Do you want to cultivate your older children’s curiosity and shape their souls at the same time? Here’s a new book that will help you to fulfill both of those goals. As I flipped through page after colorful page in The Radical Book for Kids: Exploring the Roots and Shoots of Faith, one thought kept recurring in my mind: When I was around ten, this would have been one of my favorite books.
The Radical Book for Kids is not exactly a devotional or a discipleship guide. Many chapters focus on possibilities and curiosities in the created order while others look at events in Scripture or church history. And yet, the text clearly intended to shape a child’s soul by combining an appreciation for history, for creation, for the Word of God, and for the works of God.
It’s similar in many ways to The Dangerous Book for Boys, but it’s far from a poorly-produced Christian knockoff. Instead, this book is smart, sharp, and whimsical in a manner refuses to be imitative. (One tiny example of the clever whimsy that characterizes every page of this book: children learn the sounds of the Hebrew alphabet through the names of Star Wars characters.) While working through this book, your child will learn everything from how to make a sundial to what kind of armor soldiers wore in ancient times, from the work of Martin Luther to the life of St. Augustine of Hippo. And it’s not only for boys; at this moment, my middle daughter is skimming through my copy of the book, and she’s thoroughly enjoying it as well.
Here’s what I had to say when I worked my way through a pre-publication copy of the book that the publisher asked me to consider endorsing:
I was only a dozen pages into The Radical Book for Kids before I found myself thinking, ‘I wish I’d had this book when I was a kid’ and ‘I’ve got to get this book for my kids!’ Highly recommended!
Now that I’ve received the published version—with hefty pages and a colorful embossed cover—my opinion of the book is even higher. This is a book that would make a great Christmas gift for children or grandchildren in your life (and, in case you’re wondering, no one is paying me or offering me anything to say that—I received a free copy and I just really do like this book).
Discuss in the Comments:
Take a look at The Radical Book for Kids online. How does it compare to other reference books that your children have enjoyed? Are there other, similar books that you’d recommend? If so, let me know!
Photographs by Skylar