Getting Closer to God with Psalms for my Day {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

When I was given the opportunity to review a lovely child's praise devotional from Christian Focus, I jumped at the chance. I thought it would be a great opportunity for Hannah to start having her own time with the Lord to start her day. She has been reading Psalms for my Day each morning, and sometimes at night as well. 

This 88-page, hardcover picture book contains passages of Psalms translated from the Hebrew by Dr. Alec Motyer, devotional thoughts written in a way a child can comprehend, along with a short, relevant prayer written by Carine MacKenzie, and beautiful, full color illustrations by Catherine Pape. 

After the table of contents and endorsements, this book introduces the Book of Psalms, explaining how the psalms were written to be songs of praise to God. You will also find an explanation of the translation of the Bible passages found throughout the book. Alec Motyer was a Bible scholar, and he used the original Hebrew so we can have a feel for what they really meant in the original language of the writers.

Following this introduction, there are 31 daily devotions, each from a different psalm, though of course, this is only a fraction of the psalms that are in the Bible. Though all of the psalms are important, I was thrilled to that there were several of the psalms that I was quite familiar with, such as Psalms 1, 8, 23, 46, 100, and 150. Sometimes the entire psalm was included, other times only portions of it. 

Each devotion follows the same format and spans the full double-page spread. First you read the passage from the day's psalm, then there is the short devotional, and finally you finish with a prayer which is usually 1-3 sentences in length.

Bible Passage for Psalm 8: 1-9

Devotional section

Prayer

And here's a look at the full double-page spread.

Here's a look at a couple more:

As you can see, each devotional focuses on a specific aspect of God. Besides the ones seen here, you will find such aspects as the Suffering Saviour, the King of Kings, God's Holiness, Our Strong God, Worthy God, and so much more. 

Also interspersed throughout the book are pages of quotes from Alec Motyer and double-page spreads of illustrations of God's creation. 

Finally, at the back of the book you will find a short, one-page glossary of new words that may be unfamiliar to the reader.

I did want to note that you may find the wording of the Bible passages to be a bit confusing at times, especially if trying to read it out loud. And I would say it could be more of an issue if you already know the passage well. However, as I have noticed at other times when reading other translations, having to read the Bible in other versions really makes me think about what I am reading, instead of just zinging through what is already in my head. So, even if it seems weird at first, definitely give it a chance, and remember that Dr. Motyer wanted to look at what the original Hebrew words really meant with his translation. 

I think Psalms for my Day is a wonderful book for young children to be able to start digging into God's Word. Children who are 7-11 years old, should be able to read this independently. You can also choose to read it to younger children (ages 4-6). In fact, I have decided that I would like to start adding a Bible time back into our day, and I plan to read this to the younger children. 

And I just wanted to mention the illustrations one last time. They really are lovely and add quite a bit to the devotional. And I love the extra illustrations added in between some of the devotionals. 

I highly recommend this book for your Bible time or for older elementary children who would like to have their own personal time with the Lord.

You can find Christian Focus on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about this book or one of these two other books we were able to choose from: 

30 Prophecies: One Story 

Not If, But When

Seeing the Power of God in the Lives of Missionaries Venturing in Congo {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to receive a book titled, Venturing with God in Congo from Conjurske Publications. I was fascinated to discover that Conjurske Publications is a Christian publishing company whose mission is to "reprint the greatest Christian literature from the past several centuries and present it to Christians across the globe." They have 22 books/sets available at the moment, and I was intrigued to see there are stories about D.L. Moody and Amy Carmichael, both of whom I have heard and read a bit about in the past. 

The book I received is a hardcover book, 290 pages in length. It is full of short stories written by Darrell Champlin in the year 2000 and compiled by Conjurske Publications. Though Darrell himself has been "promoted to higher service in His presence," his wife Louise and their children continue on the mission field, sharing the Gospel of Christ. 

As you can tell by the title, this family followed God's call to the Congo where they spent 10 years in the mid 1900's before they were evacuated due to the conflict there. 

The book begins with a look at Darrell Champlin's thoughts on missions. There is a Table of Contents, where you can see the titles of the 47 chapters, Acknowledgements from Louise Champlin, Pronunciation Tips for Lingala, a Timeline of Important Events, and an Introduction of Autobiographical Sketches from Darrell and Louise plus a Family Tree of Louise's family. The book then moves into the true life stories of the missionaries' time in the Congo. The first story is actually the story of Louise's parents arriving in Congo and then the book continues on with Darrell's rememberings, starting in June of 1954 when he started out with his pregnant wife, 18 month old son, and Louise's youngest brother Mark Grings, to the Belgian Congo. 

