Heather's Book Reviews

Rumble! Zap! Pow!

2011-01-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

"Rumble! Zap! Pow!" by Diane Stortz and illustrated by Luke Daab is a very cute kid's Bible Storybook. Each story is written in comic strip form and are short and action-filled, definitely written to attract and maintain a preschooler's attention. In each story is a "mighty thought" - which tells who God is and what He does, a "power word" - which gives words from the Bible about the theme of the story, and an activity - to extend learning through movement and doing.

The stories and illustrations are done well and hold to scripture, while using words and pictures that young children could easily understand. The scripture memory for each story is a very short snapshot of the actual scripture, but easy for children to memorize and grasp what they are memorizing. And the activities are actually easy and do-able. So many of these types of books have activities that look good in theory but are hard to pull off. These are simple activities that preschoolers would enjoy while the point of the story is being driven home.

All in all, I think this is a fun Bible storybook and I wish I had it when my son was younger. I think young boys especially would enjoy it.

You Changed My Life

2011-01-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

The book "You Changed My Life" by Max Lucado is a great little gift book. The subtitle, "Stories of Real People with Remarkable Hearts" is a perfect description. The 188-page book is full of heartwarming and inspiring stories of real people in real life. Many of the stories are repeats that he has used in earlier books, but I think this would be a perfect gift for someone who needs little vignettes to use in speeches or sermons.

I also liked the way the book was broken down into categories such as, Love, Kindness, Commitment, Compassion, Hope, Courage, Wisdom and Friendship. This makes it easy to find a perfect story to go with a speech.

The title implies that it would be a good gift to give to someone who “changed your life,” but I think there are better gift books out there for that purpose.

However, I plan on giving copies to our local youth ministers as there are many stories in the book that would be useful for our youth to hear.

The Last Operative - by Jerry Jenkins

2010-08-24T18:47:00.001-07:00

I have never met a Jerry Jenkins book I didn’t like. I normally prefer a happy, family, everything’s merry kind of Christian novel, but when I read his books, I get excited. The Last Operative was no different.

Jordan Kirkwood is an NSA intelligence operative who is entrusted with very secretive information that he is uncertain what to do with. The book takes an early and shocking turn as a traumatic event happens in Jordan’s immediate family. Feeling that someone with whom he works may be behind this huge threat to not only his family, but also the United States, he becomes even more unsure about whom to trust.

I so enjoyed reading this book. Jerry Jenkins has a way of making his reader feel involved in the story and rooting for the good guys, even if it’s not easy figuring out who the good guys are! I heartily recommend this book (or any Jenkins book) with two thumbs up!

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions are all mine.

Sarah's Garden - by Kelly Long

2010-08-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

I love a good work of Christian fiction and Sarah's Garden by Kelly Long did not disappoint! I was immediately drawn into the life of Sarah King, a good Amish woman who was torn between the faith with which she had been raised and the potential love of her life. The book was well-written in that the reader feels Sarah's attraction to the new veterinarian in town, while at the same time roots for her to remain true to the simple life she knows and loves.

Sarah is what we might call a Master Gardener and helps her new neighbor learn of the joys and blessings that come from having a garden and growing herbs and vegetables. While the garden is growing, so is their forbidden love.

Although parts of the book were predictable, the author did a good job of taking the reader for a few unexpected twists and turns. I enjoyed them very much.

I will be picking up Kelly Long’s other books in this Patch of Heaven series to follow the story of these people of Amish faith.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Healing Sands

2010-05-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

Healing Sands by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn is an easy read that hooks you in fairly quickly. The book tells the story of Ryan Coe, a photographer who moved to be closer to her two boys, Jake and Alex, who live with her ex-husband.

She has difficulty re-entering their lives and when her son Jake is arrested, she feels like her life is completely our of her control. She believes he is innocent, but her husband refuses to allow her son to discuss the situation with her. When her son shuts down completely, she begins to see a local therapist, Dr. Sullivan Crisp. She realizes that she needs to control her anger in order to get through to her son and make a difference in his life.

Dr. Crisp, or Sully as he is known, is also new to the area and is struggling with his own pain and sorrow following the deaths of his wife and infant daughter. Sully and Ryan work together in their search for healing.

Although I thought the book was very predictable, I enjoyed it enough that I purchased the other titles in the Sullivan Crisp series and they also made for enjoyable reading.

