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BOOK REVIEW: Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda

Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I wanted to take a look at the various books about the holiday as well as the Saint it’s named for. Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda was one of the first books I found on the Saint specifically, and didn’t expect the emotional impact this beautifully illustrated picture book would have on me.

Written as a sort of historical fiction of a snippet from the life of Saint Valentine, the book shares about the work Valentine did as a healer and a chance encounter one day with a jailer and her daughter who cannot see. While Valentine is sorry that he cannot do more for the jailer’s daughter, he starts to pray for her. I won’t spoil the ending here, but it definitely had the emotional punch that good storytelling will deliver.

The story is light on Valentine’s religious beliefs, and has a brief more historically accurate explanatory note at the end. The story implies the death of Valentine, but does not mention it specifically.

The illustrations however are amazing. Sabuda takes a mosaic approach to each page, which create intricate details that weave together to form mesmerizing pictures that instantly draw your gaze. Kids will definitely enjoy searching the pictures for some time to see all the details and then to zoom out and see the larger illustration as a whole.

While this isn’t the most comprehensive book on Saint Valentine, it certainly tells a poignant story that illustrates the life of the saint.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Relic of Perilous Falls by Raymond Arroyo

The Relic of Perilous Falls by Raymond Arroyo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I will admit this: it took me awhile to get into The Relic of Perilous Falls, book #1 in the Will Wilder series by Raymond Arroyo. I started reading the first couple chapters almost four years ago, couldn’t get into it, and set it aside. However, over this pandemic year of 2020, I’ve been revisiting cast aside novels and trying to finish them up. So when I picked this book back up over Christmas 2020, I settled in and determined to at least get a few chapters in and then give up on the book if it still didn’t hook me. However, as I started flipping pages, the book drew me in, slowly at first, until I had to read to the end to see how it finished. Now, I’m not going to say this book doesn’t have its issues, which I will lay out here, but I will say this: if you’re looking for a fun, adventurous read in the vein of a mashup of high church history, Indiana Jones, and a splash of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, then The Relic of Perilous Falls might be right up your alley.

Will Wilder is an ordinary kid who has no idea that there is a dangerous, yet invisible, world all around him filled with evil forces that are bent on the destruction of all humanity. But when he falls off the back of a donkey, he sees something in the shadows. Will’s Aunt Lucille takes Will under wing and helps him discover the mysterious world around him, but when the entire town of Perilous Falls is threatened, it’s up to Will and his friends to find an ancient relic to battle an evil demon and save them all.

First off, this book does suffer from some of the similar tropes of this genre of fantasy adventure for Middle Grade readers: There is a prophecy involved, hidden special powers, and a supernatural world that meets the modern day world in unexpected ways. However, the great twist here is the Christian worldview at play here. Some might categorize this book as more Catholic than Protestant, but either stream of faith is definitely going to discover some fascinating church history as well as tiptoe into the world of religious relics, which is barely touched on here. I would actually say that this is one of those stories that shows just how closely Charismatic Christianity and Catholicism intersect by diving into a supernatural world where those with faith battle demons, have spiritual gifts, and must rely on the invisible God to see them through.

The other aspect here that raises this story beyond other “Chosen One” Middle Grade fiction are the Indiana Jones aspects to the novel. There is a fair bit of treasure hunting, traps, and near escapes that were extremely reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Last Crusade, complete with illustrated clues incorporated into the text.

Will Wilder as a character is fine, if not somewhat typical of a main character for this type of novel. His character growth is nonchalant and more of a side, side story than any through line. The plot and the world-building are what drive this forward, with sometimes too many side characters getting into the mix. Some readers may be put off by Will’s choices at times, which seem to sometimes make no sense or be choices taken merely for the sake of upping the stakes.

However, at the end of the book, I found myself having thoroughly enjoyed this romp through the world of relics and faith. If you’re a fan of books such as Percy Jackson and the Olympians or any book in the fantasy adventure genre for Middle Grade readers, you’re likely to at least enjoy The Relic of Perilous Falls.