I was intrigued to learn about the different culture there in the dark jungles of Congo. Through these stories the reader is introduced to what appears to us as a primitive culture, people living in mud and stick houses with dirt floors, running around in clothes that are not washed but worn until they need to be replaced due to dirt and grime and sweat. We learn of a people who are steeped in darkness, animism, taboos, and superstition. And it is amazing to see how God works in the lives of these people through the missionaries and then the native people who become Christians and grow the local churches. It touched my heart to hear of people being freed from sin and living without the fear they were constantly bombarded with throughout their lives. 

To realize that missionaries leave the comforts of the 20th century to live these primitive lives so they can reach the lost is quite moving. To know they are willing to live among termites and fleas and deadly snakes and large predatory cats that can walk in on them at any time, as well as go to people who don't want to hear from them, and will at times try to harm them, really touched my heart.  

I love reading of the miraculous transformations of nonbelievers into believers, such as can be found in the chapter "Lulu Bekanga: Miracle of a Murderer." He changes his name to Bekanga Paul and grew in his faith, stood faithful in the midst of torture and demands to deny Jesus, but escaped and lived in hiding, becoming an apostle to his people.

 And the stories of the way God's hand was seen in the day to day lives of these missionaries is just awe-inspiring. To know that God still works in such miraculous ways in these modern times is just so powerful. 

The stories show how seeing God's hand at work helps the native people turn to Him. In "You Are Not Going to Die" the power of God is seen when a woman who just about gives up during childbirth is brought back from the brink of death and both she and her baby are saved. Events like this show the native people that turning to the Christian's God is not going to bring them harm, but deliverance and good. 

In the chapter titled, "Itupa, The Buzzing Snake," Darrell is with Ituku on a trek through the jungle and they come upon a snake that is buzzing, warning them of the danger. Darrell is able to kill the snake, giving them meat to take home, though it wasn't the meat they were hoping for. But more importantly, Ituku tells Darrell, "God is with you. The itupa only buzzes after he strikes. God must have told him to buzz this time before he struck. Thank God for His goodness."

There are just so many examples of God's power in the stories told by Darrell in this book. To see the way the missionaries trusted in God makes me realize I have a lot of growing to do. This book is such an encouragement to me. I did read it myself, and not as a read aloud to my children. Mainly because we have so many things we are reading currently. As a warning there are some parts of the book that might be a bit intense for younger children, such as the part of Bekanga Paul's story when it describes the way he is tortured, or the chapter on Becoming a Man that describes what a young man needs to go through in order to be considered a real man. Mention of half-naked people is mentioned, along with polygamy. 

I would highly recommend this book for you as a parent to read and for older children. I do think it is a great read aloud for younger children, as long as some parts are edited or omitted. Of course, others may not have the same concerns, but you may want to read it first, before reading it to your children. It's definitely a great read for strengthening your faith and encouraging you. And if you are learning about the Congo, it would be a great way to look into the culture there and how God was brought to the people living in darkness. And I love that there are photographs included in the middle of the book.

You can find Conjurske Publications on Facebook. 

Don't forget to click on the banner below to read the thoughts of my fellow Crew Mates.

Strengthening My Faith with The Unbreakable Faith Course from Pilgrim's Rock {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

When the opportunity arose to review The Unbreakable Faith Course from Pilgrim's Rock, LLC, I was quite interested. Even though my children aren't old enough for this course yet, I decided to go through it myself.  I thought taking the course would help strengthen my faith, plus help me to be able to share and defend it. 

The Unbreakable Faith Course is an online course that we received two years of access to. Additionally there are two textbooks that are to be read alongside the video lessons. I received physical copies, because I prefer having a physical book in my hand; however, PDF versions are available if you prefer. 

The Box by Craig Biehl is to be read during Part 1 of the course, and God the Reason, also by Craig Biehl, is to be read throughout the study.

The Box: Answering the Faith of Unbelief is a great little book that shares a dialogue between two men, Mr. A and Mr. C. In the first section of the book, Mr. A is Mr.  Atheist. However, after his conversations with Mr. C, or Mr. Christian, he "sees the errors of his ways" and becomes Mr. Agnostic. Of course, this really isn't any better. I admit, I appreciated the author's explanation that being an agnostic is just as bad as being an atheist, because I always felt that being an agnostic was at least a step in the right direction.

