "Loose Change to Loosen Chains"(LC2LC) which fights slavery around the world.

The end of the book includes a four-page list of ways teens can help various people, starting with daily random acts of kindness. The Lucados also invite teens to sit down with their family members and discuss ways they can change the world together.

What I Like: This book does an excellent job of treating teens as intelligent, capable people who really can make a difference in the lives of others. The plethora of examples used throughout the book is truly inspiring. Time and again, Max and Jenna show us ordinary teens who acted on a simple idea, and achieved extraordinary results.

I also like the way Max and Jenna constantly remind readers of the gospel. We learn, without a shadow of a doubt, in order to truly change lives, we must first rely on the power of Jesus Christ.

Max and Jenna use a conversational tone, and write about relevant issues in teens' lives. They use lots of factual quotes and highlights to support their ideas. End notes with references are included at the back of the book.

What I Dislike: It took me a little bit to get used to the format of the book. Chapters have lots of charts, quotes, text boxes and lists scattered throughout. The chapters are long and don't have clear breaks. It worked best for me to read the entire chapter at once, and think about it the rest of the week.

The sections where Max and Jenna speak directly are clearly marked, but it isn't obvious who wrote the rest of each chapter.

Overall Rating: Excellent (despite above remarks). I just wouldn't plan to use it as a daily devotional.

Age Appeal: 12 and up

Publisher Info: Thomas Nelson, 2010; ISBN: 978-1-4003-1600-7; Paperback, 209 pages, $14.99

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Special Note: Read our reviews of other books by Max Lucado or Jenna Lucado here.

This book is based on Max Lucado's adult book, Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference. There are also several adult study guides, a DVD series and worship CDs available to complement the book.

Psalm 133: "It's Good to Share!"

A friend is coming over to play, and an excited young host prays to God to help her not be a “grumble bear”. Sherri Trudgian’s book >Psalm 133: “It’s Good to Share!” realistically shows a youngster struggling to overcome her feelings of possessiveness and share her playthings with a friend. While the heroine is eager to have fun, she has to remember to spilt cookies, give up a favorite toy, and calm down. The story has kid-friendly watercolor illustrations that help bring the characters to life.

What I Like: I love the wild pony tails the illustrator paints on the girl. I like the actions and the phrase one character uses to help her make good choices: “Take a breath. Now let it go. Who-o-o.” And “I will not be a grumble bear!” The young girl also prays, a gesture kids need to see. I especially appreciate finding a quote of the NLT version of Psalm 133 at the end of the book. In addition, the author offers her thoughts on harmony.

What I Dislike: I enjoy rhyming books with a strong beat and natural speech patterns. For me, this book’s meter doesn’t always pan out, and some of the phrases seem to be awkwardly worded. Plus, we never learn the names of the two characters—they are just a girl and a boy. Names would help give them a sense of identity.

Overall Rating: Good

Age Appeal: No age is given by the publisher. I think it works for the 4-8 year range.

Publisher Info: Little Sprout Publishing House, 2010; ISBN: 978-0-9779194-4-4 ; Paperback, 32 PGS., $8.00.

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Amazon has book information and a link to a seller of this book.

This link has ordering information for the book.

This is the Lunch That Jesus Served

The miraculous feeding of five thousand people all started with a simple lunch—some fish and bread—that was offered to Jesus by a young boy. In This Is the Lunch That Jesus Served, written by Dani Daley Mackall and illustrated by Benrei Huang, young readers get to learn about how it all happened.

The writing mirrors the pattern for This is the House That Jack Built. It starts with a basket, and then, page by page and line by line, adds bread, fish, a dish, Jesus, the disciples, and the crowd.

Youngsters will enjoy both the illustrations and text. The pictures are very cute—bright, colorful, and not too busy. And the bouncing, repetitive, rhyming verses (and the way those verses build upon one another) practically invite the reader to join in. Parents will appreciate the inclusion of the complete NRSV Biblical account of the event following the story. This allows them to bring home the underlying message of the book: That God can do wonderful things with whatever we have to offer Him, no matter how small it seems.

