Goodbooks Partner: A Better than Anything Christmas by Barbara Roech

What I like about the book:

• This is an interactive, engaging family book.  It's designed to write and draw inside the book.  With questions for older and younger children to be asked and answered, as well as a daily place to create as a family a response.  
• Daily scripture readings are the foundation of the reading.  
• At the start, the author clarifies vocabulary that will come up throughout the book, great educational & reader connection.  
• Each day follows a pattern: Explore, Explain, Engage, Enter in, then a task to complete about the day. 
• Excellent Questions in the readings.  Will develop critical thinking skills.  

What I wonder about the book:  

• Will children and/or teens find it worthy of repeating and discussing each day?  I've enjoyed a lot of advent readings, that my family has not found so delightful.  I will have to see how it goes over.  A lot of it is personality and the reader 'selling' it to those who will listen.  I find this book sellable.  
• My real wonder is if there are more ideas for the activity beyond- draw or write ideas.   This part only reaches two learning styles, and this is the aspect that would affect my family the most. The author does say 'or something else' often, but that leaves it to the readers to inspire their family with the other ideas.  I'm an educator and could easily enhance the ideas.  But most families may struggle.   

Thankful to partner with the goodbook company and read an advance copy of this book.  

Bethany House Partner Review: Awakening Wonder by Sally Clarkson

 

This book is inspiring, encouraging, and shares a philosophy of education that we can all find relevant, needed, and wish to emulate.  But it is not a book that will fit everyone.  It’s written by a well-educated sophisticated, reflective, and purposeful person.  Who planned and articulated with her husband how to educate their children in their own way.  

As another reviewer mentioned, it is overwhelming to her.  I’m a trained educator who trained future teachers who were earning a double major in education and Bible.  And the descriptions, preferences, and plans wouldn’t work so well in my home with my own children. Yet I’ve striven to create that love of learning, spiritually formed children, whom I invest in, die to self as I serve like Jesus, and create and cast a similar vision.  And my philosophy of goals and vision are often like hers. 

 Having read several of her other books, especially the one with Nathan her son.  Different.  I preferred that version of how she adjusted school to this more sophisticated, educated version. Thankful to partner with Bethany House.

This book is rich with scripture that explains the goals, concepts, and ideals that the Clarkson's have followed.  

Goodbooks Partner: There is a Lion in My Nativity written by Lizzie Laferton and illustrated by Kim Barnes

A review written about the book without spoiling the actual story.  It's biblical, it's cute, it's fun and unique, and it makes me smile as I read it and wish I could fast forward to Christmas and read this aloud to many, many precious littles!  

Things I like about the book:

• The way it is written, narrated by Sam, with the Rescuer King as the focus.
• The element of surprise throughout the book.  
• The characters in the nativity and how they appear.  
• The rhythm and rhyme that continues throughout the tale
• The scriptures shared with the cast of characters on the last page. 
• The twists in the plot that share the real meaning of Christmas but in a style like no other.  
• The illustrations are warm, friendly, detailed, yet simple, and I really enjoy the style and find it child friendly.  

Education Connections: 

• Taking other events in the Bible and adding a few extra characters like this story. 
• Critical thinking skills are built.  
• Fluent thinking.  
• Point of View/Perspective
• The spelling of words centre vs. center (why it's different for Americans)

Things I wonder about the book: 

Will kids grasp what Sam is explaining?


• With COVID, I don't have access to share the story with littles and gauge their reactions, so I do wonder what ages this book is best written for.  
• How will our teens find a way to enjoy this book written with a style that they will relate to, but will they be too cool to enjoy it. I really think it would be a great book for a youth group, and even as a game before the students have heard the book.  

If you want to really know what I'm talking about you can read example pages here.

The physical books are en route to be ready for the October 1st released date, and I will get one then, but I can't comment on the physical book yet because I had to read a pdf version, which in my mind also limits how I can share the book, as it's not the same to read a book on a screen to a group of kids.  