I really enjoyed reading the dialogue between the two neighbors and appreciated how cordial they were to each other, though of course, in real life, that might not be the case. But Mr. C shows true Christian humility and love. He helps Mr. A to see an important truth. If a person can't know what is inside someone's locked box or garage, how can they say that they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God does not exist.

And the conversation goes on from there to include such things as miracles, and the Trinity, and evil. For some reason my thoughts stayed focused on the miracles section. I think it is important to realize, that if God is the one who is in charge of the universe, who is to say he can't change the "laws" of nature (or Divine laws) if he so desires in order to make miracles happen.

I found the conversation sections to be quite interesting, informative, and even entertaining at times. Though, I admit, I struggled to read through the parts of the book between the dialogue sections and found parts to be a bit repetitive and the thoughts hard to follow. However, all-in-all, I did enjoy the book and was thankful to have been able to have read it as a part of this course.

God the Reason: How Infinite Excellence Gives Unbreakable Faith is the second book that we are to be reading alongside the videos in the course. This book is longer and definitely meatier. After the introduction, it is divided into 15 chapters, all of which discuss the "Implications for Living and Defending the Faith."

• Chapter 1: God is Eternal
• Chapter 2: God Needs Nothing
• Chapter 3: God Cannot Be Known Unless He Reveals Himself.
• Chapter 4: God is Boundless Perfection
• Chapter 5: God Does Not Change
• Chapter 6: God is Undivided 
• Chapter 7: God is Spirit
• Chapter 8: God Knows Everything
• Chapter 9: God is Wise
• Chapter 10: God is True and Truthful
• Chapter 11: God is Good and Love
• Chapter 12: God is Holy
• Chapter 13: God is Righteous
• Chapter 14: God is Infinitely Powerful
• Chapter 15: God Rules Over All

The chapters are divided into several sub-sections, and the author helps us look at different aspects of God that show that there is no excuse for unbelief. For instance, in the first chapter, the author discusses how God created and sustains everything, and how everything depends on God and we owe Him everything. And then in chapter two, the author discusses how we are not and never will be God, God exists regardless of what we perceive or believe, God's creation exists regardless of what we perceive or believe, God must exist, he does not probably exist, and because God needs nothing He can give us everything.

The book ends with a Conclusion, two Appendices, Acknowledgments, Works Cited, General Index, Scripture Index, and information about the Unbreakable Faith course that we are taking. 

Now, let's take a look at the video part of the Unbreakable Faith course. 

When I log into the site I come to the home page where the course materials are listed. There is a downloadable syllabus, and the books we received are listed. 

The course is divided into six parts, five of which are the lessons with the videos and reading assignments, the sixth is the final exam.

When I click on "Part 1," it lists the videos that are to be watched, the assigned readings, and the quiz. Then there are links (in blue) to the actual video lesson. You have to go in order with this course. When I first started, only the first video was unlocked. As you watch the videos, the box to the right becomes checked and the next video unlocks.

You can also view the course calendar in the syllabus to see the topics in each part and a listing of the readings, videos, and quizzes. This screenshot shows half of the course:

I wanted to mention, at first I thought I was supposed to completely read The Box before starting the video lessons, as the syllabus states we are to read it, but doesn't state exactly when. I admit, I wish the course schedule was a bit clearer on this point, because all it says is that The Box should be read during Part 1. When I realized it was taking me awhile to get through the book, I decided I better get into the videos and the first two chapters of the second book in order to stay on track for this review. So, I started watching the videos in the evening, while continuing to read The Box when we went somewhere in the van. Unfortunately, I had gotten through several of the videos before I had a chance to pick up God the Reason. It was then that I became aware of the fact that the chapters in the book correspond to the video sections. 

However, while some of the information follows the same thoughts, and some is actually word for word, there is unique information in both the book and the videos. Which of course is why both are assigned. I just wish it was listed out in more detail. For instance, because I did take and figure this out, "read pages 1-9 then watch video segment 1, read pages 9-17, then watch video segment 2, etc." 

I'm still debating how I'm going to schedule my time going forward. I would like to make sure I am reading the same information that I will be learning about in the video section. 

Even though I had some confusion with the proper way to schedule the course, I am really appreciating what I am learning. The videos are very well done. Craig Biehl does a wonderful job teaching in the videos. The slides and videos shared are well done and eye-catching. 

