Reading is a huge part of our days, so we're always excited when we get new books to review! This time, we got not one, but two books from an author we've enjoyed in the past. Matt Koceich, a public school teacher for twenty years, wrote a series of books called the Kingdom Files. This collection helps kids learn more about key Bible characters in a fun, detective-style format.
Barbour Publishing was kind enough to send us this book. The company has been publishing Christian classics at value prices since 1981. With over 1,000 titles--covering audio books, Bibles, reference books, children's, devotionals, fiction, nonfiction, activity books, music, and more--there's something for everyone. This was the company that introduced us to the Diary of a Real Payne years ago (which we liked so much that we purchased the other two books in the series) and Imagine. . . The Great Flood, also by Matt Koceich. I was looking forward to reading these new offerings.
- Fact File -- lists key information such as name, occupation, location, years active, important stats, a mini timeline, and more
- Action File -- explains the story of the character's life through the events in the Bible
- Power File -- applies truths from the story to our lives today and lists an accompanying Bible verse
Sprinkled throughout the story are also clue boxes that reiterate important information and point out various details that encourage the reader to think. Line art images that enhance the narrative can be found throughout the whole book.
There are currently half a dozen cases in the Kingdom Files, but we've read only two so far. The first one was Who Was Jonah?. This book relates the biblical book of Jonah from beginning to end. Not only does it tell that Jonah disobeyed God by running away from Ninevah, but it explains his fears and why he did so. The book follows his journey as he boards the ship to Tarshish, got caught up in a terrible storm, was thrown into the sea, was swallowed by the great fish, and eventually surrendered to preach to the Ninevites. Along with the big details that most people remember from Sunday School is the rest of the story, like that the sailors didn't want to throw Jonah overboard, that they offered a sacrifice to God and made vows, that even the king of Ninevah believed and wore sackcloth and ashes, that God grew a plant to shade Jonah and then sent a worm to destroy it, and more.
The main theme that is reiterated all throughout the life of Jonah is mercy. Jonah has a bit of a pity party when the Ninevites repent and are spared by God, yet he ignores the countless times that God showed him mercy in this story alone. Some of the other applications that are pointed out in the Power File are Obey God, Don't Be Afraid, God Is Faithful, God Provides, and others.
The second book we read was Who Was Mary, Mother of Jesus?. It describes how Mary must have felt when the angel told her about the pregnancy, when Jesus was born in a manger, when she found Him in the temple, and when Jesus was crucified on the cross. She likely experienced so many emotion, yet she trusted God through them all. The book also relates other details and individuals from Mary's life such as the wise men's visit, the wedding at Cana, meeting Simeon and Anna, John the Baptist jumping in Elizabeth's womb, and watching Jesus go up the Heaven, along with other events.
Many times, the narrative reminds us that Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. What an amazing responsibility she had been entrusted with! Some of the life lessons that we can apply to our own lives are Let Your Life Glorify God, God Knows You, God Blesses You, God Lifts Up the Humble, and God Meets All Your Needs.
I believe that biographies are important and require my kids to cover a certain portion of their weekly reading with them. I love that these kid-friendly biographies are of key Bible characters. Not only do they review common details, but they also add depth through historical facts, geographical features, and cultural differences. You can also take the learning deeper by utilizing the extra resources on the site, such as a word search, trading cards, trivia cards, worksheets, and more.
There are portions of verses incorporated throughout the books and, of course, written out completely at the end of each power up in the Power Files. Although they reference a different version than we use, it was not a big deal. Because I read both of these books aloud to my children, I read the main text as is and considered it a paraphrase like the rest of the story. When we read the power ups, we simply looked up each verse and read it directly from our Bible, which added another aspect of learning as it gave the kids more familiarity with finding them.
Here's what my kids think of these books:
They're pretty cool.
I like learning about people from the Bible.
They're really cool. I like that they're like detective cases.
These Kingdom Files books are a joy to read. With less than 100 pages each, they are quick reads and perfect for elementary-aged children. They are cute, accurate, and help bring excitement to learning more about God and applying His Truths to our lives. Come, be a reading detective and start your first investigation with the Kingdom Files!
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You can read more reviews of these books on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.
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