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The Weather Book

May 5, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

5 May

Title: The Weather Book
Author: Michael Oard
Series: Wonders of Creation
Major Themes: Weather, Climate, Storms
Synopsis: Short chapters with many photographs and diagrams will help anyone understand weather better.

I like to read something about science or history from a Christian perspective each morning as we start our homeschool day. Recently, I finished something we had been reading for a long time, so I went to the shelf in our library where we keep the science books and had a look. The Weather Book—I have read a couple of other books by Michael Oard and enjoyed them, and had actually thought about using this one for our science lessons this year. I decided it was a perfect choice, and it helped that most sections were only a two-page spread.

Publisher’s description:

The earth was created to be the dwelling place of man. It is a complex world and its weather patterns affect our lives every day. Whether you live near the equator, a polar region, or somewhere in between, knowledge of the weather is important. The Weather Book will teach that learning about the weather is fun! It will change the way you look at the clouds in the sky. Now you’ll have more of an understanding about what is going on miles above your head. And when you hear a weather report on television, you’ll understand so much more about the world around you!

My thoughts:

We learned a lot about weather from The Weather Book. I had always wondered how warm fronts and cold fronts work, and those were explained. We also enjoyed the detailed description of how thunderstorms are formed, and found the chapters about hurricanes and tornadoes fascinating. When we were reading the chapter about winter storms, I realized that I had probably experienced one of the blizzards that was mentioned, so I dug out an old diary, and sure enough, I had written about it! That was fun to share with the children. Another topic that we found very helpful was the chapter about El Niño. Because of where we live, we are directly affected by that ocean current, so understanding what drives it and its opposite, La Niña, was quite helpful.

If you want to teach your children about weather from a Creationist perspective, or want a quick introduction to it yourself, I highly recommend this book. It is easy to understand, and profusely illustrated with many photographs and diagrams. I understand weather a lot better now, and I know my children understood a lot, too.

No warnings!

Age levels:

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

Links to buy this book:

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

Tiger Boy

May 2, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

2 May

Title: Tiger Boy
Author: Mitali Perkins
Major Themes: India, Sunderbans, Tigers, School
Synopsis: Neel didn’t want to leave his village in the Sunderbans to go to school in Calcutta, but after he helped to hunt for a missing tiger cub, he saw things differently.

I’ve probably said this a number of times, but one thing I love about Sonlight Curriculum is that we try out many books that we would never pick up without their recommendation. Our most recent example of a book that they recommended that I wouldn’t even have heard of is Tiger Boy. For a year, I have had it on a stack of books for my 9-year-old daughter to choose from for me to read aloud. Slowly, we have worked our way through the stack—and, though she kept saying she wanted to read Tiger Boy, she never chose it until we got to the last two books!

Publisher’s description:

When a tiger cub escapes from a nature reserve near Neel’s island village, the rangers and villagers hurry to find her before the cub’s anxious mother follows suit and endangers them all. Mr. Gupta, a rich newcomer to the island, is also searching—he wants to sell the cub’s body parts on the black market. Neel and his sister, Rupa, resolve to find the cub first and bring her back to the reserve where she belongs.

The hunt for the cub interrupts Neel’s preparations for an exam to win a prestigious scholarship at a boarding school far from home. Neel doesn’t mind—he dreads the exam and would rather stay on his beloved island in the Sunderbans of West Bengal with his family and friends.

But through his encounter with the cub, Neil learns that sometimes you have to take risks to preserve what you love. And sometimes you have to sacrifice the present for the chance to improve the future.

My thoughts:

Overall, I liked Tiger Boy pretty well. It gives a clear glimpse into the life of the people of the Sunderbans, the marshy area shared between India and Bangladesh. It shows how a child can get motivated when he sees a real reason to work hard. My children loved the story; even the 5-year-old got quite caught up in the story and wanted to hear more so she knew what happened to the tiger cub.

There is no Christian element in this story. Neel’s family has household idols, and they pray to them for help. There is also a fairly strong environmentalist element. At the same time, there is recognition that people need to make a living. I also liked the strong family structure, and the deep respect and love that the children had for their parents. Tiger Boy is not one of my favorites, but I did like it.

WARNING: Chapter 5: The mother prays to an idol for a long time; boy thinks about cutting someone in pieces. Chapter 17: This cursed island.

Age levels:

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

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

A Girl Named Disaster

April 30, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

30 Apr

Title: A Girl Named Disaster
Author: Nancy Farmer
Major Themes: Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Survival
Synopsis: In order to escape a forced marriage she doesn’t want, a young girl flees to another country, trying to find her father.

Once a year, Sonlight Curriculum has a clearance sale of books they need to move on, and I often buy a number of books, since I have long since learned that their recommendations almost always turn out to be good. One that I bought two or three years ago was A Girl Named Disaster, but I hadn’t gotten around to reading it until last week. I had added it to the selections my boys could choose from for daily reading, but I thought I should probably find out what it is like! I’m glad I did.

Publisher’s description:

Eleven-year-old Nhamo lives in a traditional village in Mozambique, where she doesn’t quite fit in. When her family tries to force her into marrying a cruel man, she runs away to Zimbabwe, hoping to find the father she’s never met. But what should have been a short boat trip across the border turns into a dangerous year-long adventure, and Nhamo must summon her innermost courage to ensure her survival.

My thoughts:

I came away from A Girl Named Disaster with mixed feelings. I really like the storyline, and seeing how Nhamo managed to survive despite one accident after another. However, the large amount of traditional African spiritism that shows up over and over, all the way through the book, left me uneasy. Several times, either Nhamo or someone else would make sacrifices to the spirits, and she often told stories that included a magical element. At one point, she was friends with a group of people who belonged to a religion that combined Christianity with spiritism, and in one scene, they performed an exorcism in which some very strange things happened. Another thing I objected to, in a book for children, was the open talk about menstruation. So, while I really like the glimpse into African life and the African bush, I decided I won’t be keeping this book. It just doesn’t quite fit with our standards for books.

WARNING: Chapter 4: A girl menstruates for the first time, and becomes a woman. Chapter 5: Sending messages to far-off people by scattering ashes in the air, killing twins. Chapter 6: Man killed his son to gain power from the spirits. Chapter 7: Mention of girl’s menstruation, charms against witchcraft. Chapter 9: Woman possessed with spirits. Chapter 11: Talk of ghosts, girl’s menstruation. Chapter 18: Spirit woman with breasts so long she could wrap them around herself; she appears multiple times in the rest of the book. Chapter 19: Appeasing the spirit of a dead man. Chapter 36: Blerry (swear word explained in a footnote), girl thought a spirit was telling her to kill animals and people. Chapter 37: People conduct an exorcism. Chapter 41: A dead man’s spirit communicates with people. Chapter 42: Three ghosts appear and talk to a girl. Throughout most of the book: The girl talks with her dead mother, a dead boatman, and interacts with spirits who live under the lake.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15, 15 and Above

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

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