Bethany: Adventures of the Mighty Mustard Seed

I never knew learning about the bible could be so much fun. While reading the book I did'nt even realize that I was learning. I would recomend this book to people who love to read a good adventure. I first read the book when I was in fifth and sixth grade and now that I am in going into seventh grade I realize how much it helped me understand more about the bible. Mr. Kearse was my sunday school teacher and I absolutely loved what he taught us. This book is great because it is the kind of thing Mr. Kearse taught and a great adventure.

It's growing increasingly difficult to motivate and excite children about the Bible. Kearse's book offers an alternative approach to normal Old Testament teaching that's fresh and adventurous enough to engage most 5th-7th graders (and their parents and teachers, too!). Kearse uses rhymes, maps, memory techniques, and adventure stories to educate about geography, people, tribes, and more. I was impressed how well "Genny's Sis throws Ex-o-dust" helped me memorize the books of the Old Testament. When used as classroom learning tools, these techniques provide a solid knowledge base for the reader to grow on. I've given this book as a gift to kids and kids-at-heart, and I'm hoping to give it to some much appreciated teachers as well. It's a good read for any age group, and I have no doubt it would teach even the most Old Testament savvy reader a few tricks!

For as long as I can remember, the Old Testament was a scary place to research and explore. Time spent in the Old Testament was like reading a contract full of "legal-ese". What I decided to do was read the book in hopes that, when it came time for my three children to get into the Old Testament, there would be a comfortable introduction in "their" language. Kearse hits the mark with this book. In the very beginning (probably because of my cynical adult perspective), I was thinking that the kiddy "cheese" factor might be a bit much to stomach over the entire text. But there is so much historical depth and, more importantly, context and perspective, that I found myself enjoying the narrative from the girl's perspective. If I enjoyed this book, I can only imagine how much a teenager or pre-teen would enjoy it. I hope Kearse will keep books like this coming so that my children can have biblical history spoken in their language.

Every parent who wants their child to see, to feel, to understand the characters and organization of the Old Testament needs to have their child read this book! It's very fun, very alive--and has a great spiritual message. The mystery of the "three words" is especially powerful to children and parents alike!

Bethany~Adventures of the Mighty Mustard Seed, is a craftily written tale. It takes the young mind on an imaginary trail of exploration and learning, using a creative partnership to mentor the child's intellect, desire and ability to understand basics of Old Testament history. Ultimately, it provides young persons with a meaningful and lasting foundation, for self-learning and personal initiative. If the Bible seems too large and overwhelming to conquer alone, "Bethany" is a fun place to begin.