From the May, 2008, issue of Biblical Homeschooling ( biblicalhomeschooling-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biblicalhomeschooling/ )

     (Note on language levels: 1. Nothing objectionable; 2. Common euphemisms; 3. Some cursing or profanity; 4. A lot of cursing or profanity; 5. Obscenity or vulgarity.)

     Gauch, Patricia Lee.  Thunder At Gettysburg (published in 1975 by Coward, McCann and Geoghegan; republished in 1990 by G. P. Putnam's Sons, 200 Madison Ave., New York City, NY  10016; reissued by Bantam Books, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc., 666 Fifth Ave., New York City, NY  10103).  This book, dedicated to the wonderful children's historical story teller Jean Fritz, is a fictionalized account based upon an 1889 autobiographical book At Gettysburg: Or What I Saw and Heard at the Battle of Gettysburg by Tillie Pierce Alleman about her own experiences during the Battle of Gettysburg.  Fourteen-year-old Tillie Pierce lived with her parents at Gettysburg, PA, in 1863 when, on July 1, Union and Confederate troops met in one of the most celebrated and decisive battles of the Civil War.  Tillie fled with her neighbor, Henny Schriver, for safety to the Weikerts' farm outside of Gettysburg, only to find herself in the thick of the battle, dodging shells and caring for wounded soldiers.  Many of the place names, such as Seminary Ridge, Cemetery Hill, and Little Round Top, did not exist as proper names before the battle but are used in the book for clarity.  A few people's names are fictional, though the incidents involving those individuals are true, but most of the names are real.  The book is a great introduction for early readers into this important historical event.  While it does not shrink away from the horrors of war, it has no gratuitous descriptions of violence and thus is quite suitable for young children.  Publishers Weekly said that the book evokes "the horror of war with startling but not overpowering clarity."  As the author noted in her conclusion, "The battle did help cripple the Rebel Confederate army, but the cost to both sides--and to the country--was immense....More than 150,000 American men had gone into battled, and in three days 50,000 had been killed, wounded, or were missing."  The book was reprinted in October of 2004 by Boyds Mills Press and is available from Barnes and Noble in either hardback or soft cover.  Language level: 1.  Ages: 8-11.  EXCELLENT.  (Note:  A slightly condensed version of this review was included in the April, 2008, issue of Stories for Children Magazine, http://storiesforchildren.tripod.com .)

     Jones, Raymond F.  Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. (copyright 1965 by Cambridge Publications and Twentieth Century-Fox Television Inc., and published by Whitman Publishing Company, Racine, WI).   In 1961, 20th Century Fox produced a science-fiction movie entitled Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, directed by Irwin Allen and starring Walter Pidgeon as Admiral Harriman Nelson, with Robert Sterling as Captain Lee Crane of the then-futuristic submarine Seaview.  Then from September, 1964, to March, 1968, ABC aired a television series named Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea based on the 1961 film of the same name.  It was also created by Irwin Allen and with 110 episodes was the decade's longest-running American science fiction television series using continuing characters, including Richard Basehart as Admiral Nelson and David Hedison as Captain Crane.  The television series was never intended to be a continuation of the theatrical  movie, but rather a complete makeover using some of the same characters.  I never saw the movie, and while I remember ads for the television series, I do not recall ever having watched it.  A hardback novel, City Beneath the Sea, authored by Paul W. Fairman, was published in 1965, to tie into the series, but it had a different storyline from the episode of the same name. During the 1950s and 1960s Whitman Publishing Co. came out with several books for young people based on various popular television shows.  In this one based on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, the Seaview investigates several "natural disasters" that happen to facilities on the ocean floor.  These turn out to be caused by a giant submarine operated by the remnants of the Minoan civilization who have taken refuge in a cavern under the ocean.  However, the Minoans are divided between the rebels who want to destroy the surface dwellers and the peace lovers who want to co-exist.  Will the Seaview crew be able to defeat the rebels and establish relations with the peace lovers?  You can probably guess the answer to that question.  These Whitman books, which are no longer in print but are often available used, would have been considered "pulp fiction" for young people in their day, but compared with some of the drivel that passes for youth fiction today they seem like a breath of fresh air!  I found nothing objectionable, except one little statement about how the white men oppressed the Indians (which is not entirely untrue) and one use of the euphemistic "darned."  Language level: I'll give it a 1.  Ages: 8-12.  GOOD.

