The Velveteen Bible



A beautiful hard cover bible perfect for any child. The soft flocked cover and case of this bible makes it look and feel very special. Though a children’s bible, it is not a summarized or bible story book, but instead contains the full biblical text making it a good resource for children’s bible study. The illustrations are beautiful and the layout is well done. It comes in a sturdy case covered in the same design as the bible and can be used to house and protect the bible, or as a special place to keep treasured items. Would the perfect addition to this year’s Easter basket! Love it! I received this bible from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Charlatan's Boy by Jonathan Rogers

The Charlatan’s boy is a sometimes funny, sometimes heart breaking look at an orphan named Grady. Raised by Floyd, the talented con artist of Corenwald, the only life Grady knows is one of traveling from town to town trying to swindle out a living by tricking gullible towns people. As the “wild man of the Feechiefen Swamp”, Grady pretended to be a savage hostile captured and confined by Floyd, who would offer a glimpse of this rare sight for some coin. But as people from these small towns begin to disbelieve in the tales of Feechie folks, Grady and Floyd’s living starts to dwindle. As they scheme to come up with new ways to scam their way through life, one thing keeps nagging at Grady. It is the thing that has troubled him his whole life: where does he come from and what happened to his parents. These legitimate questions, however, are next to impossible to find answers to. His only link to the past is the con man Floyd and as Grady says, “I only know one man who might be able to tell me where I come from, and that man is a liar and a fraud.” And so Grady continues his life on the road, hoping one day to find a place in the world where he fits in.

Unto the Hills; A Daily Devotional

Unto the Hills by Billy Graham


A compilation of previously released writings, this is an inspirational and uplifting daily devotional. Psalm 121:1-2: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” is the inspiration for the title of the devotional. This devotional does just that; it offers up a years worth of readings and prayers that help one stay focused on their strength in the Lord. Each day’s passage contains just the right amount of material without being too challenging, making it the perfect tool to use to help get a bit of God’s Word in each and every day. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.



A Year with God by R.P. Nettlehurst

A daily devotional that focuses on the importance of immersing your thoughts in the Word of God in order to transform them to match those of the Savior. Rather than following a calendar schedule as many devotionals do, (Jan.1-Dec. 31) this devotional start simply with Day 1, making it feel accessible to begin anytime of year. It is organized into several different topics, including:

Hope and Fear

Love and Hate

Perseverance and Quitting

Faith and Doubt

Loyalty and Betrayal

Companionship and Isolation

Mercy and Judgment

Forgiveness and Anger

Joy and Sadness

Peace and Conflict

Each daily reading begins with a Bible reading which is included in its entirety, making it easy and convenient to study the scriptures each day. I like that the scripture readings are quite substantial, more than the verse or two that are often included in daily devotionals of this kind. The second part of each reading is a discussion of the days scripture and how it relates to the topic under which it falls. While I found some of the discussion sections to be a bit dry, this is overall a useful resource and one that could really promote the practice of spending time immersed in the Word on a regular basis. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

I Lift Up My Soul: Devotions to Start Your Day with God by Charles Stanley

A compilation of readings from Charles Stanley’s multitude of works. As a daily devotional, it’s laid out with a one page devotion for each day of the year, and includes a key verse and scripture passage as well. These Bible centered reflections are a positive and uplifting way to begin the day. As each passage is short and takes little time to read, this devotional would also be an asset to any busy schedule and could be pulled out and read anytime of day. In fact, the only fault I could find with this particular book is that if you are looking for a devotional with very “meaty” daily readings, this might disappoint. I would recommend this as a good devotional for everyday use and as a guide to other works by Charles Stanley that could elaborate on each of the daily topics. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Really Woolly Bible Stories by Bonnie Jensen

Great book of Bible stories for little ones! Each is actually more like a poem written to briefly introduce these popular stories to children. They are written in rhyming fashion, which is both fun to listen to and to read. The popular stories are each covered: creation, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David and Goliath, as well as many of the stories of Jesus. There are sixteen stories included in all, plus an introduction and a great little prayer at the end. The illustrations are wonderful. They are colorful and help to tell each story. There is also a reference with each story that directs readers to where in the Bible they can read more about each one. This would be a great baby shower gift or perfect for younger children, as it is a board book with a slightly padded cover. Really Woolly Bible Stories would also work well as a first reader for slightly older children. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review

"Big Red" Holy Bible - Contemporary 3-D Art International Children’s Bible

"Big Red" Holy Bible - Contemporary 3-D Art International Children’s Bible is a good choice for children age 8 and up, especially boys. The cover is attention grabbing as it is an almost holographic looking design. There are quite a few full color, detailed pictures throughout this Bible. Each depicts a scene from a particular Bible story. I love the International Children’s Bible translation, as it empowers younger children by giving them access to God’s Word. It is very readable and understandable. There are a few things I don’t care for in this particular Bible, however. The cover is very flimsy and mine is already crinkled and has edge wear after only a few days of use. The pictures are detailed and interesting, but they are grouped in sections throughout the Bible and don’t appear near the stories they depict. This makes it confusing and also makes the overall presentation seem very plain as there are whole sections with no illustrations what so ever. I would not give this as a gift Bible due to the flimsy structure, but I would use it with my own child as a good resource and a good translation for elementary aged kids. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews

This is an inspirational story of the lives of several different men and how they each ended up changing the world. The message of each story is that every single thing that each of us do, no matter how small, effects the ultimate outcome of many lives. Like a butterflies wings fluttering can create the tiny breeze that will ultimately end in a hurricane on the other side of the world, we each have a drastic effect on others by the small actions and decisions we make each day. In the case of the men in this book, each made a decision to help someone, and the repercussions of each of those men helping someone was that the world was changed for the better. This concept is a little hard for younger kids to grasp, and therefore some of the story could be lost on a child under the age of maybe eight. The youngest will enjoy the full color pictures even if they might not “get” it. For older kids, this is a fantastic and inspirational tale of how their own life and every choice they make will also change the world. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

God’s Promises for Woman of Faith

A cute little gift book with a fun cover. I could see gifting this little book to a girl friend or female family member. The intended audience is of course Christian woman. I would suggest that, if giving as a gift, making sure the recipient is familiar with the Bible. I say this because the verses used throughout are from the King James Translation and therefore may be slightly less readable than if they had used the NIV. I do think, however, that the use of the KJV does add to the overall beauty of this particular book. This is a nice little book to have around the house to flip through every now and then for a quick faith “pick me up”. Not a thorough study of God’s promises, but not really meant to be. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Heavens Proclaim His Glory

What an interesting and awe inspiring book! The Heavens Proclaim His Glory is an apt title for this collection of photos from space. Each picture is brilliant, colorful, and amazing. I like the mix of Bible scripture with facts about the stars, galaxies, and other wonders of the universe featured within. I think anyone who is interested in factual information would find this book to contain quite a bit. I most like the fact that even if you are not necessarily interested in outer space as a science, you can still enjoy the wonders of God as portrayed in the beautiful photos. I have two sons, age thirteen and five, and they were each able to enjoy this book even given the difference in age between them. This would be a great book for the whole family to talk about and enjoy! I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.