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ChristianLibraryJ O U R N A LVolume XI, No.2June 2006This Issue Features:♦ Fantasy :From Varying Points of View♦ Core Collection to Begin♦ Reviews of :2006 ReleasesRecommended Older Titles

A Letter from the EditorDear Readers,Greetings from Haiti. Since early January I have worked with several young Haitian seminarystudents in the cataloging of two libraries: Emmaus Biblical Seminary and Cowman InternationalSchool. These student helpers have dedicated their lives to God’s service, and have been a joy towork with. Despite illness, surgery, frequent loss of electricity, loss of Internet access in twolocations, we are almost finished with the job, and I leave for home in about two weeks.It is a joy to announce that we will soon publish the first bits of the promised Core Collectionfor the Young Christian Reader. Beginning in the area of science, we hope to include the sections ongeneral science, mathematics, and astronomy in our next issue. Including books from Preschoolthrough Grade 12 in three sections, we will continue to build over the next months, listing bothChristian and secular titles. Our desire is that those with established collections will find titles toupdate and upgrade their libraries, while developing libraries will have some direction to build thebest library possible.In Christ’s love,Nancy L. HeschEditor and Publisher

The Christian Library Journal ispublished quarterly January throughDecember by Christian LibraryServices. Subscriptions $20 per yearonline. Back issues included.Indexed in Christian PeriodicalIndex. Address correspondence toInfo@ChristianLibraryJ.org, or toChristian Library Services, 1225Johnson Street, Wenatchee, WA98801-3109. Copyright 2006 byChristian Library Services.VolumeXI, No.2June, 2006ISSN 1097-1262ChristianLibraryJ O U R N A Lwww.christianlibraryj.orgThe purpose of the Christian LibraryJournal is to provide readers withreviews from a Christian point ofview of both Christian and secularlibrary materials for the Christianreader. Materials reviewed mayreflect a broad range of Christiandoctrinal positions and do notnecessarily reflect the views of thestaff of the Christian LibraryJournal.T A B L E O F C O N T E N T SA R T I C L E SWhat You See, Part 4From Varying Points of View Donna W. Bowling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Nancy HeschDr. Ray LeggMary McKinneyMaxine CambraRosemarie DiCristoSylvia StopforthKaren BrehmerEditor & PublisherEditor: NonfictionEditor: FictionYA NonfictionEditor: YA FictionEditor:Children’s NonfictionEditor: Children’s FictionEditor: Picture BooksThe Librarian's Guide to Developing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Christian Fiction Collections Donna W. Bowling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26R E V I E W SKey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Picture Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Children’s Fiction Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Children’s Nonfiction Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13YA Fiction Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Cover: Friends for a Season, by Sandra Byrd.Bethany Housae, 2006. Used with permission.Published in the U.S.A. ©2006, ChristianLibrary ServicesYA Nonfiction Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Adult Fiction Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Adult Nonfiction Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 1 J U N E 2 0 0 6

What You See, Part 4,From Varying Points of Viewby Donna W. BowlingThis series of reviews demonstrates yetagain the truth of the observation by C.S.Lewis that “what you see and hear dependsa good deal on where you are standing; italso depends on what sort of person youare.”A landscape with dragons : the battle foryour child’s mind / by Michael D.O’Brien. 2nd ed.. LCCN 97076843. SanFrancisco : Ignatius Press,, 1998.PAP, 0898706785, list price: $12.95.809/.89282. Children’s literature--History andcriticism; Christian literature for children; Children--Books and reading; Christianity and literature. 261 p.: ill. ; 21 cm.Adult. Rating : 4.The subtitle for the first edition of MichaelO’Brien’s A Landscape With Dragons was“Christian and pagan imagination in children’sliterature” (1994, 72 pp.). This second editionexpands on that theme as O’Brien expresses hisconcern about the increasing “neopaganism”and Gnosticism in children’s literature today.He is convinced that traditional myths, legends,and fairy tales reflect an accurate moralunderstanding in their negative portrayal of, forexample, witches and dragons. So he concludesthat modern stories that reverse that symbolismwith, for example, good dragons, may causemoral confusion in the minds of children. Toprovide a “standard against which to measure”children’s culture he divides the field into fourmain categories: “(1) Material that is entirelygood; (2) Material that is fundamentally good,but disordered in some details; (3) Material thatappears good on the surface but isfundamentally disordered; and (4) Material thatis blatantly evil, rotten to the core” (p. 86). Toassist parents in their evaluation of books orother media, he suggests several questions:“Does the story reinforce my child’sunderstanding of the moral order of theuniverse? Or does it undermine it? Does it dosome of both? Do I want that? What preciselyis the author saying about the nature of evil?What does he tell the reader (or viewer) aboutthe nature of the war between good and evil?”(p. 104)Michael D. O’Brien is the author of a series ofnovels, also published by Ignatius Press.Although his Roman Catholic perspective isapparent, he writes to the broader Christiancommunity. His lengthy discussions of severalpopular authors of fantasy illustrate the criteriaO’Brien applies as he determines appropriatecategories for those authors’ works. Forexample, he considers the works of J.R.R.Tolkien a clear Category 1. Most of C.S.Lewis’s fantasy would fit Category 1, with afew titles approaching Category 2. Heconsiders that “Madeleine L’Engle’s fantasytales have got many details right, but thefoundation is wrong” (p. 103), a Category 3.O’Brien places Lloyd Alexander and StephenLawhead in the “gray zone,”some works inCategory 2 and others closer to Category 3.Elements of Gnosticism appear in the Star Warsfilms. The popular works of R.L. Stine earn aclear Category 4. Like Richard Abanes (seebelow), O’Brien judges terms and actions infantasy works set ostensibly “in our world” ashe would judge them in our own real world,rather than evaluating them based on thecontext of their specific imaginary worlds. Hedoes not favor censorship, but encouragesdiscernment. His closing comment is, “[t]hesolution will never be simply a matter ofcriticizing the false culture surrounding us. Theabsolutely essential task of parents is to givetheir children a true culture, a sure foundationon which to stand.” To that end, he provides inthe final third of the book a recommendedfamily reading list, arranged by level frompicture books to adult titles, a majority of whichwere in print at the time of publication. (A titleor two in this list surprised this reviewer.) Adozen finely detailed black and whiteillustrations by different artists are sprinkledthroughout the book. Lacks index.This book was in press before the Harry Pottercontroversy arose, but O’Brien’s views on thePotter issue are available online. RichardAbanes (below) cites him several times.Although some readers will not agree with allof O’Brien’s presuppositions and/orconclusions, this title is definitelyrecommended for church libraries, professionallibraries in Christian schools, and interestedparents and teachers.Hour of the witch : Harry Potter, Wiccawitchcraft, and the Bible / SteveWohlberg. Shippensburg, Pa. : DestinyImage, 2005.PAP, 0768422795, list price: $13.99.261.2/994. Harry Potter (Fictitious character);Witchcraft; Occultism--Religious aspects--Christianity; Christianity and other religions--Neopaganism; Neopaganism--Relations--Christianity.217 p. ; 23 cm..Adult. Rating : 3.Author Steve Wohlberg begins Hour of theWitch with a chapter illustrating the rise ofmedia products aimed at the youth market thatfeature witches as main characters. The nextchapters concentrate on the immense popularityof J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books (and thefilms based on them) and discuss their content,especially those terms and activities that appearto be related to real world occult practices.Another chapter raises the issue of moralrelativism in some actions of the “good guys” inthe stories. One chapter, “The Evidence: PotterFans Turn to Witchcraft,” provides a few briefanecdotes that illustrate that some occultpractitioners have used the Potter popularity towoo Potter fans to explore witchcraftpersonally. Potter fans that are unaware of thepotential dangers in real world witchcraft maybe desensitized to that potential danger by theseoften-lighthearted fantasy books. Otherchapters discuss in some detail “What the BibleSays about Sorcery” and “What Is Wrong WithWicca?” The latter uses frequent lengthyquotations from occult members to illustratetheir views. Wohlberg provides a positivealternative to such occult practices in a clearpresentation of the superiority of the truebiblical opportunities for rich spiritual life inJesus Christ.Steve Wohlberg has a radio and TV ministryand has published a few books on variousreligious topics such as end times. Each chapterbegins with a relevant pithy quotation, andother illustrative quotations are generouslysprinkled throughout the book, with completecitations at the end of each chapter. The authorquotes extensively from the first five HarryPotter books, and often from earlier books byRichard Abanes. He occasionally cites othersources (with their web addresses) as found inAbanes. Unlike Abanes, he does not observethat Rowling’s presentation of witchcraft inHogwarts does not teach Wicca per se.However, like Abanes, he assumes from hisknowledge of the occult the significance ofcertain events in Rowling’s books. Forexample, where Rowling writes, “Trelawneyspoke in [different] … harsh, hoarse tones,”(Harry Potter 5, p. 841) Wohlberg inferschanneling, “[Trelawney] unexpectedly becamea medium for someone else’s mind” (Wohlberg,p. 168). Rowling makes no such attribution.J U N E 2 0 0 6 2 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

is a Lord over all, including the Force. TheseChristians call the Lord of the Force God” (pp.4,5). The forty-one short chapters are dividedinto five sections: “The Lord of the Force,”“Seeking,” “Knowing,” “Fighting,” and“Serving,” each dealing with one aspect of theChristian life. Nearly every chapter begins withtwo short quotations: the first from a character inone of the Star Wars films, and the second froma Bible verse. (The only substitutions are acouple of quotes from the Jedi Creed and onequotation each from Soren Kierkegaard and St.Francis.) Each chapter starts with a briefcommentary elaborating on the context of theStar Wars quote, followed by a longerdiscussion relating the chapter theme to theChristian’s practical life experience, and endswith a specific challenge to actionA broadcaster and writer, Dick Staub is also thedirector of the Center for Faith and Culture andan adjunct professor at Seattle PacificUniversity. He consistently uses the term “JediChristian” (a seeming oxymoron?) for aChristian who is dedicated and disciplined. Anexample of his approach comes from his chapter“Meditate:” “Today our electronic lives pulsatemanically, fast-paced, with noisy janglings andrapid-fire images.… We are culturallygluttonous and spiritually anorexic, uncriticallydevouring immense portions of soul-starvingculture, and then we wonder why all is not wellwith our soul.” His solution is “Meditating onGod’s written revelation…” (p. 61). Staubprimarily writes to the contemporary individualwho is seeking a worthy purpose for committedliving. This is not a book for study, but a seriesof stimulating devotional challenges. However,it does provide useful ideas for ministry withStar Wars fans, young and old. Easily accessibleto high school age students, it is recommendedfor interested individuals and as an added titlefor church or Christian school libraries where itfalls within their selection guidelines.The Gospel according to Harry Potter :leader’s guide for group study / ConnieNeal and Samuel F. (Skip) Parvin. LCCN2003053771. Louisville, Ky. : WestminsterJohn Knox, 2004.PAP, 0664226698, list price: $7.95.823.914. Rowling, J. K.--Religion.; Rowling, J. K.--Study and teaching.; Rowling, J. K.--Characters--Harry Potter.; Children--Books and reading--Englishspeakingcountries.; Christian fiction, English--Studyand teaching.; Children’s stories, English--Study andteaching; Fantasy fiction, English--Study andteaching; Potter, Harry (Fictitious character);Spirituality in literature; Religion in literature.. xiii,69 p. ; 22 cm..Adult. Rating : 4.The Gospel According to Harry Potter: Leader’sGuide for Group Study by Connie Neal and SkipParvin has a format different from most leader’sguides. Neal’s The Gospel According to HarryPotter in 2002 had more than fifty chaptersoffering illustrative reflections on individualincidents from each of the first four books in theHarry Potter series. For each chapter topic, thisleader’s guide begins with a few sections fromNeal’s 2002 title and then suggests a few relatedincidents from the films for the first two HarryPotter books relevant to the topic. A fewScripture verses from the Old and NewTestaments are printed in the study guides andother related passages are suggested in sidebars.Other sidebars in various chapters includedefinitions, helpful charts, and a few quotationsfrom the Harry Potter books. Several openendedquestions for discussion and one or moresuggested activities follow. Each chapterconcludes with a suggested relevant closingprayer. Chapter titles are: “What Should aChristian Think about Magic, Wizardry, andSorcery?” “The Love of Power versus thePower of Love;” “Many Gifts, One Body;”“What Does It Mean to Be Called?” “HowShould We Deal with Temptation?” “BreakingFree from Slavery to Sin;” “How Do WeOvercome Prejudice?” “What Should aChristian Think about Ghosts?” “Courage andSelf-Sacrifice;” and “Good versus Evil: TheOldest Conflict in Creation.” Since Neal did notdiscuss ghosts in her earlier book, there is nosuggested supplementary reading for thatchapter, but the film scenes, Scriptures, andother activities deal with the subjectappropriately.Connie Neal is a former youth worker andpopular speaker. She has written several otherbooks, including What’s a Christian to Do withHarry Potter? in 2001. In one of her manyarticles, she cites the experience of Don andCarol Richardson as they discovered a“redemptive analogy” in the culture of the Sawipeople in Indonesia. Neal suggests thecontemporary Potter phenomenon in our cultureas an analogous context for her question “IsHarry Potter the new Peace Child?” Samuel F.“Skip” Parvin is an experienced author of youthcurriculum and has co-authored another studyguide dealing with contemporary culture. A fewuseful charts deal with character qualities ofvarious individuals in the Harry Potter series.One insightful chart is adapted from AustralianJulian Jenkins’s article “Discerning the Presenceof Christ at the Centre of Culture.” Jenkinssuggests that readers or viewers consider in eachliterary work a number of qualities (e.g.awakening the conscience vs. deadening theconscience) that may tend to lead them eithertoward Christ or away from Christ. To facilitatea use of either video format for the films HarryPotter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and HarryPotter and the Chamber of Secrets, an appendixcorrelates the scenes from the DVD formatversions to the VHS format versions. (Becausethe films follow the books rather closely, therecommended sections from the books could beused instead of film scenes for study on anindividual basis.) Although Neal’s worthy 2002book stands alone, this study guide providesconsiderable additional value. Thisaccompanying title is highly recommended forchurch libraries, professional libraries inChristian schools, teachers, parents, and otherindividuals interested in the Harry Pottercontroversy.A parent’s guide to Harry Potter / GinaBurkart. LCCN 2005004488. DownersGrove, Ill. : InterVarsity Press, 2005.PAP, 0830832882, list price: $11.00.823/.914. Rowling, J. K.--Characters--Harry Potter--Handbooks, manuals, etc.; Potter, Harry (Fictitiouscharacter)--Handbooks, manuals, etc.; Children--Books and reading--Handbooks, manuals, etc.;Children’s stories, English--Handbooks, manuals, etc.;Fantasy fiction, English--Handbooks, manuals, etc.;Wizards in literature--Handbooks, manuals, etc.;Magic in literature--Handbooks, manuals, etc.. 112 p.; 21 cm..Adult. Rating : 4.Teacher Gina Burkart’s book, A Parent’s Guideto Harry Potter, is full of practical suggestionsfor parents, or other interested adults, to use ininteracting with children. The sixteen chaptersare divided into two parts. “Part One: WhatChildren Can Learn from Harry Potter” dealswith its literary genre: “The Harry Hype,”“More Than a Story,” “The Modern Fairy Tale,”“Dicsussing Fantasy with Children,” “Morals,Not Magic.” In the chapter “The Real Issues inHarry Potter,” Burkart suggests “a few” of thepossible issues for discussion: child abuse,family structure and relationships, bullying,sibling rivalry, materialism and economic status,teacher-student relations, good versus evil, love,fear, rules, discipline, gangs, prejudice/racism,death penalty, life after death, risk taking,magic/occult, loss of parents/loved ones,running away from home and life problems,friendship, family values, religion and faith.Several of these personal issues are addressedindividually in “Part Two: Talking about HarryPotter with Your Children.” The lead-inquotations at the beginning of each chapter arefrom relevant professional experts for Part One,and from the Harry Potter books themselves forPart Two. Frequent sidebars in both sectionssuggest “Questions to bridge the gap” to applythe topic under discussion to everyday lifesituations. Helpful endnotes provide citationsfor additional related professional resources.Gina Burkart teaches writing at the universitylevel, and practices as a freelance writer andeditor. She insists that parents should discusswith their children the books that they arereading, both to build bonds based on sharedexperiences and to use such opportunities tohelp children to build a moral framework fortheir own lives. Her goal is “to bring adults andchildren together as they grow in their Christianfaith” (p.12). Although there is a little overlap intopics with the Neal and Parvin book above, theapproach and style are different. This book hasa wider scope because it considers events upthrough Harry Potter 5. More than just anotheradded title, this book also is highlyJ U N E 2 0 0 6 4 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

