Tag: teens

“Do Hard Things” -Book Review

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One of the things that I like to do in my homeschooling is give my kids “growth” books that challenge them to grow spiritually or in character.  The most recent book that I have given my 14 year old to read is the book “Do Hard Things” by Alex and Brett Harris.  These brothers wrote a book that challenges teens to live according to God’s way of thinking instead of the world’s way of thinking.  They call it the “rebelution” which consists of teenagers having a rebellion against low expectations.  To realize that even as a teen you don’t have to live with low expectations but can rise to change the world in amazing ways.

They give many examples within their book of teens that are currently changing the world by following in the adventure that God has for each of them.  For example, there is teenage boy named Zach Hunter who has a heart to stop human trafficking.  At the age of 12 he started with the simple idea of using loose change that you might find in between your couch cushions to loosen chains of the people who are victims of human trafficking.  He presented the idea to different peers and schools and ended up founding an organization that he still runs today as an adult which is called LC2LC (Loose Change to Loosen Chains).  He was a 12 year old that wanted to make a difference and stepped out in the adventure that God was giving him.  This is just one of the stories that can inspire young people to realize their potential now as a young person pursuing the things of God.

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“Do Hard Things” is a book that I would encourage to be on your homeschool list of “must read”.   They have also wrote other books to follow up the “Do Hard Things”.  The next book that they wrote is called “Start Here” which gives the next step for teenagers in their journey of discovering the adventure God has for them.  It gives more direction on how you might start walking out your individual adventure that God has designed specifically for you.  They are also in the process of releasing a parent book that talks about parenting world changers.  Their website is therebelution.com.  You will find current inspiring stories of teenagers changing the world and other helpful resources for your teen.

I believe that God has amazing and unique plans for each of our children.  We have the awesome privilege of helping them discover the gifts and talents that God has given them and leading them to discover their own intimate relationship with Jesus.  One of the things I try to do as often as I can with these books I give my kids, is to read them myself and cultivate an atmosphere of discussion with them to help them start thinking.  I am excited to see how each of my children walk out their own adventures with God.

Favorite Fiction Books for Tweens and Teen Boys!

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Favorite Fiction Books for Tweens and Teen Boys!

Finding good fiction for tween or teen boys is sometime hard to find.  Having two teenage boys, I am always looking for quality fiction books for my boys to read.  This is definitely a genre that needs more authors to join the adventure of writing for this age group.  If you have a heart or desire to write fiction for tween or teen boys, go for it!  I would love to see more clean, quality fiction on bookshelves.  In my continuous search for books that become part of our library shelf, I have found a few favorites that are a hit with my kids and me.  Some of the books I am recommending are from the same author.  Once I find an author that my boys and I like, I search for other works that they have done.

  1.  The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black

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This is an amazing series that is actually an allegory of the Bible.  The author uses the terminology of knights and kingdoms to describe biblical characters.  The Prince who trains the knights is Jesus.  The knights are the disciples.  This is a series that you would want to start at the beginning because there are books that repeat certain characters.  The Knights Kingdom series also has a great audio series that go with the books.  So if you have an auditory learner, you can get the books on audio.  Chuck Black is a homeschool dad that told amazing bedtime stories to his kids.  He was encouraged to write them into books and Knights Kingdom Series was born.  He is an excellent story teller.  My kids are captivated by both the books and the audio.  We have listened to the audio several times.  You can find his books on Amazon or his website www.perfect-praise.com.

2.  Knights of Arrethtrae by Chuck Black

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This is another wonderful series by Chuck Black.  This series is probably my favorite if I had to choose between the Kingdom Series and Knights of Arrethtrae.  This series focuses on the knights of the kingdom called Arrethrae.  You do not have to read this series in order except for “Sir Dalton” and “Lady Caryliss” because those two are connected and have repeat characters.  Each book focuses on a specific knight and their journey in learning a certain character quality.   One book is about overcoming greed and another book is about having faith to step out.  These books were powerful stories that illustrate great character building for kids.  My favorite was “Lady Caryliss” because of the powerful word pictures that the author gave when Lady Caryliss was given the assignment to set prisoners free.  When she was willing to step out and stand up for what was right, it brought freedom to the people.  I think teenagers would enjoy the books and the audio.  My boys have listened to their favorite “Knight” stories many times.

3.  Wars of the Realm by Chuck Black

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I have included all the series from Chuck Black because they are all worth mentioning. In my opinion, Chuck Black keeps getting better as he continues to write new series.  The thing that I love about this series is that it is quite different from the Kingdom Series and yet it is just as enthralling.  Unlike the Kingdom Series, this new series is set more in the present day.  The first book is called “Cloak of the Light” and its an adventure worth taking.  Its about a young man and his journey to finding God.  In the midst of his journey he acquires the ability to see angel and demons.  He sees the war that is going on around him and he helps the angels fight to help people.  My boys are on the 2nd book which is called “The Rise of the Fallen” and they are complaining that the 3rd book in the series isn’t coming out until February 2016.  The author has an interesting perspective on what the “spiritual” realm in heaven and around us might be  like.

