The Shock of Night by Patrick W. Carr (Book Review!)

The Shock of Night (The Darkwater Saga, Book 1)

by Patrick W. Carr

(I received this book for review purposes.)

 

Genre- Fiction / Fantasy / General

Publisher- Bethany House

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of Pages- 462

Age Group- Adult

Description of Book- paperback, $15.99, ISBN: 978-0-7642-1346-5

One man is murdered and another mortally wounded.

Willet Dura, reeve to the king of Bunard, must investigate.  When he arrives, the mortally wounded man, a priest, touches him, screams in a foreign language, then dies.  Willet must investigate?  More people die and Willet has no idea what is happening in his town.  After the priest’s death, Willet finds that when he touches people he can see into their thoughts.  This is a gift he’s not supposed to have.  It puts him in danger more than ever before.

Will he find the murderer?  Who are the people who are trying to take him for their own?

About the Author- Patrick W. Carr currently lives with his wife and children in Nashville.  He has been a high school math teacher, draftsman, and more.  He was born during the height of the Cold War tensions on an Air Force Base in West Germany.

My Thoughts- I thought this was a long, but good book.  It dragged sometimes, but I stuck with it and I was really glad. 

I thought this was a good book for men.  I am glad that there are good books out there for men.  So many times it seems as if there are not very many good books for men.

Willet Dura was a good man.  He has done a lot of things he shouldn’t have.  He’s been to the Darkwater Forest and has been given a gift, that many would like to have, but he can’t give back.  All of those experiences make him a complex character.

My favorite character was Bolt, because he was loyal to Dura, but also loyal to the Vigil (the group of people who want the gift).  Gareth was another character I liked, because he too, was loyal to Dura.

This book ended on a cliff hanger, Dura needs to find a way to break his engagement.  Now, I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. 

I recommend this book!

Informational and Purchasing Links-

The Shock Of Night - http://www.amazon.com/Shock-Night-Darkwater-Saga/dp/0764213466/

Author Website - http://www.patrickwcarr.com/

Participants’ links:

Thomas Clayton Booher Keanan Brand Beckie Burnham Carol Bruce Collett Carol Gehringer Victor Gentile Rebekah Gyger Bruce Hennigan Janeen Ippolito Carol Keen Rebekah Loper Jennette Mbewe Shannon McDermott Meagan @ Blooming with Books Rebecca LuElla Miller Joan Nienhuis Nissa Audrey Sauble Chawna Schroeder Jessica Thomas Robert Treskillard Shane Werlinger Phyllis Wheeler Nicole White

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of The Shock of Night, by Patrick W. Carr, to review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.  I am part of CSFF Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.

A Draw of Kings by Patrick Carr (Review)

A Draw of Kings (Book 3 of The Staff and the Sword Series)

by Patrick W. Carr

(I received this book for review purposes.)

 

Genre- Fantasy

Publisher- Bethany House

Copyrighted- 2014

Number of pages- 464

Age Group- Older Teen and Adult

Description of book- Paperback, $14.99, ISBN: 978-0-7642-1045-7 

In the last book, A Draw of Kings, in The Staff and the Sword series, by Patrick Carr, the battle between good and evil has truly begun.

The king has passed away and now Duke Weir is acting ruler.  He plans to marry Adora.  Errol and the others have different plans, there is one big problem.  They have been imprisoned by the Duke.

There is still no rightful heir, the country of Illustra is on the verge of a civil war, and the barrier has fallen.  What will happen to Illustra and its citizens?  Will Errol be freed?  Who will become king?

My thoughts:

I am always sad when a good series comes to an end.  I really enjoyed A Draw of Kings, by Patrick W. Carr, the last book in The Staff and the Sword series.

There were so many twists and turns.  I was not sure who was going to win or who was going to be the new king.  I could not make up my mind whether to root for Errol or Liam.  They were both people who would have made a good king.  I must say though, I was very surprised by the ending.

The one thing I would change about this book is that there was no description of the previous books, A Cast of Stones and The Hero’s Lot.  I always like to catch up when I begin the next book in the series.

I highly recommend A Draw of Kings to all older teens and adults.  Please buy a copy today and tell your local library if you like the book. 

