A Single Page

Title: A Single Page
Author: Brooke Brubaker
Series: The Great Book, book 1
Major Themes: Colonial America, Ephrata Cloister, Martyrs Mirror, Mennonites, Pennsylvania
Synopsis: A young boy and his grandfather travel to the Ephrata Cloister to buy a copy of the first Martyrs Mirror published in North America.

One of my favorite types of book is children’s nonfiction with full-color paintings. I especially love them when they are about historical events. A Single Page tells the little-known story of how the Martyrs Mirror was first published in America.

The year is 1749, the setting is Germantown, Pennsylvania, and the main character is Andrew, whose teacher is Christopher Dock. Andrew’s grandfather often read his Dutch copy of the Martyr Book and told the children stories from it. Andrew longed to read the book for himself, but he could only read German. Then one evening, Grandfather came to the family’s home with wonderful news: The brothers at the Ephrata Cloister were finishing the long process of translating the Martyr Book into German and printing it!

The very next day, Grandfather and Andrew set out to Ephrata to buy a copy of the precious book. After three long days of travel, they reached the Cloister, and Andrew was given a tour, learning all about the process of producing the book that the Mennonites wanted their young people to read to build up their faith as war loomed on the horizon. Then, Grandfather and Andrew started for home—and near the end of their three-day trip home they came across the person who always picked on Andrew at school. How should Andrew respond?

This is a beautiful book! The paintings which illustrate every page glow. My younger children have spent a lot of time studying them; the book is worth buying for the pictures alone. I love the way the book feels in my hands, too. It is a hardcover, with thick, glossy pages—this is one that will last a long time. The story is worth a lot, too, though, not only for its historical but also for its spiritual value. Not only is this a great addition to a study of early American history, it is also a very worthwhile book to have in a home library to encourage children to follow God and do what is right, even when it means doing good to those who do evil to you.

No warnings!

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