Amazing Biblical Adventures with The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls {A TOS Review}

Our family had the great privilege, thanks to the Homeschool Review Crew, of reviewing a couple of wonderful, biblical, time-travel books for elementary aged children. These books, from Worthy Kids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, are the third and fourth installments of a series we started reading a year and a half ago. When we were first introduced to The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series back in the fall of 2017 (again thanks to being on the Crew), the children and I had just started learning about Creation and the time period from the beginning of the book of Genesis. Needless to say, books where the main characters go back in time first to the creation week, and then to the time of Noah, fit in perfectly with our lessons. Of course, we are way beyond that time in our studies now, but when this opportunity presented itself, I had to jump at the chance to allow Hannah to read the next books, as she had really fallen in love with them. 

This book series is written by M.J. Thomas whose son just happens to share the name of the one main character, Peter. Peter's sister in the book is named after Mr. Thomas's niece, Mary. And, as you can see by the picture, they also have a dog. His name is Hank, and he is named after the author's dog. Mr. Thomas began writing this series because he wanted a way to teach his son about the Bible in a fun and imaginative way while remaining biblically accurate. Unfortunately he couldn't find one to his liking, so he decided to create his own. 

When we were first introduced to Peter and Mary they were being dropped off at their Great-Uncle Solomon's house for a month while their parents went on a trip. At first the children, especially Peter, weren't thrilled with this idea, that is until they realized there were adventures in store for them thanks to their Great-Uncle Solomon being an archeologist, and not just any archeologist, but one who has some really cool scrolls hidden away in a secret room. These scrolls are what take them on their time-travel adventures. 

Though we get the full story of how this originally plays out in the first book, we are reminded of it in the prologue of the subsequent books. And we again get to read the legend behind the adventures:

When the children hear the lion's roar, they are to hurry to their great-uncle's library, and make their way to the secret room where he stores the scrolls. As they break the seal and unroll the scroll they are instantaneously transported to a pivotal point in history. They then have a certain number of days to solve the mystery of the scroll, translating the words into English, and revealing a powerful message. In the first two books they learned that "God Created Everything," and were reminded to "Trust God, He Will Rescue You." In addition to making sure to solve the message in the required time or risk getting stuck in the past, they also have to remember not to tell anyone where or when they are from or change anything in the past. They are reminded of these important rules by the angel Michael, who is a main character who comes to their aid throughout the series.

Now that I have shared a bit about the series, let's take a closer look at the two books we received for review. 

The Great Escape (Book #3):

In this story, Peter, Mary, and Hank are transported back to the time right before the ten plagues that ravaged Ancient Egypt because of the Pharaoh's refusal to let God's people go. Their adventure begins with a visit to a pyramid where they satisfy their curiosity and open a sarcophagus, which they had been tempted to do in their great-uncle's house (doesn't every archeologist keep dead bodies in their secret rooms?).  They are chased from the tomb by a black panther and find themselves being rescued from the Nile River by a girl named Shephara, who they later learn is a princess. By sneaking around with the princess, they get to overhear Moses confronting Pharaoh as he demands that he let the Israelites go, and then get to see him unleash some of the plagues. They also discover that Pharoah has magicians of his own who attempt to copy the miraculous workings of God, one of whom is the other recurring character in this series, Satan, this time called The Great Magician. 

They spend some time with Shephara, enjoying the comfort of the palace as best they could while enduring some of the plagues and trying to avoid the Great Magician. Then they find themselves having to flee into the desert. They find their way to Goshen and God's people, just in time to stay safe from the final plague and experience the first Passover. They are then able to join the Israelites on their journey to the Red Sea where God has Moses part the waters. It is here that they finally solve the secret of their scroll, just in the nick of time. 

