If you like the idea of exploring a fantasy world with interesting characters and unique places, then you should enjoy Tales of the Inner City by Scott Bryte. As the title suggests, all the stories take place in the Inner City, but it’s not the typical inner city you might have grown up in or visited. It’s an inner city where nothing is as you imagine. The neighbors you’ll meet include characters such as Rinny Reet, a remarkable chef whose claim to fame is malted marshmallow milkshakes. You’ll also be hanging out in the hood with Tobbi, Bimmy, and the Freep kids teaching the turtle Fluffy to fly. The most constant characters are the narrator and Grandfather; you never learn who the narrator is and Grandfather “sits to tell tales and answer questions and make up the truth”.
The tales all have a Bible related story and you don’t need to be a biblical scholar to know which stories this imaginative collection focuses on. Author Scott Bryte has included an appendix with study prompts to make understanding and using the stories to teach accessible to everyone.
I spent an enjoyable afternoon reading all 13 stories and referencing the appendix for greater understanding. I truly enjoyed “How Zimm Got There” and his tower of refrigerators and other items. The correlation to the Bible story of the Tower of Babel is not that hidden for even a novice Bible reader to see. I can see this book being used for young readers to young adults as a bridge to their understanding of some of the most memorable Bible stories. It takes the stories out of the Bible context and puts them in an imagery world that is easy to relate to. I think this book would be great to read to children and then have a discussion about the actual story. It would also be useful to someone who is a new Christian and is struggling with understanding some of the most important stories of their faith.
A review copy of this book was provided by the author.