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My Top 5 Favorite Books of 2020

This year has been one for the books. So I turned to books when I needed to step back, remember all that God has done in the world. Reading reminds me of the creativity that human beings have been given, and it’s one of my favorite parts of life if I’m being honest. When we are creative as human beings, we reflect the Creator who made everything around us.

So here are my top 5 favorite books I read during 2020. Not all of them were released in 2020, but this is the year I found these wonderful stories. I will quickly admit there are a few books that are not making this list which surprised me. For one, I am a huge Brandon Mull fan, and while I enjoyed the latest Dragonwatch book, it didn’t wow me like the ones on my list this year. I also read quite a bit of non-fiction, but none of those made my list either.

#5: Alex Rider: Nightshade by Anthony Horowitz

I have been an Alex Rider fan since 2006 when I saw the film based on book #1, Stormbreaker. I have read every Alex Rider book since then, and when I saw Nightshade was releasing, I knew I had to pick it up and read it.

Horowitz never disappoints. This book was non-stop action, put Alex Rider in new frightening predicaments, and had me gasp out loud a couple of times (always my true test of a good book!). With great pacing, the return of some series favorites, and a super creepy villain plot this time around, Horowitz is at the top of his game.

#4: Gaal the Conqueror by John White

This book surprised me. After the first book in the series, The Sword Bearer, I wasn’t sure if the second book would live up to the same level of story, but also wouldn’t be quite so obvious with the allegory present here. However, while the allegory to a Biblical story is pretty obvious from the beginning, there are other elements of this book that elevate it to #4 on this list.

For starters, the final “battle” is intense, frightening, and had me shout “No!” out loud at the pages as I flipped them frantically to see what would happen next. One thing happens near the end that had me on the edge of my seat all the rest of the way through. The set up here is also intense, leaving the lead characters with a very intriguing mission to accomplish.

I haven’t finished this series yet, but I have picked up books #3-#6 at a local used bookstore, so I’m eager to see what happens next!

#3: The Silent Noisy Night by Jill Roman Lord

Another surprise to me was how much this short board book about Christmas would mean to me. This past year I have been discovering just how often God celebrates throughout Scripture. Too often growing up I viewed God as distant and stoic and emotionless. But the truth is that God often celebrates, especially when it comes to the people God has created!

This book emphasizes the sheer celebration of the birth of Jesus. When Jesus was born, the clock starting ticking on death and sin. Jesus went on to conquer sin and death once and for all through his death and resurrection, and that is certainly something to celebrate!

The other thing I loved here was the artwork, from the animals to the backgrounds — everything is incredibly well done. This is definitely on my list of favorites for 2020, but also on my list of favorite Christmas books!

#2: Sands of Nezza by M.L. Forman

Okay. This book right here had downright one of the best first 150 pages of any book I’ve ever read. The writing was top notch, the mystery was confounding and drew me in instantly, and also the tense pace and action had me barely breathing as I turned the pages desperately needing to know what was about to happen. This is book #4 in the Adventurers Wanted series, which really takes a lot of aspects from high fantasy similar to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, and amps them up for a Middle Grade/Young Adult audience.

The character building here is also fascinating, especially considering the plot reveals from the previous book in the series. I couldn’t wait to see how it all worked out in the end. This book also introduced an overarching series threat I didn’t see coming, and couldn’t wait to find out more about.

The only downside was the ending faltered slightly before picking back up to bring it all to the finish line. However, even with a slight stumble near the end, this was one of my favorites from this year.

#1: Albrek’s Tomb by M.L. Forman

This book takes my top spot for the year due not only to the expansive plot, character development, action, side adventures, and twists along the way, but also for the downright cozy feeling of this book.

The best way I can describe it is like this: have you ever finished a series of books and felt like there was closure, which made you happy, but also you wished there was more in the world of the series, and an almost panic comes over you that the book is ending and there won’t be any more from this particular world you have enjoyed so much over the course of a novel? That’s the feeling I had reading this book, which is book #3 in the Adventurers Wanted series by M.L. Forman.

