Race To Wallaby Bay

Patrick groaned quietly. What could be worse than this?
“I… ah… sold a half share in the vessel a time back. Money for repairs…”

“Oh.” Their father sighed with relief. “Is that all?”

The Old Man shook his head but would not look at them. He studied the darkening shape of the Lady Elisabeth, as Patrick had done. “No, it’s not all. I agreed to deliver the boat to the new investor in Goolwa by the end of the month or lose the other half.”

“Or what?” thundered Mc. McWaid. “You’re telling me that you lose the entire boat if we don’t raise it up now and scoot all the way down the river by the end of the month? That’s thirty days! It can’t be done!” insisted Mr. McWaid, pacing back and forth in their camp. “We could be pumping here day and night and still not… Well it’s going to take weeks just to refloat the beast. And how are we going to patch the hole in the side?”

Book: Race to Wallaby Bay (Adventures Down Under #5) by Robert Elmer, Bethany House Publishers, 1998

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Boys 12-16

Subjects: Forgiveness, Helpfulness

Summary: He runs into trouble and never mind that he abandoned the family, he sends out the order and expects Patrick and his family to drop what they’re doing and run to the rescue. So that’s exactly what they do. Patrick’s Grandpa, or “The Old Man” as some call him, has a riverboat that has slightly sunk. Their Grandpa only has thirty days to get it raised, all the water pumped out, and the boat running again before losing it entirely. And being named after his dead wife, The Old Man feels he can’t just leave the boat. He has to give it his all. Patrick, his siblings, his parents and his two friends hop on board as the crew and begin the race against time to Wallaby Bay, encountering thieves, gamblers, and enemies in disguise, all threatening to slow them down. The task certainly seems impossible!

Notes: Race To Wallaby Bay is the fifth in the Adventures Down Under series. The books tell the story of Patrick, his sister and his little brother as they face the challenges of trying to survive in Australia shortly after it was being settled as a prison colony. The author found many of the adventures someone living there at that time would have faced and has Patrick, his family and his friends encounter them all throughout the course of the series.

This book focuses on the adventures that can be found on a riverboat. The author included elements on historical people, places and events. The note at the end of the book gives the true facts on these. The spiritual element Patrick wrestles with in this book is forgiveness. He doesn’t want to forgive The Old Man for abandoning his father, for being demanding and gruff with all of them now, for dragging them into this dangerous situation. Holding a grudge seems like a good idea – right up until the very end when his grandfather himself is the one to point Patrick back to God.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 3/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Colossians 3:13 – Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

The Squire and the Blacksmith

Garrett gazed at the door. Somewhere on the other side of it was his dad and the life he had always known, a hard life, but one they shared. Here in this little room stood the King’s men, pointing him to the promise of a new life, but a new life without the only family he had. The choice was a stark one, black and white with no shades of gray. There could be no compromises, no middle ground. He had seen the King, whatever his dad might think. He had been in both the light and the darkness, and he knew which was good and which was not. Knowing that, he also knew which choice he had to make. Yet that choice hurt more than any physical pain he had ever known.

Book: The Squire and the Blacksmith, Book of Squires #2 by Randall R. Adams, OakTara

Publishers, 2009

Genre: Allegory

Target Audience: Boys 10+

Subjects: Salvation, Truth, Trust in God, Family Relationships

Summary: Save his dad and lose all he dreamed of or gain all he dreamed of and lose his dad? How is a boy supposed to choose between decisions like that? Garrett is only a day away from completing his training and being officially declared one of the King’s squires. But someone brings him word of his missing father and the report that no one is looking for him. Soon Garrett is engaged in a battle, not just for the life and soul of his father, but for the very Kingdom and the King Himself! Garrett’s father was just a pawn in the plan to destroy the King and His kingdom and Garrett is caught right in the middle of all of it.

