Category Archives: The Randleman Review

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Book Review: Answers Book For Teens by Bodie Hodge, Tommy Mitchell and Ken Ham

Answers Book For TeensSome of my favorite books are the Answers Books, a series created by Answers in Genesis.

In these books, dozens of questions are answered. Most of them are about creation, or related issues. But there other questions included as well, involving several of the other fundamentals of the Christian faith.

When I learned that Master Books was producing a version of these books geared towards teens, I was excited!

Upon receiving my copy of what I hope to be the first of a series of several, I devoured it within hours.

I was impressed!

Written specifically for ages 13-17, AB4T answers fifteen different questions, half of which are specifically related to Creation issues. The rest deal with questions that frequently plague teens: questions of identity, pain, sex and faith.

Written in an engaging manner, sure to grab and hold the attention of the reader, AB4T is hard to put down, even for an old guy like me!

I’m so impressed with this resource, that I will be purchasing several copies for our youth ministry, making them available for any of our teens who would like read it.

If you have a teen in you home, I would suggest you grab a copy of AB4T for them for Christmas. They will love it! Or, make a few copies available to the youth in your church. It’s a resource that will come in handy.

Have you read the original Answers Books? If so, what did you think? Would you consider AB4T for the teens in your family? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading Answers Book For Teens, Answers Book 1, Answers Book 2, or Answers Book 3, you can purchase them at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review: Charlie And Trike In The Grand Canyon Adventure by Ken Ham and Karen Hansel

Charlie And Trike In The Grand Canyon AdventureBeing a father of five can be a full time job.

One of the benefits of that job is getting to read to my kids. I love spending time with them, and reading to your kids has several benefits, both to you and to your children.

Recently, I read Charlie And Trike In The Grand Canyon Adventure to my three older kids. It’s a cute story about a monkey and a triceratops who hike deep into the Grand Canyon with a mysterious tour guide. As they examine rock layers, fossils and local wildlife, they arrive at some stunning conclusions about the origins of the Grand Canyon.

Normally, when I review a book, I give my opinions about it. This time, however, I thought it appropriate to allow my kids to express their thoughts concerning Charlie And Trike In The Grand Canyon Adventure.

Titus (Age 7)

TitusJR – Did you like Charlie And Trike In The Grand Canyon Adventure?
Titus – Yeah!

JR – What was your favorite part?
Titus – The part when the Captain saved him (Charlie).

JR – Who was your favorite character?
Titus – Charlie the monkey.

JR – How do you think the Grand Canyon was formed?
Titus – The flood.

JR – Should your friends read this book?
Titus – Yeah!

Lydia (Age 9)

LydiaJR – Did you like Charlie And Trike In The Grand Canyon Adventure?
Lydia – Yeah!

JR – What was your favorite part?
Lydia – The part when Charlie fell into the river.

JR – Who was your favorite character?
Lydia – The Captain.

JR – How do you think the Grand Canyon was formed?
Lydia – Noah’s flood.

JR – Who do you think should read this book?
Lydia – I think Kayna and Belle should read this book!

Hannah (Age 12)

HannahJR – Did you like Charlie And Trike In The Grand Canyon Adventure?
Hannah – Yep!

JR – What was your favorite part?
Hannah – The part where the captain saved Charlie.

JR – Who was your favorite character?
Hannah – I liked Trike.

JR – How do you think the Grand Canyon was formed?
Hannah – When God sent the flood.

JR – Who do you think should read this book?
Hannah – I think younger kids that are just starting church and that don’t understand should read this book.

And there you have it. Three kids, three exuberant expressions of enthusiasm for Charlie And Trike In The Grand Canyon Adventure!  I fully recommend that you grab a copy of this book and read it to your kids.  It will be worth your time!

If you have kids, do you read stories to them? How have you seen your relationship with your children grow from this? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading Charlie And Trike In The Grand Canyon Adventure, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review: Average Joe by Troy Meeder

Average JoeEvery once in a while, a feel good book is just what I need to read.

Normally, I prefer to read material that either engages me, as certain fiction authors do, or challenges me to grow.

Average Joe didn’t really do either of those things. But it did fill me with encouragement. And every once in a while, that’s just what I need.

I have a confession: Sometimes I feel like a failure. Sometimes I feel like I just don’t measure up. I wonder what my wife sees in me when there are so many other marriages that look more appealing. I wonder what my kids think about their dad in comparison to the fathers of their friends.

I find myself falling short.

Neither my wife nor my kids will tell you that I’m a terrible husband or father. But I know that I’m not the man I want to be. I’m average.

And that’s what Average Joe is all about. Troy Meeder issues a call to men, helping them to understand that God uses “ordinary” people to do extraordinary things.

Meeder doesn’t give any instructions on how to get past our culture’s perception of what men “should be”. He hasn’t examined why we feel this way, or why we shouldn’t.

What he’s done is give us example after example of “average” men from his own life and from the Bible who have been used by God.

Stories like that are worth hearing. Stories like that bring me the encouragement that I need occasionally.

Do you feel like you don’t “measure up” to cultural expectations of manhood? What do you do to fight this? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading Average Joe, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review: Be The People by Carol M. Swain

Be The PeopleBe The People is a book that every person in America needs to read.

