Christian Book Notes

Tinsley, Sara.  Illustrated by Kristen Dacus.  Will Finds the Way.  Mountain Home: BorderStone Press, 2011.  27 pp.  $14.99.  Purchase at Amazon.

Summary

Sara Tinsley and Kristen Dacus have teamed up to bring a story of salvation to life.  We join Will who is seeking to be the best person he can only to discover it is not good enough.  With lovely illustrations, the story is told in both picture and word.

Review

I loved the book for its message but found that to be a double-edged sword.  While the message was definitely a biblical message of salvation (rarely found in children’s works of this length), it also caused me to think of those children who are “smart enough” to “understand” and now become equipped to say the right things when asked.  In other words, the child could have the head knowledge but not the heart knowledge.

That being said, the message is to biblical to pass up and not share with your children.  Having the book available to them to read will continually reinforce the most important message they need.  What is more, having it around the house may be one of the best strategies for sharing the gospel with lost family members.

The pictures also helped to drive the story.  They were well done and helped to bring the story to life in the mind of the child.

Austin’s Perspective

Austin is my 7-year old son.  I had him read it and share his thoughts so that you will know what a child thinks of the book, too.

This was a very encouraging story.  It was about the Lord and how to get into heaven.  Will first did a lot of good things because he was trying to be good enough.  After he was saved, he did all the good things because he was saved and wanted to say thank you.  I really liked this book.

Recommendation

Because of the biblical message of salvation so rare in children’s books and because of the great opportunity to have a gospel tract fall into the hands of lost family members, I highly recommend all parents of young children owning a copy of this book.  If you are a grandparent who is praying for your own lost children, buying a copy of Will Finds the Way is one more opportunity to share the gospel with your children.

Benge, Janet & Geoff.  Christian Heroes: Then & Now – Mary Slessor: Forward into Calabar.  Seattle: YWAM Publishing, 1999.  208 pp.  $8.99.  Purchase at Amazon for much less.

Introduction

I have reviewed a number of the Christian Heroes series by YWAM Publishing.  You can read those here.

Mary Slessor is known for her trust in the Lord as she worked for thirty-nine years amongst the tribes of Africa’s Calabar region.  In this introduction to this great missionary of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, your child will be introduced to what obedience to the calling of Christ can mean.

Summary

Divided into seventeen chapters, the young reader will be introduced to the Scottish woman with blue eyes and red hair submitted to the missionary call to serve in Africa.  The fiery personality of Mary is seen (and rightly so) as a major help in her work for the Lord though it did sometimes get her in trouble.  Her work with the children and the constant fear of lions and tigers become as much a part of the story as her work for the gospel.  Her fight for human life–which was in direct opposition to the customs of the peoples she served–rounds out the story of Mary Slessor.  Ultimately, the reader will see that her life was spent for the cause of the gospel.

Review

I greatly appreciated the candor with which Mary Slessor was presented.  She struck me as a “fire-brand” who was so committed to the Lord that she through caution into the wind so to speak.  It is that fire that seems to have been lost in many churches today and it is that fire that ought to be rekindled.  While Mary Slessor – Forward into Calabar is a children’s biography, many adults would do well to become acquainted with her life.

As with all YWAM books in the Christian Heroes series, this one also comes with a poetic work for younger children as well as a unit study designed to teach all about the region where Mary Slessor served.  The artistry of the younger children’s work will engage the imagination of your child and even help you as an adult to better describe the surroundings.  The unit study can be used for many different purposes and will also prove invaluable (if you use it) in the education of your child for the glory of the Lord.

Recommendation

If you use Tapestry of Grace (we do) you will be using this particular book.  You will not be disappointed and may, as I did, learn something new about a great saint form the past.  For those who wonder how women have served the Lord in the church through the centuries, Mary Slessor will be of great interest.  I recommend this resource to all if only as an introduction to missions work. 

The Holy Spirit. ESV Grow! Bible. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2011. 1600 pp. $27.99. Purchase at Westminster for less.

Introduction

The ESV Bible does not need any introduction. I have reviewed numerous Bibles here.

You can check out this video to get a better idea of what is included in the ESV Grow! Bible.

Summary

Aside from having the complete ESV translation text of the Bible, there are many other features meant to help a young Christian (primarily in age but also perhaps in time as a believer) understand this book. For example, they have what I call an investigative box that seeks to answer one of the investigative questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how.

The 4U box offers helps on how a particular passage has meaning for the believer today. These are especially helpful in the Old Testament. The Cross Connections box points the reader from one passage found in the Bible to the cross of Christ and how it is important in our understanding of our salvation.

