The Mysterious Benedict Society--Book Review

I decided to make a grading system for the books I review.  Let me know what you think :)  I might change it around a little, but for right now I will see how it works.

   As a substitute teacher it is fun to be in different classrooms and see what kids are reading.  I happened to be in the same classroom 3 times while the read aloud book was The Mysterious Benedict Society.  I couldn't wait to read what happened next!  I knew that I had to read the whole book for myself.   I am not sure what the reading level  is for the book, but the teacher read this book to a 5th grade class.  I think it would be great for a 6th or 7th grader to read on their own.
   In the book, there are 4 kids who become a team of spies that  infiltrate a school to stop a principal from trying to rule the world by sending hidden messages to people through tv and radio.  They need to find out how he is doing it and stop him before time runs out.  Along the way the kids have to learn to trust each other and work together as a team even when working alone sounds so much easier.
   The book has humor and suspense and is an all around great read.  It definitely gets five stars.

If you like the book, I heard that it is the first in a series.

Book Review--Max on Life

    Having read many books by this author was very excited for the opportunity to review Max Lucado's new book, Max on Life.  The very first question in the book, basically, "How is God's love different from human love?" sparked my interest right away because it is a question that has come up in discussions with the high school girls that I mentor. I was interested to hear Max's answer.  In this book Max answers 172 questions that people have asked him in person or in letters.  Some of these questions are questions that new Christians might have, but others are questions someone who has walked with God for a long time might struggle with.
   One of the things I really like is that many of the answers in this book have scripture to back them up.  Scripture is truth. If someone gives me an answer to something it needs to match up with what the Bible (God) says.  I know that sometimes scripture can be misinterpreted, which is why we need to be careful and read the Bible for ourselves and know what it says.  I like how Max goes to the Bible when giving answers.
    This book is definitely not one you would read in a day.  It is more like a resource to use or maybe something you would read a little bit of each day.  Topics include heaven, family, money, abortion, worrying, prayer and much more.  I like how the back has a topical index in case you are looking for a specific topic and also a scriptural index.

I received this book for free from www.booksneeze.com for this review. The review is my honest opinion of the book.

Weekend Book Review, Choosing to See

   I am in a book club at my church.  We meet once a month and each month a new person chooses the book we will read for the next month.  I love (usually) reading books from all sorts of genres, books that I wouldn't have picked up off the bookshelf and read without the encouragement of the book club. Click Here to read my review of the book I picked last time it was my turn. 

     Last month the lady who chose, picked a book I had considered choosing so I was excited to get to read it!  I knew going in that Choosing to See, by Mary Beth Chapman was going to be a hard book to get through without crying.  Well, I got to the dedication part and I was already crying! 

   In this book Mary Beth takes us through the ups and downs of her life through marriage, motherhood, adoption, and dealing with the death of a child. She is very honest about her thoughts, emotions, embarrassing moments...sometimes to the point of giving TMI. :) I think that is what makes her so likable though...she shares things that other women sometimes feel, but are afraid to let anyone know about. When I finished it was like I was reading the book of a friend or someone I felt I knew well.

   If you have heard of Mary Beth's story you know that her youngest daughter, Maria, was killed in a heart breaking accident.  Probably half of the book shares life after that life changing moment.  My heart was so heavy reading the deep, raw, honest depiction of grief that the author and her family went through and still feels.  I think the family realizes that God had big plans for them and plans for good to come out of losing Maria and yet reality is that living those plans has seemed unbearable many days.  One of the things she says that stuck with me was that she had always told her kids that "God doesn't make mistakes." After the accident she had to decide if she still believed that and then live it out. 

I would definitely recommend reading Choosing to See, just make sure to have a box of tissues nearby!

Weekend Book Review "Sidney & Norman"

    The book I am sharing for this weekend's book review is in my top ten favorite children's picture books.  I love that it has a lesson that is meaningful for kids AND adults.  The book is Sidney & Norman a tale of two pigs, by Phil Vischer (The Veggie Tale guy).  I first heard the story in an elementary school chapel a few years ago. I recently heard it again during a talk for a high school youth group.  The book fit both ages so well!  After I heard it the last time I went online and bought 4 copies.  One for me and 3 for gifts...that is how much I like this book.
  The book is about two pigs who are next door neighbors--Sidney and Norman. Norman is a pig who has his life all in order.  He is always on time, always dresses nicely, his house is neat, and he did/does well at school/work.  He can't see why others can't just try harder and be like him.  Sidney on the other hand is a mess.  He is always late, his tie is never straight, his house is messy, and some mornings he doesn't even want to get out of bed.   Both Norman and Sidney get a letter from God telling them He wants to see each of them.  Norman assumes God is going to tell him what a great job he is doing.  Sydney equates going to see God with being sent to the principals office, he is sure he is in trouble.  I won't ruin the ending, but God has a message for each pig that day and both of them leave changed.   Whether you can relate with Norman OR Sidney (or sometimes one and sometimes the other), this book has a message of God's love for you too.
  
