The 57 lives of Alex Wayfare

For as long as 17-year-old Alex Wayfare can remember, she has had visions of the past. Visions that make her feel like she's really on a ship bound for America, living in Jamestown during the Starving Time, or riding the original Ferris wheel at the World's Fair.

But these brushes with history pull her from her daily life without warning, sometimes leaving her with strange lasting effects and wounds she can't explain. Trying to excuse away the aftereffects has booked her more time in the principal's office than in any of her classes and a permanent place at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Alex is desperate to find out what her visions mean and get rid of them.
It isn't until she meets Porter, a stranger who knows more than should be possible about her, that she learns the truth: Her visions aren't really visions. Alex is a Descender - capable of traveling back in time by accessing Limbo, the space between Life and Afterlife. Alex is one soul with fifty-six past lives, fifty-six histories.
Fifty-six lifetimes to explore: the prospect is irresistible to Alex, especially when the same mysterious boy with soulful blue eyes keeps showing up in each of them. But the more she descends, the more it becomes apparent that someone doesn't want Alex to travel again. Ever.
And will stop at nothing to make this life her last.



I had the absolute honor of reading this book a few years ago as M.G. was writing it, and I was completely blown away by it. I remember emailing her asking for the next chapter and she would say "I'm still writing it!" and I was all "hurry up!". 

Fast forward a few years and here we are. My best friend's first book is published! I'm so extremely proud of her and I'm happy to say I've been reading her work for 25+ years and it's all amazing! That all being said, I didn't just love this book because my bestie wrote it. So, my sincere apologies if my review does not make sense. I swear it does in my head. I'm just so excited! Here's my review:

What I loved:

M.G. has an incredible way of painting a picture with her words. I (and this is embarrassing) have a hard time visualizing scenes, but with her writing, I'm able to do it no problem. Her words are lovely, and poignant and I did not want to skip a single one. 

The characters. Oh my goodness. Alex is such a strong, wonderful female lead. She is loyal, family oriented, and super smart! She's also a bit awkward and has a hard time fitting in, which is completely realistic in my opinion. Plus, she has no idea how amazing she is! I love that Alex is a tech nerd. I also appreciate her little "pranks" on certain people who deserve it, even though that gets her into trouble. I love that she's willing to do whatever it takes for her sister, and her family. She's not your typical teenager, that's for sure, and my goodness is that ever refreshing! She's so strong and I loved how much she grows throughout the book! She is so selfless!

Blue. *sigh* A boy with manners, 1920's attire and he can dance?! Be still my heart. I swear M.G. wrote Blue just for me. Well, she probably didn't, but my goodness, he is one of the most perfect male characters EVER. I shall rank him right next to Mr. Darcy in my book, and that is saying A LOT. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but let's just say he gets better as the book goes on. I can't even. I want one. 

Time travel. Not just any old time travel. But reincarnation time travel. Alex is actually seeing her past lives. I want to read every single one (yes, all 57). Can you please write about them all M.G? Pretty please?

Jensen. While I'm a total Blue fan, I love Jensen, too. He does not fit the typical "popular boy" profile. He is kind, thoughtful, and has enough pudding cups for everyone! It's so nice to see a teenage boy take notice of a girl that everyone else makes fun of. Gah. I adore him.

Alex's family. Movie nights, super couch, heart to heart talks, and a mutli-generational living arrangement? I LOVE THIS FAMILY. So many times in YA books we see absentee parents, or horrible parents, or non existent parents. It is refreshing to see not just a mother/father involved in their child's life, but a grandma/grandpa and siblings. Thank you M.G. THANK.YOU.

The ending. Oh my word, the ending. I need book 2 right away. This book will leave you wanting more and might even cause you to throw something at a wall, or a window. You've been warned.

What left me wanting more:

Um...I need book 2. STAT. I have not had the pleasure to read anymore of this series yet, and I've been dying to know what happens for YEARS. Years people. 

Also, can I have more Blue? 

Final word:

This is not just my bestie's book. It's a heart pounding, swoonworthy, fast paced book that you all should read. What a wonderful series. I'm so happy that the whole world can read it now!

