Book Review: Bethlehem’s Baby
By Sheila Deeth
Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto
Bethlehem’s
Baby is the
sixth volume of short bible stories written by Biblical author, Shelina Deeth.
This volume includes stories following the birth of Christ (including the story
of Caesar Augustus, Herod, John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph, and many more). Bethlehem’s Baby includes more
than 40 short stories aimed at middle school readers.
Bethlehem’s
Baby was an
interesting read for our family. I am quite traditional (I’m actually a
traditional church organist complete with the thee’s and thous of the King
James Version) and some of the non-traditional references in Bethlehem’s Baby caught me off
guard initially. My children really enjoyed the present day spin Deeth placed
on the bible stories of old. I can certainly see how this style of
story-telling appeals to children and teens as well as many adults. The stories
are the perfect length for a quick pre-bedtime read with additional time
remaining for discussion and conversation as well as goodnight kisses and
snuggles for younger children.
A prayer
is included at the end of each chapter and scripture references are provided so
readers can refer back to biblical text as reference. Pictures are not very
large but are perfectly matched with the stories. Our family read Bethlehem’s Baby on an
electronic reader and my young children were unhappy about the inability to
enlarge the pictures. As the mother, I was perfectly happy that we had to
cuddle together to read and enjoy the stories and pictures alike. The stories
were written for middle school aged children but I felt even my five and six
year old grasped the information and understood it well.
Bethlehem’s
Baby is a
book I would recommend for anyone struggling to reach children and/or young
adults with the teachings and stories of the bible. Deeth is a long-time
Christian Educator and Sunday School Teacher and her fun educational style
shines through in her writing. Whether you are a middle-schooler reading the
stories independently or a parent reading them aloud, the length and content of
the stories is easily digested. Bethlehem’s
Baby makes learning the bible a fun and pleasant experience. Deeth’s
author notes are also a nice addition with insightful tidbits!
After
reading Bethlehem’s Baby I
was curious about the other books in the series and went back to the first few pages
which list the other titles in the Five-Minute Bible Story Series as well as
several novels authored by Deeth. If this book appeals to readers, there
certainly are more titles out there for additional reading enjoyment.
Bethlehem’s Baby, Book Blurb:
Get ready for Christmas with five-minute Bible stories for
bedtime, naptime, Sunday school time, or just everyday reading time. Meet the
Emperor Augustus’s advisors, the quiet research student helping wise men study
stars, the shepherd whose granddad keeps complaining at the noise, an Egyptian
fisherboy, a Roman soldier, and more in this set of forty read-aloud stories
based around the events of the Christ Child’s birth in Bethlehem. Read them all
through December and remember, Christmas doesn’t end when the wrapping paper’s
done.
Author Bio:
Sheila Deeth is an English American, Catholic Protestant,
mathematician writer with a deep love of the Bible TM
Series for children. When not at the computer, Sheila can usually be found with
kindle, kobo or paperback book in hand, reading and preparing book reviews, or
else wandering the neighborhood, talking to her characters and meeting the
neighbor’s dogs.
and a profound interest in
science and history. She writes spiritual speculative novellas, contemporary
novels, short stories in various genres, and the Five Minute Bible Story
Purchase links for Bethlehem’s Baby:
Amazon
kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EY172MA/
Barnes and
Noble nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bethlehems-baby-sheila-deeth/1116985949
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/357261
Find out more about the Five-Minute Bible StoryTM
Series on the publisher’s website: http://capearagopress.com/Five-Minute.html
Connect with Sheila at:
Sheila
Deeth: http://about.me/SheilaDeeth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheila.deeth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheiladeeth
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