While it’s the middle of the series, this book was one that I immediately thought: I’m going to re-read this book someday. For those who know me, I rarely ever re-read books. I have always felt as though there are so many good books out there to read that I wouldn’t want to waste time re-reading one I’ve already read. But the journey for the characters here is so captivating that I knew one day I would revisit this world and enjoy every minute of it once again.

Also, major shout out to the plot twist of all plot twists in this book. It had such a creepy build up and then came out of nowhere in a great way, that I was instantly excited to see what might happen next.

Well, that’s it for 2020. So many great books I had the privilege of reading this year. Here’s to 2021 and a whole year more of reading incredible stories, insightful thoughts, and inspiring fiction and non-fiction.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Post-Quarantine Church by Thom S. Rainer

The Post-Quarantine Church: Six Urgent Challenges and Opportunities That Will Determine the Future of Your Congregation by Thom S Rainer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It’s no secret that 2020 has been a difficult year in many ways. One way 2020 has impacted the world has taken place in our churches. As a Children’s Pastor, I’ve seen the way that COVID-19 has specifically affected kids: delaying crucial social developmental steps, creating distance between families and friends, and introducing a low-simmering trauma into their lives. That’s not even to mention the kids who have gotten sick from COVID-19, and even those who have died. This has been a tough year all the way around.

In the midst of 2020, Thom S. Rainer brought us The Post-Quarantine Church. This short book is trim and packed with thoughts, reflections, and steps forward for the church (specifically in the United States) as it seeks to look at what comes next. Rainer focuses on six different challenges for the church including: what it means to gather now, the impact of the digital world on the church, the local community and its connection with the church, prayer, facilities, and the business of fast-paced change during this season.

Part of the downfall of this book is that even though it was released in September 2020, some of the language sounds as though Rainer thought the quarantine and perhaps even the pandemic might have been completed by that time. He often uses “While we were in quarantine…” types of sentences, when the reality is that even as of the writing of this review in December 2020, many places across the world are still in a quarantine mode or even returning to their homes due to the rise in cases in many areas across the globe. However, if one you can set this aside, you’ll be able to see some very helpful advice, thoughts, and questions that certainly lead to self- and church-reflection.

Perhaps one of the most important chapters here is the chapter on managing change during this season. Even in my own ministry, we have had to pivot multiple times as we moved from in-person services to online services back in March 2020 and then in April 2020 talked about drive-in services, and then in July 2020 moved to in person services with social distancing and masks in place, and then navigated the space issues, quarantined volunteers and staff, and continuing digital presence for families at home Sundays and Wednesdays. Rainer lays out the fact that this is a time of fast-paced change as information constantly comes at us, as we navigate the difficulties of all the feelings and theories surrounding the pandemic, and even what moving forward in the short term looks like.

Also relevant for many here is the literal instant expansion of online ministry that has taken place in 2020. Children’s ministries around the world suddenly adapted to a new online format they had never used before. Even as some churches returned to in-person services, figuring out ways to do online content for families at home has been challenging in the Children’s ministry realm. It is much more difficult to livestream an in-person kid’s service with kids present due to seeking to protect the privacy of kids in relation to the internet. This has brought double work to many Children’s Pastors seeking to create online and in-person content each week.

I wish Rainer had looked at Children’s and Youth Ministry in particular within the church as those two have had to create many new ways of doing ministry during 2020 in order to accommodate social distancing and in some places capacity guidelines. Rainer is certainly focused here on lead pastors and the church as a whole rather than zeroing in on any specific types of ministry.

All said, this is certainly a helpful book and a very quick read. If you’re in ministry at a church and still struggling with how to move forward into 2021, this is worth a read.

