Christian – Page 12 – Bergers Book Reviews

Sunny Days

August 26, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Artist: Tammy Trent
Label: September Day Records
Genre: Christian Music
Amazon Price: $12.10 (CD) $8.99 (MP3)

Christian music doesn’t always have to sound serious – in fact, sometimes it can make you jump up and dance. Sunny Days is a lively compilation of feel-good songs with a great beat and strong Christian lyrics.

“Welcome Home” (my personal favorite track on this CD) has a wonderful message of forgiveness, as it reminds us we’ll always be welcomed back to our Father’s home. “Fall At Your Feet” brings us to our knees in worshiping our creator and offering our broken lives for His mercy. “I’m Running” sends us straight to the arms of the only God who can save us. Other songs are also reminders of our dependence on God for our whole lives, as we worship Him.

If there’s a storm cloud on your horizon, Sunny Days will be sure to chase it away. This uplifting music will brighten your outlook and bring you closer to God.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian

God in Slow Motion

August 19, 2013September 5, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Mike Nappa
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian
ISBN: 978-1400204625
Pages: 256
Price: $15.99

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Do you ever try to slow down when studying the Bible and really absorb what you’re reading? Maybe even place yourself there in the picture and think about how you might feel? In God in Slow Motion, Mike Nappa does just that, using examples from ten well-known Biblical stories about Jesus and his ministry.

Focusing on the Samaritan woman at the well, the woman with the issue of blood, and the death and raising of Lazarus, among others, Nappa shows us some of the hidden gems we may have missed in a casual reading. Why was that Samaritan woman so willing to stop and talk to Jesus, knowing he was a Jew, and should have no interest in speaking with her? Why was the miraculous healing of the woman with non-stop bleeding not enough, and what else did she really need? And what were Mary and Martha thinking and feeling when Jesus took so long to get there when they wanted Him to save Lazarus? And how do we, personally, relate to these stories? These questions and many more are explored, with commentary and guidance to find our own answers.

With daily Bible reading plans designed to maximize the number of pages read, it’s easy to skim over some of these wonderful and personal stories of the ministry of Jesus. It’s a good idea to slow down and savor them, absorbing the deeper meanings hidden under the surface. God in Slow Motion guides us through ten of these, but encourages us to do the same in our own study, reminding us to always keep our focus on Jesus. I highly recommend this book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, teen

Perfectly Unique

July 25, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

Author: Annie F. Downs
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Teen / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72434-6
Pages: 224
Price: $9.99

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Do you love your body? Do you use it to express your love for God? If you answered no to either or both of these questions, you’re not alone. As a teen girl, you probably have a love-hate relationship with your body. While you may love some parts, others make you inwardly cringe.

Annie F. Downs knows what you’re feeling, and in Perfectly Unique, she provides lots of reasons to love all of you. From your mind to your mouth, your shoulders to your feet, she covers the whole body. For each body part, she shares a story from her own past and then shares how God sees that part, providing Bible verses that focus on it. She also works to dismiss the lies you may believe that you’re not good enough exactly as you are.

The Bible reminds us to love others as we love ourselves. Learning how to use our bodies to the glory of God helps us love ourselves, so we can then learn to love others more. We were created in God’s image – perfectly unique. Now it’s time to start believing it!

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, teen

The Bare Naked Truth

July 4, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

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

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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)

April 16, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

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

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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

April 12, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

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

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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

April 4, 2013April 4, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

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

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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

April 2, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

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

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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

March 28, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

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

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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)

February 26, 2013 Bergers Book Reviews

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

Author’s website
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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