Kate's Philadelphia frenzy

I don’t know who started this site or why, but you will be stopped. Tony Smith is not the hero you’ve painted him to be. In fact he is just the opposite. Read the web. Listen to the radio. Hear what the fans and other players have to say. Then you’ll stop writing articles like this. And if you DON’T…

Book: Kate’s Philadelphia Frenzy by Janice Hanna, Barbour Publishing, 2010

 

Genre: Mystery, Adventure

Target Audience: Girls 11-14

Summary: Kate’s friend’s dad is in serious trouble. He’s a baseball player who’s name is being smeared all over the public. He greatly enjoys his job, but the rumors say he dislikes it and plans to abandon his team as soon as he can and in the meantime says cruel things about it. None of this is true, but he has no way to prove it. Until Kate and the Camp Club girls come in that is! Kate and her electronics skills combined with the overall detective skills of the other girls are going to give this sabotager quite the challenge!

Notes: There are a couple spiritual themes running through this book. The obvious one is the power of words. A few carefully planted words were causing one person’s whole career to be in danger. They decide that instead of using words to tear people down, they should use words to build people up. That’s where the second theme comes into play. Kate has some insecurities about her value and worth because she is so different than some of her friends. She does not know anything about baseball or sports and isn’t into looking good all the time either. She knows a lot about electronics, but isn’t sure that makes her as good as some of her friends. Value and worth come from God rather than a particular skill or talent.

Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

James 3:9-10 - With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

Wild Cat

Fear shoots through my bloodstream. I feel it like the cold ink they inject in me before X-rays. Xrays. IVs. Tests. Cancer. That’s how I’m supposed to die. Not like this.

Book: Wild Cat by Dandi Daley Mackall, Tyndale House Publishers, 2009

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Horse Story

Target Audience: Girls and Boys 13-19

Summary: Kat is the youngest in the family. She’s also the one in the worst shape. At least the others are physically well. Kat has had cancer and even though she’s in remission, she’s still not well. All the treatments have weakened her to such an extreme state that the family is terrified for her all the time. It seems she can’t do anything without getting sick again. She just wants to be normal though! And even more than that, she wants to do something worthwhile. Everyone else has some special gift. Kat wants to be worthy of the love they are showing her.

Notes: This is the third in Dandi Daley Mackall’s newest animal series. The focus is on a family that brings in foster children or teens who are desperately in need of love. Each book in the series focuses on one child or teen and their struggles. In this one, Kat learns to trust God with her life, not just her death. She also learns to just trust in the love that God and her family have for her and not to fear not being perfect enough for them.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 John 3:1 – How great is the love that the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

Mad Dog

Let’s get this straight from the get-go: Nice Manor will consider adopting one dog. ONE. I’m allowing you to bring the four so that we can choose one. That is, if any of the dogs work out, which at this point seems like a long shot.

Book: Mad Dog by Dandi Daley Mackall, Tyndale House Publishers, 2008

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Horse Story

Target Audience: Girls and Boys 13-19

Summary: Mad Dog is Wes’s former nickname, and an accurate description of him sometimes. Only his dog Rex seems to be able to calm him down when he gets angry. And Wes has a lot to be angry about right now: the animal “shelter” that puts to sleep dogs that don’t get adopted, the crabby director of the nursing home that tries to shoot down the idea of the nursing home adopting a dog program, Dakota and the trouble she causes with his dogs, and finally, the biggest cause of his anger: his mom in jail. Wes’ anger is growing and growing, getting more and more out of control. Can anything get ahold of him before his anger explodes further?

Notes: This is the second in Dandi Daley Mackall’s newest animal series. The focus is on a family that brings in foster children or teens who are desperately in need of love. Each book in the series focuses on one child or teen and their struggles. In this one, Wes learns to rely on God’s plan for him and let go of his anger. He has to learn to rest in God’s promises to take care of him.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Dark Horse

When I close my eyes I still see Cleo cowered in the corner of her smoke filled stall. And I see the barn in flames. I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of that image. I’ve also replayed everything I did in the days leading up to the fire.