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CHRISTMAS BOOK REVIEW: The Silent Noisy Night by Jill Roman Lord

The Silent Noisy Night by Jill Roman Lord

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As a Children’s Pastor, I am always on the search for good books to add to our Preschool and Nursery areas at church, and so what did I do? I stood at the Walmart Christmas books display reading about twenty Christmas board and picture books in order to find a couple to add to our library. When I first read The Silent Noisy Night by Jill Roman Lord and illustrated by Kelly Breemer, I almost cried. This book is an incredibly beautiful, well-illustrated, amazing story that will not only teach young kids various sounds, but will also point to a foundational theological point: the God of Scripture is a God who celebrates.

This is a board book with amazing illustrations, and simple sentences on each page that allow the story to be read quickly, but also allow kids time to look at the pictures and will allow parents and teachers to point out various corners of the pages to see all the animals. Words that are sounds are all highlighted and in bold to allow for kids learning sight words to begin seeing them and correlating each word to the pronunciation and the sound it makes.

I really appreciate here the attention to depict the people in the story as they would have been, not as European, blond-haired, blue-eyed proxies. This allows kids to see the real kinds of people who may have been there at the birth of Jesus, even if some of the animals here such as raccoons may not be animals in the Middle East.

The ending to the book also has a wonderful message for kids surrounding the ways we celebrate the birth of Jesus. This idea of celebration is so important, as we see celebration on the part of God and God’s people throughout Scripture, but often find ourselves in the United States of America leaning away from celebration in favor of a more stoic and serious God. We see clearly from stories Jesus told such as the stories of lost things in Luke 15 that all heaven rejoices when someone decides to follow Jesus. The most important aspect of this celebration is that it does not end. In the story of the Prodigal Son, the father tells them to start the party for the son who has come home, but he never tells them to end it. The party continues.

In The Silent Noisy Night, kids will discover an incredible world of celebration and how each one of us can use our voices, actions, and songs to celebrate the birth of the Savior.

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BOOK REVIEW: Let Earth Receive Her King: An Advent Devotional by T. Scott Daniels

Let Earth Receive Her King by T. Scott Daniels

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have to admit: I’m always a little bit nervous when it comes to devotional books. I’ve read some that I absolutely love and some that I really didn’t care for, and then many, many devotionals that seem to fall in the “That was okay” category. Am I little picky when it comes to devotionals? Probably. I’m always looking to be inspired and encouraged, but also to be left processing in a thought-provoking way. When it came to the season of Advent this year, I picked up Let Earth Receive Her King by T. Scott Daniels, and honestly read it much faster than the day to day layout of the book prescribes. This was exactly the kind of devotional reading I really enjoy.

The book is divided into four sections, each one covering one week and providing a daily devotional from the first Sunday of Advent all the way through December 24th. The devotionals themselves provide a daily Scripture reading, a devotional, a blessing, and questions with space to record answers. The first devotional of each week also contains a hymn for the week, which I definitely found myself humming as I read.

The devotional content is superb. Each day’s reading is thought-provoking, and provides historical background, insight into specific language, as well as anecdotes from the author’s own life. I never felt as though the stories overtook the devotion or became too loose to connect to the leading thought of the day. The questions are also very engaging and provide some excellent self-reflection.

Perhaps the only downfall of this book is that it is specifically dated for the 2020 year, so unless you do some creative date-swapping in future years, it might be difficult to read according to each week as presented here. Otherwise this is certainly worth the devotional read. I found myself highlighting throughout the book as Daniels really made me think and contemplate the meaning of this season, which I always appreciate when it comes to devotionals.

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BOOK REVIEW: Gaal the Conqueror by John White

Gaal the Conqueror by John White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Gaal the Conqueror is the second book in The Archives of Anthropos series by John White, and continues the adventures in the magical land of Anthropos as the battle between good and evil rages on for the control of every living thing. Enter John Wilson, returning from the first book in the series and joined here by new characters of all kinds, including Eleanor MacFarland. Together, they must travel the lands of Anthropos, on a quest to defeat the evil sorcerer Shagah and elude the blasphemous Lord Lunacy.