They also have included, though with a bit more pizazz, the articles and charts, the book introductions, the glossary, and the timelines and maps common in most every study Bible.

Review

Once again, Crossway’s team of graphic designers has hit it huge. Their eye-catching artistry really helps the boxes to pop out. Though this is a dangerous practice, the reader can just flip through and see something that they will want to stop and check out because of the artistry.

Perhaps what I appreciated the most is the collaboration that took place between two publishing houses independent of one another (to my knowledge). Many of the supplemental materials came from Concordia Publishing House (this information is found at the bottom of the title page). I make mention of this because all too often we lose sight of what is at eternal stake in the Christian publishing realm. This collaboration shows that these two publishing companies are at least willing to work together for a greater cause. This should be a lesson to all.

The notes are full of nuggets that will help the child or new believer to better understand his or her faith as he reads through the Bible. Often times, a new believer will want to begin in Genesis and lose interest in Leviticus. Children are perhaps more prone to this than adults. With the Grow! Bible the books of Leviticus and First and Second Chronicles actually become very interesting.

Recommendation

While there are many Children’s Bibles available, and I will honestly continue to buy my children the Children’s ESV Bible (I like uniformity!), I do believe the Grow! Bible warrants serious consideration for your child. There is much to like about this Bible and little to dislike. Unless you are a purist, you will thoroughly enjoy reading and studying with your child as he unpacks the many layers of our infinite God found in His word. Who knows, you may learn a thing or two along the way.

Ham, Ken and Mally.  Illustrated by Jeff Albrecht.  A is for Adam: The Gospel from Genesis.  Green Forest: Master Books, 2011.  77 pp.  $16.99.  Purchase at Amazon for $11.42.

Introduction

At this point, Master Books and New Leaf Publishing no longer needs to be introduced.  Ken Ham is in the same boat.  Ken is the founder of Answers In Genesis–a ministry dedicated to reclaiming the authority of Scripture especially the foundation of the Bible in Genesis 1.  You can read other reviews I have written of Ken’s books here.

Summary

A is for Adam is a spiral bound tent-book designed for homeschooling families and/or the classroom.  On one side of the book (the side facing the child) there is a vibrant colorful picture with a few lines for the child to see.  On the back page (the side facing the parent or teacher) is a lesson plan.  There is a “let’s read” highlighted in yellow that allows the parent to read what is before the child.  The next point is “The Starting Point.”  This gets the lesson rolling.

“Bible Bits” offers some bullet points to offer discussion topics for the instructor.  ”Let’s Talk” further enforces the lesson plan and is set up such that the child has to respond which is great for discussion and knowing if the child is understanding what is being taught.  ”Always Remember” drives home the important lesson for that particular letter and is a key component to the gospel message being shared with the child.

“Visual Vocabulary” offers some interaction with the picture itself while the “Stuff to Do” section gives more critical thinking and interaction.  The “Quick Review” helps to ensure the child has comprehended the lesson for the particular letter.

At the back of the book are further notes for each letter.  These are best read before the lesson and will help to give the teacher the overview of the discussion and the lesson.

The final element of this resource that is extremely helpful are the free coloring pages one can download.  These can be used as take home pages or to keep small hands busy.

Review

This tool is one of the best put together resources for homeschooling, Sunday School, and even the standard classroom I have come across in some time.  In essence, you have a 26-lesson book completely prepared for your use.  You do not necessarily need to prepare longer than it takes to read the notes in the back of the book before each lesson.  Everything is spelled out on the instructor’s side of the resource.

The vividly colored drawings by Jeff Albrecht are top notch and will keep the child’s interest long enough to be able to get the lesson in without much concern of losing them.  What is best, and is to be expected with Ken Ham (thankfully!), is that the child (and possibly the parent) are being introduced to a biblical theology with the gospel being found (and rooted) in Genesis.

My wife literally started using this resource right out of the package with our 3 and 2 year old during their “letter time” during the school day.  That is how easy it is to use.

Recommendation

Yes, I have recommended everything from New Leaf Publishing very highly.  This resource is no different except that if you are teaching the alphabet to your children or you have smaller children still completely learning their ABC’s, you will find this tool to be invaluable.  Trust me.  I recommend this resource to all parents with small children, homeschooling or not.  Also, to all children’s ministers, you will want to make this resource available to your teachers in your department.

The Big Book of History.  Edited by Laura Welch, Bodie Hodge, and Ken Ham.  Green Forest: Master Books, 2011.  15 feet! $19.99.  Purchase at Amazon for $13.59.

