Channing O'Banning and the Rainforest Rescue

Channing O'Banning and the Rainforest Rescue by Angela Spady is a great chapter book for young readers who are looking for wholesome adventures.

Channing O'Banning is a 4th grader who learns about the value of friendship and offering others a chance at friendship. Channing and her best friends' worlds are rocked when Marco moves into town.  She decides that she doesn't like Marco when he befriends her best friend Maddy. Yet a family summer vacation and a chance to get to know Marco help Channing realize that it is important to give others a chance at friendship.

What I Like: I really liked the relationship that Channing had with her grandmother. I am a firm believer in the importance of cross-generational family bonds, so seeing Channing consider her grandma as a person she could confide in and trust and someone she truly wanted to spend time with was refreshing.

My daughter really enjoyed this book. We read it together and every night she would always ask for one more chapter. I love books that my children cannot wait to read.

What I Dislike: I did not like the relationship Channing and her sister had. I know that siblings do not always get along perfectly (I have two children of my own), but children need to be shown good examples of siblings relationships, not ones that are hostile and passive aggressive. These two girls were always antagonizing each other and verbally cutting of each other. I had to constantly remind my daughter that this was not how we expected her to treat her brother.

Overall Rating: Recommended.

Age Appeal: 6-12-year-olds.

Publisher Info: Thomas Nelson, 2015; ISBN: 978-0718032623; paperback, 112 pps., $6.99.

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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.

Buy now at Amazon $13.99!

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.

Buy now at ChristianBook $7.19!

Or buy at Amazon $8.99.

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.

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.

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $7.19
 
Or Buy it at Amazon.com for $7.11.

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

Berenstain Bears Mother's Day Blessing

Mother's Day Blessings by Mike Berenstain the latest book from the Berenstain Bears Living Lights Series. This series incorporates faith and values into the story line of each book. The Berenstain Bears Mother's Day Blessing is about the Bear family's tour through Bear Country as they celebrate Mama Bear and learn about why mothers are so special to all of us.  On the very first page the author shows a picture of Mama Bear with a passage from Proverbs 31... "She is worth far more than rubies.  Her children arise and call her blessed. Honor her for all that her hands have done."

What I Like: I enjoy how this series weaves the scriptures and values into each story. The series was designed to "help children learn how God wants them to live every day."

I also liked that the book showed mothers in a variety of different roles.  There were moms that stayed home with their children, moms that worked, moms that owned a business and a mom that worked in ministry as a Pastor's Wife.
 
What I Dislike: I wish that the book was a little longer.  I feel that the conclusion of the book was a bit rushed. 

 
Overall Rating: Very Good.
 
Age Appeal: 4-8 years old.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2016; ISBN:0310748690; Paperback, 32 pages, $3.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $2.99
 
Or Buy it at Amazon.com for $3.99.

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

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $6.99
 
Or Buy it at Amazon.com for $7.32.

Under The Sea Holy Bible

The Under the Sea Holy Bible, NIV, is a perfect gift for children ages 6 to 10. Themes of underwater fun and sparkling fish grace the interior of this wonderful children’s Bible. The outside is covered in foil and sparkle. The interior has color inserts featuring whimsical underwater scenes with themes of God’s care and love for each of us and all of creation.

What I Like: The cover of the Under The Sea Holy Bible is absolutely adorable with the sparkly and foiled illustrations. Kids will be drawn to it. Within, there are several bright blue pages mixed within the bible pages that highlight teachings that kids could relate to easily. The ten commandments are listed in a simplistic form that makes sense to children. Another page highlights all of the children and teens mentioned throughout the bible and a small reference to who they were and what they did along with the scripture where you can find their story.

There is glossary in the back as well.

What I Dislike: Because I love the special blue pages so much, I was disappointed that there weren't more of them.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 6-10 years old.

Publisher Info: Zondervan, 2016; ISBN: 978-0310754046 ; Hardcover, 1152 pgs., $24.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $16.99

OR Buy it at Amazon.com for $18.91

Please and Thank You God: Prayers For Family & Events

Please and Thank You, God! prayers can be used and enjoyed alone or together as a family during many different occasions and events throughout the year. Included in this book, you’ll also find prayers for your family, friends, religious holidays and more.

What I Like: Prayers for Family and Events is a must-have for any parent looking for a way to teach their children to pray easily. Each colorful and whimsically illustrated two-page layout focuses on an important person in the reader's life (like parents and friends) or an occasion, like holidays (Christmas, Easter) or a birthday.

Each two-page layout includes a "Thank You" to God where children are giving thanks to for the blessing he has provided and a "Please" portion where children submit petitions unto the Lord. The please portion includes scripture.

For example, the Easter Page prayer thanks "Jesus for suffering on the cross for my sins and rising again," and asks God to "Please help me share the good news of Easter with others," followed by a short scripture about rejoicing in Jesus's resurrection.

Each prayer is short (only a few sentences) and includes a short verse that correlates with the prayer, so children are praying and learning scripture. I love the illustrations, also by Agnes de Bezenac, that help bring the pages to life.

What I Dislike: I always prefer to see the bible version when I see scripture. It's not included in this book, but it doesn't take away from the book.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 8 and under.

Publisher Info: iCharacter.org, 2014; ISBN:978-1623871970 ; Paperback, 32 pgs., $8.49

Buy it at Amazon.com for $8.49

Other Prayer Books in the series
Prayers Before Bed and Prayers Throughout the Day

Additional Info: Author Page www.iCharacter.org

Joanna the Donkey

In Joanna the Donkey, author Kenneth E. Metzger tells the story of Jesus’ ride to Nazareth on a donkey from the donkey’s point of view.

Joanna is a donkey with a hearing problem. She is chosen as the donkey Jesus rides into Nazareth. When the crowds line the streets and start shouting, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” she thinks they are saying “Joanna! Joanna!” After the procession is over and Joanna returns home, her mother explains to her what the people were really saying and what they really meant.

At the end of the book, the author includes a section called “Inter-actives for Parents To Do with Their Children.” This is a list of questions about the story that parents and children can discuss together.

The pencil illustrations, by Sydney Dziewa are colorful, but they are a bit cartoonish.

What I Like: I like the humor of having a donkey that is hard of hearing. I also like the list of questions at the end of the story.

What I Dislike: When Joanna’s friends her that a King is coming who will need a donkey to ride, each of them think they will be chosen. When Joanna says, “Maybe he’ll choose me,” her two friends roll with laughter at the thought of Joanna being the chosen one. Why would Jesus choose to ride on a lame donkey? But when Joanna is chosen, and she later tells her friends about her adventure, they don’t even seem surprised. I wonder why that is?

I also did not like the layout. Each two-page spread was exactly the same, with an illustration on the left and the text on the right. There was no variation at all.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 4-8.

Publisher Info: Xulon Press, 2014; ISBN: 9781498413923; paperback, $11.99.

Buy now at Amazon $11.99!

The Kindle version is available for $5.99.

 

The Only Gift

The Only Gift put out by the Children's Bible Hour is a very reflective story reminding us and our children that the only gift Jesus wants from us is ourselves.

The Sunday school children are putting on a short Christmas play for their parents. Rather than going with the usual "Nativity scene" skit, the class chooses to do a skit where they bring gifts to Jesus- trophies they have earned in sports, music they have written, foods they enjoy eating, and a television they enjoy spending time watching. However, none of these gifts are what Jesus wants. Then one little boy stands before Jesus and offers himself to Jesus because it is all he has. This is the gift Jesus wants.

What I Like: This book offered a lot of opportunity for my 8 year old and I to talk about what we have to offer Jesus, how often we make other things in our lives idols, and how we need to make our lives a gift for Him.

I also love that this book comes with a CD. It gives children a chance to listen to the story as a radio show the way this story was originally intended.

The illustrations by Joel Spector were perfectly done. They certainly add to the story and do not take away from it in any way.

What I Dislike: I loved everything about this book.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 5-12 years old.

Publisher Info: CBH Ministries, 2012; ISBN: 978-0-9855560-1-3; paperback, 32 pgs., $10.00

Available through Keys for Kids Ministries $10.00

Rocky Hill Fireman, Book #1: Fire!

Rocky Hill Fireman, Book #1:  Fire! by James Burd Brewster is a great book for any child who aspires to be a fire fighter when he or she grows up.

Rocky Hill is the name of the main hero of the story. He and two other fire fighters, Big Joe and Bob, are called into action to help a family whose home has caught on fire. Rocky is tasked with going into the home to locate a sleeping baby. In the end, the fire fighters and baby are all safe and sound.