     Lawlor, Laurie.   Addie across the Prairie (published in 1986 by Albert Whitman and Company, 5747 W. Howard St., Niles, IL  60648; republished in 1991 by Pocket Books, a division of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York City, NY  10020).  In 1883, nine-year-old Addie must unhappily and reluctantly move, with her parents, brothers George, Lew, and Burt, and baby sister Nellie May, away from her home in Sabula, IA, and her friend Eleanor, to Pa's new claim in the Dakota Territory, right next to an Indian reservation.  After braving the trip, she must care for her youngest brother as Ma, Pa, and the older boys and their new friends Mr. and Mrs. Fency leave to build a home before winter comes. She is all alone with two year-old Burt when a terrifying prairie fire begins!  How can she save herself and little Burt before the raging fire steals their home and their lives?  And will she be able to adjust to life on the prairie? This is good historical fiction about how moving with their families from settled areas to the prairie wilderness affected children.  The book has the usual sibling rivalry and sparring, where Addie's brother George teases her and she replies, "I hate you," but this is part of the plot that is eventually resolved in a satisfactory way.  I especially liked the occasional reference to trusting in the Lord and the use of the hymn "Beulah Land."  The only objectionable item is a reference to tobacco use.  Trained as a journalist, author Laurie Lawlor, worked for many years as a free-lance writer and editor befoer devoting herself full-time to the creation of children's books. She enjoys many speaking engagements at schools and libraries, and her books have been nominated for many awards. She lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her husband, son, daughter, and two large Labrador retrievers.  This book is part of the "American Sisters" series.  Language level: 1.  Ages: 8 to 10 or 12.  EXCELLENT.   (Note:  A modified version of this review appeared on HomeSchoolBuzz.com.)

      Phillips, Doug (editor).  The Bible Lessons of John Quincy Adams for His Son (originally published in 1848; second edition published in 2002 by The Vision Forum Inc., 4719 Blanco Rd., San Antonio, TX  73212).  John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767-Feb. 23, 1848), the second of John and Abigail Adams's five children, spent most of his youth and adult life in public service to the United States, as senator, diplomat, secretary of state, President, and congressman. He made his greatest contribution to his country after his presidency, while serving in the United States House of Representatives as a staunch opponent of slavery and expansionist war.  Following graduation from Harvard in 1787, Adams studied and briefly practiced law.  In 1794 President Washington appointed young Adams minister to Holland, a position he accepted only after much inner turmoil and parental prodding.  During a diplomatic visit to London in 1795, Adams met and fell in love with Louisa Catherine Johnson, daughter of an American businessman. The couple married in 1797 at an Anglican church in London. John and Louisa Adams's strong marriage endured until his death. The couple had three sons, George Washington Adams, John Adams II, and Charles Francis Adams, and a daughter who died in infancy. Charles became a successful attorney and estate trustee.   During his father's presidency, 1797-1801, John Quincy served as minister to Prussia.  Adams's first elected office was as Massachusetts state senator from Suffolk county, 1802-03. Then in 1803 the Federalist state legislature elected him as one of the U.S. senators from Massachusetts. He held a position as Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard from 1805 to 1809.  He then received appointments from President James Madison, first as minister to Russia, 1809-14.  It was during these years that he wrote a series of letters to Charles, who was at school in Massachusetts, to encourage him to love and study the Holy Scriptures.  Then, after helping end the War of 1812 by serving as one of five American commissioners who negotiated the Treaty of Ghent, he served as minister to Great Britain, 1815-17. Adams then served with distinction as secretary of state under President James Monroe, 1817-25.   After spending four years in office, 1825-29, as President of the United States and defeated for re-election by Andrew Jackson, he was persuaded to run for Congress as a Representative from Massachusetts and retained the office for seventeen years, 1831-48, until his death. John and Abigail Adams had been members of the First Parish Church of Quincy, part of the liberal wing of New England Congregationalism that became Unitarian. Young John, however, was religiously more conservative than his parents.  Adams seemed almost consumed by his interest in theology and the Bible. "[S]o great is my veneration of the Bible," he wrote Charles, "and so strong is my belief, that when duly read and meditated on, it is of all books in the world, that which contributes most to making men good, wise, and happy." He served as vice-president of the American Bible Society, 1818-48.   Near the end of his life he summed up his personal credo in these few words: "I reverence God as my creator. As creator of the world. I reverence him with holy fear. I venerate Jesus Christ as my redeemer; and, as far as I can understand, the redeemer of the world."  Following his death, his Letters of John Quincy Adams To His Son, On the Bible and Its Teachings, written from 1811 to 1813, were published in 1848. The second edition, published in 2002, contains the original publisher's introduction and a new introduction provided editor Doug Phillips, along with a poem that Adams wrote in 1840.  In these letters, Adams encourages his son to read the Bible regularly from four different viewpoints: as divine revelations, as historical records, as a system of morals, and as literary compositions.  Phillips comments, "Regretfully, at points he deviates from an historical and orthodox view of the Bible, as when he questions the literal record of the creation week found in Genesis One."  Yet, Phillips also pointed out, "These letters of John Quincy Adams reflect a man, who while not completely unaffected by the liberalism of his day, desperately wanted to communicate to his son a love and reverence for Holy Scripture as the Word of God."  These letters may be somewhat difficult for children today because of their archaic language, but they are well worth taking the time to read through to gain insight into "the mind of an imperfect, but remarkable, man who loved his son and who, even when traveling, took the time to shepherd him."  Young people would well profit from these letters.  Language level: 1.  Ages: 12-16.  EXCELLENT.