Book: Dark Horse by Dandi Daley Mackall, Tyndale House Publishers, 2009

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Horse Story

Target Audience: Girls and Boys 13-19

Summary: The barn is gone. It’s burned to the ground. And with it went Hank’s confidence and his trust in God. He’s just not sure where to go from here. Cleo, the problem horse he was working with is even more scared of people than before. All Hank can think about is what needs done to fix this mess. He doesn’t even want to ride Starlight. Then Winnie and Catman come to help, but Winnie’s struggling with her own issues right now – God has given her talents and dreams, but it seems money is making all of that impossible to pursue. God is slowly drawing them back to Him, using Catman and the others to gently encourage them and point them in the right direction. Can Winnie and Hank actually turn in their hurt and pain and be the one to help each other?

Notes: Where is God when bad things happen? That’s the question this book lightly addresses. It’s more of a question of “Where is our faith when bad things happen” though. Winnie and Hank have both placed their faith in Christ for salvation, but when life throws it’s tragedies at them, both struggle to keep believing in God’s great love and plans for them. It’s a great conclusion to the Winnie The Horse Gentler series, written a few years ago as it brings back both Winnie and Catman and ties up loose ends from that series. It actually concludes it more than it does Starlight Animal Rescue.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

James 4:8 - Come near to God and he will come near to you

Runaway

Inside my mind, there’s a ticking, life a clock running down. I have a week and a half to learn how to drive. I am running out of time. So is Blackfire.

Book: Runaway by Dandi Daley Mackall, Tyndale House Publishers, 2008

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Horse Story

Target Audience: Girls 13-19

Summary: She’s never stayed in any place for very long and she has no intention of starting now. But she’s not going back where she came from either. This time she’s making her escape. A friend will help her if she can get to Chicago in time – which requires learning how to drive there in a week and a half. The biggest problem though, isn’t the escape plan. The problem is that there are things pulling her away from the desire to escape. Things such as a wild horse that she seems to be able to reach more than anyone else. Or a family that truly knows what it means to love one another. Or a God that this family serves. Her list of reasons to escape isn’t nearly as long as it should be. Can she harden herself enough to get away in time?

Notes: This is the first in Dandi Daley Mackall’s newest animal series. The focus is on a family that brings in foster children or teens who are desperately in need of love. Each book in the series focuses on one child or teen and their struggles. In this one, Dakota learns about God’s love for His children, and the kind of love that His children can show to others.

Recommendation Scale: 4.5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 John 3:1 – How great is the love that the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

Finding Hollywood Nobody

Yeah, he chased me all the way to the boat. But the way he stood at the end of the dock as we sped away, hands on his knees, catching his breath…am I wrong about him? You can’t be, Scotty. He’s been chasing you for several years now. You’ve heard what Charley said. Just get into town and run for cover.

Book: Finding Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson, NavPress, 2008

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-19

Subjects: Family Relationships, Fame and Popularity, Dating Relationships, Teen Pregnancy, Prayer, Belief in God

Summary:  Scotty and Charley are on set in Texas working on another film when Biker Guy makes multiple appearances, making Scotty and Charley all the more nervous about him. Scotty makes friends with a few of the locals, discovering a potential romance, a girl her age who is pregnant and homeless, a guy who is teaching her some things about music for her homeschooling, and a drama teacher who has potential to be a pretty impressive actor herself. Then Seth comes for a visit, but gets more tied up in Karissa than in the one he came to visit in the first place. All of this is pushing Scotty’s questions about God closer and closer to resolution. When a tragedy happens, Scotty determines once and for all to figure out who He is and what He has to do with her.

Notes: Scotty is on the a spiritual journey and while that’s not necessarily the main focus of the book, it does play a part in it. Scotty does some drastic things to get God to listen to her and learns a lesson about prayer and how God listens to anyone who comes to Him. This book also deals with a teen girl who is pregnant, family relationships between Charley and Scotty, friendships between Seth and Scotty, and the hint of romance between Seth and others.

Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Matthew 21:22 – If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

I’m So Sure

“This is so ridiculous. Those cameras – they’re everywhere. I had no idea!” I feel so violated. So exposed. “This isn’t fair! Can’t we do something about this?”