Introduction/Summary

The following video will produced by Master Books will give you an introduction and summary of this massive time line.

For more information, check out the Big Book of History webpage.

Review

This was a hard resource to review – I had to pry it out of the hands of both my wife and my older children.  This review is for the bound version though there is an unbound version available that can be mounted on the wall of a classroom.  Both stretch 15 feet long!

The color coding of the events in history help to keep everything in perspective.  For example, the yellow shows Bible and Christian history while the orange shows various world events.  The green offers inventions and technology and the red gives the dates for civilizations and empires.  There are arrows of like color pointing to a more in depth description of the events discussed.

I was somewhat intrigued to find that they dated the beginning of the world to 4004 B.C. only because that is a disputed date though it is also acceptable as it was the date Bishop James Ussher came to when he calculated the genealogies.  I guess I would have like to see a note about that more than anything else.  To be honest, I have come to the personal conviction that if Ussher was wrong, it wasn’t by much!

The colorful pictures help to bring the historical events to life while the descriptions are age appropriate and will lead the child (and parent?) to do a bit of research themselves.  Obviously, the closer to the present day the timeline is, the more information there is included.  For example, the first 4,000 years only comprise 8 panels while the last 2,000 comprise the last 13.  There is something in this resource for children and adults.

Recommendation

Though it is for children ages 7-12, I recommend this resource to any homeschooling family or anyone in general who enjoys history.  The ability to look up a biblical event and see what else was going on in history at that time is both cool and amazing.  It really helps to put into perspective that history really is His Story.  This is a fun resource that will be used for years.  Don’t forget, you can also get the unbound version that is perfect for hanging on your wall.

Carr, Simonetta. Athanasius. Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2011. 66 pp. $18.00. Purchase at Westminster for $13.50.

Introduction

Simonetta Carr is no stranger to the readers of Christian Book Notes. She is the author of the Christian Biographies for Young Readers Series that is doing amazing things to bring the glorious history of the church to life for a new and much younger generation. You can read past reviews on the other three books in the series –John Calvin, Augustine, and John Owen.   She has also been interviewed here. You can become a fan of Christian Biographies for Young Readers on Facebook, too.  This particular volume in the series looks at the life of Athanasius.

Summary

Divided into five chapters, the young (an old) reader is introduced to a young Athanasius who is called to lead the Christian church during a difficult season.  You will quickly discover that God called Athanasius during a special time in which he became one of the greater defenders of orthodox faith.  Twice Athanasius was forced into exile and hid in the deserts for much of his life.  In the end, the young reader will learn that the early church fought many battles to maintain a proper understanding of who Christ is.  In this case, the doctrine of the Trinity was defended.

Included in the back of the book is a timeline offering the highlights of the life of Athanasius as well as a “Did you know?” section that gives some finer points and information that was alluded to in the body of the book.  The author concludes with the Nicene Creed.

Review

As usual, the story is well told and is engaging for the children.  The colorful pictures and paintings help the kids to visualize the realness of what took place in the life of Athanasius.  Matt Abraxas is the artist behind paintings.

Most impressive is Simonetta’s way in which she tackles the sometimes difficult life of Athanasius.  He was a fierce defender of orthodoxy, but was also what I would call a firebrand.  Regardless, the author does a wonderful job of showing why he was so beloved then and now.

Recommendation

While each book in the Christian Biographies for Young Readers can stand alone, Simonetta Carr is painting a beautiful mural of the history of the Christian church.  I echo Michael Haykin’s sentiments when he wrote, “I am fast becoming a real fan of Simonetta’s writing.”  The only change I would make is that I am already a huge fan.

I highly recommend Athanasius as well as the other books in this series to parents who are wanting to introduce true heroes to their children.

Meloche, Renee Taft.  Illustrated by Bryan Pollard.  Heroes for Young Readers: Lottie Moon – A Generous Offering.  Seattle: YWAM Publishing, 2004.  32 pp.  $6.99.  Purchase at Amazon for less.

Introduction

Lottie Moon is perhaps most known today for the offering taken in her name during the Christmas season in the Southern Baptist Convention.  Since I am reviewing the Christian Heroes series for YWAM Publishing, I am taking a different approach to the individual reviews.  In this case, I am focusing primarily on the Heroes for Young Readers book for the Lottie Moon collection and will briefly mention the other two resources below.