Journey to Jericho (Book #4):

As the fourth book begins we discover that two days have passed since our adventurers returned from ancient Egypt. While trying to find their Great-Uncle Solomon, the children discover a new room, which leads to their great-uncle revealing another secret about himself. They learn that he used to be a spy. Of course this intrigues the children, and they want to learn to be spies as well, which is a perfect lead-in to a story where they get to meet actual spies back in Bible times. 

Right after equipping themselves with some spy-gear, the children hear the lion's roar and head for their next adventure. They end up in the middle of the desert again, though this time they are surrounded by what appears to be a large tent. They discover they are in the Tabernacle, in the midst of the Israelite's camp. At first they are believed to by spies, until Mary shares the secret name of God proving they are on God's side.

The children get to meet Joshua, and they learn the Israelites have been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years since the last time they saw them, and they are preparing to cross the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land. Peter and Mary learn that the city of Jericho needs to be conquered, but Joshua is waiting for God's instructions. Of course, the children find themselves on another adventure, as they notice two men sneaking out of camp and decide to follow who they feel are spies.

Peter, Mary, and Hank find themselves in Jericho, first helping a little girl who is being bullied, and then trying to find a place to hide from Satan, this time appearing as a man in black. 

They meet up with the spies Caleb and Phinehas, and find themselves being hidden by Rahab before being lowered out of her window along with the spies. 

Of course, this isn't the end of their adventure as they have to hide out in the mountains, avoiding guards and worrying about the fate of Hank, and then join in with the Israelites as they march around Jericho multiple times. And on top of that, they find themselves in another run-in with Satan, who recognizes them as the children he has met in the past. They find themselves back inside Jericho right before the walls come tumbling down, but they again solve the secret of the scroll right before disaster strikes. 

And thankfully, Michael was there to help.

Once the children return home safely, they share their adventure with their great-uncle, who then shares the rest of the story from the Bible (as he does every time). 

This time around, we didn't have time in our day for me to read these aloud to all the children. So, I had Tabitha read them first, knowing she could zing through them in an hour or so. Then I had Hannah read them because I knew how much she loved going back and rereading the first two. Finally, I took them aside to read them. I did have to borrow book four from Hannah as she hadn't quite finished it, as it takes her 2-3 days to read them.

We really enjoyed these new adventures, though again I question the fact that Peter and Mary are so involved with the people in the past, when they aren't supposed to be changing events that happen. Maybe I've just seen too many sci-fi stories where the characters mess up the "time continuum" just be being involved at all, instead of remaining in "observation" mode. This does seem to happen more in Journey to Jericho as we see Peter and Mary helping a girl being bullied, Hank running off the soldiers, and Peter and Mary then running off to find Rahab to make sure she and her family are where they are supposed to be before the Israelites blow the horns to bring down the walls of Jericho. It also concerned me that the author had Peter and Mary arrive in the past inside the Tabernacle when only priests are supposed to enter. If these adventures are supposed to be teaching the children about God, I wouldn't think He would appreciate His law being broken. 

Don't get me wrong, we love these books. These are just things that popped into my mind as I was reading. Funnily enough, when I asked the girls if they had a favorite out of the two, Tabitha said she prefered Journey to Jericho, as do I. I think it might have to do with the fact that there is more action in the story, plus the whole "spy" stuff. Hannah on the other hand prefers The Great Escape. Her favorite part is when they first meet Midnight, the black panther. She likes that these books tell about the Bible. Her favorite part from Journey to Jericho is when they first decide they want to be spies.

In addition to enjoying the actual story which allows children to spend a short amount of time interacting with people from the past, I appreciate that the author includes the Great-Uncle Solomon reading the actual story from the Bible to Peter and Mary. Additionally, at the conclusion of the book, the author lists the Bible passages where you can find the events that took place in the story. To me, it is so important that the reader is directed to read the true story from God's word. Yes, the author takes some creative license in order to tell his stories, but he keeps it true to the story as found in the Bible. 