Notes: This is the second in the Book of Squires series, a series about a young boy trying to follow the King when all threatens his faith and his very life. It is mostly written as if it were taking place during medieval times but contains the allegorical elements of an all-powerful King, enemies who wish him dead, a book of ultimate authority and people who serve or reject the King. The chosen children undergo squire training that teaches lessons such as teamwork, trust in the King, faithfulness, and commitment to family and friends as well as how to use their weapons and other physical skills. In this second book Garrett faces difficult decisions and recognizes how much he has to give up in order to follow the King.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Psalm 9:10 – Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

A Day To Pick Your Own Cotton

We knew we were facing a crossroads. If we didn’t do something, and soon, our little game of trying to make this plantation work by ourselves would be over. People would take us away and all four of us would go our separate ways. There was just about nothing in the world I hated more than picking cotton. But for some reason now I was almost looking forward to it. Having it be our own cotton, and knowing we had to do it to survive and keep going and eat and take care of ourselves and to protect Emma and William and save Rosewood for Katie – all that made it seem completely different.

Book:A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton by Michael Phillips, Bethany House Publishers, 2003

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 16+

Subjects: Civil War, Slavery, Friendship, Faith, Prayer

Summary: Their little family is growing and so is the amount of work it takes to keep the plantation running and their secret hidden. Mayme and Katie have been joined by a young girl with her newborn son, a little girl who’s mother died trying to escape an abusive husband, and an old kitchen slave from the same plantation Mayme came from. More and more visitors from town keep appearing and more work needs done to keep the plantation running. No one can find out that it’s only teenage girls and children on the plantation or it will be taken away from them in an instant. The debt at the store in town grows larger as the girl struggle to decide how to survive. It will come down to the enemy of all slaves in the south: cotton. Can some girls and children really pick enough cotton to pay off the debts? It’s time for them to find out.

Notes: A Day To Pick Your Own Cotton is the second in the Shenandoah Sisters series. The series tells how two 16 year old girls survive after the Massacre of Shenandoah County – where a gang of outlaw Confederate deserters killed a bunch of people. In this story, everyone on the two plantations they live on is killed. Mayme mindlessly wanders away and finds herself at Katie’s plantation just as Katie comes up from the cellar she hid in. The two girls stick together out of necessity for a couple of day and become close friends. Towards the end of the book they make the decision to fool people into believing Katie’s family is still alive.
This book continues the story as the girls start to do more than just get by and mourn their losses. With the others coming to join them at the plantation Katie and Mayme take on responsibility for providing for everyone. The spiritual issue dealt with in the book is the very nature of God. The girls realize that neither one of them knows much about God or how to follow Him and so they pray and ask God to teach them. Soon after that Mayme feels a clear answer from God telling her to stay at Rosewood.

As with the others in the series, predjuice is greatly dealt with. Katie and Mayme have overcome many of the challenges, but when the little girl comes to join them, she has to overcome the lies she has been taught by her father. She’s always understood blacks to be inferior and worthy of disrespect. Seeing the love between Mayme and Katie changes her outlook. Others in the story still treat Mayme with disrespect and Mayme has to wrestle with that.

I highly recommend this series.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Galatians 5:13 – You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

The Color Of Your Skin Ain’t The Color Of Your Heart

We knew we were facing a crossroads. If we didn’t do something, and soon, our little game of trying to make this plantation work by ourselves would be over. People would take us away and all four of us would go our separate ways. There was just about nothing in the world I hated more than picking cotton. But for some reason now I was almost looking forward to it. Having it be our own cotton, and knowing we had to do it to survive and keep going and eat and take care of ourselves and to protect Emma and William and save Rosewood for Katie – all that made it seem completely different.

