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Crossway Book Review Program: Keeping Holiday Penned on Dec. 19, 2008
"There's something to the town of Holiday that makes things different, better than they are anywhere else. I just don't know what it is..."
These are the words of Dylan, the young boy through which we view the events of the story "Keeping Holiday." Dylan has always been intrigued by the village of Holiday, where he visits every Christmas with his family. But this year he and his cousin Clare set upon a journey to find the real Holiday, the village of which this second Holiday is a mere shadow. Their mission? To find the Founder of the city, and become authorized citizens of his village.
In this tale, written by Starr Meade, the reader is taken on a delightful journey as seen through the eyes of two young children. We walk with them as they follow blindly after the Founder's voice; we fight with them against the cunning words of their ever-present enemy; we share in their happiness as they learn about the Founder and his ways. Older readers will see the parallels in nearly every aspect of Holiday and the children's journey, while younger ones will simply enjoy the story, written simply for everyone to understand. "Keeping Holiday" is beautiful story of God's sovereignty and man's desperate need and desire for a savior--a hefty message for such a simple book! This is a story not only for Christmas, but every day of the year, as each of us strive to grow closer to the Founder.
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Crossway Book Review Program: Hymns for a Kid's Heart Penned on Oct. 30, 2008
I was thrilled to receive my first reveiw copy of a book from Crossway several weeks ago--Hymns for a Kid's Heart, written by Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada. This is a beautiful little book with gorgeous illustrations and simple stories aimed for young children, yet a fun and easy read for us "big kids," too!
The Song Writers
The book contains thirteen brief biographies of the writers of many well-known hymns still sung in churches today--people like Martin Luther, John Newton, and Isaac Watts. Mrs. Wolgemuth gives a retelling of their lives in short, easy-to-understand sentences that even an early reader will be able to spell out.
The Devotional
Immediately after the bio is Joni Eareckson Tada's devotional, drawing on lessons gleaned from the song writer's life and applying those lessons to the reader. With stories from her own life experience, she creates a very personal study for each biography.
The Song
Music-lovers like me will be thrilled to find a piano arrangement of each of the thirteen hymns, complete with guitar tabs and the lyrics to several verses. What more could I ask?
All in all, this is a short and sweet guide to the hymns we all know, explained and expounded on for young children. Bravo to Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada, who brought it all together quite beautifully!
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