Informational and Purchasing Links:

A Draw of Kings -  http://www.amazon.com/Draw-Kings-Staff-Sword-Patrick/dp/0764210459/

Author Website - http://patrickwcarr.com/

Participants’ links:

• Gillian Adams
• Jennifer Bogart
• Keanan Brand
• Beckie Burnham
• Mike Coville
• Pauline Creeden
• Vicky DealSharingAunt
• Carol Gehringer
• Victor Gentile
• Rebekah Gyger
• Nikole Hahn
• Jason Joyner
• Carol Keen
• Krystine Kercher
• Jennette Mbewe
• Amber McCallister
• Shannon McDermott
• Shannon McNear
• Meagan @ Blooming with Books
• Rebecca LuElla Miller
• Joan Nienhuis
• Nissa
• Writer Rani
• Nathan Reimer
• Audrey Sauble
• James Somers
• Jojo Sutis
• Steve Trower
• Shane Werlinger
• Phyllis Wheeler
• Nicole White
• Jill Williamson

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of A Draw of Kings, by Patrick W. Carr, to review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.  I am part of CSFF Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.

A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr (Review)

A Cast of Stones (Book 1 of The Staff and the Sword Series)

by Patrick W. Carr

(I received this book for review purposes.)

 

Genre- Fantasy

Publisher- Bethany House

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 432

Age Group- Young Adult and Adult

Description of book- Paperback, $14.99, ISBN: 978-0-07642-1043-3 

In The Cast of Stones, by Patrick W. Carr, Errol Stone is forced to join with the local priest and others when he is attacked while taking a message to them.  Errol finds out that he is a reader and will have to go to the main church.  He is separated from his group and has to join a caravan to get to the city where the rest of the group has gone.  Will the rest of his group be safe?  Who wants him captured?

 My thoughts:

I have been interested in fantasy books for many years.  A Cast of Stones, by Patrick W. Carr is one of the best fantasy books I have read in many years.

The cast of characters, dialogue, and details were some of the best I have ever read in a fantasy book.  As I read the book I could see the different religious and ethnic groups that could be represented in our world.  There were a lot of different characters, but I was able to keep them straight.  My favorite character was Errol.  I liked him, because he wanted to be his own person, but he now has to be a part of the church.  The part I liked the best was how he accepted his fate and how he decided to make life better because of it.

I highly recommend this book and series by Patrick W.  Carr.  Please buy a copy today and tell your local library if you like the book. 

Informational and Purchasing Links:

A Cast of Stones - http://www.amazon.com/Cast-Stones-Staff-Sword-Patrick/dp/0764210432/

The Hero’s Lot - http://www.amazon.com/Heros-Lot-The-Staff-Sword/dp/0764210440/

Author Website - http://patrickwcarr.com/

Participants’ links:

• Julie Bihn
• Jennifer Bogart
•  Keanan Brand
• Beckie Burnham
• Jeff Chapman
• Laure Covert
• Pauline Creeden
• Emma or Audrey Engel
• April Erwin
•  Nikole Hahn
• Jason Joyner
• Carol Keen
• Krystine Kercher
• Shannon McDermott
• Meagan @ Blooming with Books
• Rebecca LuElla Miller 
• Nathan Reimer
• Chawna Schroeder
• Jojo Sutis
• Steve Trower
• Phyllis Wheeler
• Rachel Wyant

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received a free copy of A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr to review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.  I am part of CSFF.  All links were current when posted.

Cara's Beach Party Disaster by Elaine Schulte

Cara’s Beach Party Disaster
By
Elaine L. Schulte
Series: The Twelve Candles Club #3
Published By: Bethany House Publishers
Copyrighted: 1993
Type of Book: Christian Fiction
Physical Description: Paperback, 5x7 inches
About the Book: Twelve-year-old Cara has problems at a beach party near her home in Santa Rosita Estates in California and she learns what true friends are like. Cara is a member of the Twelve Candles Club (they are all twelve) and they are all at her house for a movie and party. Cara's half-sister, Paige, picks out a movie and it turns out to be R rated so most of the club decides to leave, because it is not what God would want them to see. The next day at one of the club’s jobs they forgive each other; because Cara discovered Paige had done it on purpose. Cara's family doesn't attend church, so she decides to go with the members of the club. The youth pastor teaches them that God is there, we just need to answer and also the first five commandments. Cara is very eager to learn more and wants to apply it to her life. Paige is continuously mean and disrespectful to Cara, which damages Cara’s self-esteem. Cara continuously forgives her and tries to help her. At the beach party Cara has to wear Paige’s Bikini, and was approached by some college age men. She doubts her friends' compassion and decides to go on a date with one of them. When she meets the guy for a date there are other guys there to, her friends chase them off before something could happen. Paige comes to help Cara too. Paige and Cara talk and Cara learns her sister hurts and is mad, because Cara has a father who did not leave. Cara learns that her friends and Paige really do love, respect and forgive her as she does them. Cara also discovers how much God loves her.
What I liked: I liked how this book shows us that forgiveness can always be there for us and we need to remember to do it ourselves. Cara clearly shows what it feels like to forgive and need forgiveness. That is something we need to do daily.
What I disliked: I disliked how the author uses R rated movies and college age men to illustrated how much Cara's friends care about her.
Would I recommend: I would recommend this book to the older children in the age group (8-12). I would not want my eight year-old-reading this subject material.