My First 1/2 Marathon

3.5 years ago my wonderful sister-in-law asked me if I would run the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure 5K with her.  I laughed because I hated running.  I could barely run 1 mile in high school, and was pretty slow at that.  But, I agreed and started training with the Couch to 5K program.  I was quickly amazed at how much I enjoyed running and how great I felt with each mile ran.  I fell in love with running and after my first 5K, continued to run a few times a week.  Fast forward to my surprise 3rd pregnancy 2 years later, and a friend and I decided to run a 1/2 marathon 8 months after we had our babies.  I trained really hard all through the winter for my 1/2 marathon.  Quickly losing my baby weight and feeling really great about myself.  Most of you know what happened next.  After being very sick for 2 (strep, fever, etc) I tried to pick up where I left off in my training and ended up with a hairline fracture in my right foot (4 weeks before the half marathon).  I had to miss the thing I had trained so hard for.  So, I immediately signed up for a new 1/2 marathon, the MO Cowbell.  It sounded fun and flat (thank goodness).  I honestly didn't train as hard or as well as I did over the winter.  We moved in the middle of training and that threw me off.  However I was so ready to mark a 1/2 marathon off my bucklet list!  Here is what happened the weekend of the 1/2 marathon.

My hubby, kids and myself stayed over night in a hotel Saturday evening to be closer to the race.  We swam, went out to a nice dinner (something we rarely do) and hung out in the hotel room.  We had a suite, so that was awesome!  I tried to go to bed around 8:30, but could not fall asleep.  Add loud children outside the hotel playing basketball into the mix and a baby who was up a few times during the night and I got about 5 hours of sleep total.  I guess baby girl not sleeping through the night consistently has helped me, b/c I wasn't too tired on Sunday morning to be honest.  I got up around 5 am, went and got an egg mcmuffin with cheese (closest thing to what I normally have for breakfast), coffee and water.  I will quickly say that I spent a bit of time in the bathroom due to nerves...thanks for that nerves.  I tried to mentally prepare myself for the race by pumping myself up!  I was hoping to leave our hotel by 6:45 am to get to the race before 7, however we left late, then hit traffic.  The hubs ended up having to just drop me off close to the race and I ran for it.  I had to get all my gatorade gels, water bottle, phone and everything situtated, then hit up the restrooms...which was a nightmare.  I spent 20 minutes in line and ended up missing the National Anthem, the Cowbell "sing along" and the start of the race.  Yeah...I started 6 minutes late.  I was so nervous.  However, once I started running, my body and my mind just kicked into auto pilot.  Training really does do wonders!!  I couldn't use my runkeeper app to track how fast I was going b/c my phone would run out of batteries, so I set my phone stop watch (ha!) and tried to kind of keep track.  I was running about a 10:45 minute mile.  Right on target with my training.  Around mile 6 my left foot started killing me.  Now, I've had 2 back surgeries and I'm still dealing with numbness in my left foot due to a ruptured herniated disc, so this came as no surprise to me.  However, I still had a long way to go and was kind of freaking out.  Right at that time though someone cheering on the runners had a sign that said "Your feet hurt right now because you're kicking so much ASS!"  I about cried.  It was exactly what I needed at that moment and I kept right now.  I saw so many signs, received high fives, encouragement and honestly I was smiling almost the entire way.  I also continuously heard my hubby telling me "shoulders back!".   I was feeling great until mile 11.  I hit a wall.  I could tell I was slowing down, but I only had 2 more miles and I refused to walk.  My overall goal was to not stop running.  I knew once I hit mile 12 that I was good to go!  I saw the finish line and just kept going.  Seeing my husband and my 3 kiddos at the finish line cheering me on was awesome!  I don't know what I would've done if they hadn't been there.  I finished the race at an 11:01 mile pace and overall I ran the 1/2 marathon in 2:24:13.  Not very fast, but I did it.  I'm proud of myself and I'm more addicted than ever to running and cannot wait to run the next one!

