The Church History ABCs

The Church History ABCs: Augustine and 25 Other Heroes of the Faith was written by Stephen J. Nichols and Ned Bustard.

As the titles clearly indicate, it offers an alphabetical introduction to key players in church history. Each letter and character receives a dedicated page which features a short biographical sketch of his or her life and significant things done.

Featured bios include Ignatius, Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards and Charles Spurgeon as well as Zacharias Ursinus, Ulrich Zwingli, Queen Jeanne and Lady Jane Grey. The authors took care to keep the text interesting with little quips and details that appeal to younger audiences, like the difference between Hippolytus and a hippopotamus or a hinted sibling rivalry between John and Charles Wesley.

The illustrations (also by Ned Bustard) combine stylistic two-dimensional drawings with photographs. Colors fill the pages. Over-sized letters in white remind readers where they are in their alphabetical journey through the ages.

What I Like: I like the introduction. It beautifully sets up the book by presenting history as a collection of stories and people that are important. History is critical to a well-rounded education; church history is no exception, but too often we see these subjects as stuffy, boring and irrelevant. This book seeks to prove otherwise.

I've not seen a book like this before, one of this content that targets this age group. It's an ambitious task, and the authors did a great job creating an introductory text. I like that the book features the main players in church history, but also some lesser-known people. I also really like the website! There are some very fun, highly educational supplements and activities available there. My kids like the illustrations, the witty comments and the large alphabetical emphasis.

What I Dislike: There are some draw-backs to it being an alphabetical book. For starters, it offers no chronological time-line within the book. Timelines are critical to an accurate understanding of history and, fortunately, the authors remedy this void with a very cool activity on the book's website (www.churchhistoryabcs.com). Secondly, alphabet books are typically geared toward preschoolers; church history, in contrast, is a rather mature topic. Not many six-year-olds (much less three-year-olds) understand martyrdom or reformation. Also, because the content is organized alphabetically,

Also, I don't like that the book is written from first person perspective. This makes it awkward as a read-aloud book. It would be fine if the children read it to themselves, but they really can't within this age group. My daughter is an advanced reader for her age (6-1/2, in first grade), but the vocabulary within this text is far beyond her skill level. The language and content is better suited for older kids. I suggest 6-10.

Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 3-6, but I suggest 6-10.

Publisher Info: Crossway, 2010; ISBN: ; Hardback; 32 pages; $15.99

Buy it Now at Amazon.com for $10.87!

Special Info: Visit the book's website for printable activities such as coloring pages, mazes and more. This site is a wonderful supplemental resource to the text!

Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione

Chuck Black's book Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione captures the flavor of medieval knights, jousting, sword-fighting, and storming castles but presents a modern, though subtle, message about the hazards of rebelling against God.

Sir Kendrick, a Knight of the Prince, and Duncan, the young man he is mentoring, are asked to discover the identity of an evil Vincero Knight, in order to protect the kingdom from the Lucius, the Dark Knight. On their journey, they realize shadow warriors are enticing young people to rebel against their parents, and spend their weekends reveling at the Castle of Bel Lione. Eventually, the young people disappear, either to be enslaved, killed in brutal games, or become Vincero knights themselves.

When Duncan is imprisoned in the Castle of Bel Lione, Kendrick must rescue him. Help comes from the most unlikely source, and a fierce battle ensues. Finally, the prisoners are freed, but not before Kendrick learns a powerful lesson about forgiveness.

What I Like: Black's message to teens about the dangers of rebellion is subtle, and framed in an exiting adventure. He is never "preachy," but comes across as wise and concerned. His discussion questions and answers at the back of the book rely on Scripture and personal application. This book would be a unique and engaging choice to use as a Bible study with groups of boys or girls.

I love how Black includes many female knights, and portrays them as smart, courageous, and highly skilled.

Black's writing is authentic, and his word choice even feels medieval. He provides detailed information about skills such as jousting and sword play, and provides maps, and castle schematics as well.