The Chicken Pox Panic

The Chicken Pox Panic
By
Beverly Lewis
Illustrations By: Barbara Birch
Published By: Bethany House Publishers
Copyrighted: 1993
Series: Cul-de-sac Kids #2
Number of Pages: 60 pages
Age Group: 7-10 year-old
Type of Book: Christian Fiction
Physical Description: Paperback, 5x7 inches
About the Book: Abby Hunter (third grade) has the chicken pox and wants to make a special cake for her adopted brother, Shawn’s birthday. She keeps the plans for her cake a secret from everybody, even her best friend, Stacy Hunter. Stacy has a secret of her own. Her mother is not telling her where her birth certificate is, so Stacy thinks she is adopted. Abby helps Stacy look for her birth certificate or old pictures. They don’t have any luck. They just have problems when Stacy’s dog eats the roast and ice cream. Abby uses her own money to buy another roast and then has no money for the birthday surprise. Stacy asks the rest of the Cul-de-sac Kids to loan Abby money. Abby is able to get enough money for Shawn’s birthday surprise and she invites everybody to the party. Stacy calls her dad, who agrees to come see her and send her a copy of her birth certificate. Stacy helps Abby with Shawn’s cake and the birthday party is a success. Abby and Stacy learn it is good to not have secrets and it is good to help others.
Extras: Map of Blossom Hill Lane, synopsis of book #3, extra information from the author about when her children had the chicken pox.
About the Author and Illustrator: Beverly Lewis lives in Colorado with her family and has written many books and short stories. The Cul-de-sac Kids remind her of her friends when she was younger. Barbara Birch illustrated the book realistically, which goes well with the clear plot line and characters.
What I liked: I liked everything about this book. I thought it was important that Stacy and Abby learned that keeping secrets does not help anybody. It shows the readers they shouldn’t keep secrets either.
What I disliked: There was nothing I disliked.
Would I recommend: Yes.

The Chicken Pox Panic

The Chicken Pox Panic
By
Beverly Lewis
Illustrations By: Barbara Birch
Published By: Bethany House Publishers
Copyrighted: 1993
Series: Cul-de-sac Kids #2
Number of Pages: 60 pages
Age Group: 7-10 year-old
Type of Book: Christian Fiction
Physical Description: Paperback, 5x7 inches
About the Book: Abby Hunter (third grade) wants to make a special cake for her adopted brother, Shawn’s birthday. She keeps the plans for her cake a secret from everybody, even her best friend, Stacy Hunter. Stacy has a secret of her own. Her mother is not telling her where her birth certificate is, so Stacy thinks she is adopted. Abby helps Stacy look for her birth certificate or old pictures. They don’t have any luck. They just have problems when Stacy’s dog eats the roast and ice cream. Abby uses her own money to buy another roast and then has no money for the birthday surprise. Stacy asks the rest of the Cul-de-sac Kids to loan Abby money. Abby is able to get enough money for Shawn’s birthday surprise and she invites everybody to the party. Stacy calls her dad, who agrees to come see her and send her a copy of her birth certificate. Stacy helps Abby with Shawn’s cake and the birthday party is a success. Abby and Stacy learn it is good to not have secrets and it is good to help others.
Extras: Map of Blossom Hill Lane, synopsis of book #3, extra information from the author about when her children had the chicken pox.
About the Author and Illustrator: Beverly Lewis lives in Colorado with her family and has written many books and short stories. The Cul-de-sac Kids remind her of her friends when she was younger. Barbara Birch illustrated the book realistically, which goes well with the clear plot line and characters.
What I liked: I liked everything about this book. I thought it was important that Stacy and Abby learned that keeping secrets does not help anybody. It shows the readers they shouldn’t keep secrets either.
What I disliked: There was nothing I disliked.
Would I recommend: Yes.

