Have you ever wanted to be a detective? If so, this review is for you! My kids love mystery books. They enjoy gathering clues and trying to solve the case before the end of the story. It always makes me proud when they come running up to me shouting that they figured it out. They're paying attention to details and strengthening their critical thinking skills. But what if they could be learning so much more?
Forensic Faith for Kids builds on those skills in popular mystery novels, but adds an even more important aspect. This book from David C Cook and Case Makers Academy not only teaches investigative skills, but encourages kids--and adults alike--to apply them to Christianity.
J. Warner Wallace, the author of the book, is a real-life detective. He has been featured on multiple news networks and other crime-related television shows for his cold-case-solving abilities. He hasn't always been an advocate for Christianity though. In fact, he was once an atheist. He applied what he had learned as a detective to his investigation of the Bible. After finding overwhelming evidence, he was convinced that Jesus is the Son of God and started using his knowledge to persuade others.
J. Warner, along with his wife, Susie, have written a series of books that teaches kids investigation skills and how to use them to become better Christians. After proving that Jesus is God and that He created the universe, this third book teaches kids how to share the Truth of God with others and to be strong witnesses for Him.
Forensic Faith for Kids tells the story of a group of friends that are learning investigation skills as part of the Junior Detective Academy at the police department. In the beginning of the book, a few of the boys found a puppy with no owner in sight. During that time, some of the girls were surprised when a boy denied that Jesus is God and wondered how they could help him. The two mysteries weave together throughout the book as the group of friends gather clues and learn important details. The detective in charge of the Academy guides the kids, mentors them, and encourages them when the task feels daunting. Though he is there for direction, he never takes control of the cases. In the end, the kids solve both mysteries on their own using the skills that they had learned.
Because the authors want kids to become immersed in the story and put the various methods into practice, they wrote the book in present tense and second person format and made the reader a character. You are there to solve the mysteries. You are there to pick up clues. You are there to be an active participant in the story. It's not my favorite writing style, but it makes complete sense with the purpose of this book.
Each page of the book includes one or more visual extras.
Your detective training continues with the Case Makers Academy. First, there is a collection of videos (the Wallaces are incredibly charming together in the intro clip and there's even a brief cameo of the dog from the story). There is a video to complement each chapter of the story in which the author explains what to expect and details to pay attention to.
There are additional resources for the chapters under each video. The training activity sheets are fun pages. They reinforce skills taught throughout the academy through activities such as word search, dot-to-dot, crossword puzzle, and more. The academy notebook sheets are a way to organize the main pieces of evidence from the story. Fill-in-the-blanks keep the reader engaged without feeling overwhelmed. The adult leader guide is a way to use the book with a small group. It references the full curriculum, includes the important concepts from each chapter, and lists good questions to ask the students.
It was no surprise to me that our family loved this book! We're partial to family read-alouds as it is, but the mystery aspect was a fun addition. My 10-year-old daughter guessed the ending during chapter 3. I wasn't quite convinced myself, but as we continued to read, we could see how her theory was falling into place. Each of us pointed out various details, and before the end, we knew she was right.
My plan was to work through one chapter a day by reading it, watching the video, and completing the pages. However, my kids begged me to continue, and since I'm a sucker for reading, I gave in multiple days. The book itself is 134 pages, so it can easily be read in a day or two on its own. To incorporate the additional training materials though, it's best to take your time.
This is one of my favorite parts of the book:
J. Warner, along with his wife, Susie, have written a series of books that teaches kids investigation skills and how to use them to become better Christians. After proving that Jesus is God and that He created the universe, this third book teaches kids how to share the Truth of God with others and to be strong witnesses for Him.
Forensic Faith for Kids tells the story of a group of friends that are learning investigation skills as part of the Junior Detective Academy at the police department. In the beginning of the book, a few of the boys found a puppy with no owner in sight. During that time, some of the girls were surprised when a boy denied that Jesus is God and wondered how they could help him. The two mysteries weave together throughout the book as the group of friends gather clues and learn important details. The detective in charge of the Academy guides the kids, mentors them, and encourages them when the task feels daunting. Though he is there for direction, he never takes control of the cases. In the end, the kids solve both mysteries on their own using the skills that they had learned.
Because the authors want kids to become immersed in the story and put the various methods into practice, they wrote the book in present tense and second person format and made the reader a character. You are there to solve the mysteries. You are there to pick up clues. You are there to be an active participant in the story. It's not my favorite writing style, but it makes complete sense with the purpose of this book.
Each page of the book includes one or more visual extras.
- Pictures -- line art drawings that portray something from the story, can be a tiny square on the page, a large rectangle, or even fill the entire page.
- CSI Assignment -- a quick drill that reinforces a theme from the book, lists Bible verses with blanks to be filled in.
- Detective Definitions -- an explanation of words that are used and how they apply to Christians and in the story
- A "Tool" for Your Detective Bag -- a tip and challenge to become better detectives
- Dig Deep -- a gentle reminder to visit the website to enhance the training with the additional resources
Your detective training continues with the Case Makers Academy. First, there is a collection of videos (the Wallaces are incredibly charming together in the intro clip and there's even a brief cameo of the dog from the story). There is a video to complement each chapter of the story in which the author explains what to expect and details to pay attention to.
There are additional resources for the chapters under each video. The training activity sheets are fun pages. They reinforce skills taught throughout the academy through activities such as word search, dot-to-dot, crossword puzzle, and more. The academy notebook sheets are a way to organize the main pieces of evidence from the story. Fill-in-the-blanks keep the reader engaged without feeling overwhelmed. The adult leader guide is a way to use the book with a small group. It references the full curriculum, includes the important concepts from each chapter, and lists good questions to ask the students.
It was no surprise to me that our family loved this book! We're partial to family read-alouds as it is, but the mystery aspect was a fun addition. My 10-year-old daughter guessed the ending during chapter 3. I wasn't quite convinced myself, but as we continued to read, we could see how her theory was falling into place. Each of us pointed out various details, and before the end, we knew she was right.
My plan was to work through one chapter a day by reading it, watching the video, and completing the pages. However, my kids begged me to continue, and since I'm a sucker for reading, I gave in multiple days. The book itself is 134 pages, so it can easily be read in a day or two on its own. To incorporate the additional training materials though, it's best to take your time.
This is one of my favorite parts of the book:
Once you know what you don't know, you're motivated to learn. Between the test
and the task is a great opportunity to train.
Here's what my kids said about participating in the Case Makers Academy.
I like the puppy.
My favorite part was solving the mystery.
It was really cool. The end when they solved it was my favorite part!
I like how the two mysteries were solved.
You can connect with Case Makers Academy on Facebook.
You can read more reviews of this book on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.
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