ecommended for church libraries, professionallibraries in Christian schools, teachers, parents,and other individuals interested in the HarryPotter controversy.Looking for God in Harry Potter / JohnGranger. LCCN 2004004666. Wheaton,Ill. : Tyndale House, 2004.HBB, 1414300913, list price: $16.99.823/.914. Rowling, J. K.--Characters--Harry Potter;Rowling, J. K.--Religion; Religion and literature--England--History--20th century; Children’s stories,English--History and criticism; Fantasy fiction,English--History and criticism; Potter, Harry(Fictitious character); Religion in literature; God inliterature. xxi, 202 p. ; 22 cm..Adult. Rating : 5.Although this book is aptly named, JohnGranger did not start out looking for God inHarry Potter. Quite the opposite is true. WhenGranger encountered his first Harry Potter book,his purpose in reading it was to prove to hischildren why such a book about witches was sodangerous. He was genuinely surprised to findin the Harry Potter books many Christianprinciples and symbols of Christ that herecognized from his own background in classicsand medieval literature. Granger feels stronglyabout the danger of the occult in our real worldtoday. But he distinguishes between“invocational” magic, which involves “‘callingin’ demonic principalities and powers forpersonal power and advantage” (p. 4), fromwhat he refers to as “incantational” magic that“sings along with” or “harmonizes” with thecreator of the universe. The former is seen inoccult magick that calls on demonic or naturespirits. The Harry Potter books contain noincidents of such calling on spirits. (The ghostsin the Harry Potter books serve simply as anadditional type of character.) Granger sees the“incantational” magic in the Harry Potter booksas analogous to biblical miracles, consistentwith the design of the creator.In Looking for God in Harry Potter, Grangerrearranged and expanded considerably hisearlier The Hidden Key to Harry Potter,published in 2002, that grew out of fouracademic lectures he had given. In this book,the first several chapters deal with the first fiveHarry Potter books as a whole, discussingcommon themes seen in increasing complexity,such as life journey, spiritual growth, sacrificiallove and death, symbols of Christ, significanceof names, etc. In the latter part of the book, eachof the first five Potter books is discussedindividually. For example, HP2 warns aboutdangerous books. (Granger suggests in anendnote that Rowling might have had in mindthe Philip Pullman His Dark Materials trilogymentioned above.) Granger points out thechildren’s character growth from themisbehavior seen in the earlier books to thegreater responsibility they assume as theymature. Harry’s corrosive anger in HP5dissolves as he faces more serious challenge atthe end of that book. An appendix suggests aprogressive approach for “Speaking of God inHarry Potter” with children.In his book reviewed above, Richard Abanespoints out certain suggestions in Granger’sbooks that are inconsistent with statementsmade by J. K. Rowling, the author of the HarryPotter books. Abanes also illustrates that somesymbols Granger sees as symbols of Christ havehad other very different interpretations as well.Granger himself acknowledges that some of hissuggestions and predictions may turn out to bemistaken. (He was correct in his predictionabout Dumbledore’s fate in HP6. When HP7 isfinally published, many other questions will beanswered.) Granger, in turn, is distressed atauthors like Abanes who seem unable to see thedistinction between a real world context and animaginary world context, or to recognize adifference between “invocational” magic and“incantational” magic. These two authors havedebated in person, and clearly demonstrate thetruth of C. S. Lewis’s observation at thebeginning of this article. In spite of somepossible weaknesses in their positions, each hasa useful perspective to offer. The choice of thetitle “Looking for God in Harry Potter,” ratherthan “Finding God in Harry Potter,” may bejustified by such differences in perspective.While Granger and Abanes disagree on theirapproach to the Harry Potter books, they bothagree with Neal on the dangers of the occult inthe real world. They also share with someothers a negative reaction to Philip Pullman’sHis Dark Materials trilogy. Granger’s book ishighly recommended for church libraries,professional libraries in Christian schools,teachers, parents, and other individualsinterested in the Harry Potter controversy.Just a note about two other “pro-Potter”books that, along with the books of ConnieNeal, are viewed by Abanes as mistaken.Both are currently out of print. A CharmedLife: the Spirituality of Potterworld (2002)is written by the British author, Dr. FrancisBridger, who has served as a visitingprofessor at Fuller Theological Seminary.Bridger’s thoughtful, reasoned approachmay be more convincing to some readersthan Granger’s. This book might still beavailable from christianbook.com. The othertitle, God, the Devil, and Harry Potter: aChristian Minister’s Defense of the BelovedNovels (2002), is written by John Killinger,who also wrote Ten Things I Learned Wrongfrom a Conservative Church. Killinger has afew good insights, but many readers will notappreciate the frankly liberal stance hedemonstrates in other areas.Although they look at these issues fromdifferent perspectives, these authorsgenerally demonstrate a Christian respect forthe others because they share a desire thatChristian children should be strengthened intheir Christian faith and walk.References:Abanes, Richard. Fantasy and your family :exploring The Lord of the Rings, HarryPotter and modern magick. Camp Hill, PA:Christian Publications, 2002. [CLJ 8, 2:2(Apr. 2003)].Abanes, Richard. Harry Potter and theBible: the menace behind the magick. CampHill, PA: Horizon Books, 2001. [CLJ 6, 4:64(Fall, 2001)].Bridger, Francis. A charmed life : thespirituality of Potterworld. New York:Doubleday, 2002.Granger, John. The hidden key to HarryPotter. Port Hadlock, Wash.: Zossima Press,2002.Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets(Motion picture). Burbank, Calif.: WarnerHome Video, 2003, 2002.Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone(Motion picture). Burbank, Calif.: WarnerHome Video, 2002, 2001.Jenkins, Julian. “Discerning the presence ofChrist at the centre of culture.” Availablecurrently at http://www.mcsi.edu.au in its“Resource Centre” section.Killinger, John. God, the devil, and HarryPotter : a Christian minister’s defense of thebeloved novels. New York: St. Martin’sPress, 2002.Lewis, C. S. The Magician’s Nephew. NewYork: Collier, 1970, p. 125Neal, Connie. The Gospel according toHarry Potter : spirituality in the stories ofthe world’s most famous seeker. Louisville,KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.[CLJ 8, 2:3 (Apr. 2003)].C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 5 J U N E 2 0 0 6

Neal, Connie. What’s a Christian to do withHarry Potter? Colorado Springs, Colo.:WaterBrook Press, 2001. [CLJ 8, 1:3 (Feb.2003)].Neal, Connie. “Youth workers as crossculturalmissionaries: Is Harry Potter thenew Peace Child?” Youthworker, 17:40-43(Jul/Aug. 2001).O’Brien, Michael. A landscape withdragons : Christian and pagan imaginationin children’s literature. Quyon, Quebec:Northern River Press, 1994.Pullman, Philip. His dark materials trilogy(The golden compass; The subtle knife; Theamber spyglass) [boxed set]. New York:Laurel-Leaf, 2003.Richardson, Don. Peace child. Ventura,Calif.: Regal Books, 1974.Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and thesorcerer’s stone (Year 1). New York:Scholastic Press, 1998.Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and thechamber of secrets (Year 2). New York:Scholastic Press, 1998.Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and theprisoner of Azkaban (Year 3). New York:Scholastic Press, 1999.Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the gobletof fire (Year 4). New York: Scholastic Press,2000.Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Orderof the Phoenix (Year 5). New York:Scholastic Press, 2003.Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the halfbloodprince (Year 6). New York:Scholastic Press, 2005.J U N E 2 0 0 6 6 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

BOOK REVIEWSPICTURE BOOKSChico / by Sandra Day O’Connor ;illustrated by Dan Andreasen. LCCN2004028815. New York : DuttonChildren’s Books, 2005.HBB, 0525474528, list price: $16.99.E. Snakes--Fiction; Rattlesnakes--Fiction; Animalinfancy--Fiction; Cows--Fiction; Ranch life--Fiction;Horses--Fiction. 1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 28 cm..Grades PS-3. Rating : 4.Six-year-old Sandra lives on a ranch in theArizona desert many miles from the nearesttown. With no other children to play with,Sandra instead plays with the various animalsfound on the ranch and helps do the ranch choresalong with helping her mother in the kitchen.Sandra also enjoys exploring the ranch in searchof the wild animals that live there, and is warnedto be cautious of rattlesnakes. Her favoriteanimal is a small horse named Chico, which shewas given when she was five. One day whileriding Chico, Sandra ventures far from home tolook at a newborn calf and encounters arattlesnake. She makes it home safely and herfather later takes her for a ride in the truck. Theyget caught in a downpour, after which theysearch for the pot of gold at the end of therainbow and then head home for supper.The first female Supreme Court Justice, SandraDay O’Connor, has written a children’s bookabout her life as an independent young girl on aranch in Arizona. Beautiful, muted-colorillustrations by Dan Andreasen bring thisdelightful story to life and greatly enhance thestory being read. The sentences are somewhatstilted in places. Children will enjoy readingabout ranch life and the surroundings of theranch are nicely depicted both in the words andthe pictures. All told, Chico is a good story forfirst-through-third graders and will capture theirimaginations and interest.Sherri MyersI love my Bible! / written and illustrated byDebby Anderson. LCCN 2005012069.Wheaton, Ill. : Crossway Books, 2005.HBB, 1581347421, list price: $9.99.E or 220.. Bible--Juvenile literature. 1 v. (unpaged) :col. ill. ; 21 cm..Grades PS-2. Rating : 3.Written and illustrated by Debby Anderson andusing short, simple sentences and many boldlycoloreddrawings, I Love My Bible! is anR A T I N G S Y S T E M* Outstanding quality5 Excellent quality4 Very good quality3 Good qualityRecommended with caution - note reservations within the reviewNot recommended - note problems stated within the reviewCommonly Used Abbreviations in CLJ ReviewsLCCN Library of CongressCataloging NumberC Canadian Library CatalogingNumberISBN International Standard BookNumberHBB Hardbound bookPAP Paperbound bookLIB Library editionLGP Large print bookPBB Paper board bookCAS AudiocassetteCDR CD-ROMDVD VideodiscVID VideocassetteLLB Loose-leaf bindingC H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 7 J U N E 2 0 0 6

PICTURE BOOKSintroduction to the Bible that packs a lot into itspicture book format. It tells readers how theBible was written; that it’s God’s instructionmanual, teaching us the best way to live; thatsome people aren’t allowed to read Bibles; andthat we should share God’s Word with everyone.The “God’s Word is for everyone” theme isnicely backed up by Anderson’s wonderfulillustrations. An African American boy and girlappear on the cover and first page of text,numerous African American and brown-skinnedchildren appear in the book, and a photo of theauthor on the back cover includes two AfricanAmerican children. Also, all actual Biblefigures (Ruth; Moses; Joseph; etc.) are portrayedas brown or black skinned.Anderson peppers the book with Bible verses(using the New International Version, NewLiving Translation, English Standard Version,and New Life Version) and many areincorporated into the text, for instance: “Godsays that anyone who reads and obeys (theBible) will grow strong just like a tree beside ariver. Psalm 1:2-3.” Most important, statementslike “The Bible is the best book in the wholeworld!” are backed up—by listing the types ofbooks it contains, by explaining why it’sdifferent from other books, and by stating thatit’s God word—totally true.One quibble: the page mentioning Jesus showsa man who appears to be an Israelite king, whichmay confuse young readers.Rosemarie DiCristoThe Lord builds the house : the 127thpsalm / illustrated by Johannah Bluedorn.LCCN 2003095233. Muscatine, Iowa :Trivium Pursuit, 2004.HBB, 0974361615, list price: $15.00.E or 223/.2052036. Bible. O.T. Psalms CXXVII--Juvenile literature.. 1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill., music ;26 cm..Grades PS-6+. Rating : 4.Bless the Lord / illustrated by JohannahBluedorn. Muscatine, Iowa : TriviumPursuit, 2005.HBB, 1933228024, list price: $14.00.E or 223/.206. Bible. O.T.--Psalms. 1 v. (unpaged):col. ill. ; 29 cm..Grades PS-6+. Rating : 5.There are, so far, only two books in theIllustrated Psalm series. I hope there are morebecause these books are wonderful. Theconcept is simple. Take a Psalm (King JamesVersion) and illustrate it. The end result isdelightful.The Lord Builds the House has a line or two oftext on each page and pleasing watercolorsdepicting both family life and nature. The coverillustration on this sturdy book pictures atreehouse that will inspire dreams in many ayoung person. Also warmly portrayed areswans on the nest, rabbits in their warren, duckson the water, and quaint country cottages.Bless the Lord is the second title. It is slightlylarger than its companion (8 1/2x11 instead of7x10). The illustrations are even better in thisbook. There is so much loving attention to detailfilling these cozy interior scenes and pleasinglandscapes. Each page is a world to beexplored; the careful viewer will be rewarded.A true love of nature and life and a sense ofGod’s goodness shines through Bluedorn’spaintings. These books beg to be read time andagain. Each book ends with the Psalm set tomusic by Harvey Bluedorn, the artist’s father.David RaineyMy mommy, my teacher / written andillustrated by Johannah Bluedorn.Muscatine, Iowa : Trivium Pursuit, 2002.HBB, 0974361658, list price: $14.00.E. Families--Fiction; Homeschooling--Fiction.. 48 p.: col. ill. : 21 cm.Grades PS-3. Rating: 4.This book tells the story of a home schooledfarming family through the eyes of a sevenyear-oldgirl. First, we meet the family: father,mother, three brothers, a baby sister, and severalpets including a parrot named little Dorrit, andRosie the cow. The day begins and ends withfamily Bible reading. The children go aboutsuch chores as making butter and cheese,gathering eggs, and picking strawberries.Schooltime includes reading classic literature,using maps and a timeline, and presenting anarration. Mealtimes and playtimes are alsodiscussed.This book works well as a read aloud. The largetext also makes it easy on new readers (my ownhomeschooled daughter just finished first gradeand was able to handle the vocabulary withminimal help). The full color illustrations bythis self taught artist are beautiful watercolorsand add much to this pleasant story. Smallerthan most picture books, the pages are sturdyand the binding is sewn. The story line issimple, and the tone is cozy. The family islovingly portrayed and the author has tucked inmany interesting details to keep the storyinteresting for children and adults.David RaineySing, Mary! / Carolyn Nystrom ;illustrated by Sheena Dawson. (A followme book.) Grand Rapids : KregelKidzone, 2004.HBB, 0825433363, list price: $10.99.E or B or 232.91. Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint; JesusChrist--Nativity; Bible stories--N.T.. 32 p. : col. ill. ;20 cm..Grades PS-4. Rating : 4.Fish, Peter! / Carolyn Nystrom ;illustrated by Sheena Dawson. (A followme book.) Grand Rapids : KregelKidzone, 2004.HBB, 0825433320, list price: $10.99.E or B or 981 or 225.9/2. Peter, the Apostle, Saint;Apostles--Biography--Juvenile literature; Biblestories--N.T.. 32 p. : col. ill. ; 20 cm..Grades PS-4. Rating : 4.Prolific author Carolyn Nystrom offers a set ofchildren’s books about people who knew Jesus.This review covers Fish, Peter! and Sing, Mary!Sheena Dawson has illustrated each book withcolorful, detailed drawings. The faces ofbiblical people are especially interesting,showing joy, sadness, and perplexity.Songs tie together the story of Mary’s life. Shesang to Elizabeth, the angels sing at Jesus’ birth,and her song was “moans of grief” when Jesusdied. After Jesus returned to Heaven, the Spirit“came with power” and Mary “sang to God onhigh.” She knew He “lives on high to save fromsin.”Peter tells the joy of following Jesus. Theformer fisherman is glad Jesus taught him to fishfor people—rather than fish in water. Peterfollows Jesus as he heals and teaches aboutforgiveness. Peter makes his great statement,“You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”Nystrom has Jesus saying, “Peter you are like arock. I will build my church on those words.”Fish, Peter! uses wine in the last supper. Jesusturned the water into wine in Sing, Mary!Additional titles are Point, John! (John theBaptist) and Preach, Paul! (The Apostle Paul).Roberta Lou JonesTale of the poisonous yuck-bugs : based onProverbs 12:18 / by Aaron Reynolds ;illustrated by Peter Whitehead. LCCN2004012261. Grand Rapids : Zonderkidz,2005.HBB, 0310709555, list price: $12.99.E. Insects--Fiction; Kindness--Fiction; Conduct oflife--Fiction; Stories in rhyme. 1 v. (unpaged) : col.ill. ; 24 cm..Grades PS-3. Rating : 4.This book is based on Proverbs 12:18,“Thoughtless words cut like a sword. But thetongue of wise people brings healing.” Tale ofthe Poisonous Yuck Bugs illustrates beautifullyJ U N E 2 0 0 6 8 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

PICTURE BOOKSthe power of our words to hurt or to heal.Humor and hyperbole are used to illustrate thepower of the spoken word. Words have thepower to destroy or to build up as illustrated bythe two colorful Yuck bugs who spout hatefulwords at each passersby. Things look prettygrim until the Utterfly spreads her words ofkindness.This book is best suited for story time or forreading aloud. Many of the words are made-upor imaginary words so it would be a difficultbook for a child to read alone. The illustrationsare delightful and colorful. The story and theillustrations are fanciful, with imaginary insectsand plant life. Most pages contain only fourlines of text and the illustrations on each twopage spread illustrate the text. The illustrationsand text work well together. As a read aloud thisbook can be used for children from preschool toteens, maybe even adults. The lesson of thepower of our words is something we all shouldrevisit from time to time. Will you be a YuckBug or an Utterfly? The choice is yours.Mary J. McCoyC H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 9 J U N E 2 0 0 6

BOOK REVIEWSCHILDREN’S FICTIONThe angel and the ring / SigmundBrouwer. (The guardian angel ; 1.)LCCN 2004016247. Eugene, Ore. :Harvest House, 2005.PAP, 0736902945, list price: $7.99.Fic. Guardian angels--Fiction; Grail--Fiction; Rome(Italy)--History--476-1420--Fiction; Romanies--Fiction; Angels--Fiction; Christian life--Fiction. 165p. ; 21 cm.Grades 3-6. Rating : 4.The angel and the sword / SigmundBrouwer. (The guardian angel ; 2.)LCCN 2004016661. Eugene, Ore. :Harvest House, 2005.PAP, 0736902937, list price: $7.99.Fic. Guardian angels--Fiction; Fools and jesters--Fiction; Clement VI, Pope, ca. 1291-1352--Fiction;Popes--Fiction; Avignon (Papal city)--Fiction; Angels--Fiction; France--History--John II, 1350-1364--Fiction; Christian life--Fiction. 172 p. ; 21 cm.Grades 3-6. Rating : 4.The angel and the cross / SigmundBrouwer. (The guardian angel ; 3.)LCCN 2005001920. Eugene, Ore. :Harvest House, 2005.PAP, 0736902961, list price: $7.99.Fic. Guardian angels--Fiction; Angels--Fiction;Rome--History--Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D.--Fiction;Christian life--Fiction. 159 p. ; 21 cm.Grades 3-6. Rating : 4.The Angel and the Ring, set in A.D. 1364, isabout a sixteen-year-old orphaned gypsy boynamed Brin who is an outcast among his ownpeople. Taught by the gypsies to earn his keepby picking pockets, Brin is shocked when he iscaught doing so by a mysterious stranger whosays he knew Brin’s dead father. Upon talkingwith the hooded man, Brin decides that now is agood time to leave the gypsies and set off on hisown. He is later attacked by four men whodemand his ring, which was given to him by hisparents long ago. Brin becomes enmeshed in aworld of danger and adventure in which the ringplays a major part.The Angel and the Sword is set in A.D. 1351 andis the second book in The Guardian Angelseries. Raphael is a young court jester at theFrench court of Pope Clement VI in Avignon,France. He notices an assassin on a nearbyrooftop and tries to stop him before he murdersthe Pope. The man escapes and Raphael isfalsely accused of being a traitor and issentenced to death. With the help of a girlnamed Juliana, can Raphael use his skills as ajester to escape and possibly solve the mysteryof the traitorous assassin?The third book in the Guardian Angel series, TheAngel and the Cross is a story set in the firstcentury A.D. and is about a young boy namedQuentin who is a son of a Roman legioncommander. He is betrayed by his trustedteacher and is turned over to enemy Zealots.The daughter of the most feared of the rebelshelps Quentin to escape, but what was thepurpose behind Quentin’s capture in the firstplace?Sigmund Brouwer’s Guardian Angel series is anaction-packed set of three stories in whichguardian angel Pelagius is the central character.Pelagious is quite funny at times, but also sendsforth words of wisdom about angels and Godthrough his ‘angel blogs’.. Pelagius is sent toprotect and help each of his charges during timesthat could change the course of history.Each book in this series is well-written and fullof enough action and adventure to keep youngreaders interested. These books will appeal toboth boys and girls alike. Geared toward kidsages 9-12, older children will also be captivatedby these exciting and faith-filled adventuremysteries.Sherri MyersThe case of the sassy parrot / MillyHoward ; illustrations by Bruce Day.(Crimebusters Inc. ; 2) LCCN2002000930. Greenville, S.C., JourneyBooks, 2002,PAP, 1579247210, list price, $7.49.Fic. Mystery and detective stories; Grandmothers—Fiction; Parrots—Fiction. 168 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.Grades 2-5. Rating: 4.The Case of the Sassy Parrot is second in theCrimebusters Inc. series written by MillyHoward. Maria Delores O’Donnell Ruiz is amember of the Crimebusters Inc. along withJulio, her seven year old cousin, and Travis,Mark, and Corey, who are school mates. MariaDelores, Julio, and Travis spend weekends withMaria’s Gran to help with the finishing toucheson the float that will be representing Gran’s petshop for the upcoming Gasparilla Festival inTampa Bay.The first weekend there, Gran comes across avery talented gray green parrot that is mouthy,sassy, and just not sale material. This parrot alsohas a knack for mimicking anybody’s voices—which could be a problem, or a help, dependingon which part of the story you are reading.Cousin Julio collects stones and one day one ofthe stones turns out to be one that has morevalue than Gran and the Crimebusters couldhave anticipated. Although the Crimebustersfall into a bit of trouble, they eventually worktheir way out and are able to solve a mystery thatinvolves an international gang of jewel thieves.Readers will enjoy the adventure as MariaDelores, Julio, Travis, and Gran—and Kiwi theparrot—discover the secret of the ruby whileenjoying the Gasparilla Festival. This is a greatread that 7 – 11 year olds will really enjoy morethan once and will open the door to otherCrimebusters stories.Debby WillettCatherine : the great journey / byKristiana Gregory. (The royal diaries.)LCCN 2005002373. New York :Scholastic, 2005.HBB, 0439253853, list price: $10.99.Fic. Catherine II, Empress of Russia, 1729-1796 --Fiction; Elizabeth, Empress of Russia, 1709-1762 --Fiction; Peter III, Emperor of Russia, 1728-1762 --Fiction: Kings, queens, rulers, etc.--Fiction; Diaries--Fiction; Russia--History--Elizabeth, 1741-1762--Fiction. 169 p. : ill., map ; 20 cm.Grades 3-6. Rating : 4.Fourteen-year-old Sophie Augusta Fredericka isa princess from Anhalt-Zerbst in Prussia in theyear 1743. Her father is not of royal birth buther mother is Princess Johanna Elizabeth ofHolstein-Gottorp. Her cruel, abusive motherhas high hopes for Sophie and wants her tomarry into royalty. Empress Elizabeth of Russiasends a request for Sophie to travel to Russia tosee if she is fit to marry the Empress’s nephew,Peter, who is heir to the throne. Sophie ischosen to be Peter’s wife and her name ischanged to Catherine. Sophie must also changeher religion and her language to suit theEmpress of Russia and soon realizes she hastraded much of herself in order to becomeroyalty.Catherine by Kristiana Gregory is the final bookin the Royal Diary series and is one whichoutlines the life of Catherine the Great. Eachbook in the series highlights a particular figurein history who was royalty by using a diaryformat in which the young girl writes herthoughts. This book does a good job ofdescribing Catherine’s life up to her beingchosen to be the Grand Duke’s wife, andincludes her family tree and several pictures ofportraits of the royal family. A detailedhistorical note is also included at the end withinteresting facts of Catherine’s accomplishmentsduring her lifetime and things that happened atthat period of time in history. These fun andexciting diaries will encourage young readers towant to learn about royal figures in historyJ U N E 2 0 0 6 1 0 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