The Mystery of the Wrong Dog

The Mystery of the Wrong Dog
By
Elspeth Campbell Murphy
Series: Three Cousins Detective Club #3
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Copyright: 1994
Number of pages: 59 pages
Age Group: first chapter book (ages7-10)
Type of Book: Christian fiction
Physical Description: Paperback, 5x7 inches
About the book: Titus McKay has been taking care of Kingsley, a cranky dog, for his neighbors while they are at odds with each other. Titus and his two cousins decide to go to the bakery with Kingsley. They leave him outside and when they come back outside there is a totally different (attitude) dog waiting for them. Titus decides Kingsley has been switched with another dog. He confronts one of the owners and learns he switched dogs. Titus is able to get the dogs owners to consent to living with each other again. Titus is able to keep the other dog. Titus, his cousins and Kingsley’s owners learned about peace through each other and the story of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis was a peacemaker between a wild wolf and a village.
About Author: Elspeth Campbell Murphy has written more than 100 books the past years. She is a graduate of Trinity College and Mood Bible Institute. She currently lives in Chicago and received a Gold Medallion award for Do You See Me, God?
What did I like best: I liked how Titus was a peacemaker between his neighbors like St. Francis was. It shows us, the reader, that everybody be a peacemaker.
What did I dislike: There was nothing in this book I disliked.
Would I recommend: Yes, I would recommend this book. If we all tried to consistently be peacemakers more this world would be better.

Happy Easter God

By
Elspeth Campbell Murphy
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Copyrighted: 2001
Number of pages: 29 pages
Age group: 2-6 years of age
Type of book: Holiday Christian fiction
Physical Description: hardback, square, shiny pages.
About the book: This book begins with a letter to parents discussing the setup of the book. Each group of pages includes a prayer-poem for the child and a Bible verse for the parents to meditate on. The prayer-poems have a variety of topics from chocolate Easter bunnies to the angel outside the empty tomb.
The illustrations were realistically drawn and fun to look at. Everybody has a big smile and we get to know the children by reading their nametags.
About the author: Elspeth Campbell Murphy has written more than 100 books the past years. She is a graduate of Trinity College and Mood Bible Institute. She currently lives in Chicago and received a Gold Medallion award for Do You See Me, God?
What my children thought: My five-year-old son thoroughly enjoyed this book; there was nothing he disliked. I read the Bible verses as well as the prayer-poems to the children and those were his favorite parts, because they were from the Bible. He also liked the pictures because they were shiny. My son thought the funniest picture was of the bunny on a girl’s lap. He highly recommended this book to kids his age. My daughter who is three enjoyed this book as well. There were many things she enjoyed: like the bunny, the children singing, and the Easter egg hunt. Her favorite child was Caroline. The only illustration my daughter didn't like was of the angel. She thought children her age would enjoy the book,
What I liked: I liked the entire book. I enjoyed the addition of the Bible verses for adult readers. I also enjoyed how my son appreciated the Bible verses. I felt invigorated after I read this book. I thought next time I would have my son help me read this book.
What I disliked: There is nothing I disliked.
Do I recommend: Yes, I do. Happy Easter God is a very enjoyable book for both children and adults.

Mystery Pennies by Sigmund Brouwer

Mystery Pennies is book five in the Watch out for Joel! series by Sigmund Brouwer.
It was copyrighted in 2003 and published by Bethany House Publishers. It has 30 pages and is for readers ages 6-8. My three year-old and five-year-old both enjoyed having it read to them.

Ricky, age 13, has a job delivering papers, making 10¢ per house. Joel, age seven, wants to help deliver the papers. Ricky lets him deliver papers for one cent per house. Ricky feels badly when Joel uses all his money to buy Ricky a birthday present. Ricky learns he needs to treat Joel fairly. He decided to do that by giving him 10¢ per house for half of the route.

Sigmund Brouwer writes books that are fun to read. He holds writing camps and classes for more than 10,000 kids every year.

Tammie Lyon/Laurie Lambert Association illustrated the book with realistic drawings of Joel and Ricky delivering newspapers and having fun on Ricky’s birthday.

There are two interesting sections of the book. The one at the beginning talks of Romans 18:9 and how we should think as we read the story if we have acted like Ricky. The section at the end of the book has questions and how we should be fair.