  If you are interested in getting this book, Amazon has it for $10.87 right now.

Weekend Book Review--The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari

    Many of my friends have young children and giving a book is one of my favorite gifts to give.  Boy books are always harder for me to find so I was excited when I saw The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari.  I thought it might be a great book to read to a young, adventurous boy.  The story is about a dragon and a turtle who camp outside one night.  The boys have fun eating baked bugs, making s'mores, and using their imaginations to see different animals such as a rhino that is really a dog and a monkey that is an owl.
     I have to say I was disappointed with this book.  First of all the words and phrases used were too difficult for the age this book is intended for.  I like when books stretch a child's vocabulary, but there were too many words that needed to be explained.  Also many of the phrases seem to use British English. For example, one line says, "Cheerio.  Right jolly good spot for us."   I liked how the book portrayed friendship (the friends were supportive and helpful; didn't make fun of each other), but I don't think the theme of "the dark might be frightening, but friendship is stronger than fear," came through very well.  The last page has the Bible verse,  "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid...God goes with you; he will never leave you." Deuteronomy 31:6.  In my opinion this would have been a better theme and could have been woven though the story.
    The one thing I liked about this book is the last page with the Bible verse and other conversation starters for a parent to discuss with their child.  I wish more books had these kinds of questions and things to ponder to promote discussion.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. The review is my honest opinion of the book.

Weekend Book Review--Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes

     I was very excited to get to read and review Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes, because it was written by one of my favorite authors, Robin Jones Gunn.  As a teenager I waited impatiently for each book in her Christy Miller series to come out.  In my early 20s I did the same with her Glenbrooke series. I resisted reading any of the books in her Sisterchicks series because the characters are in a different season of their lives than I am, but decided to give this one a try.
     The main character, Summer, gets an "abnormal" test result back from the Doctor and decides to live in denial for an extra week and go visit her long time pen-pal, Noelle, in the Netherlands.  The two ladies embark on a few crazy adventures while siteseeing that leave them and the reader laughing.  Robin Jones Gunn doesn't write her books on a shallow level though and throughout the book we see the characters help each other learn more about themselves (isn't it true that sometimes we know things about close friends/family that they haven't realized about themselves?) and more about trusting God at a deeper level.
    Although I won’t be rushing out to find other books from this series, I enjoyed reading this book.  I like how the characters seem like real people that I could sit down and hang out with and how they are struggling with real issues.  I also like how the author digs deep and uses her books to help the reader grow as the characters in the book grow.

To buy this book check out these links:
Christianbook
Family Christian Stores

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. The review is my honest opinion of the book.

Sun Stand Still book review

I will hopefully be sharing a few crafty things on my blog this week, but first another book review. 
    
     This one is called Sun Stand Still-What Happens When you Dare to Ask God for the Impossible, by Steven Furtick.  The title is based on the story of Joshua who prayed to God for the sun to stand still so that the Israelites could defeat their enemies (Joshua 10:7-14).  God answered this seemingly impossible prayer with a "yes."  God answering "impossible" prayers doesn't end with Joshua.  The author shares stories from both the Bible and modern life where God has answered and done miraculous things. I like the way the author weaves stories into the book along with deep nuggets of truth (like nuggets of gold for your soul).  I also like how he challenges the reader over and over again to find out what God could do in his/her life if he/she believed and asked for the impossible.
     Here is a quote from the book that I liked, "On the one hand, I know that God is able to do anything.  On the other hand, I think he's willing to do this specific thing.  I know God can.  And I'm pretty sure that he will.  But I can't be completely sure.  That's where audacious faith comes in.  Audacity is believing that God's promise is bigger than my perhaps."
     I am not sure what audacious faith will look life in my life, but I am challenged to take that question to God and let Him answer that.  I need to be willing to step out and obey and trust Him whatever He asks.

Just like the last book, don't read this if you aren't willing to let it change your life.  The book calls for action on the reader's part, not just passive reading. :)

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. The review is my honest opinion of the book.

Book Review: Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski

I had the wonderful opportunity to choose a book to read and review.  I chose Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski.

I debated reading this book because I knew it would be challenging to read...not challenging in an educational way, but spiritually challenging. I knew going in that I wouldn't be able to just read this book and quickly move on. I was right, but I am so glad that I made the choice to be challenged.

The book is about two college students who decided to challenge themselves to live out their faith by becoming homeless for 5 months in 6 different cities. The author, Mike, realized it was easy to claim Christ as his everything, but he had never had to put that claim to the test while living his middle class life and attending a Christian college. He decided to really live out his faith and step out in a radical way.  Mike shares his experiences, thoughts, and emotions of those 5 months Sam and he lived on the streets. I love the deepness and honesty of this book through the laughter and tears, the good and downright awful, the beautiful,ugly and sometimes very stinky.

Don't read this book unless you are willing to be changed, willing to DO something whether what you do to live out your faith has to do with homelessness or not.  If you are willing to do that, then this is a must read. :)

If you are interested you can download the first chapter of the book to check it out.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. The review is my honest opinion of the book.