The course starts with a look at why we should study theology and a definition of theology. He also looks at the wrong approaches to theology and the problems it brings. The importance of a changed life showing God's character in us, and having the right attitude, humility and not arrogance (like Mr. C) are brought up. And here is the proper approach to theology.

I appreciated the section that discussed why we want to learn how to answer attacks to our faith.

In the past I had learned about the importance of focusing on the foundation of worldviews. So, when Mr. Biehl showed a series of slides that demonstrated the futility of having an answer for a question, and answers for more specific questions, and so on and so forth, I knew what he was going to be getting at.

 We can't fight the specific arguments, we have to focus on the faith assumptions at the foundations.

I also appreciated how he focused on the fact that randomness (as in evolution) can not bring about order. All of the things in the following image can not work in a random world.

There is such a plethora of information in this course. I needed to go through the information more than once in order to feel ready to take the quiz. Just a warning, you can only have one attempt at the quiz, so make sure you are ready. I guess I was ready:

The quiz had both True/False and Multiple Choice questions. It was timed (for 25 minutes), and the program makes sure you are definitely ready before you click and it starts the countdown. 

With all of the information in the reading and the videos, I was a bit concerned I wouldn't do well in the quiz. However, thankfully, most of the questions focused more on the general knowledge gleaned from the information, not specific details. 

Here are some points that have stuck with me from taking the course so far:

• If you can't know the details of the contents in a locked box, you can't know all the knowledge in the vast universe, so you can't say that there is no God. 
• When you take out the faith assumptions of unbelief those questions are resting on thin air.
• Truth is whatever God says it is!
• God MUST exist.
• God gives assurance.

I can't wait to move forward and learn more from this course. I think it is a very informative course and very helpful in building up an arsenal toward battles against unbelievers. Because we are in a battle. I prefer watching the videos because I have always struggled with reading non-fiction. And it is especially hard these days with constant distractions of four children. Though I do realize I have to read the book as well to get the full benefit. 

You can find Pilgrim's Rock on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube.

Don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about The Unbreakable Faith Course from Pilgrim's Rock.

Focusing on Biblical Truths Through an Awesome New Superhero: Captain Sun {A TOS Review}

Recently my son has become very interested in superheroes. This began during Summer Reading Program, when he was taking out books about various popular superheroes. Before this, he had really only heard of such characters as Spiderman and Batman, and that was because he had pajamas and sneakers featuring them. However, knowing that he was finding an interest in them, I thought it was great timing when we had the opportunity to review Book 1, Rescue Me! What Superheroes Can Teach Us About the Power of Faith by Bryce Morgan from Captain Sun Adventures. Ironically, it was his sisters (all three) who first ran off with the book, starting with Tabitha, then Amelia, and even Hannah, before I could get a chance to read it to him.

Exactly what did we receive?

We received this 38-page, softcover book, which is like a comic book, but not quite (more of a graphic novel). There is a glossy, thick cover, along with book-type binding; however, the story is laid out in the format of a comic book, with panels and speech bubbles and story boxes.

This book is also more than a comic book in that it is also a devotional for children. There are eight short chapters in this story, and after each one there is a page that resembles a newspaper, yet is a message to the reader, getting them to apply the lesson learned in the chapter, showing how it connects to Jesus and the Bible. There are questions for the child to think about, plus a related Bible verse.

The adventure begins by introducing an impending attack on Capital City, and we see the citizens wondering where Captain Sun could be in their hour of need. However, before we find out, the author flashes back to Captain Sun's "origin story," where we learn about his first appearance in the city. From there we see Captain Sun come to the rescue of some citizens in a particularly hazardous situation in the present day. We are then introduced to the villain as Captain Sun comes face-to-face with the one causing the devastation whose name is Black-Out. For a short while the reader may worry that Captain Sun will be defeated, but then he gives it his all, using his special power, and dissolves the blackness. Even though Black-Out is his enemy, and has been threatening the city, Captain Sun then has to make sure Black-Out doesn't perish, but is brought to justice. But, wait! Oh no! What happened to Captain Sun? Did he survive? Thankfully the reader only has to wait until the next chapter to discover the answer. And at the same time we get to know his secret identity. And then, in another twist, we discover Black-Out has escaped, and Captain Sun realizes he can't defeat this villain on his own. We are then introduced to the "Hero Defense League" and reminded how important it is to be a part of a team. The end of the story brings yet another twist plus a bit of a cliffhanger, as we don't know if the plan to stop the fully charged Black-Out is going to work. 