What I Like: The author did a nice job structuring the verses so that the words flow in an almost sing-song beat. This makes it particularly fun to read aloud. I was also thrilled to see two pages giving the full tale from the Bible plus a “bonus” section, which provided fun fish facts, facts from the Bible about bread (and how Jesus called himself the Bread of Life), and ideas for children to offer service to God just like the boy in the story.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Very good

Age Appeal: 4-8 years

Publisher Info: Augsburg Books, 2006; ISBN: 0-8066-5118-0; Paperback $9.99

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Special info: Check out our reviews for other books by this author.

Sheep Care

Modeled after mainstream author Sandra Boynton's famous board books, Anne Catharine Blake's Sheep Care is a super-simple book for babies and toddlers. Each page shows sheep in pastel hues, engaged in an activity. "One in a big chair. Two make room to share. Three hold hands to cross the street. Four share a gooey treat." And so on, until we're back to "One with God is never alone."

What I Like: I appreciate that these sheep model great behavior, from sharing, to visiting a sick friend, to taking turns. The simple ending - which is the only mention of God - is to the point and exactly the sort of thing very young children like.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: Baby to preschool.

Publishing Info: Concordia, 1998; ISBN: 978-0570050902; board book, $5.49

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Special Info: See our reviews of other books by Anne Catharine Blake.

Rough and Rugged Lily

Rough and Rugged Lily, is a book in the Lily series written by Nancy Rue. Just a week before Christmas, Lily learns her youth group will be going on a camping expedition in March. She’s very excited about the upcoming adventure and lists camping equipment as her wanted items on her Christmas list.

But, mom and dad have other plans. After Lily and her two brothers give their “wish lists” to their parents, a family meeting is called. The siblings are told that not only will they not be getting any store-bought gifts for Christmas this year, they will be going to a remote cabin in North Carolina where they will spend the rest of the Christmas holiday. If that weren’t bad enough, there are more conditions and limits: The cabin will be decorated only with things that can be found in the surrounding woods; all gifts must be hand-made; and the kids can take only three things with them – a food treat; a game; and a book – with the idea of sharing the items at the cabin.

Needless to say, the kids are not thrilled, Lily especially. She has already begun dreaming of her upcoming camping adventure and was counting on her parents to provide her with the necessary gear (or at least money or a gift certificate so she could buy it herself) as her Christmas gifts. So, out of spite, she takes a food treat that only she likes, a game that she knows her brothers hate to play (but she figures they’ll play the game with her out of boredom) and a book about camping.

Before the family makes it to their remote cabin, though, they are stranded in a high school gym during an unexpected snow storm. A remote cabin in the woods sounded bad enough, but this is even worse. But, Lily and her family survive the ordeal and come out stronger than before.

What I Like: This is a great story for preteens, both girls and boys (although the story is intended for girls) about thinking about others.

What I Dislike: I was a bit uncomfortable with the way the parents went about telling the kids they were going to be away from home for Christmas and they were not going to fulfill their kids’ wish lists. I support what they did, I just didn’t like they way they went about presenting it. Really, if you’re going to be taking three kids for an extended stay in a remote setting during the Christmas holiday, the least you should do is give them fair warning, not wait until the night before the trip to even tell them about it.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: 9-12.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2002; ISBN: 9780310702603; Paperback, $6.99.

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Special Info: This is book #9 in the Zonderkidz Lily series. Read our reviews of other books in the series. Visit the author’s website.

The Three Gifts of Christmas

The Three Gifts of Christmas, a follow-up to Jennie Bishop's popular The Princess and the Kiss, tells the story of a wealthy princess who learns the true meaning of Christmas. The princess, who has grown ungrateful, is sad when her parents decide to give her only three gifts for Christmas this year. They also ask the townspeople not to bring gifts to the castle, for themselves or for the princess.

When Christmas dawns, the princess slowly goes downstairs, but is pleasantly surprised by the beauty and thoughtfulness of the gifts, (which parallel the gold, frankincense, and myrrh the Wise Men brought to the Baby Jesus). As the princess and her family celebrate the twelve days of Christmas, the princess is given the chance to bless a fatherless girl, a beggar, and a new mother and child with her gifts. She realizes the truth of Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

The story is warmly illustrated, with different shades of rose, and Christmas greens, by Preston McDaniels. You can almost smell the feast, and feel the warmth of the fire or the cold of the snow.

