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Breakthrough

April 28, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

28 Apr

Title: Breakthrough
Author: Rudi Lack
Major Themes: YWAM, Rudi Lack, Smuggling, Evangelism, Communism, Africa
Synopsis: Rudi Lack found the Christian life to be one adventure after another as he took the Gospel into countries where it was forbidden.

Several months ago, we placed an order with a large chain bookstore in this country. Along with the books we ordered was included a copy of Rudi Lack’s book Breakthrough. I didn’t have time to read it then, so I put it on the shelf. Not long ago, we ordered more books—and they included another copy of the same book! We don’t need two copies on the shelf in our library, so I decided to read it, since I had a lull in my review books that needed to be read, and then I would know if I could give it to a particular family or not. Well, I had no idea what I was getting myself in for.

Publisher’s description:

Breakthrough is a true-life, fast moving adventure story that gives an unmistakably clear signal. This thrilling eye-witness account shows how to hear from God, act in faith and dare the impossible. The principles are applicable in everyone’s life and can help in your personal situation. This book may well give you the breakthrough you are looking for.

My thoughts:

There are very few books that I have read that have convicted me of the need to pray like Breakthrough did. I was astounded at the way Rudi and the rest of his team of YWAM School of Evangelism students prayed—and got answers and specific direction. Without the specific leading they received from God through their long sessions of prayer, they would not have survived some of the situations they found themselves in, and they would not have been able to reach the people for God that they did.

Breakthrough tells the story of the early days of YWAM’s SOE by one of the early students. It also describes the way they were able to get Bibles into communist countries where they were not allowed—and even into the hands of communist Chinese people when no one was allowed to go into China! If you want to read some stories of wild adventures living for God, pick up this book. It’s amazing. If you want a book that will challenge your faith and your commitment to God, pick up this book. It’s convicting.

WARNING: Chapter 17: Brief description of torture. Chapter 18: Mention of an area of a city in which prostitution was rampant.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Where the Jungle Calls

April 25, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

25 Apr

Title: Where the Jungle Calls
Author: Rosie Boom
Major Themes: Papua New Guinea, Jungles, Adventures
Synopsis: Life becomes one long series of adventures when Rose and Penny’s family moves from the city in New Zealand to the jungle in New Guinea!

Around ten years ago, I read Rosie Boom’s The Barn Chronicles series to my children. We loved her accounts of how her family lived on a small farm in northern New Zealand. Last year, Rosie came to a homeschool mother’s retreat which I attended, and brought copies of her books to sell. Among them was her most recent, Where the Jungle Calls, the story of her three years as a little girl in New Guinea. I knew I had to have a copy of this book, too, and read it to my children!

Publisher’s description:

Rose lives in the big city. But one day her life changes forever.…

Rose, her twin sister Penny and their brother Peter find themselves swept away into a great adventure, sailing the blue Pacific to a mission school deep in the jungles of Papua.

There they become adventurers and explorers in their own wild kingdom. They swim and fish in the rivers and make huts and gardens where they grow pineapples, peanuts and bananas. They chase huge emerald and blue butterflies. They run barefoot and free, and imagine themselves as Tarzan and Jane, swinging on vines through the jungle.

But there are hidden dangers lurking: snakes, scorpions, jerry-wars, malaria—and in the rivers, fearsome crocodiles.…

Here in the jungles of Papua, New Guinea the readers of The Barn Chronicles will meet their favourite characters again in a different time, a different place. This is where their adventures first began.

My thoughts:

What a fun book! All of us enjoyed it, even my four-year-old (who, to be fair, loves almost all stories). It was one of our favorites for the month. We enjoyed reading about the adventures of the three children, and their mother’s struggles with the harshness of life in the jungle. I loved seeing the differences in the identical twins, Rose and Penny. I also loved the way the children’s parents guided and cared for them so lovingly. They weren’t always perfect; one story tells of a time when the father encouraged the children to do something that turned out to be dangerous—and it shows his remorse afterward. The children certainly weren’t always perfect, either, and their parents guided them into making wiser choices the next time. However, while there are definitely character-building aspects to Where the Jungle Calls, the main point of this book is the adventure. Imagine being 8 or 12 years old and suddenly moving from the city to the jungle next to a river! What adventures you could have—and they did. This book is perfect for any boy or girl who loves real-life adventure stories.