CHILDREN’S FICTIONwithout having to be made to read them; insteadthey will be asking for more.Sherri Myersbook is highly recommended for Christianschool, public, and home libraries.Donna W. Bowling*Daisy chains / Sandra Byrd. (Friends fora season ; 4.) LCCN 2005032034.Minneapolis : Bethany House, 2006.PAP, 0764200232, list price: $10.99.Fic. Friendship--Fiction; Interpersonal relations--Fiction; Religion--Fiction; Jews--United States--Fiction; Christian life--Fiction. 226 p. ; 21 cm.Grades 4-7. Rating : *5.Kylie Peterson always assumed she was aChristian since she was born into what shethought was a Christian family. But when she isinvited to help out with her cousin Jed’swedding, Kylie begins to have a deeperunderstanding of what being a Christian reallyis.Rachel Cohen’s cousin Davina is marryingKylie’s cousin Jed, so Rachel is also invited tohelp with the wedding. Rachel’s family isJewish, but Davina is a Messianic Jew, whichmeans she believes in Jesus and has been saved.As the two fourteen-year-olds spend timetogether working on the flowers for thewedding, they discuss many things like boys,friends, and religion. Each girl begins toexamine her beliefs as they see Davina’s faith inaction.The fourth and final book in the Friends for aSeason series by Sandra Byrd is Daisy Chains, athought-provoking and informational storyabout two young girls on a journey to claimingtheir faith. Daisy Chains takes place in thespring, as each story in the series has a differentseason in which it is set. Each stand-alone bookis faith-based and has interesting characters girlswill easily identify with. Daisy Chains willeducate and enlighten teen girls as to the Jewishand Christian faiths, and will help themstrengthen their own religious beliefs. As aparent of teens, I highly recommend thisfantastic, wholesome series for young teenagegirls, and my daughter has excitedly talkedabout them to her friends.Sherri Myers*Island of the Blue Dolphins / Scott O’Dell; illustrated by Ted Lewin. LCCN90035331. Boston : Houghton Mifflin,1990.HBB, 0395536804, list price : $22.00.Fic. Islands—Fiction; Survival—Fiction; Indians ofNorth America—Fiction ; Newbery Medal. 181 p. :col. ill. ; 24 cm.Grades 5-12. Rating : *5.In 1835 a schooner came from California to SanNicolas Island to take the Indians of Ghalas-at tosafe new homes on the mainland. Despiteefforts to restrain her, one girl jumps overboardand swims back to the island where she livesalone for eighteen years. In his Island of theBlue Dolphins, Scott O’Dell offers a movingstory of survival through creativity anddetermination. Shortly after twelve-year-oldKarana jumps from the ship to care for her sixyear-oldbrother Ramo who had been left behindinadvertently, he is killed by a pack of wilddogs. Alone, Karana builds herself a crudehouse near a spring, makes weapons forprotection from the wild dogs, and gathers foodfor the winter. To relieve her loneliness over theyears, she befriends the leader of the pack ofdogs that killed her brother. After woundinghim, she decides instead to nurse him back tohealth and names him Rontu. Afterwards, shebefriends a pair of birds, and later a woundedotter. When a group of Aleuts arrive at theisland one summer to hunt for otter, Karana triesto hide, but the sole Aleut woman finds her.Using signs, and learning a few words of eachother’s languages, they enjoy a brief time offriendship. After eighteen years alone, twowhite sailors and a padre from the mission atSanta Barbara come to the island to rescue her.In a sequel, O’Dell credits Zia (1976), Karana’syoung niece, with urging the captain and padreto rescue her aunt.This first of several children’s books by ScottO’Dell received many honors, including theNewbery Medal. Written simply and sensitivelyas a first person account of growth withadaptation, O’Dell demonstrates his extensiveknowledge and appreciation for the naturalenvironment of the area. At O’Dell’s request,Ted Lewin provided twelve full-color plates asillustrations for this edition. This compellingThe Moffats / Eleanor Estes ; illustratedby Louis Slobodkin. LCCN 00039726.San Diego : Harcourt, 2001.HBB, 152025359, list price : $17.00.Fic. Brothers and sisters—Fiction; Family life--Connecticut—Fiction; Connecticut—Fiction. 211 p. :ill. ; 20 cm.The middle Moffat / Eleanor Estes ;illustrated by Louis Slobodkin. LCCN00037030. San Diego : Harcourt, 2001.HBB, 0152025235, list price : $17.00.Fic. Moving household—Fiction; Family life--Connecticut—Fiction; Connecticut—Fiction. 234 p. :ill. ; 20 cm.The Moffat museum / Eleanor Estes ;illustrated by Louis Slobodkin. LCCN000338845. San Diego : Harcourt, 2001.HBB, 152025472, list price : $17.00.Fic. Brothers and sisters—Fiction; Museums—Fiction;Vacations—Fiction; Family life--Connecticut—Fiction. 223 p. : ill. ; 20 cm.Grades 3-6. Rating : 4.The Moffats is a fun story about a mother andher four children who live on New Dollar Streetin Cranbury, Connecticut, in the early 1900s.Sylvie, the oldest at fifteen, is the mostresponsible and the least noticeable one of thefamily. Twelve-year-old Joey is the man of thehouse since his father passed away several yearsearlier, and nine-year-old Janey is the one whoenjoys the upside-down view of the world.Rufus, the youngest at five years old, is the onewho gets into the most trouble. When theyellow house they live in is put up for sale, thechildren do everything they can to preventhaving to move. Adventures abound throughoutthe Moffats.The Middle Moffat is a story about the Moffatfamily that centers mainly around ten-year-oldJaney Moffat. Her mother always introducedthe oldest Moffat, who was sixteen, as ‘Sylvie,my oldest child’ and the youngest as ‘Rufus, thebaby in the family,’ who was just six. Thirteenyear-oldJoey was always introduced as ‘Joey,my oldest son,’ but Jane was only everintroduced as ‘Jane’. Dubbing herself ‘TheMiddle Moffat,’ Janey mysteriously sets abouton her own adventures. Between trying to helpthe oldest inhabitant of Cranbury reach onehundred years old, to reading every book in thelibrary, to hosting organ recitals and watchingeclipses, Janey Moffat is anything but ‘plain oldJane.’The Moffat Museum is set in 1919. The Moffatfamily has moved to 12 Ashbellows Place inCranbury, and the children are growing up.Sylvie is getting married and Joey is going towork instead of school. So they can remembergood times from their childhood, the childrendecide to open the Moffat Museum. TheirC H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 1 1 J U N E 2 0 0 6

CHILDREN’S FICTIONmuseum features Bikey, the bike they all rode,Sylvie’s fox painting, and Rufus, the WaxworksBoy, sitting in a sleigh.Sixtieth Anniversary Editions of Eleanor Estes’Moffats books have been reprinted by HarcourtChildren’s Classics, with original illustrationsby the author and Louis Slobodkin. Newupdated cover art by Tricia Tusa gives eachbook a colorful, eye-catching look. All set in theearly 1900s, each story is jam-packed with sillyadventures that will bring smiles to children’sfaces as they read about the Moffat family.Children from second to sixth grade will enjoythese fun, exciting classics that will take themback in history to a time when life was simplerand childhood really was a time of innocence.Sherri MyersPinky Pye / Eleanor Estes ; illustrated byEdward Ardizzone. (Odyssey/Harcourtyoung classic.) LCCN 23879. San Diego :Harcourt, 2000.HBB, 0152025596, list price: $17.00.Fic. Cats--Fiction; Family life--Fiction; Fire Island(N.Y.)--Fiction. 258 p. : ill. ; 20 cm.Grades 4-6. Rating : 4.The Pye family is comprised of Mr. and Mrs.Pye, their children Rachel and Jerry, and theirpets Gracie (a cat) and Ginger (a dog). Papa isa famous ornithologist, a scientist who studiesbirds. After hearing about a bird called a puffin,which mysteriously is living on Fire Island, hedecides to take the whole family there for thesummer to study it. Three-year-old UncleBennie, Mama’s little brother, also goes alongon the family vacation.Upon their arrival on Fire Island, the Pyes add anew member to the family in the form of anabandoned kitten, which they name Pinky Pye.Pinky has a talent for using the typewriter,which endears her to the Pyes. This new familymember, a lost owl, a vacation to an island, anda broken foot for Papa all make for an excitingnew Pye family adventure.Pinky Pye is the sequel to the Newberry Medal-Winning story by Eleanor Estes called GingerPye. In that story, the Pyes added Ginger thedog to their family, and in Pinky Pye, Pinky isadded to the ever-growing Pye clan. Familyunity and cooperation are present in this story,along with kindness and acceptance of eachmember’s individuality. Respect for humans,nature, and animals alike is also present in thischarming story. Humorous adventures aboundthroughout the book, and the typewriting Pinkyis in the middle of many of them. The onlynegative drawback would be the story issomewhat dated, having been written in the1950s, but a quick explanation of iceboxes anda few other such words, will keep young readerson track to enjoy this smile-producing classic.The way home : a princess story / MaxLucado ; illustrated by Tristen Elwell.LCCN 2005014506. Nashville : TommyNelson, 2005.HBB, 1400305543, list price: $16.99.Fic. Princesses--Fiction; Kings, queens, rulers, etc.--Fiction; Fathers and daughters--Fiction. 1 v.(unpaged) : col. ill. ; 29 cm.Grades K-3. Rating : 5.Author Max Lucado adds another successfulchildren’s storybook to his ever-growing listwith The Way Home: A Princess Story. Thesetting is in a majestic kingdom of long agowhere a king finds an abandoned baby andraises her as his own daughter. Anna, thebeautiful young princess, is fascinated by talesof the Lowlanders whom she’s heard “neverwork and their days are all filled with fun.”Anna feels discontented because she spendsmost of her time studying. So even though sheis warned to avoid the Lowlanders, she isdeceived by them and enters the dark forest.She soon realizes this is a mistake, but cannotfind her way back to the castle. The kingdetermines to rescue his daughter and cuts hisway through the thick brush to find Anna in thepossession of wicked Olbaid. The king mustsacrifice himself in order to free Anna and whenher tears drop onto her fallen father, he isrevived and shows Anna the way home.Award-winning illustrator Tristen Elwell’spaintings wonderfully complement this movingstory. His artwork transports us to a medievalworld of wretched creatures and brave knights,castles and deep, dark, evil forests. Thismysterious and exciting book is a creativetelling of the gospel message as the King giveshimself for the sake of his child. Children agefive and up will cherish this addition to Lucado’schildren’s books.Floss CraigSherri MyersJ U N E 2 0 0 6 1 2 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

BOOK REVIEWSCHILDREN’S NONFICTIONMusic math / Kieran Walsh. (Math andmy world.) LCCN 2005014990. VeroBeach, Fla. : Rourke, 2006.HBB, 1595154930, list price: $20.95.513. Arithmetic--Juvenile literature. 48 p. : col. Ill. ;26 cm.Construction math / Kieran Walsh. (Mathand my world.) LCCN 2005014989. VeroBeach, Fla. : Rourke, 2006.HBB, 1595154922, list price: $20.95.513. Arithmetic--Juvenile literature; Engineeringmathematics--Juvenile literature. 48 p. : col. Ill. ; 26cm.Grades 3-8. Rating : 4.Kieran Walsh, a writer from New York City,offers these cute books: Construction Math andMusic Math. Both selections apply mathematicsto everyday life. Colored photographs,drawings, and charts will attract grade schoolage children. The music book discussescompression technology, CDs, frequencies ofpiano notes, and beat matching. Sidebars,highlighted printing, and occasional blueprinting make a readable text. The sections,“Notes and Octaves” and “Beats Per Minute,”simplifies difficult musical concepts.The construction book stresses history andgeography, with examples such as the GreatPyramid, Hoover Dam, The Great Wall ofChina, and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.I enjoyed reading about the ten tallest structuresin the world. Taipei 101, in Taiwan, leads thelist at 1,670 feet tall. The Sears Tower inChicago, and the Empire State Building in NewYork also rate among the tallest ten. KieranWalsh makes the reading applicable to childrenwherever they live. For instance, she mentionsapartments, condominiums, and houses. Boysand girls look and act thoroughly modern. Theauthor’s tone is instructive and helpful, nevercondescending.Each book includes a glossary, suggestions forfurther reading, websites to visit, and an index.Ten other books complete the “Math and MyWorld” series. Titles include Weather Math,Animal Math, and Money Math. These qualitybooks are recommended for all students, butespecially for boys and girls who view math asdull and dry. (Children will soon see theusefulness of mathematics!) Check the websiteat www.rourkepublishing.com. The publisheroffers this set at a considerable discount.Roberta Lou JonesLost!.. but found, safe and sound /produced by the National Park Services.Larned, Ks : Assn. of National ParkRangers, 1999.DVD, list price: $17.00; also available in VHS,$12.00. Order direct, http://www.anpr.org/ lost.htm.613.6. Safety education--Juvenile literature; Children--Life skills guides--Juvenile literature; Self-reliance inchild--Juvenile literature; Lost children; Safety. 1videodisc (12 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.Grades 1-3. Rating : 4.Lost!… But Found, Safe and Sound, apresentation produced by the Association ofNational Park Rangers, ably teaches youngchildren what to do if they are lost in the woods.The heroine of the story is Kelly, a seven yearold girl who has been looking forward to herfamily’s camping trip. She’s so excited to be inthe woods, she runs ahead of her mother, father,and brother, accidentally taking a different path.Searching for animals sends her deeper into thewoods until she becomes lost. However, insteadof panicking, she remembers the lesson taughtby a park ranger who’d visited her school. Sherealizes the need to stay in one place, in an areathat’s comfortable and not hidden fromsearchers. More importantly, she’d placed inher fanny pack a whistle (louder and easier thancalling for help) and a large garbage bag (tokeep her warm and dry). Kelly settles in for thenight, and is rescued the next morning.Having Kelly narrate the story makes what to doif lost in the woods superbly clear and easy-toremember.Short and sweet (a plus for theyoungest audience members), the recording hasperky country music for a background, and evencontains gentle humor (when Kelly’s brother sitsaround reading comics while Kelly sets upcamp, they make faces at each other; later, Kellyis so happy to be rescued she hugs “even” him).Although one scene showing Kelly roughlyjamming a twig down a hole in a tree (to see ifany animals are home) might not be the bestbehavior to imitate, everything else would behelpful and appealing to kids… even the factthat each of the rescue dogs that appears in thevideo gets listed in the extensive credits.Rosemarie DiCristo*Cats / Hans Silvester ; text, Hubert Comte; illustrations, Sandra Lefran_cois.LCCN 2005011795. New York : Harry N.Abrams, 2005.HBB, 0810959577, list price: $18.95.636.8/0022/2. Cats--Greece--Mykonos Island--Pictorial works; Photography of cats--Greece--Mykonos Island. 75 p. : col. photographs. ; 32 cm.Grades 3-6. Rating : *5.Cats are amazing creatures. They are clever,playful, energetic, curious, and many morethings. Cats come in all kinds of shapes, sizes,and colors, much like people do, and havediffering personalities. Some cats areindependent, while others enjoy humancompanionship. Cats enjoy hunting, playing,and sleeping, especially in the warm sunshine.These gentle, furry companions can becomequite aggressive when confronted withdangerous situations, and will fight tooth andclaw for their very lives. Patient and cautious,cats use their sandpapery tongues to keep theirlovely fur coats clean and are fastidious withtheir ministrations. Cats are most definitelyunique, entertaining, and interesting creatures.Cats by Hans Silvester is an in-depth, close-uplook at man’s other best friend, the feline, betterknown as a cat. Using fabulous, full colorphotographs all taken on the Greek Islands, thiseducational book isn’t only for young childrenbut is also great for anyone who would like tolearn more about these wonderful animals.Abundant photographs and well-writtendescriptions capture every aspect of a cat’s day,and the settings chosen are beautiful backdropsto the diverse cats portrayed. Whimsicalillustrations by Sandra Lefrancois anddescriptive text by Hubert Comte make this anexceptional addition to any library or bookshelf.Sherri MyersC H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 1 3 J U N E 2 0 0 6