Subtitled A Call To Reclaim America’s Faith And Promise, this book establishes a rallying point for Americans to reclaim the foundations our forefathers built this nation upon.

Dr. Carol M. Swain has issued a challenge for us: to either step up and reclaim our nation, or let it slide forever into history.

Dr. Swain takes a close look at several key issues that America is facing, some of which we’ve been dealing with for decades. Regardless of where you stand politically, Dr. Swain offers answers that are worth attempting.

Dealing with explosive issues such as religion, abortion, race, immigration and family, Dr. Swain hits us right where we live. She exposes how the majority of American people are not satisfied with the state of our nation, a fact that the media refuses to acknowledge.

Dr. Swain’s examination of several key issues facing America today is exactly what we need to hear. Sounding a call for the American people to reclaim our nation, Dr. Swain has given us a choice: either take action, or allow apathy to completely destroy our nation.

I know which choice I prefer. Do you?

Do you agree with Dr. Swain’s assessment of America? What can you do about it? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading Be The People, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review: Sir Rowan And The Camerian Conquest by Chuck Black

Sir Rowan And The Camerian ConquestI love reading a great story.

And Chuck Black has created a great story.

Sir Rowan And The Camerian Conquest is the fifth book in Black’s Knights Of Arrethtrae series. I really enjoyed the book, and I know my son will love it when he is a few years older. I felt like the book was geared towards older youth, especially boys.

This is the fifth book, and I haven’t read the first four books, but I felt like the story stood on it’s own. I’m sure that reading the previous books will fill in some gaps; but those gaps aren’t really too noticeable.

Sir Rowan’s story is one that many people experience. His character flaw in the story is his pride. Throughout the story, Black does a great job of showing how the King can use anyone, but only after they realize that His strength is what will carry them through.

As I read Sir Rowan’s story, I couldn’t help but see parallels in my own life, when pride reared it’s ugly head and caused me to miss out on what God wanted to do.

I really enjoyed reading Sir Rowan And The Camerian Conquest. I can’t wait until my son is old enough to want to read this series. Until then, I’ll just have to read the rest on my own.

Do you struggle with pride, like Sir Rowan?  What do you do to defeat it in your life? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

If you are interested in reading Sir Rowan And The Camerian Conquest, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Multnomah Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review: The Life Of Andrew Jackson

The Life Of Andrew Jackson

I’ve really enjoyed reading biographies recently. I’ve read some in the past, but never had a burning desire to pursue this genre too much.

Until recently. Not too long ago, I read and reviewed The Life Of John Knox. You can also see my review of Lee: A Life Of Virtue and Unshakable Faith, about Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver.

And I’ve been reading several other biographies of great lives.

I love this genre.

And The Life Of Andrew Jackson was no less intriguing than any of the others I’ve been reading

I’ve never really known too much about the life of our seventh President. The Life Of Andrew Jackson was extremely enlightening.

Originally written in 1850, this biography has been reprinted by Attic Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing. Since it was written within just a few years of Jackson’s life, it presents a comprehensive and fresh look at his life, military career, and his presidency.

Also included are several key papers from his life, including his inaugural and farewell addresses, and Bancroft’s eulogy of Jackson’s life and service.

All in all, The Life Of Andrew Jackson is a great historical resource to have on your shelf. If you love reading about American history, or reading biographies, you’ll love reading The Life Of Andrew Jackson.

Do you think you’d be interested in reading The Life Of Andrew Jackson? Why or why not? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

If you are interested in reading The Life Of Andrew Jackson, you can purchase it at Amazon.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from New Leaf Press/Master Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links”. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Book Review: Another World by Philip Stott

Another WorldI recently finished reading Another World by Philip Stott, and I have to admit, I wasn’t too impressed.

Another World is described by the author as “biblical science fiction.” Based in a pre-Flood civilization, Another World speculates what life would have been like just before God sent his judgment of the world described in Genesis 6-9.

As someone who loves the subject of biblical creation and beginnings, especially the history included within the first eleven chapters of Genesis, I was hopeful that Another World would be right up my alley. Unfortunately this was not the case.

Obviously a believer in a young earth, Stott has written a story that is easy to read, and yet lacks that something needed to really make it impactful. His story is set in a time of which we have no information, only speculation. And his information is a bit off.

For example, he describes an animal he calls a Brontosaur. But no such animal existed. The discoverer of the fossil remains inadvertently placed another animal’s head on the skeleton, resulting in an inaccurate representation.

Another example would be his speculation that the large stones found in Tiahuanaco, and other places in South America, or the great pyramids of Egypt. He states that these are the remains of pre-flood civilization. This is unlikely. A catastrophe such as the one described in Genesis would have destroyed even structures such as these. More likely, these are some of the earliest structures built shortly after the Dispersion from the Tower of Babel, using residual technology that Noah and his sons knew, or mankind “rediscovered” after the Flood, and has subsequently lost. I find this much more plausible.

While I am excited that someone has attempted to write a story about pre-flood life, I’m disappointed in this one. The story fails to engage the reader and doesn’t really offer any incentive to continue reading, in spite of the fact that it is easy and quick to read.

I wasn’t too impressed, and wouldn’t recommend reading Another World.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from Nordskog Publishing in order to read and review on my blog. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“