Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent

What a wonderful book. There is something so satisfying about sitting together in our living room, with Advent candles burning and the kids spellbound, listening to every word of this story. We are on our fourth week reading, and the kids still come running when we say it is time to light the Advent candles. The story follows Jotham's journey to find his family after he gets angry at his father and runs away. He has many exciting cliff-hanger adventures that may seem contrived to adults but believe me, the kids won't care and will beg you to read the next day's section. Jotham ultimately ends up in Bethlehem and his life intersects the lives of Mary, Joseph, and the newborn Christ child in a lovely way that brings home Christ's divinity as well as the humanity of his infancy. As a homeschooling mother, I really appreciate the way Jotham's Journey makes biblical times come alive. Even though there are very few illustrations in the book, the text provides many details about daily life that raised good questions from the kids, showing their engagement with the story and their desire to understand the setting. One reviewer said this book is written for "conservative, evangelical Christians". I have to dispute that. Jotham's Journey IS a Christian story that tries to bring to life the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of the Savior. But presumably this is a given to a family that wants to celebrate Advent. A couple of times the book emphasizes the importance of children being completely obedient to their parents/caretakers (Jotham's disobedience gets him into his mess), and it also refers to corporal punishment a couple of times as a natural consequence of disobedience. And there is some violence, which is used for the purposes of both evil and good. I suppose this could also be inconsistent with the moral beliefs of some families. Otherwise I am mystified as to what the reviewer found as inconsistent with "liberal Christianity" or "an inclusive view of God's love". I don't know what the reviewer meant by "liberal Christianity", but I will say our family has a very inclusive view of God's love and we love this book. This is our first year celebrating Advent. Previously, the holidays were pretty much a blur of decorating, wrapping, baking, and shopping, shopping, shopping. Christmas would arrive before I knew it and I would be exhausted, the kids would be hyper and focused on the presents. It occurred to me that from my children's perspective, Christmas was about gifts, decorations, and a frazzled mother. One of the most effective things we've done to change that has been lighting Advent candles every night and reading this book by candlelight. It has been a simple and completely rewarding way to draw our family together.

We edited as we read, but we have read this story for 2 years and are planning on the third. It isn't Santa Claus - and it puts the Biblical Account into perspective for our city kids. I recommend it highly with some discretion for younger children.

I teach in a Christian school that makes a special effort to celebrate Advent before celebrating Christmas. In cooperating with that effort, I've used Jotham's Journey as a read-aloud book since finding it three years ago, twice with first graders (some editing was prudent) and last year with my seventh graders. Both age groups have absolutely loved this tale of the shepherd boy, Jotham, as he journeys to reunite with his parents. Jotham's adventure is action-packed; and while the author does take some literary license, there are plenty of historical facts that lend themselves to further discussion in the classroom. I'll never forget the first grader's eager response to the vocabulary question about a caravan: "It's a kind of van." I have had the best time using this book to entertain and educate the children during Advent. The season is characterized by a gradual build-up of excitement toward Christmas Day, and every chapter of Jotham's Journey (there are as many chapters as there are days in Advent)lends to the intensity. My first graders wanted me to start over as soon as I'd finished the story; my seventh graders were underwhelmed by every story I read thereafter. What else needs to be said?

Jotham's Journey - It is a day by day advent story of ancient Israel of a small 10 year old boy - filled with adventure and thoughtful commentary - drawing on history and psalms and old testament stories and Qumran and the star to weave a fiction that has my children mesmerized and begging for more -we read the designated section each night by candle light - the advent candles and their own candle - they then go to bed by candle light entranced... and immersed in the season...this is pure fiction - but so perfect for drawing in the 20th century modern kid - please try to find it and read it with your kids - it is so wonderful!