Robin, the host of the Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge that I am participating in, has challenged everyone to write a poem since April is National Poetry Month. I may write a full poem later in the week, not sure yet, but I have written a Haiku, which I haven’t done since the ninth grade. So, here’s my try for the challenge:
Rain falling softly
Wets the window panes then dries
A new sun appears
This book is the first installment of The Dopple Ganger Chronicles. Twin sisters, Sadie and Saskia Dopple, are seperated when a strange, wealthy woman shows up at Isambard Dunstan’s School for Wayward Children and adopts Saskia, but not Sadie. Saskia finds there’s more going on in her new home than meets the eye. Sadie, back at the school, finds herself in serious trouble. With the help of Erik Ganger, Sadie sets out to find Saskia and the three children meet all sorts of strange people along the way. Who can they trust? What’s really going on? And who is Oscar?
Written as a mixture that is part novel, part graphic novel, this book is very interesting. If you have a child that doesn’t like to read very much, this is somewhere to start. The characters are vivid, and the graphics help with that though help is not needed. The story keeps you invloved and waiting to see what will happen next. This series is written as Juvenile Christian Fiction, but you have to get about halfway through the story before you see any elements of it. I suspect more may show up in later installments. The children are very mischevious, especially toward the beginning and seem to have a reputation at the school for being troublemakers. Again, I expect this would change as the series continues and the characters grow. What bothered me more than anything were a few parts that had some slightly gruesome descriptions, such as a swan being hit by a speeding car. And there are elements of murder and more grownup themes that are probably not good for a young child. That stops me from suggesting this book for young children. I would say this book is more for pre-teens and young teens, or older. I enjoyed it as an adult. Not scarey, but suspenseful… but could be scarey for a young child. Overall, a good read and a good start to what could end up being a wonderful series if moved in the right direction.
1) Overall Plot = 4
2) Characters = 4
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 5
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 4
Average of score 4.4
Overall grade = B
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from Tyndale House.
This was book 11 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.
“The Pearl is an enduring and classic fable, sensitively told, in simple and beautiful language. It is the story of a fisherman who found a pearl beyond price, the Pearl of the World. With the pearl, he hoped to buy peace and happiness for himself , his wife, and their little son. Instead he found that peace and happiness are not to be purchased. They are, themselves, pearls beyond price.”
This is the description on the back of my copy of The Pearl. I posted it here because I couldn’t have said it any better. The story is simple and relatable. No fancy language. No long segments of dialogue. The Pearl is simply classic, descriptive story-telling.
This was book 9 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.
This was book 1 in my Classics challenge.
In “Keep Your Greek,” Campbell gives practical advice and tips on things you can do so that your Greek doesn’t die. Some of the tips are obvious. A couple may surprise you, but the logic behind it is undeniable.
I am not a seminary student. I was encouraged to study Greek on my own after frequently watching a pastor on television who uses several different languages in many of her sermons to point out context, tense, etc. I wanted to be able to do this in my own personal studies. Unfortunately, as Bill Mounce says, I got “lost in the fog.” I got discouraged and began to study less and less, until it was not-at-all. I want to change that, so I knew I had to read “Keep You Greek.” It is so encouraging, especially since I am doing this on my own, to see that others struggle the same as I do. The tips in this book will no doubt help me learn and keep my Greek.
This book was provided to me for free by Zondervan for the purpose of this review. My opinions are my own.
This was book 5 in my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge.