4. The Berinfell Prophecies by Wayne Thomas Batson

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Wayne Thomas Batson is another favorite author of my boys.  They anxiously await his next book when they are in the middle of a series.  “The Berinfell Prophecies” are an adventure/fantasy series that is written for boys or girls for age 10 and up.  The first book in the series is called “Curse of the Spider King” and its about these tween and teen that are part of saving the world from the Spider King.  Its an exiting adventure that spans 3 books in the series.  I loved the twists and unexpected way the storyline went. You will want to start with the first book if you decide to try this series because the books are definitely connected and contain the same characters throughout the series.  We also enjoyed the audio books of this series, if you have a child that would rather listen then read the series.  These books are found at Amazon or on Wayne Thomas Batson’s website which is enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com.

5.  Door Within Series by Wayne Thomas Baston

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One thing that is unique about the Door Within Series is that it has many parallels between the Bible and the story line.  The reason it is called the Door Within is because the hero finds within himself a heart wanting to follow the King.  When he decides to become a knight and follow the King, he is used mightily to save other lives and fight against the enemy.  Its an exciting adventure series that is anything but boring.  My kids are going through the series for the second time and still enjoy the twists and turn the story takes.  There are 3 books in this series and you would want to start with the first book in this series as well.

These are probably my top 5 so far.  There are more books that my boys have loved and I hope to add more to this list soon.  I think the most unique thing about all these books is that they are Christian based, so its nice to have even spiritual teaching and character training in the middle of books that your kids like to read for fun.  I enjoy having my kids read for enjoyment but its also fun to have them read books that make them think.  I think both these authors do a great job of incorporating both.  Enjoy!

10 Books of Inspiration for Tweens/Teens

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I love using books to inspire my kids in their walk with God.  I think if they see other kids being used by God to change the world, it  will encourage them to believe that they can too.  Here is a list of some of my favorite inspirational books for Tweens and Teens.

  1. You were made to make a Difference by Max Lucado and Jenna Lucado
  2. Be the Change by Zac Hunter
  3. City on our Knees by Toby Mac
  4. Do Hard Things by Alex Harris
  5. Live Like a Jesus Freak by DC Talk
  6. Take your Best Shot: Do Something Bigger Than Yourself by Austin Gutwein
  7. Qualities of a Spiritual Warrior (The Way of the Warrior) Book 1 by Graham Cooke
  8. Children and the Supernatural by Jennifer Toledo
  9. The Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton
  10. The Risk Factor by Kevin Dedmon and Chad Dedmon

Some of these books were actually written by teens.  Teenagers and kids do not have a “Little Jesus” inside their hearts.  The same size Jesus that lives in you and I lives in them.  I have seen and heard of kids and teens around the world changing history and I sometimes feel like they do even more powerful things because of their faith and belief in the impossible.

In the near future, I will be blogging about each of these books in more detail so you can have a better picture of what they are about.  I have already done posts about the first 2 books on the list.  I am sure there are many more that are not on this list.  What inspirational books for tweens/teens would be on your top 10 list?

Fine Arts Credit Anyone?

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In Washington State there is a resource that is a great way for kids to get their Fine Arts credits.  We are the type of family, so far, that will have an abundance of Fine Art credits because our 3 older kids love music, drama and other various art classes.  Our younger 2 kids are too young to know what direction they will go.  I know there are parents that have kids, like mine, who will have no problem fulfilling their Fine Arts credit in homeschooling high school.  I know there are other homeschool parents out there that cringe at the thought of how to fulfill that same Fine Arts credit.  This resource is an easy way to start contributing hours to that credit.

Its called Teentix.org.  This is a website that offers $5 dollar tickets to teens for most of the theatre, symphony and other performing arts productions in Washington.  The way it works is that any teenager ages 13-19 gets a Teentix pass.  You can get this on their website.  This pass allows your teenager to purchase same day tickets for $5.  The tickets are not purchased online but at the box office or some performances will let you pay over the phone.  No credit or debit can be used for purchase, you must use cash.  Also, some performances are sold out so there are not any Teentix tickets available.  To make sure that there are tickets available, you can call the Box Office number on the Teentix website. You must have your Teentix pass with you and a student ID or Driver’s License to purchase your ticket. They also have specials on certain performances that allow your teen to purchase a 2nd ticket for $10 for a friend of any age to go with them. Even if your student has an abundance of Fine Art credits, this resource is still an awesome way for your teen to enjoy the Arts.