As I did a year and a half ago, I find the recommended age of 6-9 to be quite appropriate. I did find that Tabitha isn't quite as interested in them as she was then, now that she is 12. These books are perfect for Hannah, and I am thinking Harold would do well with them now. He is just in the middle of reading something else, so I didn't want him to interrupt that reading. I will have him read these books when he is done with his others.

If you have children who love stories filled with adventure, and you want them to learn more about the Bible, I would highly recommend these books. Just make sure they understand they are technically fiction based on true events. 

You can find Worthy Kids on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about these wonderful books!

Child-Friendly Biblical Biographies from Barbour Publishing {A TOS Review}

Thanks to the Homeschool Review Crew we were introduced to some really neat biographies from Barbour Publishing. These Kingdom Files books by Matt Koceich share the lives of people found in the Bible, at a level appropriate for children ages 8-12, perfect for my girls.  

We were thrilled to receive two of these nifty books.

Each 5 1/4 in. x 7 1/2 in., paperback book delves into the character's life in a child-friendly way. These specific books are just two in a series of a half dozen biographies.

The idea behind this series, is that the reader becomes a "reading detective" who is investigating these famous biblical people. As you can see, each of these books focuses on people that children should be familiar with, even with a limited knowledge of the Bible. With these books, children are able to read their stories at a level that helps them to understand the characters more clearly. 

Each book starts with a letter to the "Reading Detective" and explains the different sections of the book. 

• Fact File- A double page spread that contains key information about the character, such as name, occupation, where they are from, years active, his or her kingdom work, key stats, and a timeline. 
• Action File- This is the main section of the book which shares the character's story at the child's level, including Bible verses, explanations of difficult concepts, and Clue Boxes to help the reader apply the thoughts. 
• Power File- Takes the thoughts from the character's story and helps the child apply it to his or her own life in a series of ten "Power Ups." Each one includes an applicable Bible verse to read and memorize.

I think the Fact File at the beginning of the book is really neat. It helps the reader have an understanding of who the character is before digging into the detailed story. 

The Action File is the largest portion of the book (51 pages for Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus? and 57 pags for Who Was Jonah?). This section is broken into chapters and include line illustrations and a map or two, which help to enhance the story.

Finally, each Power File is 20 pages long, with each "Power Up" taking up a double-page spread.

I let the older girls choose which book they wanted to read, and then, when they were done, I read them to myself. 

Tabitha chose to read Who Was Jonah?.

This story of the "reluctant prophet" is one we are quite familiar with, having read it with our core curriculum last year as we made our way through the Old Testament. It is also a story we had read multiple times using picture books and board books when they were younger. 

The story follows the narrative of the book of Jonah. It starts by explaining that God chose Jonah as a prophet, and explains what a prophet is. We follow Jonah's complete journey, from running away, being swallowed by a huge fish, and repenting while in the fish, to making his way to Nineveh, preaching throughout the city, and being upset that the people repented and God showed them mercy. 

Amelia chose to read Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus?.

 Of course, we are most definitely aware of who this "courageous teenager" is. Who doesn't know the story of the girl who said "yes" to God and gave birth to Jesus, the Savior?

I appreciate that this biography begins by mentioning the prophecy of Isaiah, showing that the special moment of Jesus being brought into the world was prophesied hundreds of years earlier. We follow Mary, not just from the familiar Christmas story events (the time the angel came to her through the birth of Jesus and the visits from the shepherds and the magi), but through each of the events in the Bible where Mary is mentioned. We take a look at their journey to Egypt and their search for him when he stayed behind in Jerusalem during the Passover. Then when Jesus was an adult, we read about her role at the wedding where Jesus turned water into wine, the time when she came with his siblings to the house where he was preaching, and her sadness during his crucifixion and her hope at his ascension. 