Summary

At only 32 pages, Renee Taft Meloche, offers a poetic glimpse of the life and work of Lottie Moon.  The child will understand that Lottie grew up in a wealthy family in the mid-1800′s and moved to China to teach the Chinese about Jesus Christ.  They will discover some of the hardships and how she responded to evil with grace and mercy and love.  In the end, they will discover that her care for the starving is what ultimately led to her death.

Review

I usually struggle to read poetry but found Meloche’s work to be enjoyable.  She nails the mountain top overview of the life of Lottie Moon succinctly and with a flare for the dramatic.  The illustrations by Pollard are enjoyable and colorful though it was sometimes a bit difficult to discern if the picture was of Lottie or someone else.  There was also one page that the text was a bit too dark compared to the artistry but that was quickly overcome.

Additional Materials

There is also a Curriculum Guide and a Christian Heroes: Then & Now for older children written by Janet and Geoff Benge.  In the biography for the older children, you will find more dialogue and a bit more information behind the poetic work of Meloche.

The curriculum guide offers an entire unit study based on the life of Lottie Moon.  Obviously, there will be much work on the land of China in this study.  If finished, the student will have accomplished creative writing, drama, movie critiquing, essay writing, and will have shown (Lord willing!) the ability to comprehend what was read and establish certain history and geography concepts.

There is enough in the guide to engage everyone–even  for those families who have multiple children at various ages and skill levels, though I am sure that each child will not accomplish everything in this curriculum guide .

Recommendation

Given that Lottie Moon’s name is attached to one of the largest missionary collection pushes during the year (and to perhaps the largest missionary sending organization), this series on Lottie Moon is a great resource to have on your shelf.  Your younger children will appreciate the colorful pictures while your older children will appreciate the storytelling of the book for the older children.  Parents, especially those who are home schooling, will find great value in the curriculum guide even if they only use it for one or two assignments.  Even more, children’s ministers (especially those in the SBC) will find much value in introducing their children to Lottie Moon through the reading of Lottie Moon – A Generous Offering.

Swann, Joyce.  Tales of Pig Isle.  El Paso: Frontier 2000 Media Group, 2010.  68 pp.  $9.95.  Purchase at Amazon for less.

Introduction

Joyce Swann homeschooled all ten of her children from first grade through master’s degree programs from 1975-2000. She is a well-known speaker on the subject of homeschooling and child rearing, and for many years she was a regular columnist for “Practical Homeschooling” Magazine. She now writes a regular blog about family and parenting which can be read on her website at frontier2000.net.  She is also the co-author of “The Fourth Kingdom” and “The Twelfth Juror“.

Summary

From Joyce’s website:

Joy and Andy McAloon are two of the special children who are born with the gift of Pig Speak. This gift opens the way for them to visit Pig Isle where they are able to help the Pigmeister overcome the problems that he is unable to solve alone.

As Joy and Andy share their faith with the inhabitants of Pig Isle, they also learn important lessons about faith and friendship among all of God’s creatures.

Join the McAloon children for A Pig Isle Adventure as they help the Pigmeister save his best friend’s farm. Also, you get to celebrate A Pig Isle Christmas as Joy and Andy bring the Spirit of Christmas to Pig Isle.

Review

Tales of Pig Isle is a fun little story book.  The stories are ripe with vivid description and engage the children’s imagination in a unique way.  As everyone gets to know Joy, Andy, and the Pigmeister, they will discover that they are enjoyable children and a fun pig.

More importantly, the stories are Christ-centered and teach the children the importance of obeying Him.  While they are a little too long for a bedtime story, they make for an enjoyable read aloud book.

Recommendation

You can get the Kindle edition for $2.99 making this children’s story book an inexpensive alternative to much else that is available.  It was an enjoyable read though perhaps I had a bit too much fun with the Pig Speak!

Benge, Janet and Geoff. Christian Heroes: Then and Now – William Carey: Obliged to Go. Seattle: YWAM Publishing, 1998. 216 pp. $8.99. Purchase at Amazon for less.

Introduction

William Carey (1761-1834) is known to many as the father of the modern missionary movement. The Benge’s biography for YWAM’s Christian Heroes series offers a highlighted (and lowlighted) introduction to the young reader.

Summary

We find young William Carey wrestling with his dishonesty while trying to prove his worth as a young man working as an apprentice. Even at this young age, we see the hand of God in his life as he begins to wrestle with the need for the gospel to go into all the world. Quickly, Carey grows into a young man and has is infamous confrontation with John Ryland, Sr. It is in this instance, where Ryland tells Carey to sit down because if God wanted the heathen saved, He’d do something about Himself.

