The Fact File: Contains the basic information relating to the character- who they were, where they were from, their personal timeline, their role in history.
The Action File: A kind of synopsis of their live as portrayed in the Bible.
Clue Boxes: Sprinkled throughout the pages, these offer bits of information and how it applies to our lives.
The Power File: These are found at the end of the books, and there were ten in both of these books. They contain practical ways to apply what has been read, as well as memory verses for each file.
Now, about each book:
If you've spent any amount of time in Sunday School, you'll be familiar with Jonah, the reluctant prophet. Sent to the city of Ninevah, with the command from God Himself, to preach their impending destruction, Jonah instead runs from the Lord, boarding a boat headed for the port town, Tarshish. Well, what God wants, God gets, and He wasn't about to allow Jonah to flee without consequences. He sent a great storm, which puts everyone aboard the ship in great peril. Long story short, the crew of the ship toss Jonah overboard, and what is waiting for him? Yep, that famed "Great fish", which swallowed him up, and there he stayed for three days. Surprise of surprises, he has a change of heart, and when the fish spits him onto dry land, he finally obeys the Lord. Well, the people repent, great news, right? Not in Jonah's opinion, and rather than rejoicing, he skulks off to pout in the hot sun. It doesn't really have a happy ending- for Jonah at least, but it is a wonderful lesson for all of us.
The book is written as a sort of adventure story, and the reader is the detective. The Files throughout the book, complete with the memory verses, can help kids learn to delve deeper into Biblical truths, and apply it to their lives. Author Matt Koceich writes in a conversational way, and often includes quotes from Scripture. Simple but very nice black and white illustrations also add interest. There are a few pages in the back of the book for taking notes.
This title is set up like Jonah. Readers are presented with a quick bio of Mary's life, and her (important) place in history. Again, if you have any familiarity with the Bible or Sunday School class, you'll recognize this obedient servant of God, who said yes to Him, in spite of the scandal, challenge, and heartache that she would subsequently face because of that wonderful decision. You'll become reacquainted with her visit from the angel, Gabriel, her marriage to Joseph, visit with cousin Elizabeth, and that long, difficult journey to Bethlehem as she was about to give birth. The story doesn't end there, as the events of Jesus' life, miracles, crucifixion, and resurrection (Hallelujah!), are retold in a kid friendly manner. As with the previous book, there are Scripture quotes, memory verses, and applications, and pages at the end of the book for notes.
Our thoughts:
This series is written for ages eight to twelve. I read the books, and had my twelve and fourteen year old read them independently, without sharing our personal opinions, at first. Interestingly, as I talked to my girls individually, we had the same thoughts. The stories are good, but we all felt that the age range spanned across too many ages. We all think that these books are better for mostly the eight to (maybe) ten year old range. As a teen and almost teen reader, the large font, and simpler text felt too easy for their ages. They both also felt that the information presented was a bit "vague" (my 14 year old's word). They would have liked to have a more in depth presentation, that digs into the Bible more. But, all in all, they thought that these were a good set to use in combination with the Bible. I know that after my girls read these, I had them take another look at the actual book in the Bible, and compare. As an introduction to the stories, these could be a good resource for parents, teachers, Sunday school leaders, and more. pick up a copy- or more, and see what you think!
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