Book: I’m So Sure by Jenny B. Jones, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-17

Subjects:  Dating Relationships, Trust, Friendships, Family Relationships

Summary: If Bella thought life was bad before, it’s horrendous now. Her whole life is being exposed to the world. Her step-dad is succeeding at his wrestling and won a place on a reality tv show – that films the family as much as the wrestler. Not only that, but her latest project on the newspaper requires her to get a job. Her attempts at that are failing miserably.  At the taco restaurant she accidentally starts a food fight. At the farm she stumbles and falls in manure. At the paper factory, the machine starts running double time, spitting out things so fast she gets buried in them and gets the sticky parts of them stuck to her face. And the cameras are right there to capture all of it. Then to make things even more confusing, her ex-boyfriend from New York randomly shows up in Oklahoma claiming he has a serious disease and wants to make amends. The mystery of the book involves a race for prom queen. Someone is sabotaging the candidates and as usual, Bella’s curiosity puts her in serious danger.

Notes: This book is the second in a trilogy about a young teenager who goes from being spoiled rotten to having parents that truly parent – resulting in a major shift of lifestyle for her. Everything that she has taken for granted is now gone. The spiritual theme is forgiveness and wisdom. Bella recognizes that she needs to forgive those who have hurt her, but at the same time, those around her are encouraging her to use caution in opening herself back up to the same hurt again. There is also a lot of bathroom humor throughout the series. There isn’t much vocabulary held back in these books.

Recommendation Scale: 2/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

So Over My Head

 Dear God, if there was a breaking and entering prayer, I would so say it right now. Ruthie’s voice from outside jolts me like a cattle prod. I drop my flashlight and it skitters across the floor, under the far bed. Oh no! I have to get it! I have to hide! My brain scrambles for a rational thought. Think Bella! What do I do?

Book: So Over My Head by Jenny B. Jones, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2010

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-18

Subjects: Fear, Trust, Family Relationships, Friendships, Dating Relationships

Summary: When the fair comes to town, trouble comes with it. Bella goes to interview one of the performers and finds her dead. As it turns out, the lady killed was a caregiver for a relative of one of her mom’s friends. Bella’s curiosity is aroused and despite Luke’s best attempts to keep her safe, she rushes headfirst into danger attempting to solve the mystery of the murder. Meanwhile, in New York, her dad is getting married to someone Bella is confident is up to something mysterious. So now she’s up to trouble whether she’s in Truman or New York. Then there’s her relationship with Luke – or lack of it – by her choice, not his.

Notes: This book is the third in a trilogy about a young teenager who goes from being spoiled rotten to having parents that truly parent – resulting in a major shift of lifestyle for her. Everything that she has taken for granted is now gone. The spiritual theme is that Bella learns that she has stopped trusting overall. She is terrified that her boyfriend and stepdad will let her down the way her father and last boyfriend did. She learns a few lessons about trust – in her Heavenly Father, as well as those around her. It is still primarily a drama of Bella’s life though. The author states at the end of it that it was not intended to have a spiritual message, just tell a story about a normal girl who happens to be a Christian. There is also a lot of bathroom humor throughout the series. There isn’t much vocabulary held back in these books.

Recommendation Scale: 3/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

So Not Happening

When lunch comes, I’m praying for the rapture. A lighting bolt to take my out. A plague of locusts to carry me off. But the only catastrophic occurrence is that the whole school knows – even the cafeteria lady.

Book: So Not Happening by Jenny B. Jones, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-18

Subjects: Pride, Family Relationships, Friendship

Summary: Banished from New York to the middle of nowhere. Going from private boarding school to small public school. Credit cards to be maxed out whenever she pleases to no cash unless she gets a job. Popularity, friends, boyfriend to despised. Bella has no doubt whatsoever that her life is over. When her dad “traded in” her mom for a “newer model”, her mom found someone new of her own – a wanna be wrestler who works in a paper factory in Oklahoma where he lives with his two sons – her new stepbrothers. When she gets sent to work on the school newspaper, her first assignment – sitting in the school dumpster – leads to some information about some supposed “accidents” from a year ago that may not have been accidents. Her knowledge puts her very life in danger, adding even more drama to her new life.

Notes: This book is the first in a trilogy about a teenager who goes from being spoiled rotten to having parents that truly parent – resulting in a major shift of lifestyle for her. Everything that she has taken for granted is now gone. The spiritual theme is kind of learning to trust God even when she doesn’t get everything she wants, but it isn’t real prevalent. Mostly it’s just a drama of Bella’s life. There is also a lot of bathroom humor throughout the series. There isn’t much vocabulary held back in these books.