There are so many things to say about Gaal the Conqueror, and so I’ll start here: This book, while labeled second in the series, is actually the fourth book written. John White wrote The Tower of Geburah, The Iron Sceptre, and The Sword Bearer before this one, and at times the seams of the story show through as White is obviously setting pieces in place that will be present in later books in the series. These first two books have circled back to a time before The Tower of Geburah and set up the story line for the future.

At times haunting, at others deeply profound, this book begins in snowy Canada amidst the search for a missing child. Much like the first book in the series, this book has moments that almost seemed too intense for a children’s fantasy series. There is a subplot about this missing child who has clearly been abused. While nothing is explicitly stated here, there is plenty of subtext to indicate what has happened. It left me questioning the audience for this book, as I probably would not want a very young child to read this one, but perhaps for a middle grade and above audience this would work.

The parallels to Christianity seem the most obvious here, and for those who are familiar with the story of Christ, some beats in this story will be telegraphed miles before they take place. However, there is one final twist near the end of the story I did not expect coming, and I actually cried out loud at the book and said, “No!” When a book surprises me, it always gets a higher rating from me, and this twist definitely had me flipping pages to see what would happen next.

There are some fantastic fantasy elements at play here which blend pieces of C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia with the same author’s Space Trilogy. Once again, the ghastly Lord Lunacy returns, but this time with a host of creepy friends who show up near the last third and are definitely nightmare material.

However, for all the good this book contains, the lead character’s story arc, much like in The Sword Bearer seems the most lacking here. John Wilson’s “growth” throughout the story is slight at best, and John and Eleanor both serve to move the plot along and help us discover new aspects of this fantasy world through their actions and reactions.

I found this second book more engaging than the first, and I already have the third book, The Tower of Geburah on my shelf, waiting to be cracked open and read! For fantasy fans of series such as The Chronicles of Prydain or The Chronicles of Narnia, you definitely won’t go wrong reading this classic gem.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Sword Bearer by John White

The Sword Bearer by John White

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I first discovered John White’s Archives of Anthropos series from a random blog post where someone referred to it as the “other” Chronicles of Narnia. John White the author actually admitted to the similarities between his series and Narnia because his children wanted him to tell them a bedtime story like the Narnia stories. Thus, this series was born. However, The Sword Bearer, while being often listed as book number one in the series was not chronologically written first. This book came out after two other books in the series, The Tower of Geburah and The Iron Sceptre. From everything I have read about this series though, most who have read it suggest starting here with The Sword Bearer. So with pesky questions about reading order out of the way, the question is this: is this book worth a read?

The story begins with a young boy named John whose parents have been gone for quite some time. And when John’s grandmother promises to tell John on his thirteenth birthday the “truth” about his parents, John can’t wait. But then tragedy strikes and John finds himself transported to another place called Anthropos. In this land he discovers that evil is searching through the kingdom and seeking to build a tower that will allow it to rule over the entire universe. Only John and his spunky pack of friends can even hope to put a stop to the evil force. However, it has been said that victory will only come at great loss for John. Will he be able to sacrifice what is needed in order to save them all?

This book, written back in 1986, has the charm of an old school fantasy story with hints of allegory sprinkled throughout. The Narnia comparisons are fitting, but I never felt as though it was so derivative that it couldn’t be its own story world. In fact, I would say the stakes in Anthropos are much higher than in Narnia, where you never exactly were worried about the characters making it out of the story in the end. Here, the danger is very real, and no one is safe. That said, I definitely found some moments shocking and wondered if a younger reader would be okay reading this.

In fact, one of the most terrifying things about The Sword Bearer was the illustrations that are scattered throughout the book. I won’t spoil anything here, but there are a couple of drawings of the villain of the book that I found disturbing and the stuff of nightmares if I was still a kid. But that’s probably what would have made me love this book all the more when I was younger. This book feels like one of those stories in the vein of The Neverending Story that is just intense enough without ever crossing a line.

As for the characters, John goes on a journey of sorts, but again, this is an older school fantasy story where some things are telegraphed from early on and often the children are a little impetuous. There were parts of the story where I felt as though if the main character just got over his bad attitude so many plot points would have been fixed.

