The Chronicles of Peleg, Book One: Foundlings

Fans of fantasy fiction are in for a treat with Foundlings, the first book in a new series, The Chronicles of Peleg, written by Matthew Christian Harding. According to Harding, "Foundlings is historical fiction that takes place in the time period of Peleg, soon after the tower of Babel dispersion". Dragons, giants and huge beasts are common throughout the storyline adding to a more fantastical experience for contemporary readers.

Harding, a homeschool Dad, offers a young earth creationist Biblical worldview which he says, "conforms to the Word of God". "Foundlings weaves together the Biblical principles of chivalry, truth, courage, duty, faith and love within the framework of Genesis, and a bold adherence to its historicity", he says.

Understanding Harding's motivation for writing the Chronicles of Peleg is equally noteworthy. The author states in his testimony that he is a former member of the occult saved through divine intervention only God could orchestrate. His credentials include an English degree from St. Olaf College and a Masters in Special Education from the University of Arizona. The greatest motivation, however, came from his love for his children and the desire to share meaningful stories with them at bedtime. "When I put the children to bed at night, they would often ask to hear stories about when I was young. Tiring of the same routine, I began to make up stories that got longer and more intricate, sometimes lasting for months", he says.

Encouraged by his wife to record these works of fantasy, Harding began to write the Chronicles of Peleg. To date he has completed, Book One: Foundlings and Book Two: Paladins. Harding says he plans many more to follow.

Foundlings is designed to appeal to children ages 10-12 and older. Younger children may enjoy the novel as a read aloud. My 13 year old daughter, however, is not a fan of fantasy fiction and did not enjoy the novel. Unfortunately, I also struggle with fantasy literature often feeling I have to work too hard to learn a new vocabulary, and follow complex plot lines. It is a personal genre preference that kept me from enjoying all Foundlings had to offer. I could not identify with the characters easily and the rich descriptions were not enough to carry my interest forward.

In an effort to give Foundlings a fair evaluation I passed the novel on to my 21 year old daughter, a self-professed fan of Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis, both genius fantasy authors in their own right. Her review of Foundlings was more favorable, "It's creative, but very long and drawn out. I felt it was overly detailed. I would still recommend it however, to lovers of fantasy fiction, especially because of its Biblical content", she said.

For those who enjoy a unit study approach to literature study, Harding is intending to publish a companion book which will investigate the historical, Biblical and character building themes of the literature. Consideration is also being given to creating a lapbook and educational game in the near future.

Foundlings and Paladins can be purchased at Hardings website, www.MatthewChristianHarding.com, local bookstores, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Ingram and Baker & Taylor. The 256 page novel sells for 11.95 in paperbook format. Harding offers free shipping on his website for all customers. In addition, a "money back guarantee" accompanies each purchase.

* As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received Foundlings for free in exhange for this review. My review is a reflection of my honest opinion of the book. *

Kregel Publishing Books-Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure

Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure by Susan K. Marlowe is an adventure story set near Fresno, California during the time of the California Gold Rush. Thirteen year old Andi Carter returns home for a fun filled summer vacation from Miss Whittaker's Academy, a finishing school for girls located in San Francisco. She is anxious to re-connect with old friends, family and her favorite horse, Taffy. Andi, a true tom-boy is conflicted with the responsibility and expectations of a growing up in a time when women were limited in their roles.



The adventure begins innocently enough as Andi, big brother Mitch and friends Jenny and Cory take off on horseback for a 2-week camping and gold prospecting trip. The group believes they are destined for hours of riding, fishing and panning for gold. Unfortunately, innocent mishaps lead to bigger trouble and Andi and friends faith, courage and survival skills are tested in ways they could never have imagined.



Themes of adventure, courage, bravery, self-less love and Godly character are present throughout this 17 chapter novel targeted to tweens. Although Andrea (Andi) Carter is a female main character, most boys will enjoy the plot line and be drawn in by the action. Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure is the 5th book written by Marlowe for her Circle C Adventure series. Each book is available on Kregel Publications website, http://www.kregel.com/ for $7.99 for a paperback copy. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for this review.



I read this little adventure story during a 12 hour car ride to the beach. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was occassionally surprised by plot twists and turns. As I read Marlowe's account of 13 year Andil I easily remembered the conflicted emotions and responsibilities brought about by this age. My daughter, Micah just celebrated her 13th birthday and could imagine her involved in the plot. I can't wait to give Micah this book to read and enjoy.



Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure will make a great summer read for any child aged 10 and older. Due to the frightening nature of some plot twists I would reccommend pre-reading the book for younger children. There is also a 24 page supplementary unit study guide available for free on the company website. The guide covers:

• vocabulary
• Discussion Questions
• A Closer Look section for learning more about maps, California Gold Rush and Annie Oakley
• A Nature Connection section to learn more about mountain lions and rattlesnakes
• A Just for Fun section
• Helpful weblinks for "rabbit trail" studies of the Sierra Nevadas, the California Gold Rush, etc.

Click here to view the guide.

Kregel Publications is a Christian publishing company dedicated since 1949 to meet the needs of evangelical readers. You can read more about Kregel Publications and all the books they offer at their website.

Tales of Terrestria

Tales From Terrestria, written by Ed Dunlop are the latest Terrestrian stories to be released from Cross and Crown Publishing. The Terrestria Chronicles, an allegorical fantasy series was written by Dunlop to "honor Jesus Christ as King, challenge young readers to serve Him, and to teach them to guard their hearts for Him". Although The Terrestria Chronicles are complete, Tales From Terrestria continue the adventure with stand alone stories of new characters from the land of Terrestria. Both Tales From Terrestria novels and The Terrestria Chronicles are written for children aged 10 and older.

I received the first Tale From Terrestria: The Quest for Thunder Mountain from the publisher for free in exchange for this review. The 203 page paperback sells on the publisher website, www.talesofcastles.com for $7.99. My children Sierra, Micah, and Jonah assisted me with this review.

Set in the middle ages, The Quest for Thunder Mountain introduces readers to young Gavin, an unemployed minstrel. Sick, hurt and needing direction he fortunately meets Sir Wisdom who ministers to his needs and sends him on a quest to Mount Thelema to seek the will of King Emmanuel. The journey is long and dangerous testing Gavin's strength, will and faith. Gavin uses a special book provided by the King to guide him on his journey.
Gavin a true hero is an inspiration, optimistic and strong in his faith. For example, during an unfortunate imprisonment in the "Dungeon of Condemnation" Gavin is bitterly asked by his traveling companion, "Do you have a plan?" Gavin replies, "Nay, but Emmanuel does....He'll show us a way out of here".

The Quest for Thunder Mountain is well written but at times predictable. My older children were not surprised by plot twists nor amazed by the allegorical references. We did understand, however, that these novels could easily draw children with a limited spiritual background into deep and meaningful conversations of Christ. Indeed this is the author's mission. Dunlop dedicates a section of the website to his reasons for trying to reach children with the Gospel. According to his statistics, 85% of people come to Christ between the ages of 5-14.

I asked the kid review panel for their honest reviews of the book. Their comments included the following:

"I can see how the novel would be good for little kids or for kids who really haven't studied the Bible. It was a pretty good story, but since I could understand the symbolism, like the "Shield of Faith", etc. it lessened the affect the story had on me. I would probably recommend these to a friend if they were interested in dragons and Medieval stories" ~ Jonah age 15.

"I thought the storyline was interesting. I think if I was a little bit younger it would seem more exciting to me. The plot was very creative and different from what I find in most books. The beginning especially really caught my attention and helped me care about the safety of the main character, Gavin. I would recommend this book to kids who like Science Fiction or fantasy adventure books"~ Micah, age 12.

"I really liked the story of this book. I liked the people, the action, and that it was in the middle ages. I really like fairy tales and stories of castles, princesses and dragons. I hope I get to read more of these books. There is NOTHING I didn't like about it at all!"~ Sierra, age 8"

The Quest for Thunder Mountain is the first in the Tales of Terrestria series novels. The Golden Dagger and The Isle of Dragons are also currently available with a fourth book, Return of the Dagger planned for release Spring of 2010. All books in the series average 200 pages and carry the $7.99 price tag. In addition, a special price of 3 books for $19.99 is currently being offered on the website.