Book:The Color of Your Skin Ain't the Color of Your Heart by Michael Phillips, Bethany House Publishers, 2004

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 16+

Subjects: Civil War, Slavery, Friendship, Faith, Prayer

Summary: They never dreamed he, of all people, would pay them a visit. And they certainly never dreamed his visit would change everything she believed about herself! When Katie’s Uncle Templeton stops by Rosewood to visit his sister, he finds her dead, along with his brother-in-law and nephews. His niece, along with a colored girl who seem strangely familiar, is running the plantation and caring for 3 other blacks and a little white girl! Katie is thrilled to see her uncle. She barely knows him, but she is thankful just to see a family member that is alive! Mayme is hesitant but accepts that things will change now that Katie has an adult family member who knows the truth. Except for, nothing does change. One morning they wake up and find a note telling them her uncle has left again! When he returns he has news. It seems he was once in love with Mayme’s mama and Mayme is his daughter! Still not ready for the responsibility, he takes off again though, this time leaving the girls vulnerable to the maurders and other troublemakers who have come hunting for him and his brother and some gold left by his brother. The girls felt danger from the townspeople taking the plantation but these men want to take their lives!

Notes: The Color Of Your Skin Ain’t The Color Of Your Heart is the third in the Shenandoah Sisters series. The series tells how two 16 year old girls survive after the Massacre of Shenandoah County – where a gang of outlaw Confederate deserters killed a bunch of people. In this story, everyone on the two plantations they live on is killed. Mayme mindlessly wanders away and finds herself at Katie’s plantation just as Katie comes up from the cellar she hid in. The two girls stick together out of necessity for a couple of day and become close friends. Towards the end of the book they make the decision to fool people into believing Katie’s family is still alive.
This book continues the story as the girls’ secret gets out when an uncle shows up at Rosewood. It really deals with identity as Mayme has to question who she is when she learns her father is white.  The spiritual issues are very connected to that as Mayme has to learn how little the color of her skin actually matters. A wise friend tells her that “the color of your heart was the most important thing in all of life. Was it dark and full of mean and selfish and unkind things? Or was your heart light and pink and warm and full of kind and unselfish things? Someday, maybe not till we died, everything that was on the outside would fall away and what color your skin was and where you lived and what people thought about you and how much money you had… none of that would matter because no one would see it anymore. The only thing they would be able to see was the color of your heart.” The girls learn to look at their decisions in terms of whether or not they are right or wrong, selfish or kind, and what God would have them do.

The suspense of the story is continuing to build as tensions in the south increase after the Civil War.

As with the others in the series, prejudice is greatly dealt with. This one really looks at it from the insider perspective as Mayme wrestles with who she is and how much the color of her skin or the color of her parents’ skin matters.

I highly recommend this series.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Galatians 5:13 – You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Together Is All We Need

I stopped and turned back. I could barely make Katie out in the distance, but she was still there. I raised my hand and waved. I saw her wave back. A chill swept through me, a chill of fear that I might never see her again. “Good-bye, Katie,” I whispered to myself. “I’ll never forget you.”

Book:Together is All We Need by Michael Phillips, Bethany House Publishers, 2004

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 16+

Subjects: Civil War, Slavery, Friendship, Faith, Prayer

Summary: Just when they need him most, the past has caught up with Templeton Daniels and he’s in jail instead of at the plantation helping the girls. Another uncle has appeared, not to rejoin the family, but to take over the plantation and kick Katie and Mayme and the others off of it! He holds a deed to Rosewood and wants no coloreds or kids hanging around. That’s not the only trouble though. The mistress of the plantation down the road is not interested in having any little half-white babies appear and she is beginning the hunt for Emma and little William. Just when all seems settled and everyone is ready to leave, yet another uncle thought dead makes an appearance! Rosewood has more claims on it than Katie can handle! The girls have worked so hard to build a family and in an instant a single piece of paper can destroy all they’ve accomplished!

