Hidden Among the Stars

     BOOK REVIEW:   The year is 1938, and as Hitler's troops sweep into Vienna, Austrian Max Dornbach promises to help his Jewish friends hide their most valuable possessions from the Nazis, smuggling them to his family's summer estate near the picturesque village of Hallstatt. He enlists the help of Annika Knopf, his childhood friend and the caretaker's daughter, who is eager to help the man she's loved her entire life. But when Max also brings Luzia Weiss, a young Jewish woman, to hide at the castle, it complicates Annika's feelings and puts their entire plan---even their very lives---in jeopardy. Especially when the Nazis come to scour the estate and find both Luzia and the treasure gone.
      Eighty years later, Callie Randall is mostly content with her quiet life, running a bookstore with her sister and reaching out into the world through her blog. Then she finds a cryptic list in an old edition of Bambi that connects her to Annika's story---and possibly to the long-buried story of a dear friend. As she digs into the past, Callie must risk venturing outside the safe world she's built for a chance at answers, and maybe even new love.

     MY REVIEW:   Anymore, one must sort through the hundreds of books available to find one worth holding onto and passing around. This book is one of those rare few. A fiction novel, it explores life in Austria during Hitler's reign. Life changes in an instant, and Jews find themselves in a dangerous situation. Even the Gentile sympathizers are in danger, and no one can trust anyone. Greed runs rampant as homes are ransacked and possessions confiscated.
     This book is written in what I term "flashback form". The story of Annika is told through Callie's discovery of a book 80yrs later. Therefore, we read of both their lives, though predominately Annika's. It flips between the two in a manner quite easy to distinguish. Annika's tale is written in third person, and Callie's in first person. Callie's first person narrative felt a bit cliche at times, but not enough to spoil the book.
     While there is romance in this book, it is not the main stream as so many books are. It is understated, and while Callie's is unnecessary, Annika's is very relevant to the story. Without it many facets would be lost. I will say, however, that I was rather surprised at how it turned out. I can't explain more without giving anything away, but it was interesting to see how it all played out, or didn't.
     I really enjoyed this book. Another of Melanie Dobson's books I've read is Catching the Wind, which was just as good as this book, and written in the same manner---searching for a survivor of WWII.

 I received a copy of this book from TYNDALE PUBLISHERS and was not required to write a positive review. 
   
   

Forever With Jesus

     BOOK REVIEW:   In Forever with Jesus, the sea kids learn that Jesus died for their sins, and that by believing in Him they will live in heaven forever. The cousins visit their grandparents for Grandma Pinky's 80th birthday. During their visit, their grandparents' neighbor, Mr. Higgins, passes away. Grandma reads the Bible and tells her grandchildren how wonderful Heaven is and how there will be no more tears, pain, or suffering. The children understand that they do not have to fear death because their belief in Jesus guarantees they will live forever with Him in Heaven.

     MY REVIEW:   I love Lee Ann Mancini's Adventures of the Sea Kids series. This is the fourth book I have gotten. The layout and the pictures are just beautiful and terribly cute. The lessons are simple, straightforward, and "Gospel-truth". Her objective in writing these books is: "to help children build a strong foundational relationship with Jesus". 
     This book is about death and Heaven. When Isabella asks why we go to Heaven when we die, Grandma says "Because we believe in Jesus, and He died for our sins. When you sin there has to be a punishment. Jesus took the punishment for our sins. Jesus did this for us because He loves us." The lesson can be easily understood by a child; it is simple and without unnecessary theology.
     This series is a wonderful one that any child would be blessed to have.

  I received a copy of this book from BOOKCRASH and was not required to write a positive review. 

Crack Yourself Up Jokes for Kids

     BOOK REVIEW:   Any kid can be a comedian with a little help from CRACK YOURSELF UP JOKES FOR KIDS. This zany collection of one-liners, knock-knock jokes, riddles, puns, funny lists, and hilarious illustrations promises hours of fun. Just be careful. These are the kinds of laughs that make milk come out your nose---so don't drink and read!  Perfect for kids 6-12.

     MY REVIEW:   Who doesn't love a good book of jokes? This book is great for kids, and can even be enjoyed by adults. Many of the knock-knock jokes have the same punch line with just a different method of getting there, but there are several others as well. I never knew there were backwards jokes, where the answer is given before the joke. Truth be told, it rather takes the fun out of it. I don't know if I would call the illustrations "hilarious" but then I am a bit older than 12. There could be more of them, though. All the jokes are kid friendly, and even a (very) few reference God, for example: Two brothers, Jamie and Sam, were deciding who got to eat the last waffle. Mom cam in and suggested, "Boys, don't you think Jesus would want you to share? I think He would give his waffle to His brother."    "That's a good idea," Sam said. "Jamie, you be Jesus." 
     A few examples of what you will find in this book:

• Health Inspector: "I'm afraid you have too many roaches in here."  Restaurant Owner: "How many am I allowed?
• What's red and smells like blue paint? Red paint. 
• Where do pencils go on vacation? Pencilvania. 
• Little Girl: "Mommy, you've got some gray hairs.  Mom: "Yes, every time you don't behave, I get another gray hair." Little Girl: ''Is that why Grandma has so many?"
• Susie was so excited that she put together a puzzle in just 10 days even though the box said 2-4 years.

     ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Sandy Silverthorne is an award-winning author/illustrator with more than half a million copies in print. His award-winning Great Bible Adventure children's series has been distributed in eight languages worldwide. Sandy has worked as a cartoonist, author, illustrator, actor, pastor, speaker, and comedian. Apparently it's hard for him to focus.

  I received a copy of this book from REVELL PUBLISHERS and was not required to write a positive review. 

How Joyful People Think

     BOOK REVIEW:   Two people can face the same type of adversity and have two vastly different reactions, even when they have the same background and worldview. What makes the difference? Perspective---the way they think about things. Right thinking matters, and thankfully it's something we all can learn to do.
     In this insightful unpacking of Philippians 4:8, pastor Jamie Rasmussen shows you how to focus your thoughts and attention on the things in life God has declared will make a meaningful impact on both your outlook and experience. It's the kind of thinking that has the power to change us, pointing us away from self-pity, anger, and resentment toward contentment and personal peace.

     MY REVIEW:   I quite enjoyed this book. It is practical and down-to-earth. It's easy to see that Jamie put a lot of time and research into it. I really liked how he studied and explained the Greek meanings of the words in Philippians 4:8. It is really neat to see what the root word is, how to pronounce it, how many times and in what importance it is used in the Bible, and how much more it means than what we think "whatsoever things are pure, lovely, true, just, etc" mean.
     This book is easy to believe---it feels accomplishable, like what it has to say can be made practical in our own lives, not a book of someone's saintly achievements that we can never hope to reach. How we think is really important, and the better we understand these different aspects of thinking, the easier it will be to emulate them.
     A few quotes I especially liked:

• " 'And the God, who is Peace, will be with you'. Notice that the core of the promise is not Peace but God, who brings Peace. The promise is the very presence of God, a God who 'will be with you' as a result of your learning to embrace His prescribed way of thinking."

• "God is much more concerned with a particularly different kind of thinking, which leads to a particularly different set of goals and results. This different kind of thinking involves altered perspectives and a more rigorous application than merely focusing on positives, possibilities, or problem solving. It requires learning to think in ways that God has clearly prescribed. It involves learning to think as God wants us to think. It's also the kind of thinking that will make us more mature in our personhood, more faithful to Him, more loving toward others, and more satisfied within. It's the kind of thinking befitting a follower of Jesus Christ."

     

  I received a copy of this book from BAKER PUBLISHERS and was not required to write a positive review.