Wednesday Book Reviews – 2 Books for Children

Today’s reviews focus on two books for younger children. Both are good, with Christian values and morals written in, but not in an overly preachy way. This might be a good starting point for un-churched children to be exposed to some Christian-based stories.

F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by FireF.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by Fire by M.C. Pearson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book, especially from the middle to the end where the pace picks up quite a bit. Not that the beginning was bad, it was necessarily slower paced to introduce the main character and set up the plot line. My daughter also read and enjoyed the book. Very well suited for the 10-15 yr old market although others will enjoy reading it. There are so many characters in the story that it is well suited for follow up books that could use any number of them in a larger role. A good, safe read for kids.

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A Rat and A RansomA Rat and A Ransom by Y.I. Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A short book that is well suited to a younger audience. The only complaint I have about the story is how it ended. The story was moving along very well and then .. it just ended. I would really have liked to see the ending handled with the same skill as the rest of the story. I debated between 3 and 4 stars because of this, but went with 4 because what was written was entertaining and kept my interest. A good, safe read for kids.

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Wednesday’s Book Reviews – 1 Good, 1 Bad

Okay, I admit the second review is quite different than the books I normally review. I don’t know if this makes me a Renaissance man or just an eccentric with eclectic tastes. At any rate, it was a fun read with my daughter and as I get older I cherish those times more and more.

Kicking HabitsKicking Habits by Thomas G. Bandy
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

To say that this book was devoid of any useful gleanings would be inaccurate and unfair. It had two or three useful bits of information. The rest was a mishmash of muddled mumbo-jumbo and pseudo-Christian jargon. Do churches and denominations become tradition bound? Yes. Does that mean all tradition is to be considered stifling and outdated – hardly. Following the advice in this book would lead one to forming a “church” without any biblical standards, no responsibilities from members (actually you would only have attenders because membership is also an addiction churches have) and a Laodicean approach to ministry that is already condemned by Jesus.
I am very disappointed in this book, but more so by the conclusion of churches being transformed into visionary motivators instead of places of spiritual growth according to biblical standards. I definitely do not recommend this as a good read.

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Bunnies Are for KissingBunnies Are for Kissing by Allia Zobel Nolan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My daughter and I love this book. The illustrations are priceless and the story is very cute. My little girl laughed at the bunny waking up, cried at the bunny falling off her bike and smiled as the parent bunnies tucked her into bed. This one has become a bedtime favorite. I also thought the inscription was pretty cool too.

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