Notes: Together Is All We Need is the fourth in the Shenandoah Sisters series. The series tells how two 16 year old girls survive after the Massacre of Shenandoah County – where a gang of outlaw Confederate deserters killed a bunch of people. In this story, everyone on the two plantations they live on is killed. Mayme mindlessly wanders away and finds herself at Katie’s plantation just as Katie comes up from the cellar she hid in. The two girls stick together out of necessity for a couple of day and become close friends. Towards the end of the book they make the decision to fool people into believing Katie’s family is still alive.
This book continues the story as more uncles appear, staking claims on the plantation and the secret of what has been happening at Rosewood leaks out to the community. No one has ever heard of whites and colored living together in one house as a family and some are not too happy about it! Katie’s uncle is one of those. The loving family that has been built is being torn apart, even as each one of them realizes that the relationships are what matter to them.

The suspense of the story is continuing to build as tensions in the south increase after the Civil War.

As with the others in the series, prejudice is greatly dealt with. This one focuses more on how much joy can come from setting it aside and how much sorrow can come when you let color of skin separate people.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Galatians 5:13 – You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

The Squire and the King

The knight’s eyes shone brightly as he surveyed his attentive audience. “Three squires is quite an achievement for any town, but it is particularly so for a village the size of Melas. So, I would not err by saying that four squires would constitute a very great achievement indeed. Garrett Scott, please come forward!” Garrett stood rooted to the spot, not sure if he’d heard right or if his fantasy had taken a bizarre turn.

Book:The Squire and the King, Book of Squires Series #1 by Randall R. Adams, OakTara Publishers, 2009

Genre: Allegory

Target Audience: Boys 10+

Subjects: Salvation, Truth, Trust in God

Summary: He knew life was hard in Highland’s Gate. He knew the people there were bullies, but he had no idea how far from the truth they were! Moving to Melas where everyone knows of the King and His Book of Squires is a complete turn around for Garrett! New friends in school tell him of the truth and excitedly share that soon, the King will be sending out Knights to bring chosen children to come train as squires. Garrett knows his friends have a good chance of getting chosen. He just wishes he did too. But being new to the knowledge and service of the King disqualifies him and he knows it. At least he thinks he does – until that moment the knight reads his name from the list of the chosen! Soon Garrett is working hard and training with the other squires, but life isn’t going to remain this way forever. All the training builds up to a test, in fact all the training is a test – a test to see which squires are truly worthy of being in the King’s service. And an even bigger test is coming to Garrett in particular, one that will cause him to question all he knows and believes about himself.

Notes: This is the first in the Book of Squires series, a series about a young boy trying to follow the King when all threatens his faith and his very life. It is mostly written as if it were taking place during medieval times but contains the allegorical elements of an all-powerful King, enemies who wish him dead, a book of ultimate authority and people who serve or reject the King. The chosen children undergo squire training that teaches lessons such as teamwork, trust in the King, faithfulness, and commitment to family and friends as well as how to use their weapons and other physical skills. In this first book Garrett learns the basics of who the King is and what it means to follow Him.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Psalm 9:10 – Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Riley Mae And The Sole Fire Safari

This was so awkward. And lonely. I looked back up at the sign: SMILE, YOU’RE IN KENYA! Was Kenya supposed to be a happy place? I tried to smile, but something felt fake. Yep. Cheesy. Hmmm. Maybe Flip was right about me leaving my smile in the States.

Book: Riley Mae and the Sole Fire Safari by Jill Osbornse, Zondervan, 2014

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Adventure

Target Audience: Girls 10-14

Subjects: Evangelism, Future, Fear, Friendship, God’s Will

Summary: Riley Mae feels anything BUT happy to be in Kenya! All she wants is to go home. She’s had enough of adventures and traveling and fleeing from bad guys. She wants to get her weekly donut from Sean, to play softball with TJ, to hang out with Rusty, and get a hug from her dad, and even see her pesky little brother! God’s not done with Riley yet though! He’s got some big plans for her in Africa, plans like race training, distributing shoes to orphans, hauling water, attending pre-dawn prayer meetings, coming face to face with a rhino and a lion and an angry bull elephant, and sharing the good news with a girl who only knows bad news.

