Surprise at Yorktown

“Look at the cannons,” Patrick said. “They’re all aimed at Yorktown. That’s where the Americans are!”

“They’re that close?” Beth asked. “How do we get to the other side without being shot by a stray bullet?”

Book:Surprise at Yorktown (AIO Imagination Station Books)by Marianne Hering and Nancy L. Sanders, Focus on the Family and Tyndale House Publishing, 2012

Genre: Adventure

Target Audience: Boys and girls 8-13

Subjects: Prayer, God’s Will, The Scriptures

Summary: Skunks, laundry and cannonballs. The latest trip in the Imagination Station is a bit intense! Patrick and Beth show up right between the British and the American troops towards the very end of the Revolutionary War. They meet a young man who does laundry for the British but it turns out he’s a double-agent working both sides! As they follow him, they learn that the British have a plan that could possibly mean the difference between their winning or losing the war. Patrick and Beth want to escape to warn the Americans – but how?  

Notes: This is the 15^th in the Imagination Station Adventures series. The series is much like the secular Magic Tree House books but instead of wizards and magic it’s imagination and inventions giving them the different place/different time experiences. The radio show the concept is taken from is very solid – full of great spiritual elements and lessons and challenges as well as fun and excitement. This book did a much better job than some of the other in the series at focusing on spiritual elements. The spiritual elements in this story are prayer (the kids pray for God’s help when seeing no hope for the Americans) and the importance of studying the Bible. At the end of their adventure, Mr. Whittaker helps them see that multiple people on both sides thought they were right. And even those who turned out to do good things for the Americans were not always correct. He tells the kids that it is very important to put their trust in the Bible and read it for themselves rather than just trusting those around you.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.