The book includes an audio CD, which is narrated in a soothing woman's voice, with background music suited to the events on the page. The music is happy and cheerful during the feast, sad and somber when a little girl's father is killed, and peaceful as the princess learns lessons about giving. The narrator does a nice job changing her voice for the different characters in the story.

What I Like: Everything! I like the message of the story, the illustrations, and the CD. My kids also love the book and have been listening to it every night before bed. It seems a particularly fitting message for this year, when many families may be on a tighter budget for Christmas than in the past.

What I Dislike: Nothing

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 6 and up (but my 5-year-old loves it)

Publisher Info: Warner Press Kids, 2009; ISBN: 978-1-59317-378-4; Hardcover, $15.99

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Check out our reviews of Jennie Bishop's other books here.

First Virtues for Toddlers

If you want help instilling good qualities like generosity and patience in your toddler or preschooler, First Virtues for Toddlers by Dr. Mary Manz Simon is a great addition to the family library.

This fat book contains 12 stories (originally published as individual books), each emphasizing a different virtue: kindness, truthfulness, loving nature, patience, forgiveness, friendliness, thankfulness, obedience, joyfulness, generosity, politeness, and a desire to do the best job possible. Each story is short, written in strong rhyme, and has cute pictures of animals drawn by Linda Clearwater, Dorothy Stott, Kathy Couri, and Phyllis Harris.

Here's an example of the text:

"If I make
a great big mess,
I'll be honest
and confess.

I will not steal
from a store.
I will pay
at the door."

Each chapter always refers back to the Bible, offering a simple biblical quote for children to memorize.

The last few pages of the book contain notes for parents, with ideas on promoting virtues.

What I Like: This book is well written and has adorable illustrations. What's not to like?

What I Dislike: My only complaint is that the parental notes would be more useful directly before or after the stories they pertain to, rather than squeezed in at the end of the book.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, infant to toddler, but because this isn't a board book, most parents won't be able to read it to their baby. In addition, my four year old (who tends to have advanced tastes) really enjoyed this book and it lead to several interesting conversations about good behavior.

Publishing Info: Standard, 2006; ISBN: 978-0784718483; hardback, $14.99

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Sharing With You

The second book in the "I Believe Bunny" series, Sharing With You, is even better than the first. The book begins by quoting Hebrews 13:16 ("Do not forget to do good to others. And share with them what you have. These are sacrifices that please God.") and does a nice job illustrating the positive effects of sharing.

As the book opens, I Believe Bunny is playing with his friends. They make daisy chains, swing on vines, make pine cone castles...Then Mouse spots some shiny rocks.

"Bunny looked at the rocks.
He didn't know what to do.
He knew his friends liked them,
but he liked them too.

These rocks were his favorites.
They gleamed in the sun.
He thought, 'I don't want to
share these rocks with anyone.'"

But before he can express himself to his friends, Magpie flies off with one of the rocks in her beak. Squirrel negotiates with Magpie by offering her a shiny ring she found months back. Bunny is moved that Squirrel would give up the ring, but Squirrel says, "You're my friend...And...you mean more to me than a bright, shiny ring."

With the treasure restored, a thankful Bunny shares all his rocks with his friends. After all, sharing is something God wants us to do. "So give it a try and/you'll find when you do,/like the I Believe Bunny/you can share too."

What I Like: Author Tish Rabe has written over 80 children's books, many for the mainstream market, and her writing skills shine. She writes rhyming verse the way it should be: Without forced rhyme and with terrific meter. The story seems to flow effortlessly from her pen. I especially appreciate it when Bunny admits he doesn't want to share his rocks with anyone; who hasn't felt this way, especially as a child? Yet, in the end, Bunny shares anyway.

Frank Endersby's illustrations depict tender, sweet creatures young children will delight in. His soft renderings help us relate to the characters and want to give them a good squeeze.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 - 8, but I'd say more 2 - 5.

Publisher Info: Thomas Nelson, 2009; ISBN: 978-1400314775; hardback, $9.99

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Special Info: Be sure to check out our other reviews of books in this series.

Otter and Owl Say I'm Sorry

Crystal Bowman's "I Can Read!" Level 1 book Otter and Owl Say I'm Sorry is a tale most kids can relate to.

