The Really Radical Book for Kids: More Truth, More Fun

Champ Thornton capitalizes on the love older elementary children have for facts in The Really Radical Book for Kids: more truth, more fun. From exploring battles in the Bible to a deep dive in some of the books of the Bible. From exploring Bible names and how archeologists have found evidence of them to suggestions for dealing with parents. Thornton explores life in general, history, famous people, science, and more and relates them to concepts found in the Bible. Readers will find out how to live the Christian life. Activities, jokes, and puzzles keep the book interesting if the facts aren’t enough to pull readers in. Scot McDonald used an infographic approach to illustrating the book and presenting the facts. The Really Radical Book for Kids would be a great addition to a K-12 Christian school library. It is appropriate for old elementary and middle school students. It would also make a great addition to a classroom or home library. Teachers and homeschooling parents will find many uses for the information in this book. I received a complimentary copy of The Really Radical Book for Kids. This is my honest review.

This is a fascinating and engaging book. My oldest child is almost 6 and enjoys sitting and listening to me or his dad read it to him. The fun fonts and illustrations make it eye-catching and the content is solid and biblical. It’s interactive as well, being that there is a recipe and a paper cube making activity included. One of our favorite sections was “The Story of Jesus” which explained the parts or structures of a story, starting with an exposition and ending with a resolution, and used Home Alone and Star Wars as examples! Overall I think this is a really great resource to help make the Bible larger than life for young learners! It’s marketed as being for ages 5-11, but even as an adult I found it fascinating, and my 4 year old enjoyed sitting for brief periods of time looking at the exciting pages, so personally, I think this is a book for families with all ages. Thank you to New Growth Press for an ebook version in exchange for my honest review.

We have used this book as a family devotional. It has captured the attention and minds of my 5-year-old and 3-year-old. Our baby also loves all the colors! Their favorite chapter so far is on page 69 which is titled, “Snakes, Dragons, and the Bible.” The author does not shy away from hard topics and presents them in Biblical truth! The book is laid out in chapters. Each chapter starts with what I would deem a history, science, geography, or fun story. Then the story ties into biblical, apologetic, or spiritual truth. Thornton has expertly figured out how to write in a way that captures the attention of young people and then leads them into a spiritual lesson. There are fun facts sprinkled throughout the writing, such as the fact that 1,089 feet are about as tall as a 77-foot skyscraper (pg 102)! It’s only the writing in part that captures the attention of children, the illustrations are fascinating and take more than a few seconds to soak in. Which shouldn’t surprise anyone since they were done by Scot McDonald, who is an award winner graphic designer. The Really Radical Book for Kids is recommended for ages 8-14, however, I would like to argue that in the right circumstances, those younger can enjoy the content as well. As I am writing this my children are 5, 3, and 9 months. Now obviously my baby would prefer to tear and eat the pages rather than enjoy its true content, however, this book captures the attention of my 3 & 5-year-old. The book is not something that they are capable of reading by themselves as I believe is intended, but they sit raptured at the kitchen table as we eat our breakfast and read out loud a chapter. There are some chapters that go over their head such as chapter 19, which is entitled “Humor in the Bible.” However, most of the chapters are very friendly for all ages and will point you to the gospel. For ages 8 and up, the text is written in short paragraphs, in large font, and visually stimulating. As I have stated before, many of the pages remind me of how an infographic looks. Specifically, I think this could be good for struggling readers who may need a bit of extra ‘jazz’ to make the reading enjoyable for them. This book has one goal and that is to point kids to God. You will never regret teaching your children biblical truths. Champ Thornton does an excellent job writing and creating a book that exceeds expectations. Will you be picking up this book? We are loving it so far!

This is a very welcome sequel to Thornton's first The Radical Book for Kids. It doesn’t fit any clear category – and as such, it hits a whole lot of them. Overall subject themes include: * exploring parts of the bible (e.g., Proverbs & Romans) * historical people of faith. (e.g., Eric Liddell, Hannah More)  * faith questions (e.g., How does prayer work? Why go to church?) * living faithfully (e.g., speech, how to become a Christian) * life skills & info (e.g., how to deal with parents) * fun jokes & silly stuff (e.g., how to make a secret code) Thornton presents biblical material and matters of faith in a fun, different and digestible way for kids. The approach is based around topics and questions. It will be great for children (aimed at 8-14 year olds) who know their bibles well, but may not have linked it together thematically; and it will also appeal to those who want more facts and details about bible accounts, enabling further explanation and a different angle of understanding.  The 41 chapters are all mixed up, keeping readers interested as to what might come next. Colourful illustrations and diagrams are engaging and assist the reader in their understanding. It’s beautifully produced, with highly quality printing and a great embossed cover. Kids will be drawn in with language that is appropriate to their lives, but doesn’t dumb things down. The challenges of life are recognised. The questions that we all ask are openly acknowledged. Simplistic answers aren’t given, but the reader is given the truth from the words of God.

The Really Radical Book For Kids by Champ Thornton is a marvellous book for children aged eight years and over. It is a book looking at various aspects of the Christian life and the Bible to help our children grow their faith in God. I think it is a book that is relevant for any age especially if you are a new Christian. This book is accessible for all. For young children, you will need to read it for them. To be honest, I recommend reading this book alongside your children so that you can discuss the content. It is a perfect book for Sunday schools and also for connect groups to work through. The book is brightly coloured, making the pages inviting. We want to read and explore the content which is vast and rich. We learn about prominent figures and how they lived good Christian lives – Pandita Ramabbai, Hannah More, Eric Liddell to name but a few. I was educated as I read. The author tells us that the Bible is like a window – we look outside beyond the stories. It is like stained glass and we look into the stories. And it is like a mirror – we can see ourselves within the stories. All three concepts will help us to see God’s Word clearly. Within the pages, the author helps us to delve deeper into Proverbs, Genesis, Romans and Mark. This gives us a greater understanding, helping us to apply the Bible to our daily lives. How will we live with the days God has granted us? We see how to make wise decisions and how to separate the truth from lies. We learn about Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit and the true meaning of Easter. We learn to trust God and His plans rather than trying to organize our lives with the face in the mirror. “We don’t need to believe in ourselves… we need to trust the only One who can rescue us from ourselves.” The Bible is a book we can approach in 3D. It is literature, history and theology. The stories are fully rounded. Mentions in the Bible can be backed up by items found in archeological digs. There is humor in the Bible. God likes to have fun. The author has included some jokes and stories to amuse our children. There is a section on prayer and how it works. Prayer is speaking to God and it builds relationship as we learn to trust God with our lives. The whole book has a universal appeal. I am nearer sixty than six but I found myself totally engaged with the book. I learnt new things and I was encouraged by the fresh approach from the author. He has the ability to engage with his audience and explain things in a way that children will understand. If you want to build your child’s faith, grab a copy of The Really Radical Book For Kids today. In fact, if you want to grow your faith, whatever your age, this is a great book for you. I will leave you with my favourite quote in the book from John Stott: “We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.” So go into all the world and spread the Good News. I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.