Here is a picture of me and my cheering team after I finished!  Baby girl was not impressed and fell asleep.  I guess I took too long! :)

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has encouraged me along the way.  Thank you God for the ability to run and for the mental strength to keep going. I am not going to lie and say that this is hasnt' been hard, because it has.  The past 6 months have been hard for me.  I'm still not eating as I should, and I still struggle with over eating everyday.  BUT, I know that through HIM I will make it past this and will be stronger on the other side!!  Here's the next 1/2 marathon.  And in the words of my 8 year old "Mommy, are you going to run a marathon now?" I hope so!  Much love to all of you!!  

What Mother's Day Really Means to me.

Well, it's here again.  The second Sunday of May, the day we celebrate moms.  Every year I think of having a day "off".  A day where I'm served breakfast in bed, where I'm waited on hand and foot, and a day where I don't have to deal with everybody's stuff.  That has NEVER happened. Ever. And you know what?  I'm extremely grateful for it.  This year the only expectation I have is to spend as much time with my sweet 3 babies as I can.  I'm not sure if it's because my two boys are getting bigger (almost 8 and 6 years!!), or if I'm maturing, or both.  But, time is going by way too quickly and it makes me so very sad.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm so excited for my children.  They are getting taller, stronger, reading on their own (not baby girl of course), writing, playing sports, learning so many things from school and becoming such amazing warriors for Jesus.  I'm so stinkin' proud of my kiddos.  However, when I look at my now 7 (almost 8) year old's face;  I see that sweet face of the day he was born.  The chubby cheeks, bright red from screaming.  I remember holding him in my arms and snuggling him.  Now he's 75 pounds, 55" tall and I can't hold him anymore.  My 5 (almost 6) year old I remember being so tiny.  He was only 4 lbs 1 oz the day he was born.  He is my miracle baby.  We made it through a bought of preeclampsia together.  3.5 weeks of hospital bedrest, of being away from our loved ones.  He was born so quickly and then rushed off to the NICU and I didn't see him for over 15 hours.  Now he is my rambunctious, strong willed mini-me.  I love that boy.  And then there is my sweet baby girl.  Our precious girl that we didn't realize we were missing from our family until the day she was born.  She completes our family.  She is growing too quickly.  The days of being able to keep bows in her hair are gone, the days of dressing her up in frilly dresses are no longer ideal since she crawls around so much and eats dirt, and gets as dirty as possible.  But, my goodness what a treasure she is.  Her smile is incredible.  She lights up the whole room with her beautiful 5 tooth smile.  Her sweet baby kisses and hugs make even her Daddy melt.  

I won't lie.  There are days I feel like I won't make it through the day.  But, with God's help and with the encouragement of fantastic friends and family, we somehow make it through.  And then there are days where I'm so taken aback by the amazing blessings I have been granted, that I just cry.  Why am I the lucky one that gets to be the mommy of these children?  I could never deserve them.  And to actually share the journey with my best friend? My goodness.  I am living the dream my friends, living the dream.  

I also am so eternally grateful to my mom.  She sacrificed for me.  Loved me.  Let me play.  Let me get dirty.  Let me figure things out for myself.  She sang with me.  Played games with me and helped me develop my love of reading.  My mom was 16 when she became pregnant with me.  I will always be grateful to her for choosing my life.  This year I will be celebrating with her at a local winery.  Lunch, winery, chatting.  Just the girls.  I love my mom so much.  

So, this Mother's Day, I vow to just sit back, enjoy my three beautiful children and just bask in the glow of their love.  I am a mother. And I am blessed. To those of you who are also mothers, just enjoy your day.  Yea, it's nice to be pampered, and if you get that, then great!  No matter what, just try and enjoy the day.  Don't worry about dishes, laundry, messes.... just sit and watch them play, or heck, even play with them!  Trust me, you will have fun! :)  Happy Mother's Day!

Proverbs 31:28
Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises he

I met CJ Redwine!!

So, a few weeks ago on twitter, I noticed that one of my favorite authors, CJ Redwine, mentioned she would be in the StL in a few weeks.  Wait...hold up, the CJ Redwine that wrote 'Defiance'?? Yep, one in the same.  Look at this beautiful book!  Gah, it's gorgeous!!

So, anyway, I thought that's my neck of the woods! So I immediately responded asking if she meant St. Louis and she said yes!  I was so excited!  I assumed it was a book signing, but it was not.  She said that she wouldn't be in town long, but would love to meet up for coffee or lunch.  Hold the phone.... what? CJ Redwine would be willing to meet ME for coffee or lunch? Now, first I need to give a shout out to MG Buehrlen, who has been my BFF since the summer before 1st grade and is BFF's with CJ as well.  Without their relationship, I'm not sure if CJ would've agreed to this or not.  Either way, I was beyond happy at the slight chance I might get to meet her!  So, as it turned out CJ was going to be pretty busy and not have a chance to meet with me.  Which, I totally understand.  I was bummed, but still thought it was super awesome of her to even talk to me about it!  Fast forward to the day before CJ's arrival.  MG emailed me and said that CJ's editor might not get into StL until late and she was looking for someone to take CJ to a great StL place, and did I want to do it!?  EEP!  I immediately emailed my hubby and asked if that would be okay, b/c hello I have 3 kiddos (1 being a newborn) he would have to take care of.  He graciously said he would be glad to do it!  So, I had the amazing opportunity to pick CJ up from her hotel, take her to dinner/dessert and chat with her!  Sadly, I have been unable to read 'Defiance' yet b/c I have a serious case of the Mommy Brain.  I haven't been able to read much, and what I do read is just for review, not really for fun.  I was so bummed I hadn't read it yet, because I would've loved to talk with her about it.  OH well... :( 

So, I got dressed up (heck yea, I did).  

Picked CJ up at her hotel and took her to a local brewery down in Lafayette Square, Square One Brewery.  It was delicious!  We shared an appetizer (Oh my Goodness, it was so yummy! Dips, dips and more dips!), had a delicious meal and some good conversation.  Now, hopefully CJ didn't think I was an idiot.  I was talking to her about YALSA (the reason she was in town) and I said "Yeah, I looked up ticket prices and I wasn't going to be able to afford one" and she said graciously "are you a librarian?"  "Umm...no."  I had no idea it was a librarian event.  *face palm*  It wouldn't have been the first embarrassing thing I said all night!  CJ was so kind and was willing to answer all my questions!  Unfortunately, we forgot to take pictures of our dinner (MG will be so disappointed in us).  We chatted about our kiddos, writing, getting published, staying at home and of course, our beloved MG Buehrlen and how awesome she is!  We then moved on down the road to Baileys Chocolate Bar for dessert.  Oh my goodness....look at their menu, fancy!

They even gave us appetizer before we ordered dessert! Two amazing little cookies.  They tasted like coffee meets chocolate chip.  Which, um, is so delicious! 

Then we ordered.  I got chocolate inebriation....my word.  The cinnamon ice cream on top was to die for!  

 CJ opted for the creme bruele.

 Then I asked our waitress to take our photo b/c how could I not get a pic of the two of us?  She is so gorgeous!  

I totally shamelessly brought my copy of 'Defiance' and asked her to sign it.  SHAMELESS!  She was so gracious and did.  She is so incredibly sweet.  She brought me a kick a$$  bookmark, too! kapow!

What an incredible opportunity to meet now only an awesome author, but a new friend!  I hope she thought the same!  I'm not gonna lie, I was so scared that she would think I was a complete and utter idiot, that I was so nervous!  I hope I didn't say anything that scared her off, and if I did, she graciously didn't say anything about it. :)  Thank you CJ, for the wonderful dinner out.  It meant so much to me that you took the time out of your busy schedule to meet with me, someone you don't even know!  You are a real class act!!  I can't wait to bunker down and read 'Defiance'.  :)

This is Not a Test

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to? -Amazon.com


I chose this book to read/review because I adore Courtney Summers, and I am so glad that I did. Not only is it about zombies, which is scary, but Ms. Summers puts her own unique spin on the story that makes it a hard book to put down.

The characters are multi-dimensional, and I enjoyed reading about all of them. The main character is Sloane Price. The books starts off with Sloane contemplating suicide. At first I was like "wait a minute, isn't this book about zombies?" Sloane lives with her father, and he is not what you would call a "good" father. He is very hard on her, and her sister, Lily. Lily just up and left 6 months ago because she couldn't take it anymore. So, naturally Sloane is bitter and no longer wants to be in the house alone with her father. However, when the zombies invade, Sloane finds herself taking shelter in the local high school with 5 other students. Each student is struggling with his/her own battles, while they all struggle to be a team and stay alive.