Otter has a brand new scooter. He lets Owl steer as they ride together, trying to make it go even faster by coasting down a hill. They are having a great time - until they crash into a pond. Otter is mad. A wheel on the scooter is bent. "What kind of friend does that?" he asks.

Owl and Otter both go home and mope. Owl writes a heartfelt note asking for forgiveness and delivers it to Otter's front doorstep. Otter quickly forgives Owl. "God wants friends to forgive each other," he says. The buddies have pizza and thank God for friends, then go for another ride on the scooter. Otter fixes the wheel - sort of. Yet even though the scooter gives a wobbly ride, Owl and Otter still enjoy their time together.

What I Like: Owl and Otter are appealing characters; Kevin Zimmer's illustrations are vivid and cute, and the friends always struggle with familiar childhood difficulties. My nearly-four year old daughter loves this book.

What I Dislike: I wish Otter said God wants us to forgive everyone - not just friends.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 - 8, but younger kids will enjoy this as a "read to me" book.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2008; ISBN: 978-0310717072; paperback, $3.99

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Jake Learns to Share

Jake Learns to Share by prolific children's book author Crystal Bowman combines "I Can Read!" simplicity with a great message.

A level 2 book ("reading with help"), this volume tells the tale of a rabbit named Jake. It's his birthday, and he's thrilled: As soon as Grandma arrives, he asks her what she brought him; when asked what he wished for when he blew out his candles, he replies, "I wished for lots of presents;" he eats all of his cake by himself, as his family looks on; and after he opens his gifts, he plays with them all by himself. That's when he begins to realize his birthday isn't all that fun. When he shares this thought with Grandma, she replies: "God wants you to share. Sharing birthdays is much more fun."

Jake asks his grandma and father to play with him. Then he asks everyone to sit down and eat some cake.(He's still full, so he just keeps them company.) Finally, Jake thanks his family for his presents and concludes: "God wants us to share...That's why birthdays are fun."

What I Like: This is a simple but engaging tale for young children. The illustrations by Karen Maizel are cute and appealing. The story has a moral, but Bowman isn't too heavy-handed with it.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: According to the publisher, 4 to 8, but it makes a good "read to me" story for toddlers and early preschoolers, too.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2008; ISBN: 0310716799; paperback; $3.99

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Annika's Secret Wish

Beverly Lewis is widely known for her bestselling Amish novels, but she's also tried her hand at picture books. Annika's Secret Wish, a tale of 19th century Swedish Christmas traditions and giving instead of receiving, is one of them.

From the moment we meet Annika, she's daydreaming of finding the almond in the Christmas pudding. For ten years she's wished for it, and this Christmas is her last chance. (Lewis doesn't explain why, but presumably because she'll be considered too old for the tradition the following year.) But her brothers - including the youngest, Davy, who can walk only with a crutch - also pine for the Christmas almond, for tradition has it that whichever child finds it in their pudding will be granted one wish. Annika hopes for a beautiful black horse to call her own.

When Christmas arrives and the children are served rice pudding, Annika can hardly hold back her excitement...when lo! She feels a hard, almond shape in her pudding. Yet just as she's about to announce her good fortune, her father carries young Davey to the table. "What would make Davey most happy this Christmas?" Annika wonders.

"Dear little brother. How he longed to run and play. To walk without a crutch. And finding the almond would surely make his heart glad."

"What would Jesus want me to do?" Annika asks herself.

Secretly, she switches plates with Davey, and as her little brother whispers his wish, Annika is the only one who hears what he longs for. Tears come to her eyes because "she knew the almond could bring smiles and laughter, but only God could make a miracle."

What I Like: The basic idea for this story is sweet, and as parents we can always use books portraying unselfishness in a positive light. Also, the illustrations by Pamela Querin are gorgeous: realistic and detailed and full of light.

What I Dislike: There's a lot of description and not much action in the first 14 pages or so of this book...much more than is typically seen in picture books. All of this could have been condensed to make much stronger picture book writing. Too, younger readers may not catch what Davey's wish is. It's never spelled out plainly, and many will find it too subtle to catch upon a first reading.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8

Publisher Info: Baker Books, 2000; ISBN: 0764221817; hardback; $15.99

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Special Info: Check out our other reviews for Beverly Lewis and Pamela Querin books. You may also wish to visit the author's website.