Recommendation Scale: 2/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Romans 12:3 – For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

N 2 Deep

She felt bombarded. Everywhere she turned, someone shoved a request in her face. If she were stuck on a deserted island, a bottle would float up with some new idea in it: Hey Amber. Can you make a scratch and sniff page for the Fungus Club? She knew all she really had to have was a great home page and a sampling of the clubs and sports. But she wanted the site to blow them away.

Book: N 2 Deep by Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-17

Subjects: Friendship, Longing for approval, Relationship with parents

Summary: Amber has gotten everything she tried for – the webmaster position at school and a role on the soccer team. The question is, can she balance both of those along with the normal things like homework, Church, and friendships? It seems everyone at school from the chess club to the tae quondo group to the cafeteria ladies want their own page on the website and they all have a very specific idea of what it should look like. As for soccer? Well, she’s actually not that good at it. Nor does she enjoy it that much. But it brings her and her dad closer together, and that makes about anything worth it. As Amber gets deeper and deeper into everything, will she sink so deep there is no way out or will she find some way of juggling all of it?

Notes: The spiritual theme in this book is about working for God’s approval rather than man’s. Amber is desperately trying to please everyone – every group at school, her dad and her friends. She takes a step back and asks herself who’s approval she is truly working for. She doesn’t wind up dropping anything, but her desperate attitude stops when she realizes she doesn’t have to strive for perfection any longer. There’s also a lesson about jumping to conclusions too quickly in friendships and risking ruining your friendship. Another highlight of this book is the section in the back that gives some guidelines for protecting yourself while using the internet. The series is focused around a group of girls who have their own website and chat room and so at the end they give suggestions for how to be safe while navigating the web.

Recommendation Scale: 3/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Matthew 11:28-30 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Luv@first Site

Bren started to protest, but there was no use. Her friends were only trying to help. But they didn’t get it. And they never would. Not until they fell in love too.

Book: Luv@first Site by Tess Kindig, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-17

Subjects: Dating relationships, friendships, love

Summary: Bren is in love. She knows it as soon as she sees him. There’s absolutely no doubt in her mind. However, her friends have doubt – and lots of it. The guy acts like a jerk about every time Bren sees him. Not to mention how it’s making her act. Bren is totally loosing it over this guy. But nothing anyone says gets through to Bren. When they come up with a plan to get Bren matched up with him through the use of a computer generated match up program, the results don’t show what Bren was hoping for. So she makes some minor adjustments to get what she wants and in the process sets herself up for a disaster and gets her friends mad at her. Just how far will she go for a crush?

Notes: Bren and Jamie both have to learn the difference between a crush and true love. They get lost in and carried away by their emotions and make some extremely poor choices, tuning out the wisdom their friends attempt to give them. This book does an excellent job discussing what true love is versus what a crush is. The spiritual element is when they bring a passage of Scripture into their discussions.

Recommendation Scale: 3/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 – Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

The Sword

“The Word of Dieu cannot die. I have hidden this Book in the church as a treasure for you … O finder, may the Eternal One bless you. I give you a precious gift – the Sacred Scripture. Know this: the truth will set you free.”

Book: The Sword by Bryan M. Litfin, Crossway, 2010

 

Genre: Futuristic Fantasy

Target Audience: Boys & Girls 13-19

Subjects: God’s Word, Fellowship with believers, Persecution

Summary: Teo and Ana live in a post-apocalyptic world and know little to nothing about the religion of the ancients until, in the midst of fantastical adventure, they discover a mostly complete copy of the Bible. Taking it back to their home, however, means that they must tread lightly in a land where three false gods reign. In the midst of further danger and adventure, they must determine their course to learn about, follow, and proclaim the true God of the Ancients. While trying to start a fellowship of believers, they face obstacles, subversion, and outright persecution. These lead them to more desperate situations involving facing up to the religious leaders of the false gods. The choice is before them to run, to renounce their new-found faith, or to stand and boldly proclaim the truth.