I loved how the story is about a zombie apocalypse, however the characters take center stage. I really felt the book revolved around what each character was dealing with in his/her life, while the zombies loom right outside waiting for them to make a mistake. I found the book both thought provoking and intense.

I found it hard to put this book down, as I did with her previous books. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next!  4/5 stars!

The Enchanted Attic: Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame

A hidden attic. A classic story. A very unexpected twist. Twin twelve-year-old bookworms Ophelia and Linus Easterday discover a hidden attic that once belonged to a mad scientist. While relaxing in the attic and enjoying her latest book, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ophelia dozes off, and within moments finds herself facing a fully alive and completely bewildered Quasimodo. Ophelia and Linus team up with a clever neighbor, a hippy priest, and a college custodian, learning Quasimodo's story while searching for some way to get him back home---if he can survive long enough in the modern world.  From Amazon.com





First of all, let me just say, I'm not a huge fan of middle grade.  However, I've been reading more of them because my oldest son is 7 years old and is an avid reader.  So, I want to read books that he might be interested in as he gets older.  And boy was I -pleased with this series!


Not only is the book witty, imaginative, and adventurous, it also incorporates friendship, treating everyone with respect and a background in older literature.  I actually enjoyed reading it, a 30 year old woman!  I really enjoyed how Ophelia, Walter & Linus treated Quasimodo with respect and human decency, something he did not get in his time.  I also enjoyed reading about how they worked as a team to get Quasi back to his own time without harming him.  I also loved how the book raises poignant questions such as; Can Quasi change his fate back in his time, by what he's learned in our time?  Not only is this a great lesson in teaching young children that we can make our own decisions, but whether or not we make the right ones, and how to go about doing that.


The other point I really enjoyed was the narrator.  A grown up janitor who is both witty, informative & makes for a very fun read!  I highly recommend this book for any middle school classroom and/or library and for middle grade readers.  Also, this is a series!  I can't wait to read the next one and I absolutely cannot wait to share these books with my children (they are a bit too young now, but soon won't be!)

Rapture (Fallen #4)

RAPTURE, the fourth & final FALLEN novel, is the Lauren Kate book the world has been waiting for.

The sky is dark with wings. . . .
Like sand through an hourglass, time is running out for Luce and Daniel. To stop Lucifer from erasing the past, they must find the place where the angels fell to earth.
Dark forces are after them, and Daniel doesn’t know if he can do this—live only to lose Luce again and again. Yet together they face an epic battle that will end with lifeless bodies . . . and angel dust. Great sacrifices are made. Hearts are destroyed.
And suddenly Luce knows what must happen. For she was meant to be with someone other than Daniel. The curse they’ve borne has always and only been about her—and the love she cast aside. The choice she makes now is the only one that truly matters. In the fight for Luce, who will win?
The astonishing conclusion to the FALLEN series. Heaven can’t wait any longer. -Amazon.com


I have been so excited for this book for a LONG time.  I could not wait to read the ending to this series.  I love how unique this "fallen angel" series is compared to others, the tragedy of Luce & Daniel's love, the way not all the fallen angels are actually Hell's angels or bad.  After reading the third book of the series, Passion, I definitely could not wait to finish the series.


What I truly wanted from Rapture was more Daniel/Luce time, and Lauren Kate gave it to me.  I honestly would have liked more, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. :)  We finally get to know how Daniel and Luce FIRST met, and I mean for the VERY first time.  And Ms. Kate does a great job of tying all the lose ends together, while still giving us some romance and adventure.  


I was a bit worn out with the whole love story of Daniel and Luce though, to be honest.  I mean, after Passion I just wanted them to be happy and to not have to be living their love over and over without ever truly being together.  In my honest opinion, I think the series could have been 3 novels and been better.  However, that's just me!  Overall, I think this book does a great job of ending the series, giving the readers closure with all the characters, and I think fans of the series will be happy with it.  Thank you Ms. Kate, for a great and unique story!


