Percy Jackson, move over! Jonah Stone is here!

What if Nephilim—the children of angels and men—still walked the earth? And their very presence put the entire world in danger? In Spirit Fighter, Jonah and Eliza Stone learn that their mother is a Nephilim and that they have special powers as quarter-angels. When their mom is kidnapped by fallen angels, they must use those powers to save her. Along the way, they discover that there is a very real and dangerous war going on between good and evil and that God has a big part for them to play in that war.

Parents today are looking for fiction that makes Christianity and the Bible exciting for their kids. This series is the Christian answer to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, The Secret Series and other middle-grade series packed with adventure, action, and supernatural fights. Son of Angels, Jonah Stone will be the first series in the market to explore this topic from a biblical perspective with content that is appropriate and exciting for middle-grade readers.

With an avid 12-year-old reader, I am always on the lookout for new pre-teen series, especially something that seems action oriented.

Noah loves Star Wars and I’m sure he would enjoy the Percy Jackson series but we’re not completely comfortable with all of the magic in some of those series.

So I was curious to see if Spirit Fighter (book 1 of a series) would be something he would enjoy. As an adult I enjoyed it and it was a nice quick read (which isn’t saying much for me).

Jonah and Eliza are “quarterlings” – 1/4 angel and 3/4 human. When their mother is kidnapped by fallen angels (she’s half angel) they are given the mission of saving her with several angels helping them out.

The kids do have powers (strength & speed for Jonah; shield of protection for Eliza). Once they realize who/what they are, they can suddenly see some of the “dark forces” that are at work around the world.

The book doesn’t deal with a lot of scripture other than the armor of God and a couple other verses. But Jonah is learning to pray when he gets in trouble and see God’s wisdom – to look for answers and help.

The author is fairly graphic in his descriptions of the fallen angels so you’ll need to know your child to know if it will be too much for him to handle.

I’m anxious to see what Noah thinks of the book – I’ll let you know what he says.

I’m off in Pittsburgh with my BFF. One main goal for this trip (besides eating way too much and staying up way too late talking) is to start planning our 40th birthday Paris/Italy EXTRAVAGANZA!

We’ve been cooking this up since shortly after our 30th birthdays and it is finally getting close.

So yesterday we sat down at the computer and figured out what we just HAD to do in Paris. Then the “I am my father’s daughter” moment hit and my brain was on overload.

My dad would have made an Excel spreadsheet. I made little blocks of paper with activities on them that we could juggle around.

It worked and 4 days in Paris is planned – bike tour, wine tour, Eiffel Tour, Versailles, Louvre, and Moulin Rouge.

Then the overnight train to Italy.

Terri Blackstock is one of my favorite authors so I jumped at the chance to review her new book “Covenant Child.”

Covenant Child is a modern-day parable that is a combination of the prodigal son and the story of Christ’s covenant with us.

Book Description
Amanda’s heart broke as she watched them drive her beloved twins away. She resolved to hope . . . and to fight for them to her last breath.

Kara and Lizzie are heiresses to one of the largest fortunes in the country. But when their father dies suddenly, the toddlers are ripped from the arms of Amanda, their loving stepmother, and given to their maternal grandparents, who only want the children’s fortune for themselves.

While even the stipend their guardians get for supporting them is squandered, the children are left to raise themselves. Kara and Lizzie grow up believing they are worthless . . . until the day when they learn the truth.

The twins grow up in squalor with no memory of the stepmother who loved them and fought for them desperately. Meanwhile Amanda is guarding and maturing the family fortune, waiting until the girls turn 18.

Finally she is able to tell them the truth and that their billion dollar inheritance is waiting and is there’s for the taking.

Amanda’s unfailing love, patience and watchfulness from afar is an incredible picture of Christ’s love for us – his waiting for us to come and claim the inheritance that is ours for the taking.

Lizzie is ready to claim her inheritance – to live with Amanda and learn the family business. Kara is leery – it’s too easy and she doesn’t trust Amanda. She wants to do things on her terms.

It’s a beautiful story and easy to see the parallels and remember God’s covenant with us

I loved this story and you will to.