The theme for this book is taken from Romans 18:9 about brotherly love. Ricky was being unfair. We need to remember to hold on to what is good and treat our brothers and sisters fairly. It will make all involved feel good.

I really enjoyed this book. I was glad to see that Ricky started being nice to the animals and sharing his newspaper route. I did not like how Ricky was always telling Joel he was only seven.

I would recommend this book to kids so they can read about what it feels like when things aren’t fair. This book will help remind them to be fair to their siblings and others.

The Hidden Message by Lois Walfrid Johnson

The Hidden Message, book 2 of Adventures of the Northwoods by Lois Walfrid Johnson was copyrighted in 1990. This Christian historical mystery was published by Bethany House Publishers has 142 pages and is for children 8-12.

Kate, Anders and Erik decide they need to solve the mystery of Josie’s family’s missing steer and Erik’s family’s canned goods. They discover it is their prime suspect, Stretch, but they never knew he did it because he was hungry. New brother and sister, Kate and Anders, need to help Mama while Papa during the winter of 1906 in rural Wisconsin. Kate and Anders along with Erik begin to suspect Stretch of taking the canned goods when Kate sees him with blue hands. Papa once told Erik that you should always believe in someone until proven otherwise. Anders and Kate both take that into consideration, but Kate has problems with it, because Stretch left her in the frozen lake to drown. Kate lies to her mother about almost drowning and she is send to her room every afternoon for a week. She sneaks out and little sister, Tina, tries to follow and almost falls out of a tree. Kate tells her mother, who forgives her. Now she just needs to ask God for his forgiveness. When they are visiting the Berglund’s and Kate sees the extra food in their cellar. They get Big Gust and go to see Stretch, who admits to taking the food and the steer, because his father left. Kate forgives Stretch as God forgave her. Kate, Anders and Erik learn to forgive and God is on their side. They need not fear when he is with us.

Lois Walfrid Johnson is well known and has a won a Gold Medallion for her series Lets-talk-about-it. She has written some pre-teen devotionals, which are bestsellers. She has a husband and three children and lives in rural Wisconsin. She included acknowledgements in the back of the book to all those who help and were there for her.

There are three clear issues in this story; God sent His Son to save us, believe in someone until proven differently, and God forgives us. I thought these were important to everybody, because we all need to be reminded about what God has done for us. We can so easily forget in this busy world what life should be about and this book show us what we should be thinking about. It is nice to be reminded that our sins are forgiven and not to worry any more.

I did not like how Kate did not always listen to Anders. She should listen to him because he has lived in the area longer, so he knows the area and the people. I liked how Kate took the time to learn special organs songs for Tina and Papa.

I would recommend this book, because we all need to remember to forgive others and that God is with us. It is always fun to read a good mystery.

Long Shot by Sigmund Brouwer

Long Shot by Sigmund Brouwer is book two in the Watch out for Joel! Series. It was copyrighted in 2002 and published by Bethany House Publishers. This Christian fiction 28 page book is for beginning readers ages 6-8. My three-year-old and five-year-old enjoyed having it read to them.

Joel, age seven and Ricky, age 13 are visiting their cousin, Lisa (13). Lisa and Ricky build a large slingshot and knock out a bull while trying to get a rock into the pond. Lisa’s father returns when the bull is tied to the tractor and conscious. Lisa wants to build a large slingshot to shoot rocks into the pond. When the slingshot is ready they use a rock that hits Old Black, a bull. Lisa decides she is going to tie Old Black to the tractor. After they tie up Old Black he wakes up and Lisa’s dad comes home. Lisa and Ricky tell what happened and her dad will untie Old Black. Lisa and Ricky learn from her father that they should never try to hide mistakes. Joel, Ricky and Lisa need to tell the truth and ask for forgiveness. Their parents can always help them.

Sigmund Brouwer is an award-winning author, who holds writing camps and classes for more than 10,000 kids each year.

The illustrations by Tammie Lyon are fun and realistic. My children and I enjoyed all of the illustrations.

The theme of the book is taken from Proverbs 12:22, honesty. The theme is first talked about in the front of the book about the being honest. At the end of the story there is a lesson about honesty and discussion questions that can be talked about as a family.

This book shows all of us we should be honest. If we are not honest the lies will catch up to us. As young children we can always count on our parents to help and support us.

I liked how this book repeated lots of phrases so a young reader can have words reinforced. It did not like how Lisa and Ricky treated Joel as if he knew nothing. They did not need to keep repeating, “what do you know?”

