I'm constantly looking for books for my children to read, especially my third grade boys. They
love to read, but they are at a point that they complain if the book isn't something that meets their expectations. I want to find books that will allow them to enjoy reading while learning and getting some adventure at the same time. That's why I was especially excited to have the opportunity for them to read:
Imagine . . . .The Great Flood by Matt Koceich from
Barbour Publishing. What was even better is that this was a
Bible Adventure!
This 112-page paperback Christian kids book is geared toward older elementary or middle school children. It feels so nice to open up a book and hand it to your children
knowing there won't be anything that you don't approve of in the pages.
I would
personally give this book the age range of 7-13. (The age listed on the back of the book is 8-12.) My boys are 8 and 9, and they were able to read it in just two days (approximately 30-60 minutes in 2-3 sittings) with no difficulty. They didn't need any guidance from me whatsoever while reading.
In addition, the even GREATER bit of information was that neither boy complained about reading this book. They actually said they liked it and that they would give it at least 4 out of 5 stars.
I am working with Isaac and Sidge on comprehension and being able to remember and discuss what they read. We are just starting book reports. I asked them to provide me with just a sentence or two after they read summarizing the book. Here is what they came up with:
Isaac (9): "This book is about Corey who goes back in time. He sees Noah and the ark and the flood before he gets to go back home."
Sidge (8): "
The Great Flood was about a kid named Corey who goes back in time and goes to the time of Noah and the Ark. He almost dies a couple of times!"
They both summarized this pretty accurately. A modern day boy is sucked back in time and gets to experience the flood! How cool is that?! This book met my expectations precisely. It was exactly what you would expect it to be: a Christian book that was clean and presented Biblical history for my newly reading children.
One of the things that we spent a lot of time discussing after my boys finished reading was the idea of
historical fiction. Some of it is not true. There are liberties taken to bring the story to life. How does that work? What is okay to include? What is not okay to include? How do we know what is historically accurate and what is made up for the sake of the story?
Priced at under $5.00, this book is incredibly affordable and a wonderful inclusion to your library -- whether you be a homeschool parent or not. As always, please don't hesitate to contact me at wkitsteiner@gmail.com for more information on this book.
