BJU Press Blog

JourneyForth

Stories for Christmas

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Like most homeschool families, you’re probably taking off a large chunk of time during the month of December. That’s great since it gives everyone time for focusing on family and celebrating Christmas, but even on vacation, you’re looking for places to sneak in a bit of learning without your kids realizing it.

On those cold December nights when everyone’s inside, consider having a family story night. It’s a great way to get everyone together and can also be a huge benefit to a novice reader. The whole family can take turns reading part of the story. Here are some great Christian novel suggestions from our JourneyForth collection. There’s something for all ages, and the best part is all JourneyForth books are 40% off through December 16 (just use the promo code BOOKS40).

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Mice of the Herring Bone (Ages 6–7)

Two ordinary mice find themselves in an extraordinary adventure, including pirate sea dogs, a ship full of cats, and a sunken treasure. (If you’ve already read this one, check out the other titles in the same series.)

 

 

 

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Christmas Crossroads (Ages 7–9)

Just published this fall, Christmas Crossroads is a “choose your own journey” adventure. It puts you in control of the story as three children set out to visit Jesus on the first Christmas. The trip is perilous, and your decisions shape the outcome. Join your favorite Christmas story characters on an adventure to the City of David. When one journey ends, a new one awaits.

 

 

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Medallion (Ages 9–12)

A willful prince must learn the hard way that being a leader means being first a servant. Prince Trave encounters many dangers—such as an earthquake, monstrous skreels, and treachery from those he thought were his friends—before he faces the biggest challenge of all—proving he is indeed worthy to rule his country. (Medallion has a prequel called Shield.)

 

 

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Capturing Jasmina (Ages 12+)

Jasmina, a young girl in India, and her brother, Samir are sold by their father to a man promising them an education and good jobs. But, as Jasmina and Samir soon discover, the man is providing an education, not in a school, but as slaves in his sweatshop garment factory. While Samir quickly submits to his new life of misery, Jasmina never stops planning an escape. The story continues in Buying Samir and Seeking Mother.

 

Grab your hot chocolate, and curl up on the sofa for an evening of family fun! From all of us at BJU Press, have a Merry Christmas.

An Encounter in the Woods

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BJU Press book cover for Suzannah and the Secret Coins by Elaine SchulteDuring the Colton family’s journey along the Great National Road, their driver stops to assist an overturned stagecoach. As the men work, Suzannah, her cousin Daniel, and their friend Timmy walk along the Road to stretch their legs.

“Let’s have a snowball fight!” cried Timmy.

They ventured into the woods only a few steps to get the soft snow which was just right for packing. Soon snowballs were flying.

“Got you, Daniel!” Suzannah shouted as one plastered his face, freezing his grin.

“And here’s one for you!” He snapped a quick return and sent the snowball sailing through the air. She ducked, and it splatted harmlessly on the shoulder of her cloak.

They were having a fine time, wandering deeper and deeper into the forest, when Timmy said, “Look!”

Suzannah turned. Just behind her stood two bear cubs. Plump and round, they had bright button eyes and soft-as-down fur. She put out her hand and took a step toward them.

Curious, one of the cubs shuffled over to nose her traveling bag.

As if from nowhere, a huge black bear appeared out of the dark recesses of the forest. Rising up on its hind feet, the bear growled. Even in the shadows, Suzannah could see a row of sharp teeth and the long toenails extending from the front feet.

Daniel, who’d been gathering snow further away, caught
sight of them. “The mother bear! Run!” he shouted.

But Suzannah stood rooted to the spot, her legs weak and heavy. Beside her, Timmy seemed just as stunned.

“Run!” Daniel urged again. “They smell the strawberry jam sandwiches! Leave your bag and run!”

The thought of parting with the gold coins jolted Suzannah into action. “Run, Timmy, run!” Traveling bag in hand, she ran with him for the Road.

Once she turned, almost tripping over a tree root, and saw the cubs still behind them and the huge mother bear in pursuit. Suddenly Suzannah knew just what to do. Still running wildly, she grabbed in her bag for the strawberry jam sandwiches, then pulled one out and hurled it at a cub.

[Excerpt adapted from Suzannah and the Secret Coins by Elaine Schulte (Chapter 6, pp. 64–65). This title is the first in the Colton Cousins Adventure series.]

Facing the Wolves

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BJU Press book cover for Mountain Born by Elizabeth YatesAs Benj and Peter prepare to return to the valley for the winter, they find that Biddy, the lead sheep, refuses to go down the road. Benj, a wise old shepherd, decides young Peter must fool Biddy so that she’ll lead the flock home.

Peter knew that sheep disliked going over a hilltop, fearing the unknown other side, but the plan to fool Biddy would come to nothing if they didn’t go over the hilltop and swing down from it to the gate.

“Come along,” Peter said, stamping his foot impatiently, a thing Benj had told him he must never do. The sheep stepped backward toward the fence, their hooves slipping on the sharp rocks. A ram lamb baaed arrogantly.

“You’re just silly sheep,” Peter retorted and, acting as if he didn’t care what they did, started up the hillside.

There were boulders at the top and he picked his way carefully among them. Suddenly he stopped still, gripping a rock and flattening himself against it. Not ten paces from him was a gray wolf and around her four well-grown cubs were playing—prettily, if anything that spelt such horror could be pretty. His hands felt like ice on the rock. Water coming from a spout would have had more strength to it than his legs had then.

A tuft of flowers, growing in a cleft in the rock beside him, was bending in the wind—bending away from the wolf family so heedless of their visitor. Peter was glad the wind was blowing against him. He inched himself back along the rock, through the tangled boulders, then turned and raced down the rough slope. There was no need now to call the sheep to follow him, for they had already taken themselves down to the fence and were standing there waiting. One lamb had even squeezed himself through and the ewe was standing with the wire between them, baaing plaintively.

“Silly sheep, indeed,” Peter said to them, “you’ve got more sense than a boy who goes to school.”

His fingers were trembling, but he undid the wire quickly and made an opening. The sheep crawled through first, following the one who was impatient to reach her lamb. Peter wriggled himself through. There was a rending sound, but he was in too much of a hurry to reach the other side to notice it. He raced across the grass, onto the road. Benj saw him and the six sheep coming from the opposite direction than he expected them.

[Excerpt adapted from Mountain Born by Elizabeth Yates (Chapter 6, pp. 63–65).]

Celebrating 12 Days of Christmas!

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Want to know how the books for the 12 Days of Christmas sale were chosen? We asked different employees to choose a book that has special meaning to them. In the list below you will find links to several of their stories.

 

Chickadee Winter

Escape to Liechtenstein

Jenny Wren

Just a Minute

Mumsi Meets a Lion

Next Fine Day

The Princess and the Goblin

The Railway Children

Refresh Your Heart

Walking in the Spirit

What Do I Know About My God?

What’s Stopping You?

Escape to Liechtenstein

“When I was in elementary school, I was captivated by the story of these children in World War II. Their bravery in fighting against the enemy and the exciting adventures they experienced were so exciting that I felt like I was in the story with them. I struggled to put the book down, and read through all three in the series one right after the other.” —Andrew

Based on historical events, the Young Refugees Series by Ed Dunlop takes young readers to a time when fighting for your life was an everyday reality. Hans and his younger sister Gretchen risk their own safety to protect others in Nazi-occupied Europe. (ages 9–12)

Jenny Wren

“I read a lot—books of all shapes and sizes—but one of the books that I remember enjoying as a child was Jenny Wren. Looking back, I was probably intrigued by the story since Jenny’s life as an orphan was so different from my life. Hers was filled with instability and left her wary of trusting anyone, even the sweet couple that tried to offer her a safe, loving home. Now that I’m older I think about this story and see a beautiful analogy of God’s love for us woven throughout. I hope it blesses you as much as it has me.” —Carolynn

Grace, love, and forgiveness permeate this youth novel by Dawn L. Watkins. Jenny Wren, a foster child, has just moved to live with the Logans, but she does not expect to stay long. