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Hiding in the Light by Rifqa Barry
Rating: 10/10
Review: A beautifully written autobiography from a girl who left Islam to become a Christ-follower. She wrote about the struggle she endured because of that decision. Her family thought it would be better for her to be dead than to become a Christian.
Because I have grown up knowing Jesus, there are certain things I take for granted – this book reminded me HOW MUCH I have to be grateful for. The author points out how in her Islam faith, it was mostly rules and traditions. She said multiple prayers, at specific times each day, in a language she doesn’t speak.
The author was shocked to learn that Christians can pray anytime, in words they understand. She loved praying to a God she knew would listen…to a God who answers prayer. She discovered a freedom in Christ she had never experienced before. A joy she had never felt. The deep, experiential love of God, an indescribable peace, and an enduring strength.
I loved this book and highly recommend it, especially if you are curious about the differences between Islam and the Christian faith.
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I, Dred Scott: A Fictional Narrative about the Life of Dred Scott by Shelia Moses
Rating: 9/10
Review: When I heard that Dred Scot lived at Fort Snelling in Minnesota, I wanted to hear more about his life and what brought him here. I listened to this short, but interesting, historical audiobook on my free Hoopla app. The book is fiction, but based on research the author has done on the life of Dred Scot. It shares the challenges of a man who was born a slave, and how hard he (and others) fought for freedom.
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Wishtree by Kathleen Applegate (with Clark)
Rating: 8/10
Review: “Red” is an oak tree that’s over 200 years old. He narrates the story from his point of view. Once a year, Red becomes the “wishtree” when people write their wishes on scraps of cloth and tie their wishes onto his branches. Red has seen many things in his life, and shares some of those stories with the reader. When he thinks he’s about to be cut down, his final ‘legacy’ is helping two unlikely kids meet and become friends. This story is written for children around the ages of 8-14.
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The Boys Start the War Series by Phylis Naylor Reynolds (with Paul)
Rating: 7/10
Paul’s teacher read the first book in this series aloud to the class, then Paul asked if we could get the other books in the series from the library. We’ve been slowly making our way through each book. They are cute stories, and Paul enjoys them. The books are about a family of four boys and another family of three girls, and the silly pranks they pull on each other.
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The Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey (with Luke)
Rating: 10/10
Review: After Luke saw The Bad Guys movie with his Nana, he brought home the first book in this series from his school library and asked if we could read it together. It’s the story of some animals who are usually ‘scary’ or considered “the bad guys” (a shark, wolf, tarantula, snake & piranha), who are working hard to become the “good guys.”
The books are really entertaining. I’m enjoying this series as much as Luke is. The chapters are short and an entire book can be read in 30-45 minutes.
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Click here to read my TOP TEN reads from 2021.
What have you been reading lately? Leave a comment!