CHILDREN’S NONFICTIONI can make that! : fantastic crafts for kids/ Mary Wallace. Toronto : Maple TreePress, 2005.HBB, 1897066333, list price: $16.95.745.5. Handicraft. 160 p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm.Grades PS-5. Rating : 4.Mary Wallace, an art teacher, offers wonderfulcreative ideas for children in I Can Make That!The colorful pictures, easy instructions, andcommon materials will inspire all boys and girls.Five sections—costumes, puppets, nature crafts,toys, and games—offer endless possibilities forfun! Small and simple projects include fingerpuppets and toy doll furniture. Costumes aremore involved, but designed for maximumimpact with minimum work. A “Jolly Jester”costume starts as a box. Host a toga party withreally quick Grecian robes or Roman tunics!Games include “Tangle,” “Owl Eyes,” and“Squishers.” Over a dozen nature crafts couldeasily mesh with creation lessons in SundaySchool. “Respecting Nature,” a sidebar,includes notes for child safety. For instance,“Don’t eat wild berries unless a grown-up tellsyou they are not poisonous.” Care of nature washighlighted with statements such as, “Don’t pulla plant up by its roots.”Wallace illustrates puppet possibilities withgloves, socks, cardboard tubes, and sponges.Do you need a puppet stage? Find two chairs, abroom, and a few towels! Then, look at thesimple and quick directions.Consider I Can Make That! for libraries, homes,and birthday party gifts. Children, and theirsupervisory adults, will enjoy creating neatthings and bond together with treasuredmemories!Roberta Lou JonesCauses of the American Revolution /Richard M. Strum. (Road to war.) LCCN2005006797. Stockton, N.J. : OTTN Pub,2005.HBB, 1595560017, list price: $22.95.973.3/11. World politics--18th century; United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Causes--Juvenileliterature; United States--Politics and government--To1775--Juvenile literature; Great Britain--Politics andgovernment--1760-1789--Juvenile literature. 64 p. :col. ill., col. maps ; 25 cm.Causes of the Civil War / James F.Epperson. (Road to war.) LCCN2005011100. Stockton, N.J. : OTTN Pub,2005.HBB, 1595560025, list price: $22.95.973.7/11. United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Causes--Juvenile literature.; United States--Politics and government--1849-1861--Juvenileliterature. 64 p. : col. ill., col. maps ; 25 cm.Causes of World War I / John Ziff. (Roadto war.) LCCN 2005015103. Stockton,N.J. : OTTN Pub, 2005.HBB, 1595560033, list price: $22.95.940.3/11. World War, 1914-1918--Causes. 72 p. : col.ill., col. maps ; 25 cm.Causes of the World War II / JimCorrigan. (Road to war.) LCCN2005006818. Stockton, N.J. : OTTN Pub,2005.HBB, 1595560041, list price: $22.95.940.53/11. World War, 1939-1945--Causes--Juvenileliterature. 64 p. : col. ill., col. maps ; 25 cm.Causes of the Iraq War / Jim Gallagher.(Road to war.) LCCN 2005015104.Stockton, N.J. : OTTN Pub, 2005.HBB, 1595560092, list price: $22.95.956.7044/31. Iraq War, 2003---Causes. 72 p. : col.ill., col. maps ; 25 cm.Grades 4-8. Rating : 5.The Road to War: Causes of Conflict series wasborn in an effort to provide educators with agreater selection of material detailing theenvironments in which history’s mostsignificant and complex wars were generated.Designed for upper elementary, middle school,and junior high school students, the seriesforegoes focusing on specific battles orstrategies, instead delving into the deeperhistorical issues behind each conflict.Each title is equally enlightening, allowing theseries to fulfill its purpose by supplying theinformation necessary to give students a morecomplete perspective on each war, adding depthboth to the educator’s lesson and the student’sunderstanding. Many user-friendly featuresabound, including an index of notable figures, achronological list of significant events, and aglossary of terms. Additionally, each bookfeatures approximately 25 color photographsand illustrations that enhance the simple yetuniversal nature of the text.Despite employing five different authors, theRoad to War: Causes of Conflict series isconsistent throughout in its attention to detailand ability to relate the importance of variouscultural, political, and historical events to thetensions that bring about war. Students in eachof the targeted age groups, regardless ofbackground or ability should find each titlebeneficial as they seek to undertake what can bea daunting task: understanding what causes mento rise up in battle against each other.Aarik DanielsenThe Iroquois and their history / byGenevieve St. Lawrence . (We thepeople.) LCCN 2005003676. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books, 2006.HBB, 0756512727, list price: $17.95.974.7004/9755. Iroquois Indians--Social life andcustoms--Juvenile literature; Iroquois Indians--History--Juvenile literature. 48 p. : ill. (mostly col.),map ; 24 cm.The Cherokee and their history / by MaryEnglar. (We the people.) LCCN2005003677. Minneapolis : CompassPoint Books, 2006.HBB, 0756512735, list price: $17.95.975.004/97557. Cherokee Indians--Social life andcustoms--Juvenile literature; Cherokee Indians--History--Juvenile literature. 48 p. : ill. (mostly col.),map ; 24 cm.The Sioux and their history / by MaryEnglar. (We the people.) LCCN2005003679. Minneapolis : CompassPoint Books, 2006.HBB, 0756512751, list price: $17.95.978.004/975243. Sioux Indians--Social life andcustoms--Juvenile literature; Sioux Indians--History--Juvenile literature. 48 p. : ill. (mostly col.), map ; 24cm.The Pueblo and their history / byGenevieve St. Lawrence . (We thepeople.) LCCN 2005003678. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books, 2006.HBB, 0756512743, list price: $17.95.978.9004/974. Pueblo Indians--Social life andcustoms--Juvenile literature; Pueblo Indians--History--Juvenile literature. 48 p. : ill. (mostly col.), map ; 24cm.Grades 4-7. Rating : 5.The We the People series focuses on importantevents in United States history. These fourbooks describe American Indians.Illustrations are from varied sources. Readerswill meet antique maps, and a historic picturefrom Harper’s Weekly in 1869. I enjoyedGeorge Catin’s 1830s painting of an Iroquoismother and baby. More recent pictures includeRichard Nixon, Chief Chad Smith, StuwartPaisano, and Mohawk ironworkers buildingNew York City’s Columbia PresbyterianMedical Center in the 1920s.Cherokee Indians of the Appalachian Mountainshad their own alphabet and wove beautifulbaskets. Yet, this tribe was relocated by theJ U N E 2 0 0 6 1 4 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

CHILDREN’S NONFICTION1830 US Government Indian Removal Act. Theinfamous “Trail of Tears” was the tragic result.Sioux history includes Chief Crazy Horse andGeorge Custer. The chapter about the Sioux andbuffalo is especially interesting. Pueblo Indiansconstructed cliff dwellings in southwesternUnited States. They thanked the spirits of sky,earth, and animals for good corn crops. TheIroquois lived in longhouses in northeasternUnited States and Canada. This tribe stressedbeing in harmony with the natural world. Alas,Europeans arrived with measles and smallpox in1634.Quality paper, reinforced spines and sturdyhardbacks make this series a good choice forheavy use situations. Consider the entire set.Taken together, the titles offer a broad picture ofIndian history. For more information, checkwww.compasspointbooks.com.Roberta Lou JonesC H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 1 5 J U N E 2 0 0 6

BOOK REVIEWSYOUNG ADULT FICTION*Bridge to Terabithia / Katherine Paterson; illustrated by Donna Diamond. LCCN77002221. New York : HarperCollins,1977.HBB, 0690013590, list price $15.99.Fic. Death—Fiction;Friendship—Fiction;NewberyMedal. 128 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.Grades 5-9. Rating : *5In her Bridge to Terabithia, author KatherinePaterson tells the moving story of why JesseAarons decided to build that bridge. Jess istraining for recess races by running around thepasture on his family’s struggling farm, whenhis brand-new neighbor from Alexandria,Virginia, climbs the fence and introduces herselfas Leslie Burke. His growing friendship withLeslie transforms Jess’s fifth-grade year. AsLeslie introduces Jess to the fantasy worlds ofNarnia and Prydain, they are inspired to createtheir own secret imaginary kingdom ofTerabithia in a secluded wooded area across acreek bed. In addition to their play in Terabithia,Jess helps Leslie and her father with someimprovements in their rented farmhouse, andLeslie accompanies the Aarons family to Easterchurch services. But during a rainy springbreak, Jess returns from a short trip with hisfriendly music teacher to the Smithsonian inWashington, D.C., to learn of Leslie’sdevastating accident. In building the bridge,Jess comes to terms with the loss of his friend.Katherine Paterson is the daughter of missionaryparents, with missionary experience of her own.She has written a number of other fine children’sbooks, including another Newbery medal title,Jacob Have I Loved. The characters shedevelops with such expertise encounter andsurmount realistic and often painful issues asthey grow. Paterson illustrates with penetratinginsight the culture clash between Jess’s ruralcommunity and the city background of Leslieand her sophisticated parents. The chapter onEaster offers the biblical account of Christ’scrucifixion and resurrection with accuracy andsympathy. In spite of the fact that some readershave expressed concern about the frequent useof “Lord” as a by-word, this Newbery Medalbook has much to commend it. Donna Diamondfrequently uses shadow in her dozen full-page orhalf-page black and white illustrations. Thispowerful book is highly recommended forChristian school and home libraries.Donna W. BowlingThe door within / by Wayne ThomasBatson. (The door within ; 1.) LCCN2005009216. Nashville : Tommy Nelson,2005.HBB, 1400306590, list price: $16.99.Fic. Fantasy; Christian life--Fiction; Space and time--Fiction. 316 p. ; 24 cm.Grades 6-12. Rating : 5.Teenager Aidan Thomas is frustrated because heand his family have moved across the country tocare for his “Grampin,” and he is forced to leavehis best friend Robby behind. Whileinvestigating his new home, he discovers threeclay pots under the basement stairs which, whenhe touches them, shatter leaving threeparchment bundles. When he reads the lastparchment, he enters the door within andawakens in the Realm—a world filled withknights, warriors, flying dragons, Glimpses, andkings. This is a tale of good versus evil told withgreat imagery and filled with exciting characterslike Gwenne, the Glimpse swordmaiden;Captain Valithor of the Elder Guard; the evilenemy, Paragor who wants to rule the Realm;and Falon, a huge poisonous undergroundmortiwraith.Wayne Thomas Batson writes a clever fantasy,well articulated, filled with action and a plot thatmoves quickly. The protagonist is an ordinaryteenage boy who displays extraordinary courageand character in the Realm. One observes hischaracter qualities growing throughout thenarrative. The book is Baston’s first novel andis reminiscent of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles ofNarnia and Lloyd Alexander’s PrydainChronicles. It is the first book of a trilogy.Second in the series is Rise of the Wyrm Lord,and third, The Final Storm. Thomas NelsonPublishers has an intriguing website athttp://www.thedoorwithin.com that you maywant to visit.This title is highly recommended for anycollection.Pamella A. RussellThe goodness gene / by Sonia Levitin. 1sted. (.) LCCN 2005002143. New York :Dutton Children’s Books, 2005.HBB, 0525473971, list price: $16.99.Fic. Science fiction; Twins--Fiction; Cloning--Fiction;Genetics--Fiction. 259 p. ; 24 cm.Grades 7-9. Rating : 4.A futuristic novel that takes place in 2305, TheGoodness Gene follows Will on his journeyfrom a sterile, protected environment into anuncivilized area of the Dominion of theAmericas. At sixteen, Will and his twin brotherBerk are slated to take leadership positions intheir father’s government. They have beengroomed from conception in a petry dish tobecome officials in The Goodness regime.When Will is sent as an emissary to unfamiliarareas of the Dominion, a near tragic event hurlshim into a quest that changes his world forever.Intelligent and lovely Leona exposes Will to anew way of experiencing life. No longer iseverything black and white, facts carefullylearned without question.Sonia Levitin weaves intrigue into her sciencefiction while she keeps readers turning thepages. The author shows how certainpolitically-correct beliefs can be taken too far;and the drive for power, though in this caseseemingly self-sacrificing, can bring tragedyinto the lives of less fortunate persons. Throughnatural dialogue and vivid description,everything from nature to relationships andresponsibility comes into new focus inunexpected ways. Other than place names likeWasholina and Fresmofield, this book presents abelievable scenario that shows love and hopecan prevail against impossible odds.Floss CraigJ U N E 2 0 0 6 1 6 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

YOUNG ADULTFICTIONJacob have I loved / Katherine Paterson.LCCN 80000668. New York :HarperCollins, 1980.HBB, 0690040784, list price: $15.99Fic. Twins--Fiction; Sisters--Fiction; Identity--Fiction;Chesapeake Bay Region (Md. and Va.)--Fiction;Newbery Medal. 216 p. ; 21 cm.Grades 7-12. Rating : 5.Sara Louise Bradshaw grew up on Rass Islandwith her parents, her grandmother and her twinsister, Caroline. The girls were born at homeand when the story of their birth is told, it’salways how Caroline refused to breathe and theyrushed her by ferry to the hospital. This makesLouise ask what happened to her when everyoneleft for the mainland. Her mother never seemsto remember and it doesn’t help when her feeblegrandmother chants to her, “Jacob have I loved,”referring to a mother’s favored twin in the Bible.As the twins grow older, dark-haired Louise’sself-image turns to intense jealousy as hersister’s golden beauty draws admirers and herlovely singing voice thrills the community. Mrs.Bradshaw lacks the ability to understand thesituation as Louise hides her hurting heart andangry thoughts. At thirteen, her only friend isbespectacled, pudgy, fourteen-year-old Call,who is left out of games at school because of hishandicaps. When World War II breaks out, Callenlists in the military and Louise is pressed toface her fears, leave the Island, and find herplace in the world.Katherine Patterson’s strong characterizationand her development of external and internalpressures make this a compelling story ofjealousy, misunderstanding, and anger. Thisbook, published in 1980, addresses a prevalentproblem in today’s world. Paterson enablesreader to recognize Louise’s problems and rootfor her eventual happiness. An atmosphere ofthe Chesapeake Bay region ambles throughoutthe book in the authentic language and thedetails of progging: hunting for crabs andoysters. I recommend it to both adults andyoung adults.This book won the 1991 Newbery Medal andwas listed as an ALA Notable Children’s Book.Maxine CambraRed velvet / Sandra Byrd. (Friends for aseason ; 3.) LCCN 2005020518.Minneapolis : Bethany House, 2005.PAP, 0764200224, list price: $9.99.Fic. Cancer--Fiction; Mothers and daughters--Fiction;Christian life--Fiction; Family life--Fiction. 248 p. ;22 cm.Grades 4-8. Rating : 5.Fourteen-year-old Quinn Miller’s mom hasbreast cancer, and her family has decided totravel to Seattle, Washington, in order to try anexperimental treatment. The six-week stay atAnderson House is made somewhat easier forQuinn when she meets Annie, whose mother isalso undergoing treatment at “Planet Cancer.”Annie’s family has a secret, and although theynever discuss it among themselves, Annie sharesit with Quinn, who then gives advice on thesituation. Since Quinn tends to be a list maker,one day her mom decides to surprise her withher old teenage diaries. Finding a list inside thatcontained things her mom wanted to do beforeshe died, Quinn decides to help her mom finishher list. But does that mean Quinn is telling hermom it’s okay to die by helping her?Author Sandra Byrd has written a four-bookseries entitled Friends for a Season for girls agesten to fourteen. Red Velvet is the third book inthis wonderful series, and deals with the subjectsof cancer and dying. Each of the four storiesdeals with situations young girls may face suchas divorce, death, and friendship, and all containa faith element that is presented in a subtlemanner that is neither offensive nor flashy.Young teens will identify with the girls in thestories whether they have the particular situationor not in their own lives, as the characters arewritten in a realistic manner. These wholesome,interesting stories will strengthen Christiangirls’ faith while providing an enjoyable readingexperience.Roberta Lou JonesShine like stars : the continuing story ofKatie Fremont / by Sharon Westra.(Sequel to: The rest of forever.) Baltimore: PublishAmerica, 2005.PAP, 1412784658, list price: $24.95.Fic. College students--Fiction; Marriage--Fiction.392 p. ; 23 cm.Grades 10-Adult. Rating : 3.Katie Fremont is a young college student who isengaged to Wayne Anderson, her knight inshining armor. She is planning her upcomingwedding, and with everyone giving her advice,Katie is becoming frustrated. Will she haveeverything ready in time for the big day?Meanwhile, Wayne is struggling with whetherhe and Katie are really ready to be married, or ifthey should wait until life is a little more settledfor them. Money issues and questions as towhere they will live plague him, as do thoughtsof his band being scheduled to go on tour shortlyafter the wedding. Doubts continue to linger inWayne’s mind as to whether they are doing theright thing as the day of the wedding draws evercloser.Shine Like Stars is the conclusion of the KatieFremont trilogy by Sharon Westra. The maincharacters are now in early adulthood and aremaking choices for their future, whether gettingmarried, going into the ministry, or starting acareer. While being an enjoyable, fairly realisticstory, Katie’s histrionics tended to be quiteannoying and tedious at times. Her constantcrying spells gave me pause in believing shewas ready to be a married woman and needed tomature considerably before doing so. Gearedmainly toward older teens and college-agedyoung adults, this fictional novel will also beenjoyed by older adults who remain young atheart.Sherri MyersA single shard / Linda Sue Park. LCCN43102. New York : Clarion Books, 2001.HBB, 0395978270, list price: $15.00.Fic. Pottery--Fiction; Korea--History--Koryaeoperiod, 935-1392--Fiction; Newbery Medal. 152 p. ;22 cm.Grades 4-7. Rating : 5.In 1200 A.D., Tree-Ear, an orphan lived under abridge in Ch’ul’po, Korea. Living in this villageare many potters who mold the local clay intodelicate pieces of the celebrated, celadonceramics. One evening Tree-Ear sneaks into Mr.Min’s drying shed and breaks a ceramic piecefrom a set of nestled boxes. After pleading towork off his debt the potter pushes the boy intoheavy labor while Mrs. Min feeds and befriendshim. Tree-Ear watches the master potter recastand recreate delicate vessels until they appearflawless. He appreciates Min’s artistic abilitiesand searches the clay beds for mud that willproduce the finest celadon ware. He tirelesslykeeps wood cut for his master’s firing kiln. Oneday a messenger from the Northern Province ofKorea arrives in Ch’ul’po to handpick delicate,one-of-a-kind ceramic pieces for the Emperor’spalace. He chooses Min’s set of nested bowlsbut one piece was missing—the one Tree-Earbroke. The boy promises to wait for Min torecreate his one-of-a-kind masterpiece anddeliver it to the palace in North Korea. Thisterrifying and challenging journey could bringfame to Mr. Min and endear Tree-Ear to the twoold people he has learned to love.Linda Sue Park has authored several books offiction based on Korean history and received theNewbery Medal for A Single Shard in 2002. Heremotion-filled characters take us on the perilousjourney of young and unselfish Tree-Ear for aman he respects. Park includes Author’s Notesthat give us insight into the Koryo era, 919-1392A.D. The ceramic pieces crafted by the Koreanceladon potters mentioned in the book still existsomewhere in the world today. If you visit herwebsite, lspark.com, you will see several piecesC H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 1 7 J U N E 2 0 0 6