Notes: The Good News Shoes series introduces a twelve year old girl who really likes softball and cool shoes. So when she gets an offer to be a spokesgirl for a company marketing athletic shoes for girls, she jumps in headfirst, not knowing she just signed up for some serious adventures. The theme verse for the series is Ephesians 6:15 - and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In this third book the focus is on being content where God has you and on being ready to share the good news at any time. Riley is pretty homesick and unhappy for the first part of the book, but when she sees how God is working in her life and others through her she finds contentment being in Africa. She gets a chance to share the Gospel with an orphan girl and lead both the orphan and an adult listening nearby, to salvation in Christ. She starts feeling called to be a missionary and bring the good news shoes to people all over the world.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Philippians 4:12 – I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

The Mystery of the Birthday Party

Book: The Mystery of the Birthday Party by Elspeth Campbell Murphy, Bethany House Publishers, 1997
 
Genre: Mystery
Target Audience: Boys and Girls 10-13
Subject: Friendships, particularly with neighbors
Summary: Titus has been dreaming of having his own dog for a long time. He's almost convinced his parents he can be trusted with it by dog sitting and dog walking neighbor's dogs. Today he's caring for a particularly difficult dog. However, when he comes out of the store, the dog is suddenly extremely well behaved! What's going on? Then there's the party next door for "Maggie" - the DOG! If it's a party for a dog, why aren't any of the dogs in the neighborhood invited? Titus and his cousins Sarah-Jane and Timothy have to solve the mysteries.
Notes: The best part of this book is it's size! It's only 63 pages long with only a few pages in each chapter. It is extremely ideal for beginning readers. It is part of the Three Cousins Detective Club series. Each book in the series is focused on a fruit of the Spirit or a Proverb.
Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 3.5/5
Reviewer: J:-)mi

The Mind War

“And why…?” Rick shook his head again, trying to dispel the last fog of the drug. “Why are you telling me these things? All this stuff about Kurodoar and how he’s trying to destroy everybody? Why are you telling ME?”

“Because we want you to stop him,” said Jonathan Mars.

“Me?” Rick actually laughed out loud. Now he was sure: This had to be some kind of joke. Or a dream or a hallucination. It had to be. “A mad scientist is trying to destroy our computer systems and you want me to stop him? What do I know about this stuff? I’m an athlete man. I was, anyway. When it comes to computers, I know how to send e-mails and watch videos and that’s pretty much it.”

Book: Mindwar, The Mindwar Trilogy Series #1 by Andrew Klavan, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2014

Genre: Speculative, Adventure

Target Audience: Boys 14+

Subjects: Family Relationships, Trust in God, Physical disability

Summary: He may excel at video games but lately that’s the only thing he excels at. That’s the only thing he does in fact. Ever since the accident that destroyed his high school football career, Rick just sits in his room playing video games and shutting out the world. On a guilt trip from his mom and brother he goes for a walk one day and promptly finds himself the victim of an attack where a syringe is pressed into his neck and he is hauled away. When he awakes he finds himself in a room with impressive holographic technology where he learns of an evil genius’ plan to destroy the entire world. The crazy part is that the good guys think Rick is the key to stopping this plan! Rick reluctantly agrees and soon finds himself in a giant video game – the difference being he can die for real in this one!

Notes: The Mind War appears to be the first in a series. The premise is a teenage boy’s video game skills qualify him to participate in some kind of virtual reality world that an evil scientist has created to destroy The United States of America. In this world he will no longer have disabled legs. So he agrees to it and enters the world. The spiritual emphasis is the idea that since the accident that ruined his ability to be a football star and since his dad ran off with another woman, leaving himself, his mom and little brother behind, Rick has felt like God left too. There is just a tiny bit of focus on this. Then towards the end he feels like a voice from Heaven assures him that God is still there. Other than that it’s just the adventure though. Rick has to rely on himself and his abilities to achieve success. It does portray strong morals though – Rick will sacrifice to help others.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 2/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Hebrews 13:5 – Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Thank you to Booklook for giving me a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Sword Bearer