What I Dislike: Black only gives us hints throughout about Sir Kendrick's past, and I wish we knew more about him. However, this is the first book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series, so I am sure we will learn more about Kendrick in subsequent books.

Overall Rating: Very Good

Age Appeal: 9 and up

Publisher Info: Multnomah Books, 2008; ISBN: 978-1-60142-124-1 ; Paperback, 169 pages, $9.99

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The Case of the Autumn Rose

Brother and sister Arthur and Kristin Davis are partners in their private enterprise called the Davis Detective Agency. In The Case of the Autumn Rose, the third in the series written by Rick Acker, the two once again use their skills of observation, deduction and research to solve a mystery.

This one involves a wealthy, rather over-bearing woman named Madame Dragonfly, a Frenchman named Pierre LeGrand and a pearl called the Autumn Rose. Madame Dragonfly hires Arthur and Kristin to figure out where the pearl is and how to get to it without being killed in the process.

That is no easy task considering a number of unscrupulous thugs are out to find the Autumn Rose before the kids do and the thugs will do whatever is necessary to meet their objective, including murder.

What I Like: I liked the story. For the most part it was very well-written.

What I Dislike: However, the last part of the story wasn’t of the same literary quality as the rest of it was. For one thing, there is a major water chase and shoot-out near the end of the book. Three boats are destroyed in the process. With all the smoke, flames, and bullets, the only injury reported is a broken foot. That stretches the limits of credibility somewhat.

And, the next-top-the-last chapter sums up what happened after all the boats blew up and the crisis is over. I found this chapter rather dull as it had no dialogue or personal interaction. It was more like a laundry-list of events. Thankfully, the last chapter was more interesting.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 9-12.

Publisher Info: Kregel Publications, 2003; ISBN: 9780825420047; Paperback, 186 pages, $7.99

Buy now at ChristianBook $5.99!

Or buy at Amazon.com $7.99.

Special Info: This book is part of the publisher’s The Davis Detective Mysteries series. Visit the author’s website.

Beyond The Reflection's Edge, Echoes From The Edge #1

When I breathe on your hand, I whisper a prayer that the breath of God will fill your soul with his music, the melody of everlasting love that guided our Savior to the ultimate sacrifice. Because such love lasts forever, I know, my son, that we will be together through all eternity.

His musical virtuoso mother often spoke these words to 16 year-old Nathan before he performed on the violin. Now those words were just a memory.

Both of Nathan’s parents are murdered, and now, apparently, he is the next target. Meanwhile, Nathan’s dad left him a mirror, a camera that takes picture of things that aren’t really there, and some strange instructions with his tutor, Clara. While Clara makes funeral arrangements, Nathan is sent to stay at an old friend’s house. He is given a room with a wall-sized mirror. The small mirror his father gave him fits in the corner of larger mirror. When Nathan slides it into place, he discovers that he can use the big mirror to travel to parallel dimensions… leaving Nathan to wonder if his parents are really dead.

Beyond the Reflections Edge, the first book in Bryan Davis’ Echoes from the Edge series, is a fast-pieced, well-written science fiction thriller. Nathan and his friend Kelly discover that three Earths exist--Earth Yellow, Earth Blue and Earth Red. The three worlds used to thrive in harmony, but once Mictar, an evil force, and his associates began traveling from one dimension to another, the places fell out of sync. Worse, the traveling created holes in the fabric of time. Now, one earth is set in the past, one the present, and one the near future. Nathan learns that his mother was uniquely gifted to heal the holes—which is why Mictar wanted her dead. And since Nathan inherited her musical gift (and thereby the potential to set things right), Mictar wants him dead too.

Still, many questions—and people bent on killing him—abound. Is music the key? How can people simultaneously exist on all three worlds? If someone travels to another dimension, how do his actions affect that world? Are Nathan’s parents still alive? Can he figure out the clues they left behind and save them? Who can he trust? And where can he hide?
Davis uses classical music and incorporates the words to beautiful hymns in the text. While not overtly religious, the book still holds many poignant and inspiring nuggets of wisdom.