  I was truly hoping for an ending to the entire series that I could be happy with. I think Lauren Kate did just that.  

Timepiece

 Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples--cracks in time. Are his powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before he can find out, Jonathan Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want? In the wake of Landers's return, the Hourglass organization is given an ultimatum by a mysterious man. Either they find Landers and the research he has stolen on people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered--with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most. Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their extraordinary powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? Even if they succeed, just finding him may not be enough ...Amazon.com


Last year I could not wait to read 'Hourglass' by Myra McEntire, and she did not disappoint.  I was anxiously awaiting the sequel, 'Timepiece', and when it came up on netgally to read/review, I swooped in (after waiting a few hours because the fans requesting the book were crashing the site!), to request this book.  I was so delighted when I finally received the book via my Kindle and could get to reading.  I could NOT put the book down.


First of all, the book is from Kaleb's POV.  Yes, Kaleb's POV...did I mention Kaleb? :)   Myra does a fantastic job of telling Kaleb's story and bringing his character to life.  I'm sure it's not easy to write from a male POV, especially a teenage one, but she pulls it off flawlessly.  Not only is Kaleb a complex character, but he is likable.  Really likable.  I was a bit leery when I first heard that this book would be from Kaleb's POV, because I've been burned before with male POV, but oh my goodness, it was so good.  I was hooked from the first line; "Maybe getting drunk and dressing up like a pirate for the masquerade was a bad idea." *snort*  Oh Kaleb.  After that first line, it only gets better.  


I can honestly say that I loved  'Timepiece' more than I loved 'Hourglass'.  Yes, I loved the sequel more than the first book, and that's saying something since I absolutely loved 'Hourglass'.  This book kept me on the edge of my seat in suspense, made me laugh out loud, made me want more and more, and overall told a ridiculously GOOD story.  Myra McEntire is a genius.  And she somehow makes the whole time travel aspect believable and easy to understand.  How does she do that?  Duh, like I said, she's a genius.  


If you loved 'Hourglass' then you must read 'Timepiece'.  You will not disappointed.  Especially if you enjoyed the Kaleb scenes, *cough* apron scene *cough*.  And don't worry, there is still plenty of Em & Michael, too, so you won't miss them too much.  Kaleb more than makes up for their absence, trust me.  5/5 Stars to Timepiece by Myra McEntire.

120 Bible Stories

"This collection of Bible stories presents the history of God's grace-full interaction with His people. Told through the words of Holy Scripture, children ages 8 to 12 will review God's many Old Testament promises to send a Savior and see how these promises have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Each story includes discussion questions, a memory verse, and a full-color illustration. Extra features include maps, a time line, and a glossary with explanatory notes on key words and phrases." - From Amazon

I have a 6YO who loves to read, and he loves to read the Bible. So, I'm always looking for great Bibles/Devotions to read with him. This Bible is amazing. Not only are there many stories taken straight out of the Bible, but there are discussion/reflection questions at the end of each story, making it easy to discuss each story. The questions aren't just yes/no questions either, they are great discussion questions and help open up doors to discuss even more with your child.

I cannot recommend this Bible enough. The illustrations are colorful, and there are even maps to help little ones (and their parents) know exactly where the stories are happening.

If you're looking for a Bible for your 7-12 year old, check this one out! I don't think you'll be disappointed!

The Story Book Bible

The Story Bible tells the key story of Scripture: that of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It will help you nurture that special child in your life by presenting the unchanging trusts of God's Word. Share the faith with these easy-to-read stories. Watch your child grow confident in reading and understanding.


I'm always on the lookout for wonderful Bibles to share with my children. I look for true to life Bible translations, but in easier terms for my young ones to understand. This Story Bible does a fantastic job of doing just that. It brings real Bible stories to life, shortens them a bit, but still keeps in the Word. 

My 6YO loves reading from this Bible. He can read it by himself and then we can discuss it, or we read it together and discuss. Each story has wonderful questions to ask yourself when done reading. There is also a "Do" section and a simple prayer that you can use (great for devotions!). 

If you're looking for a Bible for your young reader, or even another devotional, this book is a great addition to any family library.