YOUNG ADULTFICTIONof the celadon ware she writes about in A SingleShard. Written on an eighth grade reading level,her skillful, precise writing makes this a bookadults and teens might enjoy.Maxine CambraSweetgrass basket / by Marlene Carvell.LCCN 2004024374. New York : DuttonChildren’s Books, 2005.HBB, 0525475478, list price: $16.99.Fic. United States Indian School (Carlisle, Pa.)--Fiction; Sisters--Fiction; Identity--Fiction; MohawkIndians--Fiction; Indians of North America--New York(State)--Fiction; Boarding schools--Fiction; Schools--Fiction; Pennsylvania--History--1865- --Fiction. 248p. ; 22 cm.Grades 5-10. Rating : 4.Although fiction, Marlene Carvell’s SweetgrassBasket is set in the Carlisle Indian IndustrialSchool that functioned from 1897 to 1918. Twoyoung Mohawk sisters, Sarah and Mattie, livedin tell their story in prose poetry. This is a sadstory. You will reflect on injustices in the world.These girls met hostility, deceit, and sadness.Food was scarce. Mattie wondered “where therest of the soup might be.” An occasional ray ofsunshine came through in a loyal friend, the kindjanitor, or one kind teacher. Mattie was falselyaccused of stealing a teacher’s pin. She ranaway, was caught, and eventually died.Becoming a woman is a theme of the book.Sarah said, “I saw the stains, and I thought mybody was punishing me…” This focus could bepositive, for a young girl approaching puberty.Yet, adults need to know this emphasis, andmake a wise decision for children in their lives.Roberta Lou JonesJ U N E 2 0 0 6 1 8 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

BOOK REVIEWSYOUNG ADULT NONFICTION*Being a girl who loves : learning to lovelike Jesus / Shannon Kubiak Primicerio.(Being a girl.) LCCN 2005018682.Minneapolis : Bethany House, 2005.PAP, 0764200895, list price: $11.99248.8/33. Teenage girls--Religious life; Christianteenagers--Religious life. 170 p. ; 22 cm.Grades 9-12. Rating : *5.What exactly is love? Everyone has a differentopinion of what love is and what it means tolove something or someone. In ShannonKubiak Primicerio’s book Being a Girl WhoLoves: Learning to Love Like Jesus, love isgiven an in-depth study. Through the use ofpersonal stories and biblical references, Ms.Primicerio sets the course for readers to explorethe true meaning of love. Each chapter includesa five-question study section for personal orgroup reflection, and a ‘love in action’ sectionwith practical ways to put what was read in thechapter into practice.Being a Girl Who Loves is the first book in anew three-book series by Ms. Primicerio calledBeing a Girl. While they are geared mainlytowards teen girls, anyone can benefit fromthese insightful books’ messages of learning tolove, serve, and lead like Jesus. Love isn’tmerely an emotion, it is also a choice, accordingto Ms. Primicerio. I tend to agree, and highlyrecommend this book to anyone wishing to learnto love like Jesus loved—selflessly.Sherri MyersPlanet Earth science fair projects : usingthe moon, stars, beach balls, frisbees, andother far-out stuff / Robert Gardner.(Earth science! best science projects.)LCCN 2004010733. Berkeley Heights,N.J. : Enslow Publishers, 2005.LIB, 0766023621, list price: $19.95.507/.8. Science--Experiments--Juvenile literature;Science projects--Juvenile literature. 128 p. : ill. ; 24cm.Grades 6-8. Rating : 5.Ecosystem science fair projects : usingworms, leaves, crickets, and other stuff /Pam Walker, Elaine Wood. (Biology! bestscience projects.) LCCN 2004008355.Berkeley Heights, N.J. : EnslowPublishers, 2005.LIB, 0766023672, list price: $19.95.577/.078. Ecology--Experiments--Juvenile literature;Ecology projects--Juvenile literature. 128 p. : ill. ; 24cm.Grades 6-8. Rating : 5.Enslow Publishers’ Best Science Projects seriesfeatures science experiments that can be done athome or in a classroom. Each topic subsectionbegins with a 1 to 3 page informative overview.Experiments prompt use of the scientificmethod, with a materials list, questions forfurther study, and diagrams or charts to visuallyenhance the information. Suggested ScienceProject Ideas following each experiment arehighly valuable for extending learning orpromoting student self-learning. A chapter onsafety is applicable to all science study.Appendices include a helpful listing of sciencesupply companies, and several titles and Internetaddresses for additional reading. Both thesebooks would definitely benefit school andhomeschool libraries.Planet Earth Science Fair Projects covers theearth’s position in space, the moon, basicgeology, and a brief overview of mapping. All29 experiments relate to the Earth and includecontemporary issues such as global warming,conservation, and water issues. Most can bedone by students in small groups or even alone.Clear notes point out dangerous or difficultactivities. Effective, simple line art adds clarityon many pages. No glossary is provided, so thisbook is most useful in conjunction with atextbook.Ecosystem Science Fair Projects contains 20experiments ranging from general ecosystemtopics to living, nonliving, and human factorsthat affect ecosystems. Most require access tothe outdoors, at least to observe or gather data.About half the experiments require observationover days or weeks. Materials needed oftennumber more than 14, but are frequentlyrepeated from other experiments. A glossary isprovided. Students will gain invaluable handsonlearning from this text.Karen SchmidtThe Christian babysitter’s handbook /written by Sarah Fletcher ; edited byMelinda Walz. 3rd ed. LCCN 96043745.St. Louis, Mo. : Concordia, 1997.PAP, list price: $8.99.649./1/0248. Baby-sitting--Handbooks, manuals, etc.--Juvenile literature; Baby-sitters--Juvenile literature;Youth--Religious life--Juvenile literature; Christianeducation of children--Juvenile literature. 109 p. : ill.; 21 cm.Grades 6-12. Rating : 4.This is the third edition of The ChristianBabysitter’s Handbook. First published in 1997,the book has been updated with informationregarding internet usage, computer games, andsatellite/cable television. It offers practical hintson how to find a job babysitting, how toentertain children, how to set a fair price, andhow to deal with some emergencies. AuthorSarah Fletcher is strong in her presentation ofthe gospel, how babysitting is a ministry, andhow to bathe it in prayer. The songs, games andsuggestions for play are particularly strong,although heavily sprinkled with resources solelyfrom the same publisher.Unfortunately, some more practical issues arescantily addressed. For example, although welaugh at the antics of Calvin & Hobbes in regardto their babysitter, defiant children are no longerexceptional in this age of over-indulgence. Thechapter on discipline is light on dealing withthese kids and their parents. The chapter onemergencies and the resulting worksheet createa dilemma. A teenage babysitter should neveranswer the telephone where she’s sitting, muchless try to take messages. Further, with theprevalence of dangerous food allergies thesedays, a note as to those would be helpful. TheSitter’s notebook section in the back has somevery good forms. The journal is particularlyuseful and the sitter’s report is something anyparent would be thrilled to receive. This wouldnot be a bad resource to have available to middleschoolers looking for ways to make money in amanner that honors God.Kelley WestenhoffLeonardo da Vinci : genius of art andscience / Jennifer Bond Reed. (Greatminds of science.) LCCN 2004013401.Berkeley Heights, N.J. : Enslow, 2005.LIB, 0766025004, list price: $26.60.B or 709/.2. Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519 --Juvenile literature; Artists--Italy--Biography--Juvenileliterature; Scientists--Italy--Biography--Juvenileliterature. 128 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.Grades 5-8. Rating : 4.C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 1 9 J U N E 2 0 0 6

YOUNG ADULTNONFICTIONJennifer Reed has written a complete biographyof da Vinci from birth to death. She discussesthe many accomplishments of the artist/inventorin ten chapters, featuring his interests in art,architecture, engineering, astronomy,polyhedrons, and the human body. Introductoryand concluding chapters place da Vinci in themidst of the Renaissance and explain the longtermeffects of his work. She focuses on ideas,theories, questioning, and imagination.Appended is a section of activities readers coulddo based on da Vinci’s studies. Black and whitephotographs of da Vinci’s notebooks arescattered throughout the book. Also appendedare a chronology, glossary, further reading,Internet websites, chapter notes, and an index.This title includes well-organized, accurateresearch material for the middle schooer.Reed’s work is a complete, balanced biographyshowing strengths, weaknesses, interests, andfrustrations. Much appreciated in thepresentation is her attempt to place da Vinci as amember of the Renaissance, an influence on theRenaissance, and a product of the Renaissance.Even though this title is part of a series, GreatMinds of Science, it does not read like a typicalschool series, for Reed’s literary efforts are offine quality. While there are many books aboutda Vinci, many cover only a portion of his life(Leonardo’s Horse by Fritz, Putnam, 2001) orare too cursory (Leonardo da Vinci by Stanley,Morrow, 1996), and others are too much like anencyclopedia. A very successful biography isKathleen Krull’s Leonardo da Vinci (Viking,2005).Marion MuellerMeriwether Lewis : off the edge of themap / Janet & Geoff Benge. (Heroes ofhistory.) LCCN 2001005054. Lynnwood,Wash. : YWAM Publishing, 2001.PAP, list price: $6.99.B or 917.804/2/092. Lewis, Meriwether, 1774-1809 --Juvenile literature; Lewis, Meriwether, 1774-1809;Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) --Juvenileliterature; Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806);Explorers--West (U.S.)--Biography--Juvenileliterature; Explorers; West (U.S.)--Discovery andexploration--Juvenile literature; West (U.S.)--Description and travel--Juvenile literature; West(U.S.)--Discovery and exploration. 231 p. : map ; 21cm.Grades 4-8. Rating : 3.Meriwether Lewis : unit study,curriculum guide / Janet & Geoff Benge.(Heroes of history.) Lynnwood, Wash. :YWAM Publishing, 2003.PAP, 1883002850, list price: $8.99.B or 917.804/2/092. Lewis, Meriwether, 1774-1809 --Juvenile literature; Lewis, Meriwether, 1774-1809;Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) --Juvenileliterature; Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806);Explorers--West (U.S.)--Biography--Juvenileliterature; Explorers; West (U.S.)--Discovery andexploration--Juvenile literature; West (U.S.)--Description and travel--Juvenile literature; West(U.S.)--Discovery and exploration. 64 p. ; 21 cm.Grades 4-8. Rating : 3.Husband and wife team Janet and Geoff Bengehave written a chronological biography ofMeriwether Lewis from his birth in Virginia ona plantation next to Thomas Jefferson’s until hisdeath. Included are his early years as anAppalachian frontiersman and soldier; life asJefferson’s secretary, but especially the yearspreparing for and completing the Corps ofDiscovery’s trip through the Louisiana Territoryto the Pacific Ocean. The title is part of theBenges’ History of Heroes series. The studycurriculum guide includes key quotes, ideas fora display corner, chapter questions, studentexplorations, community links, related themesto explore, and culminating events. Abibliography of books and resources isappended to the guide.The Benges write a laudatory fictionalizedbiography. Only occasionally do the author’shint at any weaknesses such as Clark’s betterboating skills. The text details contacts on theexploration with the many Native Americantribes almost in a racist fashion, for the warriorqualities and fears are emphasized. There is nogeneral theme, but a strictly chronologicalpresentation. Only four sources are sited in thetext, which includes no footnoting, but manyconversations and apparent emotions. The titleis not a page-turner, but for the history buff, thetimeline-like presentation makes it easy to checkoverall accuracy. Many titles about the journeyof the Lewis and Clark Expedition have beenpublished during the last five years. I wouldrecommend the following, which give life to thecharacters: As Far As the Eye Can Reach byKimmel (Random House, 2003), York’sAdventures with Lewis and Clark by Blumberg(HarperCollins, 2004), and How we Crossed theWest by Schanzer (NGS, 2002). The curriculumguide was written both for the teacher and thehome school parent. Most of the questions andactivities require lower level thinking skills suchas recall and definition, but little application andevaluation.Marion MuellerJ U N E 2 0 0 6 2 0 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

BOOK REVIEWSADULT FICTION*At the scent of water / by Linda Nichols.LCCN 2004012187. Minneapolis :Bethany House, 2004.HBB, 0764229877, list price: $0Fic. Physicians--Fiction; Fathers and daughters--Fiction; Children--Death--Fiction; Psychologicalfiction; Christian fiction. 414 p. ; 22 cm.Adult. Rating :*5.When tragedy strikes the Truelove family, theyare unable to overcome their pain. Dr. SamTruelove is a pediatric heart surgeon. Uponreceiving news of the drowning of his smalldaughter, he proceeds with surgery on a younggirl who ends up comatose in a state-run facility.Immersed in his own guilt, he fails to extendcompassion to those in need of his love andunderstanding. Each of the characters in thisnovel are nearly destroyed by the questions thattorture them and the answers they are unwillingto confront until they open their wounds andallow Christ to clean them out and heal them.Linda Nichols stimulates all five senses with herword pictures. She paints the reader’s mindwith vivid expressions, like when she describesgrief as “…this heavy, sucking torment,” butwho, at the same time, describes the believer’sdeath as an “…apologetic leavetaking for ajoyful destination.” This book speaks to anywho has loved, suffered loss, searched for God,and known pain that only God can heal.It is no surprise that this title received a GoldMedallion Award in the category of ReligiousFiction. But to this reviewer, what earns thistitle its high rating, besides the fine plot andcharacter development, is the cleverly veiledsurprise nestled in the Epilogue. As the sayinggoes, “Read ‘em and weep!”Pamella A. RussellBlack or white : a novel / John AubreyAnderson. LCCN 2005299519. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2005.PAP, 0805431683, list price: $14.99Fic. Spiritual warfare--Fiction; Race relations--Fiction; Best friends--Fiction; Children--Fiction;Mississippi--Fiction; Christian fiction. 331 p. ; 23 cm.Adult. Rating : 5.Black or White deals with spiritual warfare andracism. The mythical town of Cat Lake inMississippi is home to three children—BobbyParker, Missy Parker, and Most Junior. TheParkers are a white family while Most Junior isblack, and the children are great friends. Duringone summer, Most Junior gives his life so thatMissy can live.This book deals with many of the Christianthemes that we see in everyday life whileweaving them into a great story. When MostJunior is dying, he is completely confident thathe will go to be with Jesus and that he will berejoicing soon. This scene gives the readerconfidence in a relationship with Jesus. Andlater in the book, Missy finds herself interestedin a man who is not a Christian. She judgescorrectly and will not become unequally yokedwith him by dating him and inviting thepossibility of marriage.And the spiritual realm is a part of this bookfrom the beginning. Demons are out to attackMissy, while the angels are protecting her. Butthis spiritual realm is not overdone. RealChristian themes are woven throughout a wellwritten story.Angela AndrewsThe celebrity / Robert Elmer. LCCN2004021049. Colorado Springs, Colo. :WaterBrook Press, 2005.PAP, 1578567416, list price: $12.99Fic. Young men--Fiction; Musicians--Fiction;Celebrities--Fiction; Mothers--Death--Fiction; Identity(Psychology)--Fiction. 296 p. ; 21 cm.Adult. Rating : 4.Robert Elmer has written a contemporaryromance nestled in a small town that cherishesgodly values and kindness towards their fellowman. Jamie D. Lane is a handsome and talentedsinger who has become tired of being a celebrityand is searching for happiness in his life. Afamily tragedy brings him to Washington werehe decides to escape his celebrity status bychanging his looks to blend in with the people ofRiverdale. A quick trip to Riverdale soon turnsinto a couple days when he meets Anne Stewart,an English teacher who is coming to terms witha car wreck that affected her memory skills andphysical capabilities.The author has constructed a gentle romance inwhich readers are able to visually see the smalltown of Riverdale and witness the developmentof his main characters Jamie and Anne. This isa gentle romance where the attraction is abackdrop for their internal struggles to findanswers in their daily lives. Jamie’s discoveryof God is gradual, real, and even humorous attimes. Readers have the chance to witnessAnne’s continuous faith in God despite themental and physical frustrations that she enduresevery day. If there is a drawback to this novel,it is wanting to know how Jamie and Annecontinue to grow in their faith once you havereached the last page of the book.Stacie CoomerA clearing in the wild / Jane Kirkpatrick.(Change and cherish series ; 1.) LCCN2005035370. Colorado Springs :WaterBrook, 2006.PAP, 1578567343, list price: $13.99Fic. Women pioneers--Fiction; Social isolation--Fiction; Western stories; Christian fiction. 370 p. : ill.; 21 cm.Adult. Rating : 4.The small community of believers in Bethel,Missouri, isolating themselves from the“outside” world of luxury and corruption, livesas the early church did, sharing all things incommon, and ministering to the hurting and theneedy. Obedient to their leader, Herr Wilhelm,Emma chafes at the community requirementsthat individuals should not “stand out.” Shedesires to be unique, for her voice to be heardand counted, even though she is “just” a woman.When her husband is directed by Herr Wilhelmto lead a group of scouts to the west in search ofnew land for the Bethel community, Emmamanipulates the situation so that Herr Wilhelmdoes the unthinkable and allows her toaccompany the nine men chosen for this task.The journey has its challenges—more fromEmma’s deception than from any physicalhardship—but along the way Emma learns whatit means to support her husband as well as speakher mind when the purpose is for the benefit ofothers, rather than herselfAs she and these men carve out a home in thelavishly wild woods near Puget Sound, herimpatience and brashness is tempered by theimmense difficulties they face—refined intoincisive leadership that allows her husband tolead her household, but gives her an equalC H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 2 1 J U N E 2 0 0 6