Notes: This story has been told before in The Book of Eli movie (without the graphic description of violence), Gilbert Morris’ The Seven Sleepers series,  The Outriders by Kathryn Mackel and to a smaller degree in City of Ember (“We need to tell them what’s up here.”). This one emphasizes the continuance of Scripture and how God will ensure that everyone understands who He is. The world of the Ancients plays a somewhat minor role, compared to some stories, and the feel of the book ends up being of the pre-industrial fantasy genre complete with swordplay, discovery of gunpowder, and rustic living. It does, however, involve some older-teen themes including death & destruction, sexual temptation, and the Gnostic debate regarding secret meanings of the scriptures. I would recommend that it not be handed to someone who isn’t old enough to understand the meaning of “post-apocalyptic”. The beauty of it is the power of the Scriptures on the lives of those who read it. The characters have nothing more than Genesis and some of the Psalms, but it makes enough of an impact on them to change their entire worldview and hold to the commitment to Dieu – even at the point of death.  

Recommendation Scale: 4.5/5

Reviewer: Gil & J:-)mi

Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

All The King’s Horses

 Fine! Let them leave. Let them all leave! Carla can have Ray. Jen and Maggie can have each other. I don’t need any of them!

Book: All the King's Horses (Horsefeathers) by Dandi Daley Mackall, Concodia Publishing House, 2000

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Horse Story

Subjects: Friendships, Pride, Lukemia

Summary: Not only are they housing horses, but now, Horsefeathers is giving lessons to some young boys at King’s Kamp. The only problem is that, first of all, the horses the camp has were given to them for free – for a reason! More than one of them has some kind of problem or another. And then there’s the boys. Some don’t want to ride. Some want to ride, but not take lessons for it. And some can’t stand being near each other. Then there’s Scoop herself, as well as Jen, Maggie and Carla. It seems they can’t get along anymore either. Scoop is fed up with all three of her friends and the next thing she knows, she’s working the whole thing completely on her own, having driven away all of her friends. How can one girl manage four horses and four rowdy little boys all on her own?

Notes: Scoop has to learn a tough lesson about pride and friendship. She was the one who drove away her friends with her pride and demands of them. Then there’s one of the little boys, the worst behaved of the lot of them. As usual in this series, something is revealed at the end that shows it’s a good idea to look beyond the surface, because the truth may not be what you see at a glance.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Proverbs 18:12 – Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

The Minions Of Time

Owen’s problem was that he himself wasn’t completely convinced of who he was. Every time the thought hit him that he had a father, a mother, a sister, and even a future bride, his heart leaped. But when he thought of the responsibility that came with it he backed away. How could he convince anyone to follow him if he didn’t totally believe it?

Book: The Minions of Time (The Wormling) by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, Tyndale House Publishers, 2008

Genre: Fantasy/Allegory

Target Audience: Boys 12-18

Subjects: perseverance, trust, faith

Summary: Owen has now discovered the identity of the King’s Son and found him, but he can not yet embrace it. His mission now takes him back to the highlands where the dragon has been controlling the King’s daughter and the daughter of the King of the West. Meanwhile, his friends in the lowlands are desperately trying to gather an army to follow the King’s Son, but the dragon is determined to not only stop them, but destroy them all.

Notes: This, the fourth book in the Wormling series, continues the story of Owen Reeder as he reads and tries to understand and apply the words of the Book of the King as he undergoes a search for the one who can save both worlds from the evil dragon determined to rule them. It is an allegory with the King and Book of the King – much of which resembles Scripture. The lessons challenge one to closely examine the heart and stay faithful even in times of despair and hopelessness.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Deuteronomy 31:8 – The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

The Changeling

I could have given you anything you asked for, Wormling! Lands. Power. Authority.” “Those are not yours to give! Nor the Dragon’s. Only the King can bestow such. You know that.”
“Yes, I know that,” Mordecai said, imitating Owen’s voice. He bent and hefted an even larger rock. “The King is all-powerful. The King is all-knowing. Well, the King is dead. And so are you.” Mordecai held the stone over Owen’s head and let go.
Owen snapped to reality as the stone dropped toward him. This was not Mordecai but an evil imposter!

Book: The Changeling (The Wormling) by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, Tyndale House Publishers, 2007

Genre: Fantasy/Allegory

Target Audience: Boys 12-18

Subjects: perseverance, trust, faith

Summary: Owen is now trained and on his search for the King’s Son, but the dragon is still determined to see him dead. Now he has sent the most powerful enemy yet: a being that can change into anyone or anything at a moment’s notice. He can pose as an animal or a trusted friend or anything else he chooses. How can Owen and Watcher know what to trust? How can they even make it safely to the King’s Son? The people of the lowlands are still opposed to him, and his lack of knowledge about his own identity is beginning to discourage him.

