Back Before Dark by Tim Shoemaker

Back Before Dark (Code of Silence- Book 2) by Tim Shoemaker 

Genre- Juvenile Fiction / General

Published by- ZonderKidz (Zondervan)

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 376

Age Group- 9 and up (I would recommend high school)

Description of book- Hardback, list price $14.99, ISBN: 978-0-310-73499-4

Cousins Cooper and Gordy, along with their friends Hiro and Lunk, are on their way home through the park on their bikes when Gordy is kidnapped.  The kidnapper thinks it’s a game, but nobody knows that.  Cooper is troubled by Gordy’s kidnapping and leaves no stone unturned as he looks for him.  Hiro wants to be a detective so she is able to give him guidance and has the courage to involve the police.  Lunk is also there for Cooper for everything.  Soon there is talk of a memorial service, but Cooper won’t stop looking.  Will they be able to find Gordy before it is too late?

About the author- Tim Shoemaker has been married for over 32 years and has three grown sons.  He has written over eight books, including Code of Silence and Dangerous Devotions for Guys.

 

 

 

My thoughts- This is the second book in the Code of Silence series.  I found that it is o.k. to begin with this book as I wasn’t missing any crucial information from the first book.

This is a book that young men are going to like; there’s action and a lot of mystery, because of Gordy’s kidnapping.  Cooper, Hiro, and Lunk are both brave and foolish about looking for him.  I’m glad they stick together and have a system for how they hunt for Gordy.

Cooper's dedication to finding his cousin is astounding.  Cooper would not give up looking for Gordy.  He had faith that Gordy was still alive when other people didn’t think he was.  I hope that I can have that level of perseverance and faith when I am facing adversity.

One of my favorite parts of the book was, “A Word from the Author” and the information that followed.  It made a good study guide and provided a lot of good information on how to stay safe.  We all need to remember we are not invincible.  We can be hurt.

I would recommend that teens and their parents read this book and discuss it afterwards.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Back Before Dark by Tim Shoemaker for free from DJC Communications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. All links were current when posted.

Reboot Your Brain

Reboot Your Brain
By
Tim Shoemaker
Illustrated By: Marty Baumann
Published By: Zonderkidz
Copyrighted: 2004
Number of Pages: 149 pages
Age Group: 8-12 years-old boys
Type of Book: Christan Devotional for Boys
Physical Description: Paperback, 6 x 8 inches
Extras: Information about the rest of the 2:52 Soul Gear

About the Book: As people, we are similar to computers and sometimes we need to reboot. In Reboot Your Brain, the reader learns about how four teenage boys deal every day problems. There are ten stories that involve: having a big mouth, pride, forgiveness, selfishness, being unkind, honest, anger, jealousy, wrong choices, and patience. Three of the boys: David, Troy and Howie are Christians. Eddie is not a Christian and those boys are his only friends. Two other characters are unseen by all of them. Gabe is an angel and Slick is a minion for Satan. Gabe and Slick can only be heard in peoples’ thoughts. These boys are trying to follow the teachings in Luke 2:52 and Proverbs 3: 3-4. “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men,” is from Luke 2:52 and those are the four areas that these boys are trying to grow in.
What I Thought: I enjoyed this book. I would have to say that my favorite part of the book is the individual chapter setup. In each chapter there is an e-mail from one of the characters about what happened, the comic about the boys, corresponding Bible story, quiz dealing with the story and frequently asked questions about the subject. Boys will enjoy the quick and easy to read set up and they will learn how what they become as men will be their choice. This book is perfect for boys 8-12. I will make sure that my son reads this book when he is old enough.
Would I Recommend: Yes, I would recommend Reboot Your Brain.