ADULTFICTIONstanding in their marriage partnership, and in thelarger community of believers. Emma becomesa true helpmeet to her husband, learning when tospeak boldly, and when to hold her tongue;when to take initiative, and when to wait for herhusband’s leading.Based on a true story, and written in her trademarkstyle of prose, Jane Kirkpatrick’s story AClearing in the Wild will resonate with readerswho recognize the shaping of their own spiritualjourney, as—like Emma—our strengths andweaknesses are tempered and refined as welearn to listen to the Lord.Sherri BeelerThe color of the soul / Tracey Bateman.(The Penbrook diaries ; 1.) Uhrichsville,Ohio : Barbour, 2005.PAP, 1593104448, list price: $12.95.Fic. African Americans--Fiction; Georgia--Fiction.315 p. ; 21 cm.Adult. Rating : 4.The Color of the Soul journeys through the lifeof the one hundred-year-old Miss Penbrook. In1948 Miss Penbrook invites Andy Carmichael, ablack journalist from Chicago, down to herhome in Georgia to write her story. As Andyleaves Chicago, he hopes his flounderingmarriage can survive. He enters a world wherehe will be threatened, beat, and where things arenot always as they seem. After Andy reads thePenbrook journals and spends time with theChristians who run the boarding house where hestays, Andy reconsiders Christianity and how itshould affect his life.Tracey Bateman carefully unfolds the story ofMiss Penbrook and Andy, starting with Andy’sintroduction to the South, and following eachcharacter as they discover their identity. Thetense plot moves the story dramatically towardthe unexpected conclusion. Each characterstruggles to overcome past abuses,misunderstandings, and tragedies. Dialogueincreases the drama and dialects help developcharacterization. After one character is raped,Bateman very sensitively shows the effects ofrape on the victim. Sex outside of marriage isanother problem addressed in this book.Bateman manages to present sin as sin, whetherit is immorality, bigotry, or lies by showing theeffects of sin on one’s life.Kristina WolcottDarkstar : confessions of a rock idol : anovel / Creston Mapes. LCCN2005299299. Sisters, Ore. : Multnomah,2005.PAP, 1590524721, list price: $12.99.Fic. Rock musicians--Fiction; Murder--Fiction;Christian fiction. 397 p. ; 21 cm.Adult (Grades 10-12). Rating : 3.In his debut novel, Creston Mapes providesreaders with an attention-grabbing yet oftencliché-ridden account of the spiritual battlesplaguing a mainstream rock musician. EverettLester is the reckless lead singer of DeathStrokeuntil a series of eye-opening tragedies lead to hisconversion. Supported by a Christian womanwho has been praying for his salvation for years,Lester begins an attempt to turn his life around.However, his spiritual rebirth does not provideimmediate resolution. Soon after, he findshimself charged with the murder of his formerpsychic. Lester must determine if and how hernegative spiritual influence has initiated thissequence of events that could alter his life andthe lives of those he loves forever.Mapes effectively combines frenetic plotdevelopment and Lester’s intimate narrative toallow readers access to the duality Lester feelsas he simultaneously experiencestransformation and desperation. WhereDarkstar occasionally falters is in theauthenticity of small details that keep the bookfrom being great rather than simply good. Thedescription of DeathStroke’s activities draw onclichés and presuppositions, creating acaricatured composite of every self-destructiverock band that has garnered media attention.Additionally, examples of Lester’s songwritingemploy banal lyrics that would only match theonly the most elementary standards of poetry .Despite a few inconsistencies, Mapes does firstratework as he describes Lester’s conversion,making his searching very real. Darkstar shouldbe of interest to those who appreciate authorsthat display a penchant for combining suspenseand heart which Mapes does expertly.Aarik DanielsenDeliver us from Evelyn : a novel / ChrisWell. LCCN 2005023977. Eugene, Ore. :Harvest House, 2006.PAP, 0736914064, list price: $22.99.Fic. Mystery fiction; Kansas City—Fiction. 286 p. ;cm.Adult. Rating: 3.In this entertaining suspense novel, Kansas Citydetectives Tom Griggs and Charlie Pasch of theKCPD/FBI Organized Crime Joint Task Force,must table their murder investigation of twocompeting crime families to find missing KCbillionaire, Warren Blake. Blake’s wife, Evelyn(dubbed “Queen Evel” by her employees),seizes her opportunity to take control of BlakeMedia.Complicating matters are Evelyn’s new religioneditor, Judge Gideon Judge, a scam artist withdesigns on Evelyn; and a mysterious Bloggerspilling insider secrets, bent on stirring-upsuspicion about Evelyn’s mismanagement ofBlake Media, and her involvement in WarrenBlake’s disappearance. As Detective Paschexplains, “This entire story is about stolenidentity. Like Mozart’s opera, The Marriage ofFigaro, or Eddie Murphy’s movie, TradingPlaces, it’s filled with jealousy, betrayal, andlots of people in disguise…, everything’sconnected. A good detective always connectsthe dots.”Detective Pasch, a Christian, tries to teach thebiblical values of forgiveness and reconciliationto the gruff and jaded Griggs. Characterizationis developed in the main characters, but isstereotypical in the antagonists. Most growthtakes place in characters Griggs and JudgeGideon. Detective Pasch, developed as a wiseand spiritually mature character, may be blind toone deficiency: He is most passionate whenchampioning a comic-book store owner’s rightto stock ‘mature’ comics without fear ofcommunity censorship: “…comics (are) likeany expressive medium, they (can) speak to anyage group they please. Only an idiot ropes offan entire art form for a single demographic.”The fast-paced action includes ganglandviolence, bungling mistakes of criminals andlaw enforcement officials, final justice for theunrepentant, and second chances for theremorseful. Unsavory characters smoke, drinkalcohol, lie, and cheat. The reader will beentertained by the narrator’s sense of humor andadventure in Deliver Us from Evelyn.Vicki Talley McCollumFinding Anna / Christine Schaub. (Musicof the heart.) LCCN 2005018579.Minneapolis : Bethany House, 2005.PAP, 0764200593, list price: $12.99.Fic. Spafford, Horatio Gates, 1828-1888--Fiction;Hymns--Authorship--Fiction; Hymn writers--Fiction;Biographical fiction; Christian fiction; Musical fiction.316 p. ; 22 cm.Adult. Rating : 5.Finding Anna relates the story of Anna andHoratio “Gates” Spafford. After the greatChicago fire of 1871 steals the lives andlivelihoods of thousands, Anna and Gates feelcompelled to help survivors rebuild their lives.Unfortunately, service saturates their time, andtheir relationship starts to drift apart. When theyrealize that they must focus their efforts onrebuilding their relationship and family, tragedystrikes. Facing an ocean of despair, withpossibly the darkest days of his life on thehorizon, Gates reaches out for God’s peace andlooks for Anna.Christine Schaub masterfully tells the wellknown,historical fiction story behind “It IsWell.” She also weaves in the stories behind thestory including how the Spaffords survived thefire and how much they helped others in need.This fictional tale includes enough facts and realpeople to be believable. The excellentcharacterization exhibits the very realpersonalities of the Spaffords, not onlydisplaying their sterling characters but alsosome fatal flaws consistent with theirJ U N E 2 0 0 6 2 2 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

ADULTFICTIONpersonalities. Mostly set in 1871-1873 Chicago,the climax of this book occurs in the hearts ofAnna and Gates while separated by an ocean.Dialogue reads very naturally, and the storyrelentlessly rolls until it reaches itsheartbreaking end. Mercifully, Schaub directsthe reader to God’s peace, leading the reader toconclude with Gates, “It is well, with my soul.”p. 306Kristina WolcottFirestorm : a novel / by Jeanette Windle.LCCN 2004009079. Grand Rapids :Kregel, 2004.PAP, 0825441196, list price: $14.99.Fic. Women--Florida--Fiction; Terrorism--Prevention--Fiction; Miami (Fla.)--Fiction; Suspense fiction. 612p. ; 23 cm.Adult (Grades 10-12). Rating : 4.Sara has barely escaped from Bolivia and hasreturned to the U. S., a widow with no moneyand no job. Firestorm is the sequel to Windle’scontemporary fiction Crossfire, published in2000. It continues the story of Sara Connor deCortez and her struggle to make a life for herselfboth spiritually and emotionally. Sara’s effortsto rebuild her life are complicated by hergrowing attachment to Doug Bradford, a DEAagent whose dangerous job brings back toomany memories, and her renewed search forGod. Whom can she trust? Strange things arehappening in the jungles of Paraguay. Oldenemies are coming closer. Can Sara survive?Will the God she has grown to love be enough?Windle’s story is slightly unbalanced. The maincharacter, Sara, is not as well developed as theother characters in the book. Can anyone be thatnaive? It is not essential to have read the firstbook, but perhaps Sarah’s character makes moresense if you do read Crossfire first. The detailsof the culture and drug subculture of the variousSouth American counties detailed in the bookseem well researched and are believable sinceWindle’s parents were missionaries in Columbiaand she served fifteen years as missionary inBolivia. This accurate portrayal of a culture weknow so little about is one reason to readFirestorm. If along with Sara you can grasp theconcept that “Safety is not the absence of dangerbut the presence of God” then you time has beenwell spent.Mary J. McCoyLoving Soren : a novel / Caroline ColemanO’Neill. LCCN 2005279120. Nashville :Broadman & Holman, 2005.PAP, list price: $14.99.Fic. Kierkegaard, Søren, 1813-1855 --Fiction;Depression, Mental--Fiction; Philosophers--Denmark--Fiction; Existentialism--Fiction; Historical fiction.294 p. ; 22 cm.Adult (Grades 10-12). Rating : 5.Soren Kierkegaard was a prolific Danish writerof the 1800s who composed works ofphilosophy, theology, psychology, literarycriticism, and fiction. Stanford Encyclopedia ofPhilosophy calls him the “father ofexistentialism.” He suffered from bipolardisorder which heavily influenced hisproductivity as he oscillated betweenmelancholy and mania. Much of his writingwas a way of working through events of his ownlife. Kierkegaard’s infatuation for Regine Olseninspired a good deal of his poetic works. LovingSoren is a fictionalized biographical account oftheir relationship and engagement told fromRegine Olsen’s point of view as she experiences“the illusory eternity of first love.”Ms. O’Neill’s writing is fluid and poetic. Thebook is beautifully written with a slightVictorian voice, reflecting the lifestyle andatmosphere of Copenhagen in the early to mid1800’s. The author writes of Regine’sfascination with Soren with such depth ofperception that one experiences her obsession asif it were one’s own. Headings reveal the maintheme of each chapter. For the curious andscholarly, the author provides three pages ofsources for further reading on the subject. Thistitle is highly recommended for senior highstudents as well as adults.Pamella A. RussellMark of the cross / Judith Pella. LCCN2005032595. Minneapolis : BethanyHouse, 2006.PAP, 0764201328, list price: $13.99.Fic. Crusades--Fiction; Fathers and sons--Fiction;Christian fiction; Historical fiction. 448 p. ; 22 cm.Adult. Rating : 4, with caution.Ignored by his father because of his illegitimatebirth, Philip de Tollard simmers with anger thathis legitimate-born half brother, Gareth, shouldinherit the Hawken estates, while he must serveas a stable hand on neighboring Cassley lands.When he falls in love with impetuous LadyBeatrice, Philip requests that his father give himsome kind of inheritance so that he mightproperly support a wife. His father is willing,but Philip’s cruel step-mother interferes,framing Philip for the murder of his father.Philip flees the country while conflict ragesbetween kings and princes, drawing Philip andBeatrice into politically complicated lives.Beatrice’s arranged marriage produces a child,but her elderly husband then dies. In order toprotect her son’s inheritance, she violates a vowmade to Philip and agrees to marry Gareth,which she immediately regrets. He is cruellyabusive and controlling. In his despair andanger at her betrayal and his low lot in life,Philip sinks into a world of sin, darkness, andwar, serving as a mercenary.Philip and Beatrice are reunited unexpectedlywhen he impulsively kidnaps her in the HolyLands while seeking revenge upon Gareth.Philip and Beatrice pursue a path ofreconciliation, which leads to adultery and herpregnancy. Beatrice returns to her husband tosave Philip’s life, and pretends the unborn childis Gareth’s. Gareth’s mother, seeing through thelie, attempts to kill the baby boy at his birth,until she is interrupted by Philip and his friendswho save Beatrice and the child. Gareth iskilled in the battle. Philip and Beatriceeventually wed; his name is cleared of hisfather’s murder, and he inherits the Hawkenlands for his son.Judith Pella’s Mark of the Cross is a historicallyrich book set in the early medieval era. It is wellwritten, and fascinating reading. However itdoes contain scenes of sensuality, and thefrequent, pejorative use of the word “bastard.”The three main characters are preoccupied withsex: Gareth in an abusive, perverted way, andPhillip and Beatrice—who only know eachother a few months—form a basis for theirintense relationship on what appears to be lustmasquerading as love.The novel is one that puts readers in a moralquandary. Instinctively, the reader longs for thethwarted love relationship to prevail betweenPhilip and Beatrice, but then we are remindedthat Beatrice is still married, so there is nopleasure for us in their later reconciliation, love,and subsequent adultery. We feel that Gareth issomehow deserving of this betrayal of hiswedding vows because he is such a cruel,abusive, scheming man—and yet Beatricemarried him willingly, and, politically, he doeshold rightful ownership of Hawken lands,despite his role in framing Philip for murder.His death at the end of the story is a relief, but itcomes too late to allow the reader to honorablyenjoy the marriage between Beatrice and Philip,even though both have suddenly reconciled withGod in the last few chapters, despite a lifetimeof impetuous behavior and clear rejection ofGod.Sherri Beeler*Proof / Bill Bright & Jack Cavanaugh.(The Great awakenings, 1757-1858 ; 1.)LCCN 2005040213. West Monroe, La. :Howard, 2005.C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 2 3 J U N E 2 0 0 6

ADULTFICTIONPAP, 1582294372, list price: $12.99.Fic. Holland Reformed Church--Fiction; Prayermeetings--Fiction; Missionaries--Fiction; Revivals--Fiction; New York (N.Y.)--Fiction; Christian fiction;Historical fiction. vii, 358 p. ; 21 cm.*Fire / Bill Bright & Jack Cavanaugh. (Thegreat awakenings, 1740-1741 ; 2.) LCCN2005046114. West Monroe, La. : Howard,2005.PAP, 1582294593, list price: $12.99.Fic. Great Awakening--Fiction; Clergy--Fiction;Connecticut--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775--Fiction; Christian fiction; Historical fiction. 377 p. ;21 cm.Adult (Grades 9-12). Rating : *5.Aspiring lawyer Harrison Shaw, poor and fromthe wrong side of town, is given a covetedinternship position with New York attorney J. K.Jarves. When a defining choice turns a mentorinto an enemy, Harrison’s dreams seemhopeless. But that’s only the start. Jarves willstop at nothing for revenge, even if it meanstaking Harrison’s church to court. As theunprepared defendant, Harrison must provideproof of the Holy Spirit’s existence.A fire haunts Josiah Rush’s past in Havenhill,and now he is returning to take the place of thebeloved minister, and his intended’s father, whoperished because of Josiah’s carelessness. Amidthe hostility of the townspeople, Josiah senses aspiritual disease permeating Havenhill. Heconcludes that the only cure comes throughrevival, but someone is willing to do anything tostop him.Master storyteller Jack Cavanaugh brings to lifeBill Bright’s heart for the great revivals ofAmerica’s past. A unique and unpredictable plotthreads through each of the books, creatingpulse-pounding historical suspense. Characterspush at period confines while still remainingrealistic and interesting, with depth andauthentic motivations. Accurate historical detailprovides fascination but doesn’t overwhelmreaders. The dialogue clearly belongs in thetime period without awkward phrasing to trip upthe prose. Humor is rare and understated. Thesebooks offer unparalleled insight into times ofhistory that are often forgotten, giving bothteens and adults information and adventure in afast-paced tale.Katie HartRiver rising / Athol Dickson. LCCN2005028049. Minneapolis : BethanyHouse, 2005.HBB, list price: $17.99.Fic. Missing children--Fiction; Racism--Fiction; Cityand town life--Fiction; Louisiana--Fiction; Christianfiction. 303 p. ; 22 cm.Adult (Grades 10-12). Rating : 4.Reverend Hale Poser is a black man searchingfor his roots who came to Pilotville, Louisiana,in 1927. A humble, religious man who grew upin an orphanage, Hale appears to thetownspeople to be somewhat of a miracleworker as he goes about town spreading God’sWord. Pilotville appears to be a place ofequality where black and white live peacefullyas neighbors, but a closer look beneath thesurface gives the impression all is not quite rightin the town. The town benefactor, PapaDeGroot, has secrets hidden in the Mississippibayou he will kill to protect, and Hale is a threatto those secrets. Will Hale find what he wasseeking in Pilotville, and possibly find out morethan he ever wanted to know?This gripping historical fiction novel is a hardto-put-downlook into the bayous of Louisianaand the secrets it harbors. River Rising is full oftwists and turns that keep the reader guessinguntil the end what the outcome of Hale’s journeyto Pilotville will be. Racism, bigotry, faith, andhope all combine to make River Rising anintriguing page-turner and Athol Dickson anauthor not to be missed.Sherri MyersThings we once held dear / Ann Tatlock.LCCN 2005028048. Minneapolis :Bethany House, 2006.PAP, 0764200046, list price: $13.99.Fic. Mason (Ohio)--Fiction; Ohio--Fiction; Lovestories.; Christian fiction. 396 p. ; 22 cm.Adult. Rating : 3.Neil isn’t sure why he’s returned to his oldfamily home in Mason, Ohio; he only knowsthat he felt called back after the unexpecteddeath of his wife Caroline—called back to aplace that he fled over twenty years ago. Neilhelps his cousin Grace renovate the seventeenroom “Gothic Horror,” as his father named thehouse, and in the process reacquaints himselfwith family he hasn’t seen in years, and with thefaith of his childhood.Resolving unfinished business with his cousinMary, and uncovering the answer to a puzzlingmurder brings Neil to a place of peace he hadforgotten—a discovery that enables him tomove beyond past regrets and carry on with alife renewed with the joy of God’s grace.Ann Tatlock’s Things We Once Held Dear,though fictional, is threaded with interesting bitsof actual Mason, Ohio, history and folklore.Layering stories of the past and the presenttogether, Tatlock skillfully draws the readerback and forth in time from events in the 1970’s,to events in the present. Things We Once HeldDear is a quiet novel that unfolds memoriesgently, with no real sense of tension or climax.Readers may find themselves drawn in bycuriosity about the murder mystery, but abouthalf-way through the book it is possible to guesswho the criminal is, which takes some of theinterest out of the end of the story. And whilereaders will empathize with the characters, thelack of energy in the story may create somereader indifference in the predictable outcome.Sherri BeelerThe ultimate reality show / by ClayJacobsen. LCCN 2005013826. Nashville :Integrity Publishers, 2005.PAP, 1591453376, list price: $13.99.Fic. Reality televison programs--Fiction; Prayer in thepublic schools--Fiction; Teachers--Fiction; Islands--Fiction; Christian fiction. 357 p. ; 22 cm.Adult (Grades 11-12). Rating : 5.The Ultimate Reality Show stars high-schoolfootball coach, Jack Forrest. After Jack honestlyanswers a student who questions him aboutChristianity, Jack may lose his job. One dayafter football practice, the school’s viceprincipaland Jack’s recent date, KathrynWilliams, explains that in order to keep his job,Jack must tell the student that Christianity isonly one of many ways to God. The arrival of ahelicopter interrupts their conversation. A manoffers Jack a spot on the Ultimate Reality Showwhich rewards the winner with 10 milliondollars. Knowing he’ll need money if he loseshis job, Jack decides to participate. As personalchallenges arise that repeatedly test Jack’sconvictions, he wonders if he should justwithdraw from the show and go home.Clay Jacobsen writes this contemporary fictionbook with the flair of an entertaining, fast-paced,television show. Straight from the football fieldto strenuous challenges of a “Survivor” type ofreality show, action fills every page. Bikini-cladbombshells are a staple to the world of realitytelevision, and they are not excluded in thisbook. Their purpose is to be representative ofthe world of reality television. As Jackprogresses through the show, he notices hisstandards slipping as he is frequently exposed totemptations in an artificial setting, mostlyrelated to an exceptionally pretty contestant. Hedoes kiss the beautiful contestant several times.The mood is often intense as the action races andthe unexpected occurs. Dialogue is much likethat of most reality television shows, with thecontestants forming alliances and buildingstrong distrust of others. Without being preachy,Jacobsen very briefly touches on some trickyissues that confront Christians, like standing upfor faith in spite of the ramifications, abortion,and believers dating non-believers. He alsoshows how choices made at any age affect therest of your life. The theme, character counts,comes through the imperfect life of Jack Forrest,and the tuned in reader can learn along withJack.Kristina WolcottValiant hope / Donna Fleisher. (Homelandheroes ; 3.) LCCN 2005032055. GrandRapids : Zondervan, 2006.PAP, 0310263964, list price: $12.99.J U N E 2 0 0 6 2 4 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