I would recommend this 6x9” paperback book to everybody. It is a fun, exaggerated way to teach about honesty.

The Disappearing Stranger by Lois Walfrid Johnson

Book one the Adventure of the Northwoods series, The Disappearing Stranger, was copyrighted by Lois Walfrid Johnson in 1990. Bethany House Publishers published it. This Christian mystery has 142 pages and is for kids ages 8-12.

Kate’s mama marries Mr. Nordstrom in 1906 and they go to his home in Wisconsin. His son, Anders, and Kate solve the mystery of the strange man and the box. When Kate first moves to Wisconsin she does not get along well with Anders. Kate comes across a man burying a box. She enlists the help of Anders to get the box and then solve the mystery when the box goes missing. When they come across a syrup pail in their well they know something is going on. They decide to stay up all night to watch to see if somebody takes the pail from its new spot. The stranger comes and Kate sneaks into his wagon. Anders comes to her rescue the next day with the help of Big Gust. They catch the thief, Mr. Eberly a traveling salesman. Kate and Anders receive an award, which enables both of them to get what they really want, Kate and organ and Anders a horse. Kate realizes that after being chased by a bull, being lost in the woods and strong winds that God is always with her. She just needs accept him, like she needs enjoy acceptance into her new blended family.

Lois Walfrid Johnson is a well-known author who has won a Gold Medallion award and her teen devotionals are bestsellers. Her setting is historically accurate as is the addition of Big Gust. At the end of the book Mrs. Johnson acknowledges the people who helped her with her book.

I, like Kate, need to make Psalm 46 my mantra. We need to all open our hearts to God and he will be there always. He is our refuge.

I liked how Mr. Nordstrom slowly made friends with Kate. I also liked how Kate realized that God is there for her. I did not like how Kate listened to Sarah and made negative assumptions about Wisconsin.

I would recommend this paperback book, because we all need to know that God is always there for us.

Kidnapped by River Rats by Dave and Netta Jackson

Kidnapped by River Rats is a Trailblazer Book by Dave and Netta Jackson and copyrighted in 1991. This 112 page, Christian historical fiction was published by Bethany House Publishers and is for kids 8-13.

In 1881, Jack and Amy come to London with their mother to look for their uncle. She dies and they try looking keep looking for their uncle. As they search, they become involved with the Salvation Army. After Amy is hurt and then disappears, Jack earns money for his food by throwing things at the people in the Salvation Army. He is supposed to be finding Catherine Booth, one of the leaders, who might help lead Jack to his uncle, not throwing things. Jack is able to find his sister and he knows he needs an army to save her. He enlists the help of the Salvation Army. After Amy is rescued by the Salvation Army, they make friends and are adopted by a couple living there. Jack’s adventures show him what evil there is in the world and how sometimes you need an army to fight it.

The authors, Dave and Netta Jackson are a husband/wife team who have written many books on relationships and other Christian heroes of the past. They have approached this book as historians, but add fictional characters to flesh out the story. Their son, Julian, is the illustrator for the Trailblazer series. The illustrations were well drawn. I did think Mrs. Witherspoon looked a little strange.

This story gives us the reminder that we are all part of God’s army and the Salvation Army is one way that people can help. We can even help as an army against the issues in this book, white slavery and gin houses, sin businesses.

I did not like how the Amy was taken by white slavers. I thought that was extreme. I did like how Amy and Jack had their happy ending.

I would recommend this book, so that everybody can learn more information about the Salvation Army and the people who started it, William and Catherine Booth.

The Mystery of the White Elephant by Elspeth Campbell Murphy

Book one of the Three Cousins Detective Club is called The Mystery of the White Elephant and was written by Elspeth Campbell Murphy and illustrated by Joe Nordstrom. It was copyrighted in 1994 and published by Bethany House Publishers. This Christian mystery is 64 pages long and is for children ages 7-10.

