Thursday, December 1, 2016

Book Reviews: Corrie Ten Boom: Keeper of the Angels' Den and C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller by Janet & Geoff Benge


Corrie Ten Boom: Keeper of the Angels' Den, by Janet & Geoff Benge
1999, 201p, Children's Non-Fiction/Biography
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Purchased a copy through Amazon



A biography of the life of the Dutch woman who survived imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps to become a Christian missionary.

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom is one of my all-time favorite books. I was excited when I found this book as a way to introduce my children to her. I thought the authors did a great job in helping young children understand what an amazing woman she is!

Corrie and her family lived in Holland. They helped the Jews escape the Nazis and were eventually caught. She and her sister were sent to live in a concentration camp. It was a difficult time and there were tears in our eyes as we read certain parts. One of the things that surprised me the most when I first read her story was her age--she was actually in her 50's when she was caught. Her story is filled with miracles, faith and forgiveness, and is one that will inspire people of all ages!


C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller, by Janet & Geoff Benge
2007, 191p, Children's Non-Fiction/Biography
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Purchased a copy through Amazon



From his earliest childhood, C.S. Lewis (1898 -1963) loved to hear and tell stories. Persuaded that stories could reveal the truth about the real world in a unique way, the literature professor would write more than thirty books, including science fiction, theology, literary criticism, and fantasy. In an era marked by two world wars, Lewis attacked tough questions about life and faith headfirst. Convinced that the story of Jesus Christ is the truest of all stories, and known for searching out the truth with honesty, clarity, and imagination, the former atheist would become one of the most influential Christians of the twentieth century.

I've only read some of C.S. Lewis's books and have loved each of them! It was interesting to learn more about him and his life, starting with the fact that from the age of two, he insisted on going by the name of Jack. I was fascinated to learn that, at one point, he was an atheist and later became one of the greatest Christian authors of all time.

I read The Chronicles of Narnia with my children a few years ago and we found the parts that talked about that to be especially interesting. There was also background given on some of his other books, which we enjoyed learning about as well. This is an excellent book for younger readers. I'm glad I read it with them since it sparked some interesting discussions and I learned quite a bit from it, too.

There are lots of books in this series and some are about people I haven't even heard of before. I was impressed with these books and will purchase more of them in the future!


About the Authors:

Geoff and Janet Benge are a husband and wife writing team with twenty years of writing experience. Janet is a former elementary school teacher. Geoff holds a degree in history. Together they have a passion to make history come alive for a new generation. Originally from New Zealand, the Benges make their home in the Orlando, Florida, area.

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