ADULTFICTIONFic. Abused children--Fiction; Christian fiction. 308p. ; 22 cm.Adult. Rating : 3.Valiant Hope, third in Donna Fleischer’sHomeland Hero series, continues the story ofChris McIntyre, the troubled young woman whois a Desert Storm vet, a victim of childhoodabuse, and a new Christian. Working at aninner-city community center, Chris begins tosuspect that one of her young charges is beingbeaten by her father. When she goes to Alaina’shome to check on her, Chris wades into themiddle of a beating and ends up being beatenherself.Chris’s own abusive childhood memories onceagain push themselves to the forefront, and herrage becomes overwhelming in the face of herLord whispering that she needs to forgive herfather so she can be freed and move on. JasonSloan, the paramedic who treated her at thescene of Alaina’s beating, is himself a victim ofabuse, and recognizes the signs in Chris. Andalthough he is grieving the senseless death of hisown wife, daughter, and unborn child, he ismoved to love Chris, and to push her to shareher experiences with him. With the telling ofher story comes an immense release and therealization that Chris needs to offer forgivenessto her father, in person.Readers may find it a stretch to believe thatJason would become so thoroughly involved inChris’s life after only knowing her for threedays—and that she would reveal to him hergreatest horror, when she hadn’t even discussedit with her long-time friend, Erin. Readerslooking for action will find Valiant Hope aslower moving, intensely emotional story as itfocuses primarily on Chris’s internal storms, andher eventual surrender to the Lord in the area offorgiveness.Sherri BeelerWhat she left for me / Tracie Peterson.LCCN 2005018580. Minneapolis :Bethany House, 2005.PAP, 0764227769, list price: $12.99.Fic. Aunts--Fiction; Pregnant women--Fiction;Runaway husbands--Fiction; Mothers and daughters--Fiction; Conflict of generations--Fiction; Christianfiction. 352 p. ; 22 cm.Adult. Rating : 4.Jana Templeton McGuire returns from amissions trip to Africa to discover that herhusband, a pastor, has left town with hissecretary, taken all of their money, all of herjewelry, and led the congregation to believe thatshe has asked him for a divorce. She ispenniless and has only four days to move out ofthe parsonage to make room for the new pastor.Having learned in Africa that she is pregnantwith their child, she has no choice but to call hermother and ask to come home. This is not justJana’s story, it is also her mother’s story. It is astory of infidelity, abandonment, rape, andincest. It is also a story of relationships, thedestructive power of guilt, and the healingpower of forgiveness.Tracie Peterson is a courageous author and is tobe commended. She has tackled a tough subjectin the Christian venue and done so with delicatecandor. The rape is merely revealed; the incestis narrated in more detail, but with greatprudence. The story is a perfect demonstrationof the ripple effect, of how choices haveconsequences that can reach not only into thelife of the perpetrator or the victim, but into thelives of future generations, as well. As theTempleton family works through the emotionalbehaviors of grief at the death of innocence,faith, and trust, the reader applauds the strengthof the human spirit to arrive, not only at a levelof acceptance, but to rise above it to the peace ofGod that passes all understanding. This title ishighly recommended.Pamella A. RussellWhen the lion roars / DiAnn Mills. LCCN2004028301. Colorado Springs :RiverOak, 2005.PAP, 1589190300, list price: $12.99.Fic. Kidnapping--Fiction; Slavery--Fiction; Sudan--History--Civil War, 1983- --Fiction; Christian fiction;War stories. 320 p. ; 22 cm.Adult. Rating : 4.When the Lion Roars unites three individualswho seek to help politically ravaged Sudan. Ona trip to deliver aid from Feed the World, PaulFarid meets Dr. Larson Kerr, an Americanmedical doctor who devotes her life to thepeople of Warkou, Sudan. Ben Alier, leader ofthe Sudanese People’s Liberation Army, is alsoin Warkou, and threatens to kill Paul. BecauseBen’s parents were killed by Government ofSudan (G.O.S.) soldiers, Larson takes care of hisyounger sister Rachel as well as Nyok, a boywhose parents were killed by G.O.S. soldiers.Before Paul can board his plane to leave, G.O.S.soldiers attack Warkou and abduct Rachel. Ben,Larson, and Paul must unite in order to find her.As violence roars across Sudan, Paul remembers“The Lion of Judah is among us…we havenothing to fear with Him in our hearts.” p. 175DiAnn Mills courageously tackles thiscontemporary fiction novel based on the verytragic, non-fiction civil war which has ragedacross Sudan for about 20 years. The wellpacedplot encompasses some of thecomplexities in Sudan’s political situationthrough the lives of Paul, Ben, and Larson.Throughout the book, all three main characterswar either with God, self, or others. Some shortscenes are violent, and in other scenes thecharacters patch up what was ruined by theviolence. Mills introduces thoughts of thecharacters in italics most of the time and carefulreading is sometimes needed to determine whichcharacter is thinking. While the mood of thisbook and the situation of Sudan often feelhopeless, Mills beautifully presents a story inwhich God uses willing hearts and can work forgood to those who love him.Kristina WolcottC H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 2 5 J U N E 2 0 0 6

DevelopingChristianFictionCollectionsby Donna W. BowlingThe librarian’s guide to developingChristian fiction collections for children /Barbara J. Walker. (The librarian’sguides to developing Christian fictioncollections ; 3.) LCCN 2005004976. NewYork : Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2005.HBB, 1555705464, list price: $55.00.025.2/781354. Readers’ advisory services--UnitedStates; Fiction in libraries--United States; Christianfiction, American--Bibliography; Christian children--Books and reading--United States; Christian literaturefor children--History and criticism; Christian literaturefor children--Bibliography; Children’s libraries--Collection development--United States; Libraries--Special collections--Christian fiction. xiii, 228 p. ; 23cm.The librarian’s guide to developingChristian fiction collections for youngadults / Barbara J. Walker. (Thelibrarian’s guides to developing Christianfiction collections ; 1.) LCCN 2005005112.New York : Neal-Schuman Publishers,2005.HBB, 1555705456, list price: $55.00.025.2/781354. Libraries--Special collections--Christian fiction.; Teenagers--Books and reading. xi,200 p. ; 23 cm.The librarian’s guide to developingChristian fiction collections for adults /Barbara J. Walker. (The librarian’sguides to developing Christian fictioncollections ; 2.) LCCN 2005004978. NewYork : Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2005.HBB, 1555705227, list price: $65.00.025.2/781354. Readers’ advisory services--UnitedStates; Fiction in libraries--United States; Christians--Books and reading--United States; Christian fiction,American--History and criticism; Christian fiction,American--Stories, plots, etc.; Christian fiction,American--Bibliography; Libraries--Specialcollections--Christian fiction. xiii, 362 p. ; 23 cm.Barbara Walker has updated her 1998 title,Developing Christian Fiction Collections forChildren and Adults [CLJ 4, 2/3:77+ (WiSp1999)], by expanding it into three separatevolumes. Librarians in public and schoollibraries are the primary target group for TheLibrarian’s Guide to Developing ChristianFiction Collections for Children, TheLibrarian’s Guide to Developing ChristianFiction Collections for Young Adults, and TheLibrarian’s Guide to Developing ChristianFiction Collections for Adults. Designed asstand-alone volumes, the basic structure for eachbook is the same. The contents of the first andthird parts are very similar, with only slightvariation due to the particular clienteleconsidered. In Part 1: Essential Background,Chapter 1 on “How to Understand the ChristianFiction Genre” defines Christian fiction, gives abrief history, and identifies potential patrons.Chapter 2 on “How to Build Christian FictionCollections” includes selection criteria and dealswith some censorship issues. Chapter 3provides suggestions on “How to MarketChristian Fiction Collections.”Part 3: Collection Development Resourcesincludes chapters on “Christian Fiction AwardWinners,” “About Christian Fiction Authors,”“Christian Fiction Publishers,” and “ReviewSources for Christian Fiction” (includingChristian Library Journal). The guide forchildren’s fiction lists only relevant GoldMedallion awards, while the guides for adultsand young adults add Christy, RITA, andChristianity Today awards as well. The guidefor children’s fiction provides biographies foronly twenty-five authors, while the guides foradults and young adults include thosebiographies along with approximately twentyfiveother authors. The content of each of theindividual author biographies provided is thesame in each guide, and the guide for youngadults adds only a few authors not also includedin the guide for adults.Part 2: Core Collection Recommendations, isthe major part of each book. The chapter on“Key Book Titles” is subdivided into genres.Two other chapters list “Key Series,” and “KeyDVDs and Videos.” Most of the nearly 200titles listed for children, the nearly 200 titleslisted for young adults, and the over 500 titleslisted for adults have descriptive annotations ofvarying lengths. These entries frequentlyconclude with evaluative quotations fromstandard review sources. (Annotations for serieslists are shorter.) Since these three guides aredesigned as stand-alone volumes, those titlesreferred to in Part 1 of each are also cited in theother volumes. Many of the titles in these firstsections are not included as part of the annotatedcore collections. While around a third of thecore collection titles in the guide for youngadults also appear in the core collection foradults, there are very few core collection youngadult titles also listed in the guide for children.A number of the biographies refer to authors oftitles listed in Part 1 that have not been includedin core collection entries.Although John Mort’s 2002 title, ChristianFiction: A Guide to the Genre [CLJ 9, 4:9 (Nov2004)] remains more comprehensive than theseupdated guides by Walker, Mort’s volume doesnot include children’s titles. The Walker guidesinclude a number of valuable, more recent titles.Since these new guides are designed as standalonevolumes, the amount of duplication in thefirst and third parts is not inappropriate, butadditional adaptation to the specific age groupswould improve them. Although a comparisonwith Walker’s 1998 guide shows considerablecarryover from the earlier title (including,regrettably, a misspelling of author ZaneHodges’ first name on page 5 or 6), the qualityof these new guides is enhanced. However, afew inevitable errors remain, such as occasionalmisspellings, and omission of the 2004 Christyaward for fantasy. Each volume has a combinedauthor, title, subject index. Because of theunique content in each of these Walker guides,they are definitely recommended for public,church, and school libraries for these agegroups, as finances permit.Donna W. Bowling, Library/EducationalConsultant, Dallas, TexasJ U N E 2 0 0 6 2 6 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

BOOK REVIEWSADULT NONFICTIONThe illustrated everyday Bible companion: an all-in-one resource for everyday Biblestudy / George W. Knight, with RayburnW. Ray. Uhrichsville, Oh. : Barbour, 2005.PAP, 1593109059, list price: $34.95.220.1/6. Bible--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 704 p. : ill.(mostly col.) ; 25 cm.Adult (Grades 9-12). Rating : 5.The Illustrated Everyday Bible Companion hasthe perfect title that describes what it is to a “T”.Chock full of fabulous, full-color illustrations ofstatues, paintings, people, places, and sundryitems from past and present, this is an affordablereference guide to the Bible that definitelyshould not be passed over. The treasure trove ofinformation between the covers of this book ishighly interesting and educational. Based on theKing James Version of the Bible, this guide isintended for lay readers of the Bible and is notfor biblical scholars.The Illustrated Everyday Bible Companion isactually four books in one comprehensivevolume. It includes a concise combinationdictionary and concordance of biblical terms, asection that explains Bible customs andcuriosities, and a book-by-book handbook of theentire Bible. Maps add interest to this guide,which is cross-referenced throughout and alsoincludes helpful side bar information andexplanations of each illustration and picture. Anextensive index at the back provides readerswith extra help in finding information quickly.Highly recommended, this Bible companion isengrossing and will provide much insight andinformation to its user.Sherri MyersThe Crossway illustrated Bible handbook/ edited by Tim Dowley ; contributors,Stephen Motyer .. [et al.]. LCCN2005009875. Wheaton, Ill. : CrosswayBooks, 2005.HBB, 158134693X, list price: $17.99.220.6/1. Bible--Introductions. 240 p. : ill. (mostlycol.), maps ; 27 cm.Adult (Grades 6-12). Rating : 3.The Crossway Illustrated Bible Handbook isvisually impressive, making excellent use ofcolor, especially in graphs like the one showingwhich books of the Old Testament are prophecy,which are history, etc. Other excellent graphicmaterial show where in Jerusalem each HolyWeek event occurred, and what the importantmountains of the Bible are.The clearly-written text includes an overview ofthe Old and New Testaments, how life was livedin Bible times, and how the Bible was written.There are first-rate descriptions of the tabernacleand the various temples; the differences betweenPharisees and Sadducees; and the content ofeach New Testament letter. There’s also anespecially clear explanation of the differencesbetween the major Bible translations. However,a problem arises from the book being a‘handbook’ rather than a ‘dictionary’ or‘encyclopedia’: information is sometimespresented so sketchily it could confuse readersnew to the Bible. The format of an OldTestament timeline, for instance, makes it seemJoseph’s family settled in Egypt before Isaacwas born. Sites mentioned in the text describinga map often do not appear anywhere on the mapitself. The listing of the people of the Bible isneither chronological nor alphabetical—especially problematic when listing the kingsand prophets of Israel and Judah. There’s alsosome inconsistency: Abraham is identified asAbram but “Sarai” isn’t mentioned; Rachel islisted but not Leah, etc. A blurb about Isaac saysonly that he was born after Abraham and Sarahwere too old to have children, had a namemeaning ‘laughter,’ and was liked by all.The Handbook is an ambitious work, coveringmany topics in interesting and innovative ways.But its selective coverage makes it best as asupplement to rather than a means ofdiscovering the Bible.Rosemarie DiCristoFinding God in the questions : a personaljourney / Timothy Johnson. LCCN2003027940. Downers Grove, Ill. :InterVarsity Press, 2004.HBB, 0830832149, list price: $19.00.230. Johnson, G. Timothy, 1936-; Christian life;Religion and science; Apologetics. 216 p. : 22 cm.Adult. Rating : 5.Dr. Timothy Johnson comes with extensivecredentials. He serves as assisting minister ofthe Community Covenant Church in Peabody,Massachusetts, and beyond that, his medicalqualifications have taken him far and wide.Well-known as the medical editor for ABCNews, he has reported on health care issues forGood Morning America since 1975, provideson-air analysis of medical news for World NewsTonight, Nightline and 20/20, and also holdsjoint positions in medicine at Harvard and atMassachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Heis the author of several books, one which he coauthoredwith former US Surgeon GeneralEverett C. Koop.In this book, Dr. Johnson tackles such deepquestions as does God exist? how did we gethere? what is God like? and very importantly,what difference does it make? The book iscompleted by a suggested reading list and abibliography.The author insists we should not shy away fromthe questions that it seems all of us are asking.We don’t have the answers and sometimes arenot even sure if we have the questions. Johnsontakes us along on his personal spiritual quest andnever hesitates to bare his own searching souland make himself vulnerable by sharing what heis sure of—and that which he is not. Hisexploration is honest and although the readermay not agree with every conclusion that hecomes to, he or she will feel this is a good guidefor their own journey. In the preface, Dr.Johnson claims that he desires to face his beliefswith “candor and confession.” This candor andhonest confession are what makes Finding Godin the Questions so compelling and makes it arecommended addition to all church libraries.Ceil CareyCredo: believing in something to die for /Ray Pritchard. LCCN 2005018386.Wheaton, Ill. : Crossway, 2005.PAP, 1581347197, list price: $12.99.238/.11. Apostle’s Creed. 221 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.Adult (Grades 9-12). Rating : 4.Credo is written to help readers betterunderstand the Apostles’ Creed in order to helpthem better understand the Christian faith.Author Ray Pritchard begins by explaining whythe Creed matters, then, chapter by chapter,dissects the Creed, one phrase at a time.Pritchard focuses on the Creed for severalreasons, including its ability to transcenddenominational differences and its concisesummation of Christianity. He cautions,however, that even the Creed doesn’t surpass theultimate source of authority: God’s Word.Credo is readable and convincing, painlesslyutilizing church history, the words of varied mensuch as Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, andPope Benedict, and copious examples from theBible itself to succinctly but thoroughly coverall aspects of Christianity. It’s geared primarilyfor adults, but its look, feel, and tone as well asits ability to clearly explain the core points ofChristianity would make it appealing to teens.These traits and each chapter’s “Think About It”questions will also make Credo good for newChristians.C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 2 7 J U N E 2 0 0 6

ADULTNONFICTIONPotentially controversial or troublesome aspectsof the Apostles’ Creed are smoothly handled,including the meanings of “he descended intohell” and “holy catholic church.” Thediscussion of “Creator of Heaven and earth”includes a look at the creation versus evolutiondebate, nicely explaining why a Creator matters.There are a few cautions. Pritchard’s manyreferences to popular culture may date the book.Virtually every pull quote either immediatelyprecedes or follows the text it’s taken from,making the quotes seem repetitive rather thanilluminating. Also, a passage where Pritcharddetails how Jesus was buried, including how hewas “half-carried, half-dragged” to the tomb, isfanciful at best.Rosemarie DiCristoThe mark of Jesus : loving in a way theworld can see / Timothy George, JohnWoodbridge. LCCN 2004030763.Chicago : Moody Press, 2005.PAP, 0802481238, list price: $14.99.241/.4. Jesus Christ--Example; Love--Religiousaspects--Christianity; Agape. 184 p. ; 23 cm.Adult. Rating : 4.What do Christians unintentionally do thatprevents the Gospel from expanding? TimothyGeorge and John Woodbridge explain some ofthe hindrances to the broadening of our faith.Ultimately, they teach that we must rely ongenuine, sacrificial love, which they call themark of Jesus, to advance the Gospel effectively.Specifically, we need to realize that ourrelationships within the Christian communityspeak volumes to those who are considering therelevance of Jesus. The authors go on to pointout that this reality does not mean that Christiansshould alter their convictions in order to beaccepted by the world.The value of The Mark of Jesus lies in itsteaching of the way Christians should love bothone another and people who disagree with ourbeliefs. The book is an important read foranyone concerned with spreading the gospel andwith truly loving people, no matter what theirideas regarding life’s principles. The book is asummary of many of the issues that Christiansmust face in our modern culture and can seem tobe a lot of material in a rather short book.However, to appeal to the less academic reader,The Mark of Jesus provides illustrations andstories to emphasize its points. )Angela AndrewsBreathe : creating space for God in ahectic life / Keri Wyatt Kent. LCCN2005001692. Grand Rapids : Revell, 2005.PAP, 0800730607, list price: $12.99.248.8/43. Christian women--Religious life. 254 p. ;22 cm.Adult. Rating : 4.Breathe: Creating Space for God in a HecticLife was written with the busy mother in mind.Day after day, mothers and fathers have a busyschedule to keep that often includes keeping thehouse in order, working, raising children, andgrowing in their relationship with God.Sometimes life is on autopilot where theywonder where time has gone, and wonder howwe can slow down to rest and focus more onGod. Keri Wyatt Kent has written a book thatgives advice on how to simplify your life andgrow deeper in your faith with God. It’s whatshe refers to as Sabbath Simplicity.Not only has Kent researched her material inwriting this book, but she understands the hecticlife of being a parent. She incorporates truestories about herself as well as other motherswho are in the process of adding simplicity totheir daily lives. Physical and mental aspects ofhurried parents and their children are discussedand are well documented in this book. Theauthor focuses on godly practices for living anunhurried life. Scripture is explained whereappropriate throughout the book.Stacie CoomerI can’t do it all : breaking free of the liesthat control us / Tracie Peterson, AllisonBottke, Dianne O’Brian. LCCN2005032391. Minneapolis : BethanyHouse, 2006.PAP, 0764200666, list price: $12.99.248.8/43. Peterson, Tracie; Bottke, Allison; O’Brian,Dianne; Christian biography--United States. 206 p. ;21 cm.Adult. Rating : 4.As women, many of us have bought into lieswe’ve been told throughout our lives. We havealso been crippled by those very lies and haveallowed them to control every part of our lives.Tracie Peterson, Allison Bottke, and Dianne O’Brian have teamed up to bring women a nonfictionbook that will help them break free fromthe bonds of several of the most common lies.Tackling such issues as body image, aging, andexercise, romance and marriage, fulfillment inlife, forgiveness, and faith, I Can’t Do It All! isan excellent study guide for both individual andgroup study.Touching on physical, mental, spiritual, andemotional aspects of the whole woman, eachauthor gives advice based on biblical truths andpersonal experiences. Each chapter highlights awell-known lie and shines the light of scripturaltruth on it in order to expose the fallacy.Personal application questions and ‘My Turn’sections at the end of each chapter will helpwomen to finally overcome the lies they’vebelieved for too long and live their lives to thefullest potential that God intended for each one.Sherri MyersWalking with God on the road you neverwanted to travel / by Mark Atteberry.LCCN 2005008733. Nashville : ThomasNelson, 2005.PAP, 0785211322, list price: $13.99.248.8/6. Wilderness (Theology); Exodus, The;Consolation. xv, 204 p. ; 22 p.Adult. Rating : 4.The 40 years wilderness wanderings of theChildren of Israel provide a backdrop for MarkAtteberry’s book. Hasn’t everyone taken anunplanned path in life? Haven’t we wandered ina seemingly barren land? Surely, the answer isa resounding “Yes!” Walking with God on theRoad You Never Wanted to Travel addresses ourfeelings when the path is unexpected anddifficult.“Keep Your Dream Alive”will help readers whoendure difficulties because of the choices ofother people. Remember Caleb and Joshua.Then, keep talking, praying, and moving towardthe dream. Another technique is “Turn YourTrip into a Testimony.” Bless other peoplebecause of your difficult road. Atteberry writes,“A detour will test your character, because it sonaturally breeds anger and frustration….But italso give you an opportunity to put forth anexceptional witness. If you can trust God andremain faithful even on the difficult side roadsof life, you will impact a lot of people.”Roberta Lou JonesAbout my Father’s business / RegiCampbell. LCCN 2004021726. Sisters,Ore. : Multnomah, 2005.HBB, 1590524071, list price: $16.99.248.8/8. Employees--Religious life; Witness bearing(Christianity); Work--Religious aspects--Christianity;Christian life. 173 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.Adult. Rating : 5.As Christians in the workforce, many of us wantto witness to a co-worker or boss, but don’t quiteknow how to break the ice. Others feel thathome and work are two different lives that don’tmesh. Author Regi Campbell helps us with thisdilemma by first having us put each of thepeople we work with into five differentcategories. Regi devotes a chapter for each ofthe categories that gives us ideas, personalexperiences, and encouragement to enable us totalk to our co-workers about Christ withconfidence. The author shows how important itis to know that with God’s help, we can make aneternal difference in the lives of people weinteract with most of our waking hours.About My Father’s Business: Taking Your Faithto Work begins with the heart of the authorshowing us that we have two jobs at work…onethat requires us to produce for our earthly bossand the other that requires us to love for ourheavenly Boss. Regi provides his web siteaddress, so the reader can download the chart ofthe five categories. There is also a small groupstudy guide available online at no charge.J U N E 2 0 0 6 2 8 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