Will he do what the prophecies say?”
Mab frowned. “Their meaning is disputed,” he said. “Certainly he will complete the tower. And just as certainly he will control the planets from it. But whether he will defeat the Changer’s purposes for Anthropos…”
His voice faltered and he stared at John hard. John flushed. Mab’s eyes were twin accusations. “A good deal depends on the Sword Bearer,” Mab breathed, his voice as soft as his eyes were hard, “for only the Sword Bearer can bring about the ruin of the Mystery’s tower.”
John’s heart beat unpleasantly. He was sorry he had asked. Suddenly he didn’t want to know anything more about the two towers. He even wanted to forget he was the Sword Bearer.

Book:The Sword Bearer #1 Archives of Anthropos Series by John White, Intervarsity Press, 1986

Genre: Allegory/Fantasy

Target Audience: Boys 10+

Subjects: Family Relationships, Salvation, Good vs. Evil, Truth, Power

Summary: His thirteenth birthday is here. He has been promised that all will be revealed on his thirteenth birthday. But it’s not the grand unveiling John dreamed of. Instead he arrives home to find him grandma dead, the neighbors ready to ship him off to an orphanage and Nicholas Slapfoot – the legendary enemy of every child in the city – ready to pursue him. Before anyone can catch him though, John is whisked away to Anthropos, another world! Here he finds himself to be the prophesied Sword Bearer. But first, the Mystery – Lord Lunacy ensnares John, filling his head with lies and bitterness. Only by drinking the wine of free pardon and choosing to follow the Changer can John be of any use to Anthorpos or even survive to make it to his own world again.

Notes: The Sword Bearer is the first in the Archives of Anthropos series, an allegorical story. The author claims his children begged for more stories like the Chronicles of Narnia and this is his attempt to imitate that. However, for an imitation it has a lot of creative, original content. The allegory is clear – the Changer – the unmade Maker represents God and the Mystery – Lord Lunacy represents Satan. There is a prophecy about Gaal who will come and save them someday. The regents – two humans who “walked with Him daily, but then failed to believe what He told them, fled from His presence and hid, and then were clothed in furs and appointed to rule a kingdom” appear to represent Adam and Eve. The Matmon seem to represent humans – people given a choice of who to follow. The message of being unable to save yourself is very clear in this story. Only through the power of the Changer can one find true peace and joy and be freed from the evil inside of them.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.

The Magic Bicycle

“That’s quite a bicycle, young man,” Grandfather Kramar said, his bright eyes twinkling in his old wrinkled face. John jumped off the Spirit Flyer, knocked the kickstand down, then ran to hug his grandfather.
”Aren’t you surprised it flies?” John asked excitedly.

“Well, when you’re as old as me you see a lot of strange things over the years if you stay alert,” the old man said and smiled. “Like your face. You’re awful pale, boy. Looks like you’ve seen a ghost. And you’re trembling.

“Something’s after me!” John said. “Something’s in the air. And it’s terrible… it’s big, bigger than tornado. And it looks just like a snake. It has red eyes and red fangs and a white circle with a Z inside on its chest. It was behind me, its mouth open. Then something happened and I was here all of a sudden.”

Book: The Magic Bicycle (Spirit Flyer) by John Bibee, Inter Varsity Press, 1983

Genre: Fantasy/Allegory

Target Audience: Boys and Girls 12-16

Subjects: Family Relationships, Salvation, Good vs. Evil, Truth

Summary: Being raised by an uncle that’s a police officer doesn’t make life easy for John. Everything is about what’s fair and following the rules. So when his bicycle gets run over, there’s no way his uncle is getting him a new one. So it’s off to the dump with his friend to scrounge together parts to make one. He’s thrilled to discover a complete bike on his first look. It doesn’t look the best, but it will get him around… more than he realizes! This bike doesn’t just move along the ground – it flies! Of course John is ecstatic to realize this, but what he doesn’t realize is that the bike is a gift from the Three Kings and because of this, he now has an enemy who wants nothing more than his destruction!