Can you see the way each chapter of the story fits into a biblical worldview? Can you see where the author was going with the different points in the story? Here, let's take a look at each of the chapters' titles:

1. Looking to the Sky
2. To the Rescue
3. Blinded by Black-Out
4. Battling the Darkness
5. A Costly Rescue
6. The Man Behind the Mask
7. United We Stand
8. The Final Battle

After reading my summary of the story and the names of the chapters, if you still can't see the ways the story connects to the Bible, don't worry. That is what the newspaper devotionals help the reader to do. Let's take a quick look at the newspaper headlines on each devotional page.

1. The Origin Story
2. The Greatest Rescue
3. The Bad Guys
4. The 'Super-est' Power
5. For the Good of Others
6. Your Secret Identity
7. A Team of Heroes
8. Being a Real Hero

Each devotional page starts by looking at the focus in the previous chapter in regards to superheroes. For example, talking about the fact that every hero has a story, rescues people, has some sort of super power, has the responsibility to use their power for good, has a secret identity, and may need to work with others. Then it connects it to the Bible and helps the reader relate the insights to his or her life. 

How did we "use" this book?

Well, as I mentioned the three girls each picked up the book on their own and finished it quite quickly. Though I didn't time them, Tabitha believes she had it finished in under half an hour, Amelia probably finished it at around the same amount of time. Hannah may have taken an hour or so. Now, Harold never did read the book independently. I think he could have, but I started reading it as our bedtime story so we could read the devotional (seeing as the girls had skipped this section, Tabitha said she didn't quite understand that she was supposed to read it). So each night I read a chapter plus the devotional. After we finished the book, we had a bit of a review using the "Questions To Think About!" section in the back.

All of the children, plus myself, have enjoyed this story. The hubby and I do agree that it would have been cool to have a bit longer chapters with more detail, especially in the origin story chapter. I can actually see that some of these chapters could have made a book in and of themselves, instead of introducing all the aspects of superhero stories all at once. The children however, are quite happy with it the way it is, so perhaps hubby and I are just expecting too much from a children's story. Each of the girls picked up the book and didn't put it down until they were done. So, it definitely caught their attention. 

There was action and suspense, and we were introduced to a wonderful new superhero, one who has awesome powers and cares about the people, one who is willing to sacrifice himself, even for the "bad guy." 

Tabitha really liked when we met the other superheroes and they joined forces to try to defeat Black-Out.

Amelia liked finding out his secret identity and the fact that he made friends. 

Hannah liked that he was trying to save Black-Out and he also saved the people in the airplane too. 

Harold loves the whole story and couldn't pick just one thing to talk about. 

Personally, I really love the way the author was able to take a superhero story and weave in the wonderful truths of the Bible. God loves all of us; even though we were sinners he came to this world to save us from our blackness. He gave his life for us, just like Captain Sun almost died trying to save the one who was trying to destroy Capital City. And then, when we accept Jesus into our lives, we become a part of His family, or His team, and we need each other. And I have to admit, I loved the nod to one of my favorite quotes from a superhero movie, "With great power comes great responsibility," which isn't said by any of the characters, but is quoted in the devotional.

So, if you have children who love superheroes, I would definitely recommend this first adventure of Captain Sun. Even if they aren't diehard superhero fans, Captain Sun is a wonderful one to introduce your children to. You child can enjoy the fun and excitement of a comic book superhero, with the addition of biblical truths. I'm hoping we will have the opportunity to read the other two Captain Sun Adventures books. Book 2 is titled Captain Sun and the Army of Fear, and Book 3 is titled Captain Sun & the Scourge of the Shadow Dragon.

You can find Captain Sun on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates thought about Book 1, Rescue Me! What Superheroes Can Teach Us About the Power of Faith, the first book in The Captain Sun Adventures series.

Child-Friendly Biblical Biographies from Barbour Publishing {A TOS Review}

Thanks to the Homeschool Review Crew we were introduced to some really neat biographies from Barbour Publishing. These Kingdom Files books by Matt Koceich share the lives of people found in the Bible, at a level appropriate for children ages 8-12, perfect for my girls.  

We were thrilled to receive two of these nifty books.