What I Like: It is so important for our children to view our civil servants as being friendly, helpful, and safe. This book does exactly that.

I love finding books that completely engage my children. This book did just that. Both my 8 year old and 4 year old were completely caught up in the world and rescue mission of Rocky Hill.

The illustrations by Dayna Barley-Cohrs fit this book perfectly. Although they appear to be hand drawn and painted with watercolors, they are tastefully done, and are a perfect complement to the story.

What I Dislike: Although this is a Christian book, the name "God" is mentioned two times on the very last page. Once when the mother says, "Thank God you came in time," and the narrator states, "He also thanked God."

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4-8 years old.

Publisher Info: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013; ISBN: 978-1484837177; paperback, 32 pgs., $29.99

Buy it at Amazon.com for $29.99

Big Dreams Big Prayers Bible for Kids

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The Big Dreams, Big Prayers Bible for Kids is a hardcover New International Version of the Bible designed for use by children 8-12 years old.  Children in this age group often have difficulty connecting with God's Word because they don't comprehend what they are reading.  The highlighted verses in this Bible as well as the easy-to-read NIV version of the Bible will help with understanding.

This complete NIV text contains several features that will be appealing to this pre-teen group:
1. a reading plan to assist them as they read through the Bible;
2. Introductions before each book of the Bible with details about the book to help them understand;
3. prayer journaling pages with verses to help with their prayer life.


What I Like: This Bible is the perfect edition to bridge your child from Bible picture books to adult Bibles.  I like that it is a complete edition of the Bible.
 
What I Dislike: There was nothing that I disliked

 
Overall Rating: Very Good
 
Age Appeal: 8-12 years old
 
Publisher Info: Zondervan, 2016; 0310744237; Hardcover, 1,344 pgs., $19.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $19.99
 
Or Buy it at Amazon.com for $23.02.

Hooked on the Book

Hooked On The Book: Patrick's Adventures Through the Books of the Bible (Morgan James Kids) by Liz and Jack Hagler is a chock full of great information put in a kid friendly way to give children a great overview of what is contained in each book of the Bible.

Each large comic strip styled page of this 96 page book gives a fantastic overview of each book of the Bible along with little tidbits and great connections to give kids not only a book by book view but the overall thread that starts in Genesis and ends in Revelation.

The book is broken into chapters to give logical places to stop to keep children (and adults) from being overwhelmed by all of the content

I do not usually like busy pages in kids books, but the busyness of the pages in this book works.  So much information is given concerning each book of the Bible, I think the authors chose the best format to present it.

What I Like: As a homeschool mom, I try to teach both of my children the same information as much as possible. I was able to read this book to both of my children (ages 4 and 8), and they were both equally engaged.

I also really liked the illustrations. They appear to be hand drawn but they really work with the style of this book. Some of the information has been cleverly inserted into the illustrations, which kept me looking at the pages long after I had read the actual words.

What I Dislike: I really liked this book.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 6-12 years old

Publisher Info: Hagler Publishing, 2011; ISBN: 978-0-615-46549-4; hardcover, 96 pgs., $19.95


Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $17.96

OR Buy it at Amazon.com for $14.14


 

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

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $8.19

Or  Buy it at Amazon.com for $8.99

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.

Buy now at Amazon $11.99!

The Kindle version is also available for $2.99.

Duney

Duney, written by K. Wendt, is an adaptation of the Biblical story of David and Goliath. In this version, Duney has to stay on the beach and watch over the sand dollars while his brothers go to Sand Village off to fight the Hermits. The Hermits want to take over the village.

During a break from his duties, Duney takes food to his brothers. While he’s there, Captain Hermy, the leader of the Hermits, issues a challenge: “If I fight one of you and win I get everything; if I lose, then I’ll go away and leave you alone.”

Duney decides to fight the Hermit. He defeats him with a stone shot from his sling shot. When their leader dies, the rest of the Hermits leave and the village is saved.

What I Like: It’s always interesting to read adaptations of well-known stories. This one was certainly different from any other version of David and Goliath I have ever read.

What I Dislike: I don’t like the illustrations. They are very cartoonish and they don’t add to the value of the story (in my opinion). In fact, I’m not sure what Duney and his brothers are even supposed to be. It’s pretty easy to tell the Hermits are crabs, but Duney and his brothers look like smiley faces without bodies. They look very strange.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: No age group is given, but I’d say 4-8 would be the an appropriate age group.