Notes: The Magic Bicycle is the first in the Spirit Flyer series. The series uses a flying bicycle to represent faith in Christ. The bicycles are made by the “Three Kings”. When a person chooses to believe in them, the bicycle arrives and will fly when they are trusting. The series takes place in an end times setting, with it finally ending at the rapture. Throughout the series, the struggle between good and evil is shown in those choosing to ride Spirit Flyers battling Goliath Industries, an organization that desires to see death and destruction. In this book, John first learns about Spirit Flyers and the Three Kings. His grandfather teaches him the truth and John gets the chance to choose whether or not to follow the Three Kings. He is given multiple choices to give up, to trade the magic bicycle in for a newer nice looking one plus a bunch of money. He also learns about the enemy wanting his destruction. I highly recommend this book as well as the others in the series. It offers great spiritual value as well as a creative storyline and enough suspense and adventure to keep readers interested.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.

Angels Watching Over Me

I saw from the look on her face that she was going through the same struggle I had the morning before – thinking it must all have been a dream. And now she’d come down to find her dream looking at her from the stove where her mama should have been instead. The sight of me caused her whole world-the one that a night’s sleep had put back together in her brain – to crumble. If there’s any second day could be worse than the first, it’s from having the reality of the nightmare plunge its knife into your heart all over again. And then it’s worse, because you for sure that it’s just as bad as you thought. Whatever tiny bit of hope you were clinging to suddenly vanishes into thin air.

Book: Angels Watching Over Me  by Michael Phillips, Bethany House Publishers, 2003

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 16+

Subjects: Civil War, Slavery, Friendship, Faith, Prayer

Summary: They’re all dead. Mayme’s whole family and Katie’s whole family. All the slaves, all the masters. The Maurder’s killed them all. All that’s left from the two huge plantations are two teenage girls, one black, one white. They’re determined to keep anyone from knowing that though. When Mayme finds fifteen year old Katie standing in the midst of the dead bodies looking helpless and lost, she stays and helps Katie right her world again, intending to see her turned over to whatever relatives will take care of Katie. Katie has other plans though. She has no intention of living with any of her relatives or leaving the plantation. And she certainly has no intention of letting the best friend she’s ever had go away! They know though, that anyone who finds the two of them alone together will put an end to their plans in an instant. And there is danger still. Enemies with guns, searching for hidden wealth come thinking to raid the plantation. It’s going to take nothing short of a miracle for these girls to survive!

Notes: Angels Watching Over Me is the first in the Shenandoah Sisters series. The series tells how two 16 year old girls survive after the Massacre of Shenandoah County – where a gang of outlaw Confederate deserters killed a bunch of people. In this story, everyone on the two plantations they live on is killed. Mayme mindlessly wanders away and finds herself at Katie’s plantation just as Katie comes up from the cellar she hid in. The two girls stick together out of necessity for a couple of day and become close friends. Towards the end of the book they make the decision to fool people into believing Katie’s family is still alive.
This book sets up the whole story for the series. It also sets up the spiritual foundation. Finding their mother’s Bibles causes the girls to seek God and ask for His help. Both girls ask Jesus into their hearts. Mayme feels God speaking to her, telling her to stay at Rosewod with Katie.
The issue of prejudice is dealt with as well in this story. Neither girl is really bothered by the other one’s skin color, but Mayme is extremely aware of her place in society and how others will view their friendship and explains to Katie that she’ll be lynched if anyone finds out that she’s living like a white woman in the house with Katie. When another character enters the story, Mayme shows some hints of prejudice towards whites, but it winds up being more jealousy than prejudice.

I highly recommend this series.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Galatians 5:13 – You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.