Ten-year-old cousins, Timothy, Sarah-Jane and Titus need to solve the mystery of the missing cookie jar, a white elephant, before the church auction begins. The children solve the mystery by finding the missing bag. The kids begin their adventure by learning that a “white elephant” is something somebody has, but does not want or need. They need to find their “white elephant” to take to the church auction. They find that Mrs. Foster has taken a white elephant cookie jar, which they all would like to have. The cookie jar disappears after they see a lady wearing a rain poncho, sun hat and carrying a bag. They talk to Pastor Parry and they decide to search for it. They find the clothes in the lost-and-found. Timothy remembers the bag has a red maple leaf on it. The kids think it might belong to Mrs. Foster’s friend from Canada. After they children find the bag, they go tell Pastor Parry all they know and give him the bag. Pastor Parry is able to fix the problem. Mrs. Foster’s friend and Timothy, Sarah-Jane and Titus learn that God has no “white elephants.” He loves everybody and the church can love everybody, like Mrs. Foster’s friend too.

Elspeth Campbell Murphy has written more than 100 books the past years. She is a graduate of Trinity College and Moody, Bible Institute. She currently lives in Chicago and received a Gold Medallion award for Do You See Me, God?

The theme for this book is love. We must treat everyone with love, and never like “white elephants.” There was nothing to dislike in this book. I enjoyed reading all of it. I especially liked the part where everybody at church was so kind to Mrs. Foster’s friend, even though she took the cookie jar.

I would recommend this book to all to read. It is fun to with its white pages, large letters, and fun black and white illustrations.

Lost Beneath Manhattan by Sigmund Brouwer

Bethany House Publishers published Lost Beneath Manhattan, by Sigmund Brouwer, in 2004. It is 143 pages and is one of the books in the Accidental Detective Series. The age group for this Christian fiction book is boys, ages 9-15.

Ricky and his class are going on a field trip to New York City. To get part of the funding from a benefactor they will have to take Ricky’s little brother Joel along. This would be a trip they will never forget. When they are at the Museum of Modern Art Joel runs away and now Ricky has to find him. After Ricky prays for Joel’s safety and for his ability to find him, he realizes that to find Joel he will have to think from Joel’s perspective. Ricky is not too worried about Joel’s safety until he learns that a street person named, Mean Gene Delaney may have him. Mean Gene uses kids to do his begging for him. With the help of other people who live on the street, like crazy Lyle and the preacher at a local mission, Ricky and his friends are able to find Joel, hidden money and new friends. Ricky and his friends learn from their adventures that not all people who live on the street are bad people.

The author, Sigmund Brouwer, who has won many awards, has written this book with easily recognized characters and a clear plot line.

The main issue that I saw in the book was, the strong need to help the weak. In this story the weak are those that are homeless and are unable to help themselves. This was shown when Ricky asks Brother Philip about why people suffer if God can help. Brother Philip said that people have the choice; they can live with evil or with God. Other people can’t help their suffering, because they are mentally ill and those are some of the people that we can help.

The part of this book that I liked the best was how much Ricky and his friends care about Joel. The other favorite part was how Ricky always prays strength for Joel when Joel is lost.

This paperback book has small print, but it does not harm the story, it made me want to keep reading. I would definitely recommend this story to read, to help us remember to help those who cannot help themselves.

Becky's Brainstorm by Elaine Shulte

Becky's Brainstorm, book one of the Twelve Candles Club series was written by Elaine Shulte. It was copyrighted in 1992 and published by Bethany House Publishers. It has 144 pages and is for readers 8-12. This Christian fiction book's main characters are girls, so girls may enjoy reading it more than boys.

Becky is worried they may have to move somewhere less expensive. She decides to start a money making club with her friends. Becky's mother gains courage from Becky and applies for a job with success. They are able to stay in Santa Rosita, California. On Becky's birthday she gets a wonderful idea to start a club that will do odd jobs and babysitting around the neighborhood. They have a lot of success cleaning Mrs. Llewellyn's house and helping her with a party. Becky and her friends have a morning group for kids and Becky sells pizza party invitations to Mr. Morelli and his pizza restaurant. Becky is on television, because she is chased by dogs as she delivers her invitations. The publicity give a lot of business to the club. Becky is still worried that her mom is going to want to move, so she uses prayer guidelines her youth pastor gave her. She prays with one of her friends and her prayers are answered. Becky's mom is accepted for a higher paying job and they will be able to stay in Santa Rosita. Becky learns it takes time for a prayer to be answered. She needs to be patient. Her mom learned to have courage, which she learned from Becky when she started the club.

Elaine Shulte has written 25 novels for women and children. She lives in San Diego, where she writes full-time. She has received a Distinguished Alumna award from Purdue.