Notes: This, the third book in the Wormling series, continues the story of Owen Reeder as he reads and tries to understand and apply the words of the Book of the King as he undergoes a search for the one who can save both worlds from the evil dragon determined to rule them. It is an allegory with the King and Book of the King – much of which resembles Scripture. The lessons challenge one to closely examine the heart and stay faithful even in times of despair and hopelessness.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Proverbs 3:5-7 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.

The Sword Of The Wormling

Owen was scanning the area for a key when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and turned, holding his breath, unable to speak, facing the dim outline of a face. “So you really are the Wormling then.”

Book: The Sword of the Wormling by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, Tyndale House
Publishers, 2007

Genre: Fantasy/Allegory

Target Audience: Boys 12-18

Subjects: perseverance, trust, faith

Summary: Owen may have acknowledged his identity as the wormling and with the helper of the mucker, broke through to the lowlands, but the journey and battle have only just begun. The dragon is determined to destroy him before he finds the King’s son and the very people he has been sent to help are resistant to him. He can’t even truly begin his search for the King’s son until he undergoes an initiation ceremony – one that only two people can perform – one who is dead and the other who is exiled to a land impossible to survive the journey to.

Notes: This, the second book in the Wormling series, continues the story of Owen Reeder as he reads and tries to understand and apply the words of the Book of the King as he undergoes a search for the one who can save both worlds from the evil dragon determined to rule them. It is an allegory with the King and Book of the King – much of which resembles Scripture. The lessons challenge one to closely examine the heart and stay faithful even in times of despair and hopelessness.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Ephesians 6:17 – Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

The Charlatan’s Boy

Back when villagers still believed in fefechiefolks – which wasn’t that long ago – Floyd make his living by giving lectures about feechies and charging a cooper for a look a genuine real-lie he-feechie. Which was me.

Book: The Charlatan’s Boy by Jonathan Rogers, Waterbrook Press, 2010
 

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

Target Audience: Boys 11-15

Subjects: Truth, Identity

Summary: Grady knows nothing of his true identity. He knows plenty of lies though. As the charlatan’s boy, he is an expert on lies. He has pretended to be a feechie, the ugliest boy in the world, a phrenology assistant and more. Floyd, the man who has provided for him certainly can’t be trusted to say anything truthful. So Grady just goes along with whatever Floyd’s latest scheme is, secretly longing to know who he truly is.

Notes: This book contains no spiritual element. There is no ultimate being, no book of ultimate authority, no hint of the supernatural. It’s just an adventure story with a couple of fantasy kind of beings that show up towards the end. Grady is searching for truth, but doesn’t ever make any kind of choice to stop deception, just finds what satisfies him and then the story ends.

Recommendation Scale: 1/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Timothy 2:3-4 –For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

A Horse Of A Different Color

As I said it I glanced up on the barn roof and saw B.C. staring down, listening, his head cocked to the side. He stared at me as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. Something inside of me snapped and all my confidence leaked out. I felt like such a traitor.

Book: A Horse of a Different Color (Horsefeathers 4) by Dandi Daley Mackall, Concodia Publishing House, 2000

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Horse Story

Target Audience: Girls 13-17

Subjects: Greed, Price of success, Family Relationships

Summary: Scoop and the others have just been given a chance to make Horsefeathers famous. A boy at school who’s mom has her own tv show is interested in them and says that if they can break his horse of it’s many bad habits in a very short time, then he can get them a spot on the show. Maggie 37 is especially captivated by him and Scoop goes along with it. Soon they both find themselves telling little white lies, evading the truth and deceiving others. But if they don’t do something soon, the bank will shut down Horsefeathers.

Notes: Scoop once again has to look at what really matters. She is willing to pretend to be something she was not in order to save Horsefeathers, but deception comes with a price and that price is one Scoop has to think very carefully about whether or not she is willing to pay.  Relationships with family and friends also come in play in this book. Drinking and smoking are both mentioned as well.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

James 3:3,5 – When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.