What I really appreciate about these books, is that they explain what was going for the character, looking at the situations surrounding them, and bringing them into perspective. We wonder what the character may have been thinking or feeling at specific points in the story. And I really like that the author doesn't change the biblical account, but enhances it through explanations and details, such as explaining that the water jars mentioned in the account of Jesus turning water to wine would have been used for ritual washing and purification. So the children are reading the biblical account at their level and learning things they wouldn't learn by just reading from the Bible. 

Here is what the girls had to say about the books.

Tabitha said, "I like that it is like you are investigating the person, with files and I like that you get to learn lessons. There are clues to help you remember what the lesson is. I learned to pray hard. God wants you to pray hard."

Amelia said, "The way they try to be very very accurate, like how they the wise men come into a house to meet baby Jesus and gave him gifts, instead of coming into the stable like some people have it."

They are now in the process of reading the book they haven't read yet. They had to wait til I was done taking my turn. 

These are definitely books I would recommend for elementary aged children to learn about people from the Bible. They help to bring the Bible stories into better focus, making them more relevant to a child's everyday life. I will also say, my younger children would probably enjoy sitting through these stories if I were to read them aloud. I just didn't have time during this review period, as we are already reading four books aloud, in addition to school texts. They would be wonderful stories for bedtime storytime, and the Power-Ups are great for a child's individual devotion time.

You can find Barbour Publishing on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

By the way, it may be you recognized the name of the author. That would be because we read and reviewed another book by Matt Koceich around this time last year. He is the author of Imagine . . . The Great Flood. I invite you to check out that review as well.

And don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about these Kingdom Files books. We all reviewed the same two titles.

Wordless Wednesday: July 25, 2018 (w/linky) - Vacation Field Trip Day 2: The Ark Encounter

Two weeks ago we were just getting back to our "home-away-from-home" after an exciting and educational day at the Ark Encounter. Last week I promised I would be focusing on the Ark in this week's Wordless Wednesday. I have to apologize for the length of this post. I know it is going to be really hard for me to narrow down which pictures I am going to be sharing. It is just such an amazing place to visit. Without further ado, let's get started.

Ark Encounter

Our first sighting of the Ark Encounter sign:

First sighting of the actual Ark.

See it there in the background? Past Tabitha's head.

Getting ready to get on the shuttle to the Ark.

This shuttle was the one that left right before ours.

Here's ours!

Ark Encounter:

Finally beginning to understand the enormity of the Ark.

In we go.

No, it isn't just filled with animals. There are samples of what the animals may have been housed it, with lots of different kinds of animals; however, there are a lot of exhibits too.

Quite a few interactive exhibits for children too.

Thoughts on how they may have fed the animals.

Looking at the interactive display that contemplates a few different ways there would have been lighting in the ark.

We headed out of the ark to the buffet restaurant next door for lunch.

Then back to where we left off in the ark.

The dangers of those little tiny arks pictured in children's storybooks.

A look at what the living quarters for Noah's family might have looked like.

Thoughts on how Noah and his family may have grown food on the ark.

More exhibits with theories of what happened during and after the flood. From a creationist perspective. 

I soooo want the top timeline pictured below. They do actually sell it in the store.

The one door.

Just as the Ark only had one door, there is only one way to God, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. See the cross on the door?

Yes, there were even some live animals on this Ark.

Here's the porcupine. There were also some alpacas and some sort of lizard.

Walking past the gardens on the way to the Ararat Ridge Zoo.

I LOVE those huge flower pots. Wish I had gotten a better shot of them.

Last view of the Ark Encounter.

Sorry there are so many pictures (though I think I did a good job narrowing them down seeing as I took over 1600 pictures during our three day vacation.

 I hope you took the time to look at them. The Ark Encounter really is an amazing place that affirms God's truths.

Looking forward to seeing your Wordless (or not so wordless) Wednesday posts this week.

No button currently, and there won't be one until I can figure it out seeing as Photobucket has changed things. Feel free to still share the picture in place of the button on your Wordless Wednesday post or in a list of Wordless Wednesday linkies. Just link it to my Wordless Wednesday permalink please.

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