Grateful to partner with goodbook children company.  Once again they do not disappoint!

 

Waterbrook Partner Review: God Speaks in Whispers by Mark Batterson and Summer Batterson Dailey

 

What I like about the book:

• Physical book, good size, solid cover, thick pages to last over many hands and years.  
• Illustrations by Benedetta Caprotti- realistic, diverse characters. including a wheelchair, different ages, skin tones, hair, etc.  Pictures are warm, endearing, and draw the reader in, perfectly kidlike.  
• The rhythm/rhyme of the book adds to its charm. 
• Questions that will build listener response and interactions, as well as conversations. 
• Answers that will continue the conversation. 
• Showing who God is.

  

Educational Connections

• God's Voice- how does God talk to us since it's not audible? and answered- with His Word.
• Sound
• Emotions- identifying them. 
• Elements of God's character, with you, waiting, pointing the way, ...

What I wonder about the book:  

• why there are no verses within the pages.  
• some of the rhymings seemed a bit forced.  
• it's a long book will littles sit for the whole thing?

Partner Review: Prevail by Susie Larson

 

This 365-day devotional is unique in some fabulous ways.  

Physical Book:  The first surprise is the table of contents is topical so that you can find encouragement for specific situations.  The book is well-sized and feels good, the pages are thick and durable, and the whole book has color on every page with the waves/water theme similar to the cover.  This is a detail that makes a visual learner connect even better. Pages that I could write notes, comments on, and the notes would not bleed through.  Plus a white satin ribbon to hold your place. See for yourself -Read and see an excerpt from this book here. 

Content:  

• The 365 days are chronological reading from Old Testament to New Testament.
• Each day has a number, a verse written out, an explanation/connection to the biblical text, and personal connections, with a question.  Then a Learn- scripture to read, Flourish-mindset idea, habit, way to pray, Pray-Simple summary statement. 
• Carefully focused themes, relatable, needed, and some hard to swallow, some comforting.  
• Solid biblical connections and teaching.  
• Short and sweet.  I could do this daily.  

Whispering the Word

I believe that this book will help parents have a God mindset and draw near to Him.  But I also believe that the topics would be appropriate for many children to share over breakfast or dinner, and ask them to wonder and search their hearts with you for how to draw closer to God. 

Disclaimer: I have not read all 365 pages, if I tried to read it like a regular book, it's so rich that I would lose the content and just be putting words through my eyes.  But I read many pages in preparing this review.  

Partner Review: Slaying the Giant of Fear by Krissy Nelson

Lots of scripture.  Excellent points mentioned.  Lots and lots of biblical connections.  

Short review: I was hoping for more practical steps for slaying fear.  Scripture rich resource sharing about overcoming fear with obedience, stewardship, and faithfulness and looking to Christ.  I was hoping that this book would help me help my adult child cope with fear.  I think if I was new to dealing with fear it would have been more appropriate.  For my son, I think he’d get lost in this style.  

Goodbook company partner review: Deeper Still by Linda Allcock

 

A short, refreshing book with ideas for the busy woman who wants to meditate on the Word more completely.  The author teaches us why we need to meditate, but basically, the book is full of practical aspects and strategies to meditate.  

What I enjoyed most about this book is how practical it is, complete with questions to guide, examples of using those questions with two passages, and ideas to ponder so that you can set your mind on God, His son's redemptive plan, and the impact the Holy Spirit has in our hearts and minds when we CHOOSE to invite Him in.   

It really covered many things I have been taught from childhood at camp, to being trained as a camp leader, in Bible college courses, and in the rare message on how to focus our minds on the Lord.  I loved that the teaching on how to meditate chapters ended with bullet points, examples, and routines that you could follow to structure your time with the Lord. 

It's a great teaching tool for an individual, a parent, or a small group to navigate through and improve or learn how to focus on God's Word.  I highly recommend it.