Our family was thrilled to review the next two books in the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series! We've been following the adventures of these WorthyKids Books since the beginning--from Creation to the Flood to leaving Egypt to the Battle of Jericho and now to meeting David and Daniel in these new books. We were ready to hear the lion's roar as soon as we opened the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Shepherd's Stone (Book 5) and the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Lion's Roar (Book 6).
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.
While playing ball in the house in the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Shepherd's Stone, Peter knocked an ominous suit of armor, causing the sword to crash to the floor. Mary tried to reattach it, but the glove fell off and exposed a rolled up paper. The kids realized it was a map of Great-Uncle Solomon's house. The map showed rooms they had never seen before. The Royal Room, circled in red, caught their attention and sparked their interest.
Inside the room, the pair found a truly royal room--a throne, paintings of kings and queens, jewels, and crowns. Great-Uncle Solomon told them about Israel's kings and that "God doesn't look on the outside. God looks at the heart." The lion roared and the siblings were off on another adventure.
The kids found themselves whisked away to a grassy hilltop surrounded by sheep. Before they knew it, they were being chased by wolves. Just before the pack attacked their dog, a boy slung rocks into the sides of the wolves and scared them away.
Peter and Mary had traveled back to the time of David. They befriended him and his family, searched for a lost sheep, and accompanied him while he took food to his brothers on the battlefield. They learned to have courage during scary times and to trust God during dangerous times, like when they nearly fell down a cliff and were almost attacked by a bear. The siblings watched David stand up against Goliath when no one else would, because he had faith that God would deliver him. By the end, the kids had found their own courage, stood up against the Soldier of Darkness, and solved the scroll.
Book 6, the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Lion's Roar, Mary and Peter found a large statue of a lion while playing hide-and-seek with their uncle. They learned about his archaeology dig, looked at a map of ancient Babylon, and reassembled old tiles into a mosaic picture before rushing off on their next adventure.
The pair found themselves high in a ziggurat temple. As they were exploring, they stumbled upon a large statue of a man. The haughty High Priest of Babylon and his insufferable raven, found them and required the kids to bow to the false god. When they refused because they worship only the one true God, the High Priest ordered his guards to throw them in the dungeon. Just then, a mighty wind swirled through the temple, blowing out the candles and knocking over the guards. The angel Michael appeared, drew his flaming sword, and rescued the kids.
After their escape, they spent the night in the Hanging Gardens. In the morning, they befriended a girl named Hannah and went to her house to hide from the guards. They went on a wild chariot ride while being chased by the High Priest. They escaped again at the last second.
The siblings learned that Hannah's grandfather was Shadrach. They got to hear of his account in the fiery furnace firsthand and learned of God's great power. They then met Daniel, learned about a plot against him, and witnessed him continue to trust in God. The two got to see the see the lions face-to-face and how God protected them all. They learned that God is in control before they found themselves back in Great-Uncle Solomon's house.
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. One thing that I found fascinating this time was that book 6 portrayed Daniel as an elderly man. I've grown up in church my whole life--Sunday School, AWANA, even graduated from the Christian school--and every picture has always shown a young man. Of course, I stopped reading to my kids right then and did a little research. We learned that Daniel was somewhere around 80 years old when he was thrown into the lions' den. Eighty! Once I read the timeline of events, instead of relying on images, it made sense. That's why I talked about my issues with The Great Escape. Images are powerful. These books are more than entertainment.
Here's what my kids had to say:
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.
While playing ball in the house in the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Shepherd's Stone, Peter knocked an ominous suit of armor, causing the sword to crash to the floor. Mary tried to reattach it, but the glove fell off and exposed a rolled up paper. The kids realized it was a map of Great-Uncle Solomon's house. The map showed rooms they had never seen before. The Royal Room, circled in red, caught their attention and sparked their interest.
Inside the room, the pair found a truly royal room--a throne, paintings of kings and queens, jewels, and crowns. Great-Uncle Solomon told them about Israel's kings and that "God doesn't look on the outside. God looks at the heart." The lion roared and the siblings were off on another adventure.
The kids found themselves whisked away to a grassy hilltop surrounded by sheep. Before they knew it, they were being chased by wolves. Just before the pack attacked their dog, a boy slung rocks into the sides of the wolves and scared them away.
Peter and Mary had traveled back to the time of David. They befriended him and his family, searched for a lost sheep, and accompanied him while he took food to his brothers on the battlefield. They learned to have courage during scary times and to trust God during dangerous times, like when they nearly fell down a cliff and were almost attacked by a bear. The siblings watched David stand up against Goliath when no one else would, because he had faith that God would deliver him. By the end, the kids had found their own courage, stood up against the Soldier of Darkness, and solved the scroll.
Book 6, the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Lion's Roar, Mary and Peter found a large statue of a lion while playing hide-and-seek with their uncle. They learned about his archaeology dig, looked at a map of ancient Babylon, and reassembled old tiles into a mosaic picture before rushing off on their next adventure.
The pair found themselves high in a ziggurat temple. As they were exploring, they stumbled upon a large statue of a man. The haughty High Priest of Babylon and his insufferable raven, found them and required the kids to bow to the false god. When they refused because they worship only the one true God, the High Priest ordered his guards to throw them in the dungeon. Just then, a mighty wind swirled through the temple, blowing out the candles and knocking over the guards. The angel Michael appeared, drew his flaming sword, and rescued the kids.
After their escape, they spent the night in the Hanging Gardens. In the morning, they befriended a girl named Hannah and went to her house to hide from the guards. They went on a wild chariot ride while being chased by the High Priest. They escaped again at the last second.
The siblings learned that Hannah's grandfather was Shadrach. They got to hear of his account in the fiery furnace firsthand and learned of God's great power. They then met Daniel, learned about a plot against him, and witnessed him continue to trust in God. The two got to see the see the lions face-to-face and how God protected them all. They learned that God is in control before they found themselves back in Great-Uncle Solomon's house.
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. One thing that I found fascinating this time was that book 6 portrayed Daniel as an elderly man. I've grown up in church my whole life--Sunday School, AWANA, even graduated from the Christian school--and every picture has always shown a young man. Of course, I stopped reading to my kids right then and did a little research. We learned that Daniel was somewhere around 80 years old when he was thrown into the lions' den. Eighty! Once I read the timeline of events, instead of relying on images, it made sense. That's why I talked about my issues with The Great Escape. Images are powerful. These books are more than entertainment.
Here's what my kids had to say:
I like that they're Bible stories.
Mary and I are a lot alike. I think it's cool that she's always reading.
I like figuring out the scrolls.
I like reading about the Bible stories.
We use these books as family read-alouds, but my kids love to reread them by themselves. I appreciate that they are whimsical, but teach kids about the power of God through the stories in the Bible. We can't wait to see what happens next.
The newest adventure awaits in book 7, The King Is Born. Three winners will receive signed copies of the entire set of the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls! These would make a great gift. You can enter by clicking on the graphic below.
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You can read more reviews of these books on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.
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