     Wiley, Melissa.  The "Martha Years" series (published 2000 to 2003 by HarperCollins Childrens Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York City, NY  10019).   The 11/03 issue of this newsletter carried my review of Little House in the Highlands, which is the first book of the "Martha Years" series of historical fiction for children about Martha Morse, the great grandmother of Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I rated it good.  Karen wanted to get the other volumes in the series, so when we were at the Laura Ingalls Wilder home in Mansfield, MO, this past fall, we purchased the next three.  The Far Side of the Loch chronicles Martha's seventh year, during which Martha is lonely because her brothers are at school and her older sister does not pay any attention to her but her father returns with some important news. Will Martha have new playmates or not?   Down to the Bonny Glen is about Martha's eighth and ninth years when, following the lively girl's escapades at Nannie's wedding and the flax bundling, her governess, Miss Norrie, cannot cope with Martha's high spirits, and is replace by Miss Crow.  Will things get better or worse?  Beyond the Heather Hills tells about Martha's tenth year, when she makes a visit to her sister, now married and living in Perth, but a serious tragedy happens.  How will Martha react?  The author, Melissa Wiley, who has also written several books in the "Charlotte Years" series about Laura's grandmother, is a homeschooling  mother.  These are very enjoyable books and not only contain interesting information about an ancestor of Laura Ingalls Wilder but also make some noteworthy observations about life.  She said, "I had the opportunity to say something about what is good and true and enduring in this world." The only negative reaction that I had was to references about drinking ale, which was very likely a common custom and would be historically accurate.  Karen and I wondered if and when any more "Martha Years" books would be forthcoming, and in doing some research I found the sad answer to this question.  On her blog, Melissa wrote, "Many of you have written to ask when my next Martha or Charlotte book will be published. Plans have been in flux for over a year now, but it’s time to address your questions.   As I mentioned here recently, HarperCollins has launched new paperback editions of Laura’s books which feature photographic covers and no longer contain the Garth Williams illustrations. (The Garth Williams art will remain in the hardcover editions and the colorized paperback editions.)  There are also going to be some changes in the other Little House series. The Martha, Charlotte, Caroline, and Rose books are being reissued in abridged editions....The abridged editions of my books and the Caroline and Rose books will be released with new covers this summer. They are significantly shorter; in some cases more than a hundred pages have been cut from the original edition.   In light of these changes, I have decided not to continue writing Martha and Charlotte books....It will be difficult to say goodbye to these girls who have been to me like my own children. I have loved watching them grow. I am deeply honored to have had the opportunity to, in the words of Gail Godwin, 'respectfully imagine' them and chronicle their stories."  In response to a couple of questions, Melissa wrote, "HarperCollins felt that the only way to keep the books in print at all was to reissue them in shorter editions" and "it is very likely that Harper will find another writer to finish out my two series."  'Tis a pity!  Melissa is an excellent author.  Language level: 1.  Ages: 8-12.  GOOD.