One of the best parts of the book is when Becky used real pepperoni on her pizza cards, which caused her to be chased by dogs. The other part I enjoyed is the prayer guidelines sent by Bear, the youth pastor, and how he says God answers prayer in 4 different ways; yes, no, later, and thought you would never ask. The part I did not like is Becky's mother's unwillingness to try for a higher position and letting her mother know about it.

These books remind me a lot of the Babysitters' Club series, but these were better. I would recommend this book, because it shows us faith through prayer. Becky and Bear give us a better understanding of the importance of prayer to those who have a basic understanding of God and those who are learning more about Him.

Bad Bug Blues by Sigmund Brouwer

The Watch Out for Joel! Series was written by Sigmund Brouwer. The first book in the series, Bad Bug Blues, was copyrighted in 2002 and was published by Bethany House Publishers. It has 29 pages and is for beginning readers ages 6-8. My 3 year-old and 5 year-old both enjoyed having the story read to them again and again.

Ricky and Joel need to go to a concert with Old Mr. Jones. They enjoy part of the concert, the go out for ice cream, where they all become friends. Joel and Ricky did not want to go, but their mother says Old Mr. Jones needs friends. Joel takes his jar of caterpillars and he lets them out during the concert. Old Mr. Jones has fallen asleep and one of the caterpillars crawls over his mustache. When Old Mr. Jones wakes up the caterpillar falls into his mouth. He bites down and swallows half of the caterpillar. Joel, Ricky and Old Mr. Jones leave the concert, because Old Mr. Jones needs ice cream to get the caterpillar taste out of his mouth. Joel and Ricky learn that they should be kind to others. Friends can be made when you least expect it.

Sigmund Brouwer has won many awards and holds writing camps and classes for more than 10,000 children each year. He is also the author of the Accidental Detectives series for older children.

This few illustrations were by Tammie Lyon. The characters are realistically drawn and my favorite picture is the one with Mr. Jones and the caterpillar in his mouth.

There are two section in the book to give the reader more information. The section at the beginning of the book talk about being kind to others. The section at the back of the book discusses the lesson in kindness and different discussion questions that can't be discussed with a parent or teacher.

The theme for this book is taken from Proverbs 17:17, about how friends need to show their love to one another. This book shows us that if we are kind it will come back to us and we may even make new friends. I had that experience just the other day, when I was at a store and let somebody go first to get popcorn. The man got the popcorn for my two children instead of himself.

I liked how the book repeated a lot of phrases, to help the reader lean the words. I did not like how they all called Mr. Jones, “Old Mr. Jones.” I thought that was very disrespectful.
I would recommend reading this book. It is funny and different themes from the Bible are learned. The large print and white pages make it easier for beginner readers to be excited about reading.

Jess and the Fireplug Caper by Elaine Shulte

Jess and the Fireplug Caper was copyrighted in 1992 by author Elaine Shulte. This Christian fiction book was published by Bethany House Publishers and is 128 pages long. It is part of the Twelve Candles Club series and is for girls 8-12.

Somebody is robbing houses in Santa Rosita Estates and calling Jess on the phone making growling noises. A teen was robbing the houses and Jess’s brother Jordan was the one making the phone calls. Whenever there is a robbery in the neighborhood there is an old blue van. Jess’s mom begins a neighborhood watch. The girls of the Twelve Candles Club; Jess, Becky, Cara and Tricia are always watching as they go out on their different jobs. It is not until the very end when the burglar comes into Jess’s bedroom, when all the girls are there, that they are able to stop him. They are able to stop the burglar from stealing and as the burglar runs downs the street the entire neighborhood runs after him. He stops and gives up and the police arrest him. Throughout this book, Jess, her dad, and Jordan learn more about God and the strength he can give us. Jess needed that strength when she knocks over the burglar. Jess and Jordan learned about how we need to forgive and ask for forgiveness whether it is from our friends and family or our enemies.

Elaine Shulte, who has written over 25 novels, did an excellent job with her characters and the description. I could see the girls dressed in their clown costumes. The flow was so good I just wanted to keep reading.

There are two themes that arise in this book. The first one is forgiveness and the other is that in Christ we get strength and all things are possible. This book can help us realize that when we have Christ on our side and in our hearts we can do anything.

I liked how Becky and Tricia are always talking about God without being forcing Cara and Jess. I did not like how Jess’s mom was so negative against her father when he decided that it was time to start saying grace before eating.

This paperback book has dark print, which always encourages me to continue reading. I would recommend this book, because we need to be reminded about forgiveness and the strength we can find in Christ.