A Picnic with the Barleys

Karen Hunt's A Picnic with the Barleys, is a sequel to The Rumpoles and the Barleys, but like the best sequels, it stands alone quite nicely.
In this tale, the Rumpoles (a family of mice from a wealthy neighborhood) trot off on a sunny day to meet with some country acquaintances. One of the Rumpole children, Prunella, brings her special pink parasol, and Mama dresses to the nines in a purple frock and bonnet. As the family nears the picnic area, Papa warns the children to stay away from a nearby bog where weasels live. "Weasels don't like [mice] very well," Mama explains. The children promise to do as their parents ask.
Soon, the family meet up with many country mice, including their new friends, the Barleys. Mama feels overdressed and embarrassed, but the country mice make her feel welcome all the same. The children play all sorts of games, and the girl mice admire Prunella's pretty parasol. But Prunella doesn't allow one little mouse, a "big and bold and grabby" girl named Cordelia, to touch her parasol. Later that day, Prunella realizes her parasol is missing. Her brother, Eustace, spots Cordelia carrying it off toward the bog. Not wanting to disobey his parents by following her, Eustace warns her to come back. Suddenly Cordelia screeches "Weasels! Help! Help!" Dagwood, one of the country mice, runs into the bog to save her - just as a scary weasel is drawing near.
All the other mice praise Dagwood's bravery and courage, but "poor Cordelia was quite forgotten. She hung her head and blew her nose into her pinafore." Prunella approaches her. "I'm sorry I didn't share my parasol with you," she says. "And I don't mind that you lost it [in the bog]. Let's forgive each other and be friends." As the day ends, Prunellas' parents add, "Remember, it is also brave to say 'sorry' and to forgive.'" The book ends by quoting Psalm 86:5: "O Lord, You are so good and kind, so ready to forgive; so full of mercy for all who ask for Your help."
What I Like: Hunt's illustrations are outstanding. They are reminiscent of Beatrix Potter's, but are more detailed and colorful. The story itself is a good one, too, with messages about sharing, putting yourself in someone else's shoes, bravery, apologizing, and forgiving.
What I Dislike: Nothing.
Overall Rating: Very good.
Age Appeal: The publisher doesn't specify, but I would say 4 - 8.
Publishing Info: Harvest House, 2008; ISBN: 0736921737; hardback, $12.99.
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Special Info: You may wish to visit the author and illustrator's website.

Favorite Secular Book: Sharing: How Kindness Grows

When Ellie and Zach started struggling with how and why to share, I searched everywhere for a good book to teach them the benefits. I didn't find much in the Christian market, but found an excellent book in the secular market. It is my top pick for this week's theme.

Sharing: How Kindness Grows is a bright, engaging book written by Fran Shaw, Ph.D. It is a board book (The pages are thinner than most board books, but still sturdy enough for toddlers.) with lift-the-flap pages. Each two-page spread tells how sharing is kind, helpful and fun. Children can lift the flaps to see how sharing changes the situation -- those who are sad become happy; a sand castle is built by sharing tools; pictures are made by sharing crayons, etc.

The best part of this book, though, is in the chain reaction. Christopher shares with Nate, so Nate shares with Jennifer. Jennifer then shares Amy and so on. Children learn that sharing makes friendships grow. The last page of the book reveals a beautiful pop-up circle of all the friends who share. "Sharing gives us a happy feeling, and that feeling grows as it gets passed along ... Each time we share with each other, we fill the world with kindness."

The book is illustrated by Miki Sakamato. Each page is filled to the brim with color. Children of several ethnicities are represented in the illustrations and as main characters.

What I Like: Everything. One of my favorite aspects is the versatility shown in sharing. Sharing is not just about toys. This books shows children sharing toys, but also sharing food, drinks, crayons, a swing and even a hug. My kids love this book. I usually add to the beginning or end "This is why God likes it when we share!"

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent!

Age Appeal: Baby-Preschool

Publisher Info: Reader's Digest, 2006; ISBN: 0794411436; board book; $14.99

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