Book reviews

Glenys Nellist It’s a rare day that I find a devotional that works for my whole family. Two parents, three teens, a tween, two elementary school aged kids, and a toddler equal a wide range of interests and attention spans. For the seasons of Advent and Lent, we enjoy...

Jill J. Duffield Whenever I begin introducing a new topic to a group of learners, I spend a significant amount of time activating everyone’s background knowledge. What experiences have we had with it? What do we wonder? What would life be without it? All sorts of...

Cheryl Minor Like many of you, I am in a special place with my work; processing the lessons I’ve learned through the pandemic, altering what faith formation looks like based upon those lessons, tinkering with favorite methods, and testing out new ways of going forth...

Donna Schaper Because of my work, my children have been brought to so many different churches that we really cannot count the number. They have honed a rating system of congregations, based on genuine friendliness, quality of food (good luck topping the congregation...

Les Carpenter Full disclosure: I absolutely love improv comedy. I have spent years of my life feeding my babies in the wee hours of the night while watching reruns of Whose Line Is It Anyway. When my babies became children that were interested in drama, I gleefully...

Rebecca L. McClain I have been working in children’s ministries for over two decades and have definite favorites when it comes to pedagogy and faith formation. Godly Play has elements that I have loved and used, and when the title Graceful Nurture; Using Godly Play...

Talbot Davis My mornings begin at dark o’clock, eastern time, with a steaming cup of coffee and the only silence I will have all day. I learned quickly that if I didn’t steal away early each morning, I would never have time for my devotions and prayers before my seven...

Open Waters Publishing Pandemic life has taught us many lessons; one of them being we stick with what matters most. One of the biggest comforts I have found for children and families is sinking into excellent children’s literature. Time spent in story, connected with...

Stacy Johnson Myers If my husband and I ever had a competition (we’re not the competitive sort of couple), it would be over whether his hymnal collection is larger than my children’s and youth Bible collection. Considering we have moved two times in the last five...

by Jan and Mike Berenstain My parents made sure that my sister, Sarah, and I grew up surrounded by books. Part of our collection was Berenstain Bear titles. My sister, in particular, loved these books. I spent hours wishing for a pegboard like Brother and Sister got...