The Story of Christmas

2009-11-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

When I received "The Story of Christmas", retold by Gwen Ellis and illustrated by Steve Smallman, I initially set the book aside, thinking I would pick it up later in the day to read and review it. However, it sat on the counter for over a week until I saw it last night as I was cleaning. I sat down to read it and immediately regretted not reading it as soon as it arrived. It is a jewel of a Christmas book for children.

Starting with the news to Elizabeth and Zechariah that they will have a son named John and continuing through the birth of Christ and the journey back home to Nazareth, this book highlights the main points of the Christmas story in a way that all children can understand and appreciate. Although written in the author's words, every page has a reference to where the actual Bible text can be found, which is great for discovering the story with older children.

I especially loved the last couple of pages where they have taken pictures from the story and mixed them up so that you can have the child point out the correct order that they should be in. What a superb way to test understanding!

And as if the book is not enough, there is also a DVD included that is 17 minutes long and includes six stories from the life of Jesus: John the Baptist, Jesus is Born, Where is Jesus?, Jesus tempted by Satan, Jesus' Life, and Jesus loves Children.

I will definitely be passing this sweet book on to the little ones in my life.

Jack Daniel's Spirit of Tennessee Cookbook

2009-11-05T18:37:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure at first glance how to review a cookbook. I mean, you can read the recipes and think, "Oh that sounds good." But shouldn't you make everything in it before you can feel good about giving that thumbs up?

However, I was quickly fascinated with the book itself. This cookbook gives a Tennessee history lesson within the pages. With pages dedicated to subjects such as "Southern Hospitality", "Tennessee Hills" and "Tennessee Walking Horses" you can learn a great deal while baking a Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie to finish off a meal of Turkey and Cornbread Dressing.

Also, I like the section on various drinks. There's a lot you can do with a little Jack Daniels, and I'm excited to try.

As a homeschooling mom of a kid who is passionate about cooking, I love this cookbook. He can learn some Tennessee history while he makes my dinner!

The Noticer

2009-10-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

The title and the cover of this book drew me in right away. I knew it was something I wanted to read. And I am glad I read it. Andy Andrews' book The Noticer is a very easy read, and as I was reading, I wanted nothing more than Jones, the main character, to be my best friend.

The book is about the people of a small town and a man who comes in to this town and changes all of their lives, simply by noticing them and caring about them. He teaches them how perspective is everything and shows them that by changing their perspective, they can overcome their problems and become the people that they want to be.

I finished this book in an evening, but it's not because I was dying to know what happened next. The story jumped around a lot, and unlike some stories that do this, it never really came together in the end. And by the way it is written, I am not sure if the main character is supposed to be Andy or Jones. I love short allegorical stories. This one wasn't bad, but I am sure it's not one I will ever read again. Overall, the character of Jones is one the reader immediately identifies and loves. It’s just too bad the rest of the book didn’t follow as well.

Take Your Best Shot

2009-10-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading the book Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein and Todd Hillard. I was initially drawn to this story after learning that it was written by a 14-year-old boy who decided to do something to make a difference. The story is written to teens but should be read by everyone. It's a very easy read about a boy who followed his heart and used his passion to allow God to work through him to touch the lives of tens of thousands of people.

I was immediately drawn in to the story and wanted to know how Austin was able to start something so big. (However, in the first chapter, the cynic in me came out when I read that he was a member of Rick Warren's - of Purpose Driven Life - church. I thought, "well there ya go, he has connections and that's how he was able to do this and get a book published about what he's done. But I kept reading anyway and I am glad I did. Although I am certain that knowing Rick Warren didn't hurt, especially in his book publishing endeavors, it seems that knowing God was what brought this boy true success.)

Anyway, I enjoyed reading of the inspiration and the work and the joy that came from Hoops of Hope. As a homeschool mom, I plan to use the book as curriculum for my 13-year-old son. I love the short, easy chapters and the questions at the end of each chapter, which also incorporate verses from the Bible. I know that this book got me to thinking about things I can do to change my corner of the world, even if that's just by changing my relationships with the people I am in direct contact with. I can do my part and support those around me in doing theirs. Overall, I give this one a thumbs up, especially for teenagers who might need a little encouragement and reminding of how much they matter and what a difference they can make if they let God use them.