William quickly heeds the call to go to India himself only to find many stumbling blocks in his path. Through the course of his life as a missionary, Carey loses three wives and a number of children due to ill-health. It took 7+ years to witness the first convert. They were able to get the gospels and New Testament translated into Bengali only to witness the printing press burn to the ground. Undaunted, Carey pressed forward even when everyone thought he should pull back. In the end, because of William’s determination, the Baptist Missionary Society was born.

Review

The story of William Carey is fascinating in and of itself. I appreciated how the Benge’s showed how the political elements going on in Britain impacted the missionary work taking place in India. This is an important lesson to be learned by young Christian workers today. Also, toward the end of the work, it was fascinating how they wrote of the interaction between the younger missionaries who eventually set up the Baptist Missionary Society and the “old-grizzled” (my choice of words) missionary veterans. The lesson to be learned here is one that is even more needed today than ever.

I wished they would have offered an explanatory paragraph in chapter five where Carey had his run-in with Ryland. Both men were Reformed in their eschatological doctrine; however, Ryland was the classical “hyper-Calvinist” while Carey was simply a “Calvinist.” This is an important distinction as there is still much confusion over the terminology. What an opportunity to work towards dispelling that confusion. It must be noted, though, that the goal of the book is not necessarily doctrinal and to only be an introduction for the young reader.

Regardless, this introduction to missions work ought to be read by all Christians—the young can start here while the older believer can utilize the recommended resource list in the back.

Recommendation

Once again, the Benge’s offer a wonderful addition to the work on a Christian Hero with this piece on William Carey. If your child has expressed any interest in missions work, beginning with William Carey is a must.

Seeing what he endured for the sake of the Gospel will have one of two effects: either the child will be excited and want to learn how to serve Christ more, or they will be shown a different work for Him who died for us. Either way, your child will be better for reading William Carey: Obliged to Go.

Benge, Janet and Geoff. Christian Heroes: Then and Now—D.L. Moody: Bringing Souls to Christ. Seattle: YWAM Publishing, 2011. 192 pp. $8.99. Purchase at Amazon.

Introduction

Continuing the fine tradition of biographies on Christian men and women from our past, the Benge’s offered us an introduction to D.L. Moody. Janet and Geoff Benge have more than 20 years’ experience as writers. It also helps that their marriage together enables them to work closely. They originally come from New Zealand though now they make their home in Orlando, FL.

Summary

The author’s hook the young reader from the opening chapter as they offer a reflection from Dwight Lyman (D.L.) Moody as he is about to step into a pulpit and preach the gospel to 18,000 people in England. Not bad for a kid growing up in Northfield, MA who was rejected for membership to a church in Boston. The second chapter, however, gets right into it. D.L.’s dad dies unexpectedly thus launching the entire Moody family into a tailspin as they fight to keep their house and health. They moved to Boston where D.L. was saved through the ministry of his Sunday School teacher.

Next, he moved to Chicago where he not only got involved with a successful Sunday School ministry, but also became heavily involved in the local Y.M.C.A. When the Civil War began, D.L. wanted to join and become a chaplain. Instead, he set up a prayer tent at Camp Douglas which began a spiritual harvest of biblical proportions.

As his ministry in Chicago grew, so, too, his ambitions to be a “soul-winner.” The last half of this biography looks at the traveling and the preaching performed by D.L. Moody. He was able to meet Charles Haddon Spurgeon, George Muller, and many other saints while trotting the globe.

Review

I am aware that there are some who disagree with Moody’s methods and the way he went about preaching. There are others that believe what Moody did for Christianity and the Gospel has been unmatched since by anyone except maybe Billy Graham. Agree or disagree with D.L. Moody, this review is based upon the work of the author’s Janet and Geoff Benge. I found the book to be an interesting read and a joy to see what the Lord did in the life of one young man who had “just enough faith.”

I appreciated the conversational tone the biography took. It was not so much a dry; here are a bunch of facts about the man, biography. Rather, Moody’s life leapt from the pages as the conversations based upon the factual events helps the reader to get into the life of one D.L. Moody.

Recommendation

While there are surely more in depth biographies on D.L. Moody, the Benge’s offer a very nice and succinct introduction for those younger adults wanting to learn more about the true heroes and not just those who hit a baseball or star in movies. Just make sure that you as a parent are familiar with the life of D.L. Moody as your children will certainly want to discuss this man of God.

D.L. Moody is a common enough name within Christian circles. He is, in many ways, the predecessor to Billy Graham insofar as evangelistic campaigns.