Walking With Frodo: Uncovering God’s Truths in The Lord of the Rings

Wheaton, IL - J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings has been a literature staple for decades, but the recent release of three box office hits have launched it into a new realm. Captivated by the fantasy, character development, and intriguing plot lines, The Lord of the Rings trilogy continues to gain popularity among young adults.

Now, young adults can delve deeper into the relationship between The Lord of the Rings and biblical truth in Walking with Frodo, a new devotional from thirsty(?) the young adult imprint of Tyndale House Publishers.

It is well known that J.R.R. Tolkien was a believer in Jesus Christ and his faith comes through in his writings. In 18 devotions, designed to be read over 9 weeks, author Sarah Faulman Arthur looks at what the Bible has to say about 9 pairs of choices displayed by characters in The Lord of the Rings and challenges young adults to apply the lessons to their own lives and to make their Christian faith a deeper part of their identity and daily life.

Citing examples from both the movies and the books, Arthur explores topics such as choosing deceit or honesty choosing light or darkness, choosing betrayal or loyalty, and choosing despair or hope.

This devotional has particular
appeal to Lord of the Rings fans but Walking with Frodo will also be useful and interesting to newcomers to Tolkien’s trilogy. In addition, it works ideally as a semester-long individual
or group study.
Author Background:

Sarah Faulman Arthur is a freelance writer and unabashed Lord of the Rings junkie. She graduated from Wheaton College with dual majors in literature and intercultural Christian education and a minor in Bible. She is a contract writer, editor, and speaker for the United Methodist Publishing House, and has previously served as a youth director in the United Methodist Church.

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Peekaboo Pearly Moon

Author: Karen DeVries
Illustrator: Stan Myers
Publisher: Kregel Publications
$10.99 (Hardcover) on the web site: www.kregel.com


It is so important to ready children for the death of a loved one , especially a grandparent or a close relative. Death is an inevitable part of life and grieving loss is a vital (and learned) process. Grieving well in our overly-busy culture is a challenge.

This book introduces children and parents in a loving, gentle and even creative way to the experience of dying and death - with hope and inspiration. As I read it, I remembered the passing of my own dear mother - my children’s dearly loved grandmother and the special time we spent before and after her heavenward journey preparing ourselves for her departure. This book, with it’s warm and vivid illustrations would have been, then, very helpful for my own children - and even for me. A beautiful book which pours a good measure of peace and joy into a painful but necessary subject. Highly recommended - Jane Boswell

From the inside flap of the book’s jacket: “This warmly illustrated book introduces children to the emotions surrounding the death of a loved one – and God’s tender care during difficult times. It provides a tender perspective on heaven and the sweet reunions awaiting believers there.

In this gentle book, a dying grandmother teaches her granddaughter to play a peekaboo game with the moon. When Grandma can no longer play, the game becomes a healing reminder of earlier times, and gives a glimpse of God’s tender love for each of us.”

“I don’t like that Grandma’s sick. I don’t like that I’ll miss her so much when she goes to heaven. We play “Peekaboo, Pearly Moon,” and it helps me to not feel so bad.

Now when I see the full moon, I remember Grandma in her new world, heaven, and the songs of peace and joy she is singing.

I close my eyes, and I can still see her smile and hear her soft laughter.”

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Popular Weasel Press announces its first complete course for homeschooled, high school students. Writing: The Bridge Between Us/A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Well and the accompanying Teacher’s Manual are unlike any other books currently available for homeschoolers.

Writing: The Bridge Between Us is suitable for 14- to 18-year-olds or precocious middle schoolers. The book uses a central metaphor—that writing is a bridge of communication—to make abstract concepts clear. The course approaches writing from the ground up. Students analyse the structure of a single sentence before moving on to content, organization, purpose, and audience. The tone of the book is personal and casual, making the difficult task of learning to write less daunting.

Laced with examples from real-life essays by hundreds of students, the course provides numerous exercises designed to develop analytical skills and to strengthen the reading-writing-thinking connection. Students build skills first and then practice applications—both academic and "real world." They learn the "why" of writing so that the "how to" becomes a logical, natural extension of their thought processes.

Author Marcy McDonald, a former homeschooler, has won awards for her essays, poetry, and commercial work. She conducts writing workshops and camps for teens.

A book reviewer wrote, "…the book is loaded with down-to-earth explanations and examples….The section on organization is the best I’ve read."

A parent in Massachusetts said the course "…is deep and powerful and captures the essence of what I have been trying to convey to my children."

A parent in Virginia wrote: "The text gave my son confidence; the Teacher’s Manual gave ME confidence!"

A 17-year-old student wrote: "This book is fun. It talks to me, and it explains writing in ways I really understand. I wish all my books were like this."

Writing: The Bridge Between Us sells for $35 and the Teacher’s Manual sells for $25. Visit: www.popularweaselpress.com Questions? Call 434-955-2478. Or write P.O. Box 247, South Hill, VA, 23970

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Ball-Stick-Bird
Reading Program

Reviewed by Shirley Minster


Awhile back, I learned of a reading program entitled Ball - Stick - Bird so I asked for a copy of it to review. When it arrived, I inspected it for its effectiveness with children and ease of presentation by parents. I also looked at all of its components and its presentation. What I discovered was a truly unique program that caused me to consider the teaching of reading from a new perspective. I also talked with two parents who have been using this program to unlock the mystery of reading to their children.

If you are searching for a program that will help a child who is at the point of frustration, anger, tears, or even fear when it comes to learning to read, then I encourage you to get Ball-Stick-Bird. Be prepared to follow its directions carefully, even if it seems unusual. If you use the author’s technique faithfully, it will be next to impossible for a student to perceive letters backwards.

The parents I talked with said that their boys enjoyed the outer space theme that was presented simply. It encouraged the boys to want to read. The children followed the stories by faithfully using their newly learned skills. And they were experiencing success like never before. What was even more exciting was that the boys were picking up other books on their own and trying to decipher them, too!

Can you sense my excitement at finding this program? If you are searching for a program that will help your child to stop reversing letters and words, then I highly recommend Ball-Stick-Bird.


For more information, please see the advertisement on page 18 or visit Dr., Fuller’s web site:
http://www.ballstickbird.com

High school students and their parents know that good SAT scores can help with college admissions and getting scholarships. One major decision is whether or not to enroll in a pricey SAT course, sometimes costing in excess of $1000. Lynn Scully, a 15-year veteran SAT instructor, has developed an extensive tutorial program. It can be done by one family or with a group of teens, provided that each student has his own materials.

Lynn s course is designed to be done over 8 weeks, but she has recommendations for those students who have less time than that to prepare. It comes with 19 well-done DVDs that have over 50 hours of instruction, special folders of information for getting started, vocabulary building activities, math sheets, and specific organizational skills for the week before the test. There is also a 300-page workbook that goes right along with the DVDs. The homework is great for providing practical application of the material she presents. Solutions are also provided.

I was impressed with the precise explanations and demonstrations Lynn gave. If your student is having difficulty understanding a concept, the DVD can be played again. This is invaluable because the parent gets to see how a concept is explained right along with the teen. Lynn also illustrated how to use a calculator efficiently, read and understand verbal and mathematical questions with easy-to-learn techniques, and how to understand and solve analogies. At times she even worked with a student to show how a parent could help the teen how to understand new material. This is an invaluable part of the course.

An in-home tutorial program with a personable instructor who presents material in a relaxed yet informative way is a strong start to doing well on the SAT.

For ordering information visit: http://www.getitsatprep.com