Category: Christian

Christian, teen

The Bare Naked Truth

Bergers Book Reviews

The Bare Naked Truth
Author: Bekah Hamrick Martin
Publisher: Zondervan
Genre: Christian / Teen / Relationships
ISBN: 978-0-310-73402-4
Pages: 192
Price: $9.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

If you haven’t started dating yet, this is a great time to make the decision to stay pure until marriage. But even if you have been dating, and you’ve haven’t made this choice, there is still time to think about what you’re doing and change. Reading The Bare Naked Truth is a wake-up call to remind you of all you stand to lose by giving up your body, even if you don’t go all the way.

Peppered with true stories of girls who did – and didn’t – remain pure, this is a true-life book on the facts of life. Not only do girls risk STDs, pregnancy, and the loss of their reputations, they also may jeopardize a great relationship and the trust of their future husband. Purity isn’t just defined by the actual act – it also covers doing “everything else” up to, but not actually having sex. And this can be just as damaging.

Bekah doesn’t preach. She gives us all the reasons why she decided to remain pure, even including not kissing anyone until she was engaged to her husband. And she encourages us to make the same choices. But she also reminds us that it’s never too late to decide to remain pure from now until marriage, even if we’ve not made that choice in the past. I highly recommend The Bare Naked Truth for all girls entering their teen and dating years.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, tween

Brilliant Hues (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

Bergers Book Reviews

Brilliant Hues
Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72668-5
Pages: 224
Price: $7.99

Author’s Website
Buy it at Amazon

Sadie is finally returning to California, now that her father’s job has ended in Michigan. Although a year ago she would have been thrilled, now she has mixed emotions. While she is eager to join her best friend back home, leaving her new friends behind will hurt.

But if Sadie thought her father’s work would get easier now, she is very wrong. His newest case has strong controversy, and she suddenly finds herself threatened by one of the parties involved. And when she lets her heart control her, she’s really in a predicament.

Sadie is a likeable girl with a heart of gold. She cares deeply for people and compassionately shares their hurts. But in this book, I thought the bounds of believability were pushed a little too far. I struggled with understanding how her parents gave in to her when she made her requests at the end of this story. And I really feel that twelve is much too young to be seriously thinking about a boyfriend.

Brilliant Hues is the fourth book in the From Sadie’s Sketchbook series. [See also Waves of Light, Flickering Hope and Shades of Truth.] Combining challenging situations with growing faith lessons, this series shows real life handled from a Christian perspective. Girls will love reading about Sadie and her friends, while also seeing a great role model.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, Christian

Nora’s Ark

Bergers Book Reviews

Nora's Ark
Author: Eileen Spinelli
Illustrator: Nora Hilb
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Children / Christian
ISBN: 978-0310720065
Pages: 32
Price: $14.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

The weatherman predicted rain. So Nora built an ark. Just like Noah. Well… not just like Noah. Nora wants to follow Noah’s actions, but she’s limited by what she has on-hand. She goes ahead anyway, doing everything to the best of her ability.

Nora’s ark is made from items she finds in storage. She can only round up pairs of a few animals, and the people she invites on the ark have to leave. Even Nora sneaks off for a little while. The rain only lasts a short while, unlike in Noah’s day. But a magnificent rainbow appears after the rain, just like Noah’s.

The Bible story of Noah and the flood is one children are usually very familiar with at a young age. So it’s endearing to see a girl act out the story on her own. And God is still abiding by his covenant with his people, which we can be sure of when we see the rainbow. Nora’s Ark is a delightful story with lovely illustrations. I highly recommend it.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, Christian

Lily’s Easter Party

Bergers Book Reviews

Lily's Easter Party
Author: Crystal Bowman
Illustrator: Richard Johnson
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Children / Easter
ISBN: 978-0-310-72595-4
Pages: 40
Price: $7.99

Buy it at Amazon

Lily’s parents are planning to hide eggs for Lily and her brother to find. Lily can hardly wait, so she invites her friends to join them. But when the day arrives, they find a big surprise. These aren’t ordinary eggs – they’re Resurrection eggs.

No toys are placed inside these eggs – instead they find symbols of the Easter story. A guide for what each symbol represents, plus the appropriate Bible verses, is provided. As each egg is opened, Lily’s parents explain the item’s significance.

For me, personally, this was a nice story until the egg with the chalice was opened. At this point, Lily’s mom tells her that it represents the Last Supper. But her mother uses the word “like” in this explanation, which is not in the Bible: “…the wine was like his blood” and “… the bread was like his body.” This wording is not biblically accurate.

For those who don’t take these words of Jesus literally and don’t mind an interpretation, this is a cute Easter book. But for those who expect the literal words and not a paraphrase of what Jesus said, this book is not a good choice.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, Christian

The Easter Story for Children

Bergers Book Reviews

The Easter Story for Children
Authors: Max Lucado, Randy Frazee, Karen Davis Hill
Illustrator: Fausto Bianchi
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Children / Bible
ISBN: 978-0-310-73594-6
Pages: 32
Price: $6.99

Buy it at Amazon

The Easter Story for Children is a fictional account of Jesus’ last days before his crucifixion, death and resurrection. Loosely based on the Bible, it attempts to share this account in a story format with graphic-style illustrations.

