Book Reviews by Ehlen Administration

Cole's Perfect Puppy by Frances M. Crossno My rating: 4 of 5 stars Cole desperately wants a puppy, and the pot bellied pig his uncle got him for Christmas isn’t cutting it. When a job at the local pet store opens up he jumps at the chance to work towards the beautiful Golden Retriever puppy that still hasn’t been adopted. But will he be able to save enough money to adopt her before someone else will? Cole’s Perfect Puppy is a super cute kid’s book about a little boy who desperately wants his first, frisky puppy. I think any kid will identify with Cole, and his desire to earn the pet he knows will be the perfect fit. Intertwined are some common childhood issues, including that of losing a parent, that spark great conversation for kids who have had to deal with loss and trauma. I was also particularly encouraged that the subject of religion and spirituality was brought in as a way to cope with trauma, as I think that adults often misconstrue the value of that for children. If ...

Once Saved, Always Saved: Satan's Greatest Trick by Stephen Pippin My rating: 4 of 5 stars If you prayed the prayer (preferably at an altar call while strains of Just As I Am or I Surrender All are harshly banged out on the organ) but later give in to the urge to smoke a doobie, are you really saved? Is your get into Heaven free card revoked? Can you really backslide but maintain your salvation? Pippin contends that there really is no such thing as a saved backslider, either you’re following Jesus and living as he commands or you’re going to hell. It’s a fascinating topic and one that stirs up heated debate. Mr. Pippin tells his own story of backslidden youth and how he came to understand the error of his ways and embraced true repentance, but he also cautions that had he not done so and died during that time he would not have gone to heaven, despite his fervent belief at the time that he was a Christian due to a childhood salvation experience. If you are looking to chall...

I have 3 kids, and am always astonished when utter strangers tell me how polite they are. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think my kids are awesome - duh, I’m their mother. But kids are kids, and they are definitely still learning not to talk with their mouth full, not to shriek and push each other when one of them takes the toy that the other one didn’t want until the thief took it, and that mommy might completely lose it if they interrupt one more time during the one sentence I’m trying to get out. Yet I still hear, “My goodness what polite children you have!” What amazing super powers do I have, you ask? I taught my children to say thank you. Seriously, this is the common denominator behind every instance of my mom ego boosts. Admittedly, this doesn’t happen all the time, and sometimes it even happens immediately preceding one of them doing something to cause a rescinding of that statement. But every time I hear that it makes me wonder just how bad are all the other kids behave that th...

The Devil in Modern Eden by Tom Graneau My rating: 4 of 5 stars Is the Devil real? Does he really manipulate his minions to interfere in the lives of your average citizen? Would a good God really send people to hell? Yup. The Devil in Modern Eden explores many of the common questions about hell and evil, and what Christians can do to rebuff it. It should be noted that this comes from a blatantly Christian perspective, and focuses on the Christians interaction and reliance on God to combat the wiles of the devil. Knowing that, it is an interesting history lesson and really a very thorough explanation of salvation and how to act out your Christianity in modern life. Aside from the acknowledgement that there is a real devil, and that he influences you through evil thoughts and uses modern versions of old institutions (media, drugs, sex, etc.) I was actually surprised about how light the information on Satan was. I expected more than a very basic intro, and yet this is what I foun...

Fibles : Children's eBook by M.R. Everette My rating: 4 of 5 stars Fibles features several Christian short stories designed as fables (fable + Bible - get it!!???!?) to answer the life questions of children. Erlee Bird teaches children to make a morning and evening bedtime routine in order to be first in line for breakfast, Moonie the calf being swindled for a wooden nickel by a fast talking Billy the Buffalo, Potter the Otter learning to do his homework before playtime, and several others. The stories were cute, and my 6 year old daughter enjoyed them, even giggling at times. She was also able to pick up on the object lesson relatively quickly. There were also some chuckles for the adults, such as Erlee “tweeting” while “online” with his friends. While the stories were cute, I would have liked more obvious Scriptural tie-ins with the stories, since it is supposed to be a fable/Bible mashup. Also, more practically, more pictures would have helped my kids attention. However, ...