Captured On The High Seas

“Those ships are floating graveyards,” James said. “I’ve heard that most of the prisoners die.”
Henry looked down at the ditty bag he was sewing. He shook his head. “They don’t all die on the ships,” he said. “A lot of them are sent to the West Indies to be slaves.”

Beth gasped and looked at Patrick and James. “What are we going to do?” she asked.

Book: Captured on the High Seas (AIO Imagination Station Books)
by Marianne Hering and Nancy L. Sanders, Focus on the Family and Tyndale House Publishing, 2014

Genre: Adventure

Target Audience: Boys and girls 8-13

Subjects: Patriotism, Sacrifice

Summary: Something is wrong! The Imagination Station didn’t take them back to Whit’s End after their last adventure! Instead, Patrick and Beth find themselves on a ship in the middle of the Revolutionary War. Soon their ship is captured by the British and they face the anticipation of becoming slaves or prisoners or dead.

Notes: This is the 14^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. The spiritual elements in this particular story, however, were minimal. Patrick asks God for help a couple of times when in trouble. And a character makes reference to “Providence” when talking about the Declaration of Independence. The focus really is a lot more on patriotism than Christianity. Characters are loyal to the country rather than faith. As with the Magic Tree House, part of the focus of the series is on giving a picture of the time and place featured in the setting of the book.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Philippians 2:1-5 – If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: