Category: Book Reviews

Stories From the New Testament with Masterwork Paintings…

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

Stories from the New Testament with Masterwork Paintings is a kid’s book published by Simon & Schuster for Young Readers.  This book follows the life of Jesus from the moment Mary was told by Gabriel she was to bear God’s Son until Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Bible excerpts are taken using the King James Version and accompanied by famous paintings from Renaissance artists such as Titian, Tintoretto, Botticelli, Veronese, and others.

Stories From the New Testament
Stories From the New Testament

Highly recommended both as a synopsis of Jesus’ life and as a study of artists as well.  I love seeing how artists picture in their minds the events of Jesus’ life.  The only reservation I have about this is that is it the King James version so reading it out-loud to my kids was a bit boring at times due to the barrier of the language.  My six year old son just liked the pictures.  My older girls thought it difficult to understand.

I love art.  I love studying art.  I love famous artists.  And I love Biblical scenes.  Worthwhile even as a flip-through and perfect accompaniment for BSF’s Study of Matthew.

The Boy Who Held Back the Sea

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews
The Boy Who Held Back the Sea
The Boy Who Held Back the Sea

Charming picture book retold by Lenny Hort and illustrated by Thomas Locker that tells the story of a rather delinquent boy in fifteenth century Netherlands who reforms himself after he discovers a hole in the dike and plugs it with his finger.

Jan was a boy who never studied, who was always crying wolf, who once lied to his parents about visiting an old man and instead went into town and broke windows, and was a basic truant.

One day Jan and his dog discovered a leak in the dam.  He ran for help and told the constable but he wasn’t believed because of his history of making up stories.  The constable told the boy to run back and await help, but the constable had no intentions of sending help.  He saw an old captain and told him to run for help, but the captain wasn’t believed either because he was accused of breaking windows (when it was really Jan).

Hence, Jan ended up plugging the hole himself with his finger while he awaited help that was never coming.  He sat there all night until the next morning he was discovered by the schoolmaster.  He was tired and weak but had saved the city.  A grand festival was held in his honor, but Jan snuck off to visit the old man he was supposed to have visited before.

The Boy Who Held Back the Sea is a timeless story of doing what is right in the face of adversity. Great pictures.  Great portrayal of the historical time period.  Great lessons for kids about always telling the truth and always keeping your promises.  Great portrayal of the consequences of crying wolf and vandalizing property.  Yet, in the end, it’s always possible for redemption. Highly recommended!

Katje the Windmill Cat

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

A delightful tale by Gretchen Woelfle that tells of a cat named Katje who first rules the roost until his master, Nico, marries.

Nico grinds grain in a windmill and Katje keeps the mice away.  They have a very loving relationship.  Katje spends her days chasing mice and her nights curled up in bed with Nico.  They go for long walks together and watch for storms.

Katje the Windmill Cat
Katje the Windmill Cat

One day, Nico marries Lena and brings her home.  Katje’s coveted spot on the bed is taken over.  She brings in dust and is constantly being swept out by Lena.  Once the baby arrives, Katje is constantly being swept away off the crib.  But Katje still sneaks in to play with the baby.  Katje decides to not come home anymore and instead sleep in the mill.

One day a huge storm hits and the dike breaks, flooding the town.  Katje and the baby are swept up in the floor.  Katje keeps the cradle balanced so it won’t tip over.  Both are rescued, safe and sound.

Katje is now allowed indoors and sleeps in the cradle as her own once the baby outgrows it.  She is careful to lick her paws before entering.  She plays with the baby and chases mice, content once again with her life.

Based on the St. Elizabeth’s Day flood in Holland in 1421 where the dike broke, a cat and a baby did survive the flood, huddled together safe and sound.  The dike was rebuilt and named Kinderdijk which means Children’s Dike in Dutch in honor of the baby who was saved by the cat.

Charming story of how marriages and other life events can shake things up in a family not only for people but also for pets.  Great depiction of the bond between animals and children and animals and people and how they come together in the face of adversity.

Highly recommended as both a historical source of Middle Ages Netherlands and as a feel-good tale.  Illustrations complement both nicely.

Lassie Come-Home

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews
Lassie Come-Home
Lassie Come-Home

The picture book of Lassie Come-Home is a delightful re-telling of Eric Knight’s 1938 classic for younger readers retold by Rosemary Wells and illustrated by Susan Jeffers.

Lassie is a champion collie owned by a boy named Joe. Lassie always meets Joe after school but one day she didn’t.  Joe rushes home to tell his parents something’s happened to Lassie only to find out she had been sold because Joe’s father lost his job.

Joe is devastated as is Lassie.  Lassie escapes three times and returns to Joe’s side until finally she is taken far north to Scotland on the North Sea from her home in England.

She escapes one more time and begins a year-long journey of 1000 miles back to find Joe.

Suffering starvation, a broken collar bone, and pneumonia, Lassie struggles to make it back home. She receives help along the way, most notably from an older couple who would like to keep her but they know she is journeying home.  Dally, the old woman, tells Lassie, “I can’t see one I love so much in sorrow.”

Finally, one day Lassie makes it back to meet Joe at school very sick.  Joe’s father weeps upon seeing her.

Joe’s mother says, “If it was us that needed Lassie, it would not be right to keep her.  But it’s she, poor thing, that needs us.  She’s her own self and was never ours to sell in the first place.”

Later, Joe’s father is hired by the Duke of Rudling as the manager of his kennel.  The Duke jokes, “I had to buy the man, woman, and boy to get the dog back on my property”, knowing full well no living creature could ever be bought or sold.

Reminiscent of Hachiko (see Here and Here), the story of a dog so loyal he waits for his dead master every day to return, we see Lassie driven by her desire to meet Joe every day after school.  I wonder what drives this in dogs.  Is it the routine (which dogs love) or is it the undying devotion to a master?

A timeless, heart-warming tale of loyalty of man’s best friend and the hardships animals will endure for the love of their owners.  This one will definitely jerk the tears from you especially if you’re an animal lover.

Killing Jesus

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews
Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly
Killing Jesus by Bill O’Reilly

This book by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard is the perfect companion book to Bible Study Fellowship’s study of Matthew.

In Killing Jesus, we follow the life and times of Jesus, complete with historical perspective that puts us back in Jesus’ time.  Bill O’Reilly makes it clear this is not a religious book but a historical book.  Therefore, the term Christ and Messiah are never applied to Jesus as it is left up to the reader to decide that.

However, the Bible is quoted quite frequently and it follows our study so far to the T.  From the birth of Jesus to the temple scene at age 12 to John the Baptist and Jesus’ baptizing, it’s all there.

In explaining why Jesus stayed behind at the temple, worrying his parents, O’Reilly says this:  “The need to dig deeper into the meaning of God overwhelms every other consideration.”

Wow.  If only that were true for us all.

This book has some of the best maps I have ever seen of Jerusalem and Judea, Samaria, and Galilee.  MANY MAPS (and you all know I’m a map person).  The map of the Jewish temple where Jesus stays to listen to the Jewish scholars is unparalleled.

Pictures of Roman emperors and famous paintings of Jesus enhance this book to give us a complete visual.

The information on Roman rulers is awesome and the cruelty of the Roman Empire is laid out vividly so the reader can picture just how violent first century AD truly was.

Chapter 7 is on Tiberius, the Roman ruler after Augustus, where we learn the reason behind his cruelty:  he is forced to divorce the true love of his life in favor of a political marriage.  After this, he degenerates into debauchery, prostitution, and a penchant for killing that truly begins the slow decay of the once great Roman civilization.

Bill mentions how you could hear Latin, Greek, Aramaic, Egyptian, and Hebrew all in Jerusalem.  That would have been cool to hear!

I also like how on P.222 Bill writes some, “are willing to believe parts of his (Jesus’s) teaching but they cannot accept the dark side of his message.”  He writes this with regard to the disciples who don’t believe Jesus will die but I saw myself and all of mankind in this quote.  It reminded me of how everyone loves the “Loving God” but ignores the “wrathful God.”

The book goes into detail about what it’s like to be executed on the cross.  It talks about the guards who were commissioned to do this.  It talks about how they pierced his hands in just the right spot so the prisoner would stay on the cross (P. 248).  I’m assuming Romans learned this the hard way–by trial and error.

Furthermore, the book goes into detail about the political dance played by Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin and by Pontius Pilate to have Jesus legally executed.  Fascinating…

This is a historical book.  It is not a religious book.  It’s an attempt to trace Jesus’ life but not say either way if he was the Messiah or not.  Thus, it is secular and meant to present just the facts as much as is known about Jesus’ life.  The rest is for the reader to decide.

This is a book not to be missed, especially if you want to go deeper historically.  Highly recommended!

The Door in the Wall

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

The Door in the WallThe Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli is a Newberry Medal winner from 1949.  It tells the story of a boy named Robin who suddenly loses the use of his legs and how he finds his way in the Middle Ages.  His father is at war and his mother attends the queen.  As everyone around him dies in the midst of the Plague, he is taken in by a kindly monk named Brother Luke who has faith Robin will one day recover the use of his legs.

Robin’s greatest desire like most aristocratic boys of the Middle Ages was to become a knight.  This dream is taken from him when his legs gave out.  Halfway through the book, Sir Peter, the one who was to train Robin to be a knight tells Robin:

“Each of us has his place in this world.  If we cannot serve in one way, there is always another.  If we do what we are able, a door always opens to something else.”

Robin proceeds to do the job of a page as much as he physically can.  Along the way, he learns woodworking and playing the harp.  He learns to swim and play with other boys.

“We can only do the best we can with what we have.  That, after all, is the measure of success: what we do with what we have,” Brother Luke tells Robin when Robin asks him if he thinks he’ll ever be able to straighten his back again.  “It is better to have crooked legs than a crooked spirit.”

In the end, Robin saves the day by being able to sneak out of a castle that is under siege and go for help because he is infirm.  He is rewarded by the King and accepted by his noble parents in an age where those with disabilities were ostracized.  His life now has meaning once again.

So in the beginning, Brother Luke says, “Thou hast only to follow the wall far enough and there will be a door in it.”

And in the end, he says, “Thou hast found the door in thy wall.”

Great, historically accurate, encouraging book with a great message.  If you keep looking, you will find your path in life.  Never give up even in the darkest of times.

Joan of Arc

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

Joan was born in 1412 in the tiny village of Domremy, France.  She led an ordinary life until she was 13 when she says the Archangel Michael appeared to her and told her to save France.

From this day forward, her life would change forever.

It was during the Hundred Years’ War where France had been at war with England over a dispute for the French crown.  The French people were divided as to who should rule: the English or the French.  The Burgundians, a province of France, was one group of French people who were helping the English.

For 3 years the voices (Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret appeared to her as well) haunted her and finally told her urgently to go to see the dauphin Charles (the rightful king of France but he hadn’t been crowned yet) immediately.

She obeyed.

Following her voices, she met Charles and picked him out of a crowd when Charles was trying to trick her.  Her commission by God was to free the city of Orleans (under siege by the English) and to crown Charles King.

She led an army against the English and drove them off.

After Charles was crowned in 1429, Joan wanted to go home.  But the king refused to allow her to go.  Against her voices, she obeyed the king.  Her voices had told her she only had a year to help.  It was over a year now.  Hence, the voices fled.  She had been protected by God up until this point.  But when she obeyed the king and not her voices, everything changed.

Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc

Her battles were unsuccessful as Charles delayed action.  She was captured by the Burgundians and ransomed.  Charles refused to pay her ransom so she was sold to the English.

She stood trial on trumped-up charges of heresy and was found guilty and sentenced to death.  However, if she confessed, she could save her life.  She signed the confession but then recanted. Immediately, acknowledging she had done all for God, her voices returned.

She was cruelly burned at the stake.  She cried, “Jesus” three times at her death.  Her ashes were scattered in the Reine River so they could not be made into relics.

Twenty-six years later, Charles gave Joan a new trial and was declared innocent.  She was canonized in 1920 and is beloved in France today.

Undoubtedly Joan turned the tide of the Hundred Years’ War.  The French were languishing under a young and indecisive dauphin (who would become King Charles VII) until this girl comes out of nowhere to revive the French cause.

The most profound part of this was the fact her voices left her when she obeyed man instead of God.