WARNING: Chapter 22: Bullies injure a girl. Chapter 25: A woman breastfeeds a piglet. Chapter 26: A puppy is killed. Chapter 37: Mention of twins being left to die in the tribal setting; an eagle is killed; a snake’s head is cut off. Chapter 38: Blasted cat. Chapter 42: Dog is killed, chick dies.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 5 – 8, 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

The Miller’s Boy

April 23, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

23 Apr

Title: The Miller’s Boy
Author: Barbara Willard
Series: The Mantlemass Chronicles, book 1
Major Themes: War of the Roses, England, Milling
Synopsis: Thomas wanted to leave his grandfather’s mill and live with a sister, and his other sister wanted to leave the mill and get married—but they had to stay and care for their grandfather.

When I read The Lark and the Laurel and then The Sprig of Broom, I thought they were the first two books in the Mantlemass Chronicles. Then, I found a list of the books in the series and saw that some people actually consider The Miller’s Boy to be the first, so we read that one next. It certainly is set before the beginning of The Lark and the Laurel, so I would have to agree that it is the first. It is shorter than the other two, however, and includes a lot less of the events in England at the time; it focuses almost totally on the life of the miller’s grandson and of Lewis Mallory, who had just come to live at Ghylls Hatch.

Publisher’s description:

Each day, Thomas Welfare prays for two things. The first is a fine steed to carry him away from the life of backbreaking toil in his grandfather’s mill. The second is a friend—a boy his own age to roam the forest with. The arrival of young Lewis Mallory answers Thomas’ second prayer—but could he also fulfill the first? The Miller’s Boy is a tale of a deep friendship between two boys. It takes place when Lewis first came to the forest, long before the Mantlemass stories begin.

My thoughts:

The Miller’s Boy is a beautiful picture of life among the common people during the time of the War of the Roses. It is a story of friendship that crosses social lines, and a story of an old man who could not accept anyone else getting ahead of him. It is also a story of the love of a brother and sister for each other as they did what they could to care for their grandfather.

I enjoyed learning about windmills and how they were used for grinding grain in this time period. Two different mills were described; Thomas Welfare’s grandfather had an old mill, and a rival built a new, much larger one nearby. The news that the second one was being built sent the grandfather into a fit of anger such that he tried singlehandedly rebuilding his old mill bigger—with horrific results. There are hard scenes in this story, and also beautiful ones. If you are studying this time period, try to find a copy of The Miller’s Boy to get a better feel for daily life among the ordinary people.

WARNING: Chapter 1: Praying to Mary. Chapter 4: “One for Lucifer,…One for Beelzebub, Satan’s son.” Chapter 5: “Jesu, what a.…” Chapter 6: Two boys fight. Chapter 7: “…felt the old man was inspired by demons,” “this storm came out of hell.” Chapter 9: “Oh dear Lord Jesu!”

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12
Reading Independently—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

The Turning

April 21, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

21 Apr

Title: The Turning
Author: Gloria Whelan
Series: The Russian Saga, book 4
Major Themes: Russia, Soviet Union, Ballet, Communism
Synopsis: Tanya loved ballet, and it gave her the chance to leave the Soviet Union for a tour in France—but did she want to stay in France or return to her family and homeland?

The Turning is another of the books I bought on clearance a few years ago, and then was delighted to discover that it was included as a reader in the Language Arts curriculum I decided to use. Although I like to read the readers before my children get to them, I didn’t manage to accomplish that before one son reached that part of the course. I got caught up on review books recently, though, so I read it now, before the next son gets to it.

