Review: Adventures in Boogabooga Land DVD

I recently was given the opportunity to review The Adventures of Boogabooa Land by Richard Milner.
The DVD contains 3~15 minute cartoons that are supposedly based on parables of the Bible.

I have to say that I wasn't terribly impressed.  The animation wasn't terribly spectacular and the script was a tad on the cheesy side.  But the biggest problem I had with this DVD was that the Biblical message wasn't really there.

My daughters, age two and ten, also watched the movie.  (Several times. LOL)  And afterward I asked my oldest about the movie.  Specifically if it made her think about God or the Bible at all.  Her answer was no.  She was really surprised when I told her they were based on some parables from the Bible.  And the Bible is something we study everyday for school.

So all-in-all, I'd say that dvd had some entertainment value for my oldest but it certainly  didn't help establish any Biblical truths for them.  Maybe some sort of wrap-up, similar to what Veggie Tales does, could help cement what the author was trying to get across?

I received a copy of this DVD from Thomas-Nelson Publishing for reviewing purposes.  All opinions are my own.

A Time to Dance: Book Sneeze Review

I recently received A Time to Dance by Karen Kingsbury to review. It's a Christian romance novel about a long-time married couple on their way to divorce. Right when they're about to announce their decision to their kids, their oldest daughter announces her engagement. Not wanting to diminish her happiness, they decide put their announcement on hold until after her wedding. The story tells of how God was working in their life, trying to repair their relationship, despite their best efforts to ignore Him.

I have to say that I LOVED this book. I've never read anything by Karen Kingsbury before this but I'm now anxious to read more.

The characters really drew you in. I felt like I knew this family and I was very emotionally invested in their lives. I found myself tearing up a few times. Not only was the book very entertaining, it was a good reminder of just how easy it is to ignore the still, small voice of our heavenly Father, and the consequences of doing so.

I was excited to learn that this book was the first in a series about this couple. I'm looking forward to following their journey.

The Secrets Beneath~Review

I had the opportunity to review The Secrets Beneath  by Kathleen Fuller.  It's the second in her The Mysteries of Middlefield series for the tween set.

I was intrigued by the book because I have a huge interest in the Amish culture and my daughter is a big mystery buff.  It seemed like the perfect thing to check out for my book-aholic daughter.

The story is about Bekah, a curious, young Amish girl who often gets accused of being noisy.  Add in a mysterious new neighbor and a moody cousin who suddenly moves in with the family and you've got an interesting tale.

The girls, who struggle to get along, find themselves bonding over the strange goings-on at the neighbors house.  They learn about the power of prayer and the importance of obedience when Bekah's curiosity lands them in a dangerous situation.

During the first couple of chapters I wasn't sure if I was going to like the book.  I was having a problem with the language.  The really modern English mixed with the Amish terminology seemed really random.  I've read a lot of Beverly Lewis' books and the language in this book just didn't seem to flow as well.

However, as the story picked up, the language didn't bother me as much.  Looking back, I think the more modern English was meant to make the book more readable for the intended audience.

Overall, as an adult reading a book meant for tweens, I enjoyed the book.  The characters were likable and the storyline was interesting and engaging.  The suspense made you want to keep reading.  It gives the reader a glimpse into the Amish culture and provides some good lessons regarding obedience, gossip, and the power of prayer.

I'm excited for my daughter to read it as I know she will enjoy it and want to read the whole series.  This was the first book that I've read by Kathleen Fuller and I'm looking forward to checking out some of her adult fiction for myself.