Publisher Info: Westbow Press, 2014; ISBN: 9781490839349; Paperback, $15.95.

Buy now at Amazon $15.95!

 

The One Year Devotions for Active Boys

Research shows the more hands-on the activity, the more engaged the learner and the more likely the learner is to retain the information. That’s one good reason to check out The One-Year Devotions for Active Boys by Jesse Florea and Karen Whiting.

Although each of the 365 devotions look like they are set up in a typical way—date/ title, a short story to interest the reader, and a line or two of Scripture—they contain a refreshing added element that makes the book uniquely not-so-typical! Tween boys are encouraged to connect to the spiritual messages through activities which include visual puzzles called ‘plexers”, codes, recipes, jokes, experiments, weird (and interesting) facts, checklists, quizzes, tongue twisters, and more!

The best part about this book is what it can do. Since the devotions are short, fun, and interesting, it can help youngsters establish a habit of giving thought to Heavenly things each morning… and to carry what they learn with them throughout the day.

What I Like: The price is reasonable, the activities are fun, and the writing is solid.

What I Dislike: I don’t like that the audience seems limited to BOYS. I would have loved an activity based devotional book like this. So just because it says its for boys, don’t rule it out for your girl! I also wish there was a little bit more Scripture offered each day, but that’s a minor complaint. The authors also call the passages “Life’s Guidebook” instead of the Bible, which may be off-putting to some.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 8-12

Publisher Info: Tyndale House, 2014; ISBN: 9781414394046; Paperback, 384 pgs., $14.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $11.99
OR Buy it at Amazon.com for $12.14.

Special Info: Jesse Florea has another devotional book for kids who love sports. You can buy the Kindle version of The One Year Sports Devotions for Kids for $9.70 or the paperback version for $10.21.

Goodnight Manger

Goodnight, Manger, written by Laura Sassi and illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist Jane Chapman, tells the story of Mary and Joseph as they try to lull Jesus to sleep in the noisy stable after his birth. It's bedtime for Baby Jesus, but who knew a manger could be so loud? Mama, Papa, and all of the animals try to lull the baby to sleep, but between itchy hay, angels' joyful hosannas, and three kings bearing noisy gifts, it's just too loud. Until Mama finds a way for everyone to work together to shepherd Baby into peaceful dreams under the twinkling stars. With sweet, rhyming text in the style of Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, Goodnight, Manger offers a unique twist on the classic manger tale, deftly weaving together the comforting and familiar routines of bedtime with the special magic and wonder of the manger story.

What I Like: A cleverly written rhyming book, Goodnight Manger, by Laura Sassi, is such a cute book. Have you ever wondered what life was really like for Mary and Joseph in the manger with non-stop visitors and animals everywhere? Goodnight Manger paints a wonderful picture that will make you smile. The illustrations by Jane Chapman are adorable and are a nice compliment to the book. This is definitely a new family favorite for my household.

What I Dislike: Nothing

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 4-8 yrs

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2015; ISBN: 978-0310745563; Hardcover; 32 pgs., $16.99

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Jesus Is Born: The Bethlehem Story

Jesus is Born! The Bethlehem Story, by Rev. Jim Reimann, tells the story of Jesus’ birth. The author starts with Gabriel’s visit to Mary and ends with the shepherds finding baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

The story is told in rhyme, in six short verses. The cartoon-like illustrations, by Julia Filipone Erez, are colorful and expressive.

The author used Acts 9:1-20 as a reference for his story.

What I Like: I like the colors used in the illustrations, as well as the details of the drawings.

What I Dislike: However, having said that, I don’t think the illustrations work well with the story. They way they are done makes the whole thing look like simply a cartoon, or a fairy tale.

As many of you know, I’m not a big fan of rhyming picture books as they are difficult to write well. Although the verses rhyme, the rhyme is forced in most instances, making for awkward sentence structures.

Overall Rating: Ho hum.

Age Appeal: I’d say 4-8 would be the appropriate age group for this book, as the story is quite short. However, some of the vocabulary is over and above that normally used for this age group.

Publisher Info: Intelecty LTD, 2014; ISBN: 9789657607008; Paperback, $6.99.

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Special Info: Visit the author’s website. Read our reviews of other books written by Jim Reimann. Visit the illustrator’s website .