Each 5 1/4 in. x 7 1/2 in., paperback book delves into the character's life in a child-friendly way. These specific books are just two in a series of a half dozen biographies.

The idea behind this series, is that the reader becomes a "reading detective" who is investigating these famous biblical people. As you can see, each of these books focuses on people that children should be familiar with, even with a limited knowledge of the Bible. With these books, children are able to read their stories at a level that helps them to understand the characters more clearly. 

Each book starts with a letter to the "Reading Detective" and explains the different sections of the book. 

• Fact File- A double page spread that contains key information about the character, such as name, occupation, where they are from, years active, his or her kingdom work, key stats, and a timeline. 
• Action File- This is the main section of the book which shares the character's story at the child's level, including Bible verses, explanations of difficult concepts, and Clue Boxes to help the reader apply the thoughts. 
• Power File- Takes the thoughts from the character's story and helps the child apply it to his or her own life in a series of ten "Power Ups." Each one includes an applicable Bible verse to read and memorize.

I think the Fact File at the beginning of the book is really neat. It helps the reader have an understanding of who the character is before digging into the detailed story. 

The Action File is the largest portion of the book (51 pages for Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus? and 57 pags for Who Was Jonah?). This section is broken into chapters and include line illustrations and a map or two, which help to enhance the story.

Finally, each Power File is 20 pages long, with each "Power Up" taking up a double-page spread.

I let the older girls choose which book they wanted to read, and then, when they were done, I read them to myself. 

Tabitha chose to read Who Was Jonah?.

This story of the "reluctant prophet" is one we are quite familiar with, having read it with our core curriculum last year as we made our way through the Old Testament. It is also a story we had read multiple times using picture books and board books when they were younger. 

The story follows the narrative of the book of Jonah. It starts by explaining that God chose Jonah as a prophet, and explains what a prophet is. We follow Jonah's complete journey, from running away, being swallowed by a huge fish, and repenting while in the fish, to making his way to Nineveh, preaching throughout the city, and being upset that the people repented and God showed them mercy. 

Amelia chose to read Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus?.

 Of course, we are most definitely aware of who this "courageous teenager" is. Who doesn't know the story of the girl who said "yes" to God and gave birth to Jesus, the Savior?

I appreciate that this biography begins by mentioning the prophecy of Isaiah, showing that the special moment of Jesus being brought into the world was prophesied hundreds of years earlier. We follow Mary, not just from the familiar Christmas story events (the time the angel came to her through the birth of Jesus and the visits from the shepherds and the magi), but through each of the events in the Bible where Mary is mentioned. We take a look at their journey to Egypt and their search for him when he stayed behind in Jerusalem during the Passover. Then when Jesus was an adult, we read about her role at the wedding where Jesus turned water into wine, the time when she came with his siblings to the house where he was preaching, and her sadness during his crucifixion and her hope at his ascension. 

What I really appreciate about these books, is that they explain what was going for the character, looking at the situations surrounding them, and bringing them into perspective. We wonder what the character may have been thinking or feeling at specific points in the story. And I really like that the author doesn't change the biblical account, but enhances it through explanations and details, such as explaining that the water jars mentioned in the account of Jesus turning water to wine would have been used for ritual washing and purification. So the children are reading the biblical account at their level and learning things they wouldn't learn by just reading from the Bible. 

Here is what the girls had to say about the books.

Tabitha said, "I like that it is like you are investigating the person, with files and I like that you get to learn lessons. There are clues to help you remember what the lesson is. I learned to pray hard. God wants you to pray hard."

Amelia said, "The way they try to be very very accurate, like how they the wise men come into a house to meet baby Jesus and gave him gifts, instead of coming into the stable like some people have it."

They are now in the process of reading the book they haven't read yet. They had to wait til I was done taking my turn. 

These are definitely books I would recommend for elementary aged children to learn about people from the Bible. They help to bring the Bible stories into better focus, making them more relevant to a child's everyday life. I will also say, my younger children would probably enjoy sitting through these stories if I were to read them aloud. I just didn't have time during this review period, as we are already reading four books aloud, in addition to school texts. They would be wonderful stories for bedtime storytime, and the Power-Ups are great for a child's individual devotion time.

You can find Barbour Publishing on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

By the way, it may be you recognized the name of the author. That would be because we read and reviewed another book by Matt Koceich around this time last year. He is the author of Imagine . . . The Great Flood. I invite you to check out that review as well.

And don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about these Kingdom Files books. We all reviewed the same two titles.