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My kids loved the first two books in the The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series and couldn't wait to read more of the adventures. Imagine their surprise when the next two books arrived from WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group for us to review!
WorthyKids of the Hachette Book group is a Christian publishing company in Tennessee. They partner with authors whose content are characterized by talent, creativity, and compelling ideas. They create colorful, interactive books for children, but their other imprints include products for adults too, like journals, devotionals, inspirational books, and much more.
The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls was written by Mike (M. J.) Thomas. When he couldn't find any books to teach his son about the Bible in a fun and imaginative way, he decided to create his own series. The books combine biblical accuracy with adventure and imagination. The main characters are named after his son, his niece, and his dog.
Though these are stand-alone stories, they all take place while Peter and Mary are staying with their great-uncle for a month. There is a prologue in each book that explains that Great-Uncle Solomon was an archaeologist who collected treasures from around the world. He even introduced them to his greatest discovery of all--the Legend of the Hidden Scrolls. These ancient scrolls sent the siblings back in time to events in the Bible to decode secret messages and learn truths found in God's Word.
Though these are stand-alone stories, they all take place while Peter and Mary are staying with their great-uncle for a month. There is a prologue in each book that explains that Great-Uncle Solomon was an archaeologist who collected treasures from around the world. He even introduced them to his greatest discovery of all--the Legend of the Hidden Scrolls. These ancient scrolls sent the siblings back in time to events in the Bible to decode secret messages and learn truths found in God's Word.
In The Great Escape (Book #3) Peter and Mary found a room filled with Ancient Egyptian artifacts--including a real sarcophagus!--in Great-Uncle Solomon's house. After grabbing supplies like a dagger, map, binoculars, and a flashlight, they answered the lion's roar. They chose a scroll, broke the wax seal, and found themselves in the middle of an Egyptian dessert.
The kids and their dog found a pyramid to explore. Golden doors, elaborate paintings, and lighted torches filled the long hallways. Just as they found the treasure room and opened the sarcophagus, a panther chased them away and into the river. The trio followed the Nile's current and were saved by Pharaoh's young daughter. They were with the princess when Moses came to tell Pharaoh to let God's people, the Israelite slaves, go free. They watched as the rods turned to snakes and experienced the plagues. They were wading in the water when it turned to blood, were surrounded by frogs, attacked by lice, and surrounded by flies. They watched as the animals became diseased and the people covered in boils. Eventually, Peter and Mary had to flee the palace and found themselves in Goshen with God's people. As the Israelites escaped the Death Angel and fled Egypt, the kids followed and saw how God protected them. As they were struggling with the Great Magician in the middle of the parted Red Sea, they solved the scroll and returned home to the library.
Peter and Mary learned a new secret about Great-Uncle Solomon in Journey to Jericho (Book #4). Before he became an archaeologist, he was an international spy. He taught them some important skills and filled their adventure bag with spy gear before they were whisked away to their next adventure.
Little did the siblings know but their brief spy training would be put to the test when they found themselves in the middle of the Israelite camp just before the people conquered the Promised Land. The met Joshua in the Tabernacle and convinced him they were friends because they knew God's secret "code name." When they saw some men in robes sneak out of the camp under the cover of darkness, they followed them, across the raging river and into the city of Jericho. There, they evaded an enemy, stopped some bullies, befriended a family, met the spies, and made a daring escape. The next few days were spent hiding in a cave in the mountains before it was safe to return to the camp. Once they got back, they learned that God told Joshua it was time to claim the Promised Land. Peter and Mary witnessed amazing miracles including the parting of the Jordan River and the crumbling of Jericho before they solved the mystery of the scroll and found themselves back in the library with Great-Uncle Solomon.
These are cute little stories, right around 120 pages each, perfect for ages 6-9, and a quick read. They are fiction books, for sure, but filled with much biblical truth. Not everything is accurate though. I am all for poetic justice, except when the author changes definite details in the Bible. For instance, in both books, the people crossed over dry ground (Red Sea and Jordan River). While the author himself does say that in the story, the pictures show puddles. "A picture is worth a thousand words" and people, especially kids, are going to remember those images more than a single, fleeting word. Not only do those puddles undermine the Bible, they take away from the miracles.
Other than that issue, we really liked these books. The characters are likable and funny. We all laughed when Peter explained how the shofar got its name. The kids have already started rereading the first two books and are eyeing the newest book about David and Goliath. I have a feeling that as this series grows, so will our collection of it.
I used these as family read-alouds. Here's what the kids had to say:
I like that they're about the Bible.
I like the adventures!
I like how they travel back in time to the Bible stories.
If you're looking for adventure-filled stories that teach your little ones about the Bible, The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls is a great series to have.
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Be sure to read more reviews of these books on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.
* Some of the links in the content above are affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase an item, I may receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I recommend products or services that I have used personally and all the text and opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 225.
* Some of the links in the content above are affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase an item, I may receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I recommend products or services that I have used personally and all the text and opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 225.
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