However, this story is not biblically accurate. The wording of the Last Supper is not only incorrect, it appears to be intentionally misleading. Matthew 26: 26-28 (NIV) states: “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'” The Easter Story for Children interprets these words of Jesus as: Jesus told them that the bread was like his own body that would be given for them. Also: “This cup of wine is a reminder of my promise to be your Savior.”

While I can certainly understand there may be different interpretations of this Bible text, I don’t feel that changes to the actual words of Jesus should have been made in a book that is supposed to be sharing the Easter story with children. They need to hear the actual words Jesus spoke, not a misrepresentation of these words.

I really expected better from Zonderkidz and Max Lucado. I’m disappointed with this book, and I can’t recommend it to anyone who desires biblical accuracy in children’s Bible stories.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

children, Christian

Jesus Enters Jerusalem / He Is Risen

Bergers Book Reviews

Jesus Enters Jerusalem - He Is Risen

Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Children / Bible
ISBN: 978-0-310-73513-7
Pages: 32
Price: $4.99

Buy it at Amazon

Zonderkidz presents The Beginner’s Bible version of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and the message of His Resurrection. Told in a storybook format, this flip book shares the good news with kids.

Illustrations are colorful and the crucifixion is portrayed in a non-gruesome manner, suitable for very young children. Stickers of the various scenes are also provided, so kids can recreate the narrative for themselves.

The story of the first Easter is one every Christian child should be very familiar with. Zonderkidz has given parents a great resource in making sure their kids know how much Jesus really loves them.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, tween

Waves of Light (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

Bergers Book Reviews

Waves of Light
Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72666-1
Pages: 224
Price: $7.99

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Sadie finally feels comfortable living in Michigan. Although she has made peace with the girl who was once determined to make her life miserable, she still has issues of her own to deal with. Her mom’s illness isn’t getting any better, and her dad’s job may soon end, forcing them to leave the town she’s come to call home. But when her art teacher’s house is destroyed by a flood, Sadie falls apart.

When Sadie can’t take much more of what life throws at her, she is forced to turn to her art and her fledgling faith for comfort. At times she acts poorly toward others, and she has to face up to her own actions. But she tries her best to do the right thing.

Waves of Light is the third book in the From Sadie’s Sketchbook series. [See also Flickering Hope and Shades of Truth.] As in the first two books, Sadie is a very emotional girl, and often responds in tears when her happiness feels threatened. Combining challenging situations with growing faith lessons, this series shows real life handled from a Christian perspective. Girls will love reading about Sadie and her friends, while also seeing a great role model. I highly recommend this series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, tween

Flickering Hope (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

Bergers Book Reviews

Flickering Hope
Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72664-7
Pages: 208
Price: $7.99

Holiday Read-along
Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Sadie is concerned about Patch, one of the research bears who has just gone into hibernation. When she accidentally finds a girl living in a nearby shack with her family, the girl warns her not to tell anyone, or Patch will be in danger. But her best friend, Ruth, knows about the encounter, and when the youth group wants to find a needy family to provide Christmas for, Sadie knows there will be trouble.

To make matters even more complicated, Frankie, who had always treated Sadie badly, suddenly seems in need of a friend. But can she be trusted, since her father has openly said he wants Patch dead?

In this sequel to Shades of Truth, Sadie is forced to deal with her emotions in how she relates to others. People are not acting predictably, and she needs to sort out her feelings for each, determining who she can trust, and who she can’t.

Combining challenging situations with growing faith lessons, this series shows real life handled from a Christian perspective. Girls will love reading about Sadie and her friends, while also seeing a great role model. I highly recommend this series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, holiday

Christmas Lights

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Christine Pisera Naman
Publisher: Doubleday
Genre: Christmas
ISBN: 978-0-385-52245-8
Pages: 122
Price: $14.95

Buy it at Amazon

The holidays can be a magical time, or they can bring intense sadness if life has been especially hard. But it’s nearly impossible not to have a strong emotional reaction at Christmas. In Christmas Lights, we meet seven women, all at different stages of their lives, experiencing their own feelings during the holiday season.

Each chapter in this story introduces one of the women. Dealing with illness, mourning the loss of a child, looking for a new love, or making peace with a current one, these women face choices and challenges in their lives. But the strong forces that unite them all are family and faith.

Happy endings are a must at Christmas, and this story doesn’t disappoint. It might even evoke a tear or two, as each story unfolds to a satisfying conclusion. If you’re looking for a book that focuses on the real meaning of the season, Christmas Lights would make a great addition to your holiday reading list.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, tween

Shades of Truth (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72662-3
Pages: 208
Price: $7.99

Holiday Read-along
Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Sadie has just moved with her family to Michigan. Her father’s new job as mediator for the Department of Natural Resources makes him unwelcome in the community, and Sadie realizes she will face many challenges in fitting in. Plus, her mother’s incurable illness makes life at home more difficult. With courage and determination, Sadie makes a new friend and hopes life will get better.

When a local artist discovers Sadie’s latent talent, Sadie begins art lessons, which she enjoys immensely. And her faith is kindled by attending a Compline service and youth group meetings. But how will she deal with the accusations thrown at her father, knowing what she thinks she knows about one of the men who dislikes him so much?

Shades of Truth is the first in the “From Sadie’s Sketchbook” series from Faithgirlz. Combining challenging situations with growing faith lessons, this series shows real life handled from a Christian perspective. Girls will love reading about Sadie and her friends, while also seeing a great role model. I highly recommend this series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger