children’s books

Book Review: The Philosophy Resistance Squad

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The Philosophy Resistance Squad by Robert Grant

The Philosophy Resistance Squad
by Robert Grant

3 out of 5 stars

Milo begins the school year at his new school, one of the highest ranking schools in the world. He and his two best friends are thrilled to have been accepted into this elite school until they meet the headmaster, Dr. Pummelcrush. The older students act like mindless zombies, going to classes, eating the disgusting food, and never breaking any rules. Milo begins to suspect that they might be brainwashed. He discovers a garden hidden away on the school grounds. In the garden, he meets a teacher who used to teach philosophy (before the school banned the class because it made students think for themselves). Milo and his friends start to learn all they can about philosophy, hoping that an open mindset will help them to resist being brainwashed.

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Book Review: Harley James and the Peril of the Pirate’s Curse

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Harley James and the Peril of the Pirate's Curse by Leah Cupps

Harley James and the Peril of the Pirate’s Curse
by Leah Cupps (Goodreads Author)

3 out of 5 stars

Harley travels around the world with her archeologist dad, visiting historic sites and learning about ancient legends. While in Jamaica, Harley hears the legend of the Perla Azul (The Blue Pearl). If the pearl ever touches dry land, a hurricane and earthquake could wipe out the entire island. It already happened once before in 1692 when a young pirate boy witnessed the destruction of half the town of Port Royal. Most of the town sank below the waves and still lies buried in the sand. Harley and her friends discover that the pirate boy wrote a diary where he left behind clues to the pearl’s location in the sunken city. Harley has to find the pearl before her archeologist father and his diving team stumble across it and bring it back to land!

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Book Review: Harley James and the Mystery of the Mayan Kings

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Harley James and the Mystery of the Mayan Kings by Leah Cupps

Harley James and the Mystery of the Mayan Kings
by Leah Cupps (Goodreads Author)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Harley travels around the world with her archeologist dad, visiting historic sites and learning about ancient legends. While in Guatemala, Harley learns the legend of the three Mayan kings. If the statues containing their souls are ever reunited, the three kings could return with an army of the dead to conquer the world. Harley and her friends must stop thieves from stealing the statues. When she discovers a secret message, Harley doesn’t know who to trust.

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Book Review: The Last Battle

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The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia, #7)
by C.S. Lewis

5 out of 5 stars

King Tirian hears rumors that Aslan has returned to Narnia, but he is not sure whether to believe it. When he investigates, he discovers that a false Aslan has been masquerading and fooling the Narnian people. He calls on the children of the ancient past to help him and to save Narnia from imposters and traitors. Eustace and Jill arrive just in time to rescue Tirian, but feel hopeless in the fight against the lies that have been built up around the false Aslan. How can you get people to believe the truth when they have swallowed so many lies?

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Book Review: The Magician’s Nephew

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The Magician’s Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #6)
by  C.S. Lewis

5 out of 5 stars

In this prequel book, we learn about the origins of the world of Narnia and how Aslan first created Talking Animals. It’s fascinating to see how the magic of Narnia first came to be, and I love those moments when we recognize something we are familiar with from the other stories. We get a little “aha!” moment of delightful recognition as certain elements of the magic are explained and explored in more depth.

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Book Review: The Horse and His Boy

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The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia, #5)
by  C.S. Lewis

5 out of 5 stars

Shasta has lived all his life with a poor Calormen fisherman who adopted him when he was a baby. His adopted father is cruel, and so when Shasta meets a Talking Horse named Bree, they make plans to run away together to Narnia. Along the way they meet some other runaways, Aravis and Hwin, and together they must sneak through the bustling city of Tashbaan and cross the desert to reach Narnia.

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Book Review: The Christmas Doll

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The Christmas Doll by Elvira Woodruff

The Christmas Doll
by Elvira Woodruff

4 out of 5 stars

Lucy is terrified that her little sister, Glory, will die of the sickness that is infecting everyone at the orphan’s home. After several children die, Lucy decides that they have to escape. It would be better to live penniless and hungry on the streets than be exposed to the sickness. In the midst of the winter cold, Lucy cheers her little sister with stories of a beautiful doll, Morning Glory, until one day they find an old doll among the trash of the river.

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Book Review: The Silver Chair

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The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia, #4)
by C.S. Lewis

5 out of 5 stars

Eustace has returned to the world of Narnia with his classmate, Jill Pole. The two friends are charged with a quest to find the missing Prince Rilian, who disappeared ten years ago. Joining them in their journey to the North is a Marshwiggle named Puddleglum, who guides them through the lands of giants.

This book just gets better and better every time I re-read it! Rereading it this time around, I was struck with how many times forgetting and remembering are mentioned. The whole theme of the book is about remembering Aslan’s instructions regarding the quest. Unfortunately they often forget the instructions and the signs that they are supposed to look for along the way. This theme has another spiritual layer as well, since we as Christians have been given spiritual instructions about how to live a holy life, but we often forget and make mistakes.

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Book Review: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, #3)
by C.S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Lucy and Edmund are back in Narnia, this time accompanied by their annoying cousin, Eustace. The siblings join King Caspian again, this time on a quest to the Eastern edge of the world. They sail through rough seas, encounter sea monsters, chart magical islands, and fight battles. But the greatest adventure of all is what they find at the edge of the world.

This one is my favorite of all the Narnia books! It appeals to something deep inside me on many levels. The magical adventures, the spiritual themes, poor sad Eustace and his character development, the beautiful imagery, and the imaginative settings all resonate with me in special ways. There are so many sweet little moments that tug at your heart!

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Book Review: Prince Caspian

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Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, #2)
by C.S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are back in Narnia a year after their previous adventures. They find that Narnia has changed a great deal, and now the evil Telmarines are in power. The siblings go to war to help Prince Caspian reclaim his throne and restore the Old Narnian dwarves, fauns, and tree-people.

I love the themes of obedience and faith in this second book of the series. The siblings try to rely on their own wisdom and ignore Aslan’s instructions and they get into huge trouble. It is only when they follow Aslan and obey with faith that things start to go right again.

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