ADULTNONFICTIONThis book is one that I would recommend foranyone who works in the secular world. It isvery well-written, and the author seems to havea deep passion for showing Christians how tobring God’s light into the workforce every day.I think the study guide would be a greatcompanion to the book.Tammy ScarbroughThe Oxford dictionary of the Christianchurch / edited by F.L. Cross ; 3rd ed. rev.edited by E. A. Livingstone. 3rd ed., rev.(.) LCCN 2005282601. New York :Oxford, 2005.HBB, 0192802909, list price: $150.00.270.03. Christianity--Dictionaries. xl, 1800 p. ; 26cm.Adult (Grades 10-12). Rating : 5.A blurb on the back of The Oxford Dictionary ofthe Christian Church calls it “the authoritativestandard reference book on the Christianchurch.” The work, which was first published in1957 and now comes in a third revised edition,is worthy of such praise. With more than 6,000entries on everything and everyone fromAugustine to Zwingli, from Aaron to Zachariah,from Angola to Zimbabwe, the dictionary is asexhaustive as a one-volume dictionary couldpossibly be.British academics and vicars populate the list ofcontributors, but the often quite largebibliographies following many entries containgenerous amounts of references to French andGerman resources. The bibliographies aresometimes as long as the entries, and are quitevaluable.The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Churchcovers theology (from heresy to orthodoxy), thecontent of the Bible (Bible books, characters,schools of biblical criticism), patristics, modernand historical denominations (of all shades frommultiple countries and time periods), the churchcalendar and liturgy, and biographies of majorfigures in church history and theology. Thebook is not limited to Protestantism or toanything else more narrow than “Christian.” Itconstitutes a standard reference work, though itmight be more beneficial if it were madeavailable electronically.Mark L. Ward, Jr.*Encyclopedia of Judaism / Sara E. Kareshand Mitchell M. Hurvitz. (Encyclopediaof world religions.) LCCN 2004026537.New York : Facts on File, 2005.HBB, 0816054576, list price: $75.00.296/.03. Judaism--Encyclopedias. xxxvi, 602 p. : ill.; 24 cm.Adult (Grades 10-12). Rating : *5.Facts on File, of Infobase Publishing, offersencyclopedias that “emphasize the living faithsand their historical and social backgrounds.” Aspart of that set, Sara E. Karesh and Mitchell M.Hurvitz have written Encyclopedia of Judaism.The authors are well qualified. Karesh teachesJewish history; Hurvitz is a rabbi with a M.A.degree.Eight hundred entries follow an A-to-Z format.Entries begin with “Aaron, abortion, andAbravanel,” and end with Zohar,Soroastrianism, and Zunz. Black and whitepictures are ample, but not overly abundant.Each entry includes a useful “For furtherreading’ section.Various periods of Jewish history are wellrepresented. Modern people, such as HenryKissinger and Betty Friedan, join the ancientMaccabees. I recommend Encyclopedia ofJudaism.Roberta Lou JonesBeing a great mom, raising great kids /Sharon Jaynes. LCCN 61663. Chicago :Moody, 2000.PAP, 802465323, list price: $12.99.306.874/3. Mothers; Parenting; Parenting--Religiousaspects--Christianity. 271 p. ; 23 cm.Adult. Rating : 4.It is a rare book these days that interweavesteachings of the Bible and how to raise children.In Being a Great Mom, Raising Great Kids,Sharon Jaynes tackles the task unflinchingly. Aquote from Elizabeth Stone sums up the tone onparental responsibility in the book, “Making adecision to have a child—it’s momentous. It isto decide forever to have your heart go walkingaround outside your body.”Jaynes shares down to earth advice such aslistening with your eyes, ears, facialexpressions, and mind, while also offeringscripture as basis for each point. Sheencourages mothers to take on the role ofdisciplinarian while embracing their child inlove. She provides startling information in howwe often change as parents of young children, toparents of teenagers, and this needs to bereevaluated. A study she shares “showed that 54percent of mothers gave daily verbal affirmationsuch as ‘I love you’ to their fifth graders, but bythe time the child was in the ninth grade, only 36percent of the mothers were doing so….”It is obvious Jaynes has done extensive researchbefore writing this informative book. Her workscited section in itself are interesting in its scopeand completeness, and further offers readersother opportunities to delve further into thesubject of parenting. Being a Great Mom,Raising Great Kids is a book that offers practicaladvice and scripture that I would recommend tomothers of young children as well as teens.S. Katherine Lopez*The hospital by the river : a story of hope/ Catherine Hamlin with John Little.LCCN 2005360902. Grand Rapids :Monarch; dist. by Kregel, 2005.PAP, 0825460719, list price: $13.99.362.1109633092. Hamlin, Catherine; Hamlin, Reg;Gynecologists--Ethiopia--Biography; Women’shospitals--Ethiopia--Addis Ababa; Fistula, Vesicovaginal--Surgery.x, 308 p., [16] p. of plates : ill.(some col.) ; 20 cm.Adult. Rating : *5.With only some clothes, a few household items,toys, and medical books, gynecologists Reg andCatherine Hamlin, with their young sonRichard, embarked on their life’s devotion of 40plus years to serve the women of Ethiopia whosuffer from a debilitating condition known asvesico-vaginal fistula. The book describes thecondition as it presents itself in developingcountries and what this condition represents forthe women of Ethiopia. Dr. Catherine Hamlin,with the help of writer and film-maker JohnLittle, writes this autobiography that reads likecherished memoirs of their shared life, work,political and financial struggles, relationships,and dedication to service in Ethiopia.Dr. Catherine Hamlin tells their story withsimplicity, humility, humor, and pathos. Thecouple’s single-mindedness is apparent in thestatement that “…neither of us felt suited to alife of predictable comfort in England.” p.47Following the death of Dr. Reg in 1993, Dr.Catherine has continued to serve in Ethiopia “inthe hope that the torch lit by Reg for the fistulapilgrims of Ethiopia…will burn even morebrightly, and that others will become inspired tostamp out this…maternal tragedy.” p. 302 Dr.Reg is quoted as saying, “A mother is a family’sC H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 2 9 J U N E 2 0 0 6

ADULTNONFICTIONrichest possession, a being of priceless value.”p.302 This is not just a story of hope, but also ofhuman and cultural value. The reader will bechallenged to inquire further into the ongoingwork of Dr. Catherine Hamlin and the AddisAbaba Fistula Hospital.The book contains inspiring photographs, a listof Fistula Hospital Trusts, and a bibliography.This title is highly recommended.Pamella A. RussellChildren tell stories : teaching and usingstorytelling in the classroom / MarthaHamilton and Mitch Weiss. 2nd ed. (.)LCCN 2005021667. Katonah, N.Y. :Richard C. Owen, 2005.PAP, 1572746637, list price: $29.95.372.67/7. Storytelling; Children’s stories--Study andteaching; Storytelling ability in children; Activityprograms in education. xx, 264 p. : ill. ; 26 cm. (Inc.CD-ROM).Adult (Grades 10-12). Rating : 5.Everyone loves stories! Martha Hamilton andMitch Weiss perform together as “Beauty andthe Beast Storytellers.” One result of theirexperience is Children Tell Stories: Teachingand Using Storytelling in the Classroom. Blackand white illustrations include pictures,drawings, and sidebars. The layout allows thereader to hop and skip to parts most relevant totheir needs. Certainly, reading chronologicallyis great…but not required.Hamilton and Weiss cover a wide range ofmaterial, such as storytelling etiquette, fair usein copyright law, and organizing a familystorytelling festival. A student self-evaluationand goal setting form urged me to critiquemyself. The authors explained why theydiscourage contests, and offered suggestions forincluding children with disabilities. A shortsection promoted emotional healing withstories.Of course, look for anything you expect in astorytelling book—types of stories, preparing astorytelling unit, and benefits of storytelling.“Helping Students Tell Their Stories” addressedmonotones, vocal expression, tempo, deepbreathing, and articulation. Even silence is a“very effective element” used with bodylanguage and facial expression.Appendices include suggested stories and otherresources. Note the companion DVD, withvideos, web links, and printable stories. Allteachers, parents, and students will profit fromthis highly useful, and readable book.520.’3. Outer space; Astronomy; Solar system; MilkyWay. 2 videodiscs (40 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in.Grades 3-8. Rating : 4.Journeys to the Edge of Creation has a thesisand supporting arguments: Someone must havecreated our universe. It is so beautiful, so vast,so intricate. And the earth is so perfectly suitedto support life—against universal odds. It wasnot to scare us or intimidate us that God createdthe heavens, the DVD says, but to show us oursignificance: “We are the supreme focus of thecreator’s attention and care.” The pictures andaccompanying scientific commentary constituteadded supporting arguments, though the scienceis kept fairly simple.The first DVD in the set focuses on the solarsystem, while the second stretches the limits ofhuman knowledge by taking a journey throughspace all the way to the edge (is there such athing?) of the universe. The narrator describesthe work of various space probes, of the Hubbletelescope, and of the earth-bound astronomerswho analyze the data their probes send back.The DVDs also include a few comments froman astronomer at the University of SouthCarolina.The pictures shown are the standard space shotsseen on numerous other TV specials or newsprograms—with a few extra computergeneratedanimations thrown in.The second DVD closes with a gospelinvitation, an encouragement to people to readthe Bible to find out God’s thoughts.Mark L. Ward, Jr.Roberta Lou JonesJourneys to the edge of creation. (AMoody Institute of Science presentation.)Chicago : Moody Publishers, 1996.DVD, 1575672529, list price: $29.99.J U N E 2 0 0 6 3 0 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L

INDEXAbanes, Richard 2About my Father's business 28Anderson, Debby 7Anderson, John Aubrey 21Andreasen, Dan 7Angel and the cross 10Angel and the ring 10Angel and the sword 10Ardizzone, Edward 12At the scent of water 21Atteberry, Mark 28Bateman, Tracey 22Batson, Wayne 16Being a girl 19Being a girl who loves : learning to love like Jesus19Being a great mom, raising great kids 29Benge, Geoff 20Benge, Janet 20Biology! best science projects 19Black or white : a novel 21Bless the Lord 8Bluedorn, Johannah 8Bottke, Allison 28Breathe : creating space for God in a hectic life2 8Bridge to Terabithia 16Bright, Bill 23, 24Brouwer, Sigmund 10Burkart, Gina 4Byrd, Sandra 11, 17Campbell, Regi 28Carvell, Marlene 18Case of the sassy parrot 10Catherine : the great journey 10Cats 13Causes of the American Revolution 14Causes of the Civil War 14Causes of the Iraq War 14Causes of the World War II 14Causes of World War I 14Cavanaugh, Jack 23, 24Celebrity 21Change and cherish series 21Cherokee and their history 14Chico 7Children tell stories : teaching and usingstorytelling in the classroom 30Christian babysitter's handbook 19Christian wisdom of the Jedi masters 3Clearing in the wild 21Color of the soul 22Comte, Hubert 13Construction math 13Corrigan, Jim 14Credo: believing in something to die for 27Crimebusters Inc. 10Cross, F. L. (Frank Leslie) 29Crossway illustrated Bible handbook 27Daisy chains 11Dalton, Russell W. 3Darkstar : confessions of a rock idol : a novel22Dawson, Sheena 8Deliver us from Evelyn 22Diamond, Donna 16Dickson, Athol 24Door within 16Dowley, Tim 27Earth science! best science projects 19Ecosystem science fair projects : using worms,leaves, crickets, and other stuff 19Elmer, Robert 21Elwell, Tristen 12Encyclopedia of Judaism 29Encyclopedia of world religions 29Englar, Mary 14Epperson, James F. 14Estes, Eleanor 11, 12Faith journey through fantasy lands : a Christiandialogue with Harry Potter, Star wars, & The Lordof the rings 3Finding Anna 22Finding God in the questions : a personal journey27Fire 24Firestorm : a novel 23Fish, Peter! 8Fleisher, Donna 24Fletcher, Sarah 19Follow me book 8Friends for a season 11, 17Gallagher, Jim 14Gardner, Robert 19George, Timothy 28Goodness gene 16Gospel according to Harry Potter : leader’s guidefor group study 4Granger, John 5Great awakenings, 1740-1741 24Great awakenings, 1757-1858 23Great minds of science 19Gregory, Kristiana 10Guardian angel 10Hamilton, Martha 30Hamlin, Catherine 29Harry Potter, Narnia, and The lord of the rings 2Heroes of history 20Homeland heroes 24Hospital by the river : a story of hope 29Hour of the witch : Harry Potter, Wicca witchcraft,and the Bible 2Howard, Milly 10Hurvitz, Mitchell M. 29I can make that! : fantastic crafts for kids 14I can't do it all : breaking free of the lies thatcontrol us 28I love my Bible! 7Illustrated everyday Bible companion : an all-inoneresource for everyday Bible study 27Iroquois and their history 14Island of the Blue Dolphins 11Jacob have I loved 17Jacobsen, Clay 24Jaynes, Sharon 29Johnson, G. Timothy 27Journeys to the edge of creation 30Karesh, Sara E. 29Kent, Keri Wyatt 28Kirkpatrick, Jane 21Knight, George W. 27Landscape with dragons : the battle for yourchild's mind 2Lefrancois, Sandra 13Leonardo da Vinci : genius of art and science 19Levitin, Sonia 16Lewin, Ted 11Librarian's guide to developing Christian fictioncollections for adults 26Librarian's guide to developing Christian fictioncollections for children 26Librarian's guide to developing Christian fictioncollections for young adults 26Librarian's guides to developing Christian fictioncollections 26Little, John 29Livingstone, Elizabeth A. 29Looking for God in Harry Potter 5Lord builds the house : the 127th psalm 8Lost!... but found, safe and sound 13Loving Soren : a novel 23Lucado, Max 12Mapes, Creston 22Mark of Jesus : loving in a way the world can see28Mark of the cross 23Math and my world 13Meriwether Lewis : off the edge of the map 20Meriwether Lewis : unit study, curriculum guide20Middle Moffat 11Mills, DiAnn 25Moffat Museum 11Moffats 11Moody Institute of Science presentation 30Music math 13Music of the heart 22My mommy, my teacher 8National Park Services 13Neal, Connie 4Nichols, Linda 21Nystrom, Carolyn 8O'Brian, Dianne 28O'Brien, Michael 2O'Connor, Sandra Day 7O'Dell, Scott 11Odyssey/Harcourt young classic 11, 12O'Neill, Caroline Coleman 23Oxford dictionary of the Christian church 29Parent's guide to Harry Potter 4Park, Linda Sue 17Parvin, Samuel F. 4Paterson, Katherine 16, 17Pella, Judith 23Penbrook diaries 22Peterson, Tracie 25, 28Pinky Pye 12Planet Earth science fair projects : using themoon, stars, beach balls, frisbees, and other faroutstuff 19Primicerio, Shannon Kubiak 19Pritchard, Ray 27Proof 23Pueblo and their history 14Ray, Rayburn W. 27Red velvet 17Reed, Jennifer 19Reynolds, Aaron 8River rising 24Road to war 14Royal diaries 10Schaub, Christine 22Shine like stars : the continuing story of KatieFremont 17Silvester, Hans Walter 13Sing, Mary! 8Single shard 17Sioux and their history 14Slobodkin, Louis 11St. Lawrence, Genevieve 14C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L 3 1 J U N E 2 0 0 6

INDEXStaub, Dick 3Strum, Richard M. 14Sweetgrass basket 18Tale of the poisonous yuck-bugs : based on Proverbs12:18 8Tatlock, Ann 24Things we once held dear 24Ultimate reality show 24Valiant hope 24Walker, Barbara J. 26Walker, Pam 19Walking with God on the road you never wanted totravel 28Wallace, Mary 14Walsh, Kieran 13Walz, Melinda 19Way home : a princess story 12We the people 14Weiss, Mitch 30Well, Chris 22Westra, Sharon 17What she left for me 25When the lion roars 25Whitehead, Peter 8Windle, Jeanette 23Wohlberg, Steve 2Wood, Elaine 19Woodbridge, John D. 28Ziff, John 14J U N E 2 0 0 6 3 2 C H R I S T I A N L I B R A R Y J O U R N A L