Also, I will say there are so many imaginative moments throughout with very fascinating “magical” items that I have not seen too often in a Christian fantasy. How the “magic” system works here is never exactly explained, and there were times I felt as though I was missing something. Perhaps in the earlier-written books some of the “rules” of Anthropos are explained that would fill in the gaps.

All said, I would recommend this for anyone who is a fan of Christian fantasy and especially to see how the genre grew over time. The Sword Bearer, while episodic at times, presents an epic story that will definitely pull at the heartstrings at the same time it makes your heart race in suspense.

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BOOK REVIEW: Joshua: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition by Stephen J. Lennox

Nbbc, Joshua: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition by Stephen J. Lennox

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Joshua: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition is the first Bible Commentary I have ever sat down and read from cover to cover. Dr. Stephen J. Lennox brings the book of Joshua to the 21st century and helps modern day readers ask tough questions (and I do mean tough questions) of the text, grapple with theological themes, and understand the background culture and composition of the book.

One of my favorite aspects of the New Beacon Bible Commentary series is the copious amount of sources included in the bibliography and throughout the text that leads readers to discover more scholarship on various specific topics brought up through the book of Joshua. An extensive bibliography is included here, and a must-go list for anyone studying the book in depth.

The book of Joshua is a complicated one, especially in light of the amount of seemingly God-sanctioned violence throughout the narrative. Dr. Lennox takes time up front to address many of these concerns in an entire section dedicated to the question of what to do with the violence in Joshua. Throughout, the author presents multiple theories from multiple angles in an effort to best present all the possibilities and allow readers to draw conclusions for themselves.

Each chapter is broken down, outlined, and presented in a three-part structure: Behind the Text, which showcases background information, framing, and other considerations before entering the text of the chapter; In the Text, which takes the reader verse by verse, addressing key issues along the way; and From the Text, which gives concluding thoughts, application, and tie-ins to the rest of Scripture. Along the side of every page are little “guide verses” that show what passage that page covers, which makes it easy to go back and flip through and find the section needed.

If you are looking for deeper study on the book of Joshua, Dr. Lennox’s commentary is a must-have.

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BOOK REVIEW: Arcade and the Triple T Token by Rashad Jennings

Arcade and the Triple T Token by Rashad Jennings

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When I saw Arcade and the Triple T Token on the bookshelf at a local Christian bookstore, I did a double take. I immediately picked up the book, thumbed through it, read the jacket synopsis, and knew I was going to buy it, read it, and most definitely enjoy it. And I did.

Books like this one are rare. First of all, there are not a ton of Christian middle grade fiction novels out there. Since middle grade fiction tends to be fairly clean, many Christian families buy general middle grade books for their kids. Second, and this is perhaps the most important, I believe this is the very first Christian fiction book I have ever read that featured a kid of color as the lead character. Aside from a couple of books set back during the Civil War or during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, (and even those often have a white lead character who is “struggling to understand” what is happening during those time periods) there are very few Christian middle grade books written from the African American perspective featuring a lead character who is also African American.

In the first book of The Coin Slot Chronicles, Arcade Livingston finds himself in a new city, attending a new school, dealing with new bullies, finding new friends, and also discovering a mysterious token that takes him and his friends to new places, times, and worlds. As Arcade and his sister are just beginning to figure out how the token works, they discover that someone else is after it as well. Someone who wants to use the token for evil. Can they keep the token out of evil hands and finish their homework?

Rashad Jennings has given us an incredible first entry to a great series. I laughed out loud several times while reading and also gasped as the plot unraveled. Arcade is instantly one of the most likeable heroes of middle grade fiction, and has his own journey to travel throughout the book.

I will say there are plenty of mysteries to solve here, and by the end of the book, only a few reveals are given, leaving other mysteries to be solved in book two. If your kids are looking for a fun, lighthearted, slightly fantastical read (or if you’re looking for one as well!) you cannot do wrong by picking up Arcade and the Triple T Token.

Now on to book two!