Book Review~Prayers That Changed History

Tricia Goyer is one of my favorite authors, so I was eager to read her latest non-fiction book: Prayers That Changed History-From Christopher Columbus to Helen Keller, how God used 25 people to change the world. Written for kids, but also fascinating and educational for adults, this 237 page softcover is published by Zonderkidz.

Each chapter in Prayers That Changed History is devoted to a historical person, and all 25 chapters are in chronological order.  The chapter has a black and white illustration and these categories:
*When He/She Lived
*Something to Think About
*In His/Her Own Words
*How He/She Changed History
*It's in The Bible
*Your Life

I think the book is set up perfectly, making it easy to focus on one person at a time.  Each chapter has  history, biblical reference, and ideas for reflection. I homeschooled for many years, and Prayers That Changed History would have been a great addition to our curriculum. I am actually planning on having my 7th grade son go through the book during summer break next year. I enjoyed reading this book, and learned a lot.  I think it can really make an impact on children's prayer lives and be an encouragement to pray.

Learn more about author Tricia Goyer at her website.  You can purchase a copy of Prayers That Changed History at Amazon.

Book Review~The Photograph

About the Book: When her sister Lily disappears only months after their widowed mother's passing, Eva Esch fears she has been wooed away from the people. Yet Lily's disappearance isn't Eva's only concern. She and her sisters must relocate once their older brother takes over the family farmhouse. Then Jed Stutzman, an Amish buggy maker from Ohio, shows up in Eden Valley with a photo of a Plain young woman. Eva feels powerfully drawn to the charming stranger-but the woman in the forbidden photograph is no stranger at all...

About the Author: Beverly Lewis penned her first story at age nine while living near Lancaster County Amish farmland, where she grew up. She welcomes her many reader-friends each day on Facebook and personally replies to fan mail. She lives with her husband near their family in Colorado. Visit her website at www.beverlylewis.com

What I Thought: The Photograph is such a sweet story about family, love, and following God's direction for your life. The Esch sisters have been through so much, and each of them are handling their grief in their own way.  When the youngest sister Lily leaves for the Englisch world, her family is shocked and worried. Jed Stutzman, a stranger from Ohio dealing with his own grief, carries a clue to their sister's location.  I have read many of Beverly Lewis' books, and have never been disappointed. The Photograph is another delightful story written by this very talented author.

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Children's Book Review~M is for Manger

M is for Manger is a beautiful hardcover book written by Crystal Bowman and Teri McKinley.  The illustrator is Claire Keay, and the book is published by Tyndale House Publishers.  It is 8"x8" and 64 pages. 

M is for Manger goes chronologically and alphabetically through the story of the birth of Jesus. Each letter in the alphabet has a pair of pages, side by side.  The page on the left hand side shows the letter, the word it represents,and a drawing appropriate for what the letter represents. On the right page is a few sentences explaining the story and a corresponding scripture. Several different Bible translations are used.

Here is my grandson Daniel, 4, reading M is for Manger. He loves this book. It has just enough content to be meaningful, but not too much that he gets overwhelmed and doesn't want to finish the book. The illustrations are beautiful-both children and adults will appreciate them.  M is for Manger would make a wonderful gift-there is a presentation page in front for gift giving. I plan to keep this book in our Christmas box to pull out each year for our grandchildren.

You can purchase your own copy of M is for Manger at Tyndale House Publishers.

*I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed here are my own.