Publisher’s description:

It is 1991, and revolution is coming to the Soviet Union, but in Leningrad, life goes on as it always has. Food is scarce, and luxuries are few, but for a young dancer named Tanya, life is a beautiful dream. She dances all day and all night, performing on the stage of the greatest theater in Russia. Her family has sacrificed everything for her dream, and their efforts are finally paying off. Soon, the company will tour Europe, and Tanya will see Paris—a city so beautiful that she has begun to contemplate the unthinkable: leaving the Soviet Union forever.

Paris offers a chance for defection, which would mean saying goodbye to her family. But as the group prepares for the trip, politics and romance tempt her to stay in Leningrad. Soon, Tanya must choose her path. Does her future lie in Paris—or in a new Russia?

My thoughts:

I guess I didn’t read the back cover copy before I started reading The Turning. I did wonder in what era this one would be set, since Angel in the Square is just before/during the Russian Revolution and Burying the Sun is during World War II. I was surprised to find that this one jumped all the way to a time I can remember—the end of the Soviet Union! (What does that say about me, if a historical novel is set within my lifetime?!)

I learned a lot about ballet from this book. I can’t remember any other books I have read that have centered around dancing. That was quite interesting, as well as Tanya’s internal struggle to decide whether she should defect to Paris or stay with her family in the Soviet Union. Then everything changed suddenly, and she had even more decisions to make. This is a beautiful picture of a courageous girl and a turbulent time.

WARNING: Chapter 1: “Those sexy French thong panties.” Chapter 2: “Their voices were so sexy.” Chapter 5: Man pawed at a girl.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 12 – 15
Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Kindle | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Burying the Sun

April 18, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

18 Apr

Title: Burying the Sun
Author: Gloria Whelan
Series: The Russian Saga, book 3
Major Themes: Russia, Soviet Union, War, World War II
Synopsis: Georgi is not old enough to join the army when the Germans besiege Leningrad during World War II, but he does all he can to help the people of his city.

A few years ago, I found Burying the Sun for half price in a clearance sale, and since I know I have liked every book I have read by Gloria Whelan, I bought it. Then, it turned out to be one of the books scheduled in a Language Arts course I decided to have my children do, and one of my sons read it. Now, another boy is nearly to that point in the course, so I decided I should probably read it so I know what types of questions to ask!

Publisher’s description:

In the glorious springtime of 1941, Leningrad seems as though it will always be bright. And then, on June 22nd, Germany turns its forces against its old friend, and all at once Russia is at war. As the enemy army draws closer, winter approaches, and with it will come a darkness and hunger that will stalk the once-luminous city.

At fourteen, Georgi is too young to join the army. Still, he is determined to do something—anything—to help his family, and his city, through this terrifying time.

In this companion novel to her breathtaking Russian epics Angel On the Square and The Impossible Journey, National Book Award-winning author Gloria Whelan transports readers to a gripping and treacherous time in Russian history and illuminates the power of one brave young man who, by taking action, will bring light to a city under siege.

My thoughts:

I have heard of the siege of Leningrad before. I have seen it mentioned in history books about World War II. However, I had never read any stories of people who were living there at the time. Burying the Sun makes that siege come to life. It shows the horror of the war—and the goodness of common people. As always, some people were greedy and thought only of themselves and getting what they needed, but others did all they could for others, even to the point of losing their own lives. This is a beautiful story of love—love between family members, and love between friends. I really liked the way Georgi’s family and the family next to them in their apartment building cared for each other and did all they could to share and help. Though war is horrible and ugly, it can allow the beauty of love to shine through; that is what this book focuses on.

WARNING: Chapter 5: Man describes being on a ship that was blown up. Chapter 8: Man starves to death. Chapter 9: Truck sinks under the ice with men on board. Many more places in the book describe people being hurt, sick, or dying because of the war.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Reading Independently—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com