CHRISTEPHI

Every year we add at least one new book to our Christmas book collection.  This year it was this book, M is for Manger , by Crystal Bowman and Teri McKinley. It's almost too young for my kids, but then, are you ever really too old for sweet rhymes and gorgeous illustrations? About the Book Travel through the alphabet with this beautiful rhyming storybook that tells the story of Jesus’ birth. Begin with the angel who tells Mary that she is God’s chosen vessel and follow along until you reach the zillions of stars that paled in comparison to the star that announced the birthplace of the newborn King. Beautifully illustrated and written, this book will be a classic for parents to read to their children every Christmas season. M is for Manger Written by  Crystal Bowman and Teri McKinley Illustrated by Claire Keay ISBN:  978-1496401953 Publisher:  Tyndale House Publishers 64 pages What I Thought M is for Manger is a very sweet book fo...

A couple of weeks ago I received a special offer from the Tyndale Blog Network to review their new Illustrated Study Bible.  I immediately shot back a response saying of course I was interested in reviewing it! Have I ever mentioned how much I love color? This seems to have been a theme in my life lately. Life is too short to be monochromatic! When the package arrived containing my new Illustrated Study Bible, I was not disappointed. Full color photos, illustrations, infographics, and maps throughout the book bring the text to life! About the Book The Illustrated Study Bible integrates background material, study notes, and themed articles into a single volume so you can better understand as you study the Holy Scriptures.  The intent is to open your eyes to the living, powerful message of God's Word. The Illustrated Study Bible NLT by  Tyndale House Publishers ISBN:  978-1496402004 2618 pages My Thoughts Not everyone is an academic. ...

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is socially acceptable to turn our attention to Christmas. (That's how it works, right?)  Don't tell, but I've been in "Christmas mode" since quite a while before Thanksgiving.  This year I'm heading up a casual chorus of Christmas carolers.  Because of that, I've had Christmas carols on the brain since early October!  There couldn't be any better timing for a book about the stories behind our most beloved Christmas carols. About the Book From Oxford professor and renowned British composer, a joyous account of the history behind our favorite carols. Everyone loves a carol in the end, even Ebenezer Scrooge. They have the power to summon up a special kind of mid-winter mood, like the aroma of gingerbread or the twinkle of lights on a tree. It's a kind of magic. But how did they get that magic? Andrew Gant choirmaster, church musician, university professor, and writer tells the story of twenty of our fa...

Reading a true story set against the backdrop of WWII that leaves you with an overwhelming feeling of upliftedness, hope, and peace is not commonplace.  However, that is exactly how I felt after reading ‘Til We Meet Again . As a busy homeschool mom, it’s not often that I get a chance to sit down and read for pleasure.  Oh, I’m always reading! But most of what I read is related to homeschooling — either educating myself on how to teach or reading aloud to my kids.  So when I carved out a chunk of time to read this book, it was a special thing.  I read it from cover to cover in four hours flat. About the Book Ray and Betty Whipps both served in Europe during WWII: Ray as an infantryman under General Patton in the trenches of Normandy, Paris, and Belgium, and Betty as a field nurse in Cherbourg, France. The two met when Betty tended to Ray after he was injured in a mortar blast. Both strong Christians, the two bonded over their shared faith, and as Betty...

When you come across a book titled A Plague of Unicorns , it kind of makes you pause and wonder what on earth that could be about!  In that first autumn of Aelian's rule, when the golden apples were at their ripest, the battle lines were drawn--monks against unicorns.   It was never a fair fight.     Young James, the duke's son, asks too many questions. At least that's what everyone at Callendar Castle thinks after all but the last of his tutors quits and his uncle ships him off to be educated at Cranford Abbey.  Unfortunately, the once-beautiful abbey has problems of its own, including cracked walls, a leaking roof, and shattered stained glass windows.  Not to mention the pesky herd of unicorns that continues to enter the abbey's orchards and claim them as their own.   The only hope to save the abbey, it seems, is money raised by Abbot Aelian's golden apple cider, made from a recipe passed down in his family for genera...

It has been a very long time since I read a book for pleasure.  I read with the kids, I read for the kids (i.e. parenting & homeschooling books), but rarely a book for pleasure.  In fact, the last time I did was (oh, this is embarrassing) about a year ago when I read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. So when I got the chance to read a Christian fantasy novel for review, I decided it was an opportunity I didn't want to pass up. I didn't realize it when I first started, but Beneath the Forsaken City is actually Book Two in the Song of Seare series.  Having not read the first book, Oath of the Brotherhood , didn't slow me down a bit.  I was able to jump straight into the story and follow along without any trouble.  Although clearly I might have had a better understanding of the characters had I spent time with them in the first book. About the Book A Storm on the Horizon. A Brotherhood Scattered.   Conor and Aine have barely escaped...

This has got to be one of the most gorgeous Bibles for adults (i.e. not a children’s Bible) I have ever seen. The full color printing simply makes it a pleasure to read. Yes, I am addicted to color. Life is too glorious to be drab. When I received my copy for review, I was nearly giddy with the pleasure of its colorful and illustrated pages.  I told Hubby, "I wanna take this to Bible study tonight so I can be one of the cool kids."  Ha! In all seriousness though, I’ve always appreciated Thomas Nelson Bibles.   I’ve seen Bibles from some other publishers ( cough-Zondervan-cough ) fall apart in less than a year, but Nelson Bibles seem to be put together quite a bit better. This one is no exception. In fact, it comes with a lifetime guarantee. That, of course, doesn’t cover normal wear and tear, but if the pages suddenly start falling from the binding by the handful as has happened to me with other Bibles in the past, they should replace it for you. Here’s hoping I...

One of the most exciting times in a child's life is when they are beginning to unlock the mysteries of the written word. We are just starting to get there with my son. He'll be five soon and has been working his way through our kindergarten curriculum. He's beginning to find -- and read! -- words everywhere! From street signs to grocery store advertisements to picture books to song lyrics. He is beginning both to recognize familiar words and to sound out new-to-him words! I know it won't be long before he develops into a fluent and avid reader, just like his big sister, and just like me! Because Little Guy will soon be reading on his own, I wanted to get him a Bible, God's Holy Word, of his own. Although it is somewhat more difficult than a children's translation, Hubby suggested we get the NKJV for Little Guy since that is what he uses. Like father like son, right? I was very pleased when I received a free copy of the NKJV Adventures Bible from Zondervan . ...

We love books.  (You probably know that by now.)  And my kids love to be read to while they eat lunch or play with clay or sit in the hammock chair on a gorgeous spring day.  One of the latest books we read together is Panama Girl by Ida (pronounced EE-duh) Freer. Panama Girl Written by Ida Freer ISBN: 978-1480076792 Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 156 pages This is a story about a 12-year-old girl named Surni from the Embera people in the Darien jungle of Panama.  As you read, you get a clear picture of life in the village and how the Embera have lived for generations by finding everything they need for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation in the jungle.  But change is coming to the jungle.  Visitors from Panama City are arriving with increasing frequency and Surni and her people must learn to adapt to new ideas, new technology, and new beliefs.  Surni herself faces many challenges and proves that she is a girl...