What I Like: I think Davis is a master storyteller. The characters he created were genuine and deep. The action-packed plot never slowed. The whole underlying concept of the book was complex, and yet perfectly logical in delivery. I found it wildly entertaining, but also laced with great takeaway value. I LOVED IT! I stayed up way too late reading because I couldn't put it down.


What I Dislike: Nothing, just a note: The book contains some violence.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: Ages 13-16, but I feel its complexity will best appeal to an older teenage and adult audience.


Publisher Info: Zondervan, 2008; ISBN: 978-0-310-71554-2; Paperback, 416 PGS., $ 12.99

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $9.99
OR Buy it at Amazon.com for $10.39
OR Buy the kindle version for $9.99.

Special Info: Visit this author's website.

The Wilderking Trilogy, Book 3: The Way of the Wilderking

BAM! The action starts right away in The Way of the Wilderking, the third and final book in the Wilderking series written by Jonathan Rogers. A “civilizer” is captured in the Feechiefen (a dangerous swamp filled with legendary—and smelly—feechiefolk), and more armed civilizers are on the way. The civilizer ends up being Aidan’s own brother, come to warn him that his life is in danger.

The story picks up three years after the last book left off. We discover that our hero Aidan Errolson fled to the swamp after King Darrow tried to kill him. Still bent on eliminating Aidan, King Darrow sends his army into the swamp to kill him. Aidan leaves the swamp and seeks out his family and friends, only to discover that they have been outlawed and are hiding in caves. Aidan trains these people, making them into his own mighty army. Yet instead of attacking Darrow, the ever loyal Aidan battles the Pyrthens, who are planning an invasion.

The story plot is modeled after the life of young David and King Saul from the Bible. The feechiefolk add a hilarious twist to the tale, making it hard to stop reading… or stop laughing.

What I Like: As with the first two installments, I LOVE THIS BOOK. Rogers is an excellent storyteller—creative, hysterically funny, and poignant. The story is energetic and fast-paced, and yet Rogers seamlessly weaves sacrificial love, forgiveness, and humility into the tale without being preachy. While the story holds parallels to the Biblical accounts of David, it is so well crafted and so well rooted in its fantasy world that instead of the similarities hindering the plot, the reader will be completely delighted by this fresh new version and its twists and turns. Plus, the antics of the feechiefolk make it irresistible. There are two more books in this series; The Bark of the Bog Owl and The Secret of the Swamp King.

What I Dislike: Nothing

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 8-12, but it will appeal to those older and younger as well

Publisher Info: B & H Publishing, 2006; ISBN: 978-0-8054-3133-9; Hardcover, 225PGS., $15.99
Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $7.99
OR Buy the kindle version at Amazon.com for $7.98.

Special Info: Visit Jonathan Rogers' website.

Beautiful glooms

I'm spending Christmas in a beautiful (and warm) place, and maybe that's what it takes to get me to blog these days.

Thanks to the generosity of mine uncle, my family is staying at the Cloister at Sea Island, which is both a "five star resort" and an "ultimate spa escape."



Karl Rove is reported to have slept in the master bedroom where my parents are now staying. So far, they're not acting any differently, so I guess it's okay.

We crossed the bridge named for my ancestor, Sidney Lanier, who wrote:

Of the dim sweet woods, of the dear dark woods,
Of the heavenly woods and glades,
That run to the radiant marginal sand-beach within
The wide sea-marshes of Glynn

He looks quite a bit like my dad.

We went horseback riding on the beach first thing yesterday morning.



My horse's name was Talladega, and he wanted to eat the marshes of Glynn.

Hopefully the tide washed away Talladega's poo (nitrogenous waste, Dad reminded us), because my sis and I are going for a walk on the beach. And then we're going to check out the spa.



I'm only mildly afraid that they won't let us in . . .