We know more about Joan of Arc than any other woman in the Middle Ages because of the transcripts of her trial.  Every word was recorded at her trial as well as at her Trial of Rehabilitation where people who knew her were interviewed.  Very cool for a girl of only 19 years old.

Joan of Arc is the epitome of someone who came from nothing (she was a girl and a peasant in a tiny village in the Middle Ages) and changed the course of the world, proving God uses everybody for His purposes.  She is a great role model for young girls as well as those struggling to find themselves in today’s world.

There are many good picture books of Joan of Arc.  The one pictured is by Diane Stanley but we have also read Joan of Arc by Demi and Ann Tompert and enjoyed them as well. All are highly recommended.

The Miracle of Saint Nicholas

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

Alexi is walking with his babushka on Christmas Eve in a small village in Russia. He wonders why they won’t celebrate Christmas in church.

His babushka explains how long ago soldiers closed the church and threatened to take anyone away who are found inside.  Shortly afterwards, all the items in the church disappeared.

Curious, Alexi visits the church a bit later and finds it open.  He enters and begins cleaning up inside.  He collects pine boughs and places them near the altar.

Soon, the whole village comes to see what Alexi is doing.

After dinner, Alexi returns to the church to find how all the villagers have brought relics and church items their grandparents had taken when the church closed.  His own babushka even had the painting of Saint Nicholas kept safe in her barn.

All wait in the church for the priest who turns out to be the shoemaker.  He was hidden from the soldiers by the people.

Candles were lit and the Christmas service was just how babushka remembered.

This childrens’ book by Gloria Whelan will surely delight with it’s surprise ending.  I loved how all it took was one little boy to bring God back into a little village that had forgotten.  It was as if the villagers were all just waiting for someone to take the first step.

Like God waits for us to say “Yes” to Him.

Goddess Girls

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

My two girls (ages 8 and 7) have been devouring these books ever since we saw them at a Book Fair.

The Goddess Girls series by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams chronicles the adventures of four Greek Goddesses (Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, and Persephone) while they are pre-teens at Mount Olympus Academy (MOA).  And of course, the “godboys” are fixtures as well (Ares, Apollo, Hephaestus, Hercules, Hades, Actaeon, Poseidon, etc.)

It goes through first crushes, being the new girl (Athena who didn’t know she was a goddess before), loyalty to friends, helping others, etc.

I like these books because they are true to the original Greek myths. For example, Persephone falls for Hades.  Well, in the Greek myth, Hades kidnaps Persephone and makes her live with him in the Underworld.  Artemis is Goddess of the Hunt so she’s proficient with a bow and arrow and keeps animals as pets (as she is also Goddess of Animals).  Aphrodite is the match-maker of the group, fittingly since she’s the Goddess of Love.

A temple is built in Ephesus for Artemis and does become one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (mentioned in Artemis the Brave or the Loyal–I can’t remember which).  So they are historically accurate as well as great reads.

These books intertwine social situations and ancient history and myths (with all your favorite mythical characters and creatures such as Hercules’ Tasks and Pygmalion).

Good, wholesome books sure to entertain as well as educate!

The Queen Who Couldn’t Bake Gingerbread

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

A great adaptation of a German folk tale by Dorothy Van Woerkom.  In this tale, a king seeks a queen but she must be able to bake gingerbread.  The king cannot find a queen who can bake gingerbread so he settles on a queen who is seeking a king who must be able to play the slide trombone (which the king can’t).  They agree to set aside these demands and marry anyways.

All is well until a fight ensues and each is mad at the other for not being able to cook gingerbread and play the slide trombone.  They go to separate parts of the castle, sulking.

Finally, each realizes they are not being very wise and kind and both in turn decide to teach themselves how to bake gingerbread and play the trombone.

I loved the lesson:  if you want something, do it yourself.  If you want gingerbread, learn to bake it.  If you want to play the trombone, learn to play it.

This is great for marriages as well.  You can’t count on your spouse doing something for you if you are the one who wants it done.  You gotta do it for yourself.

In the end, each are “never disappointed” from unrealistic expectations being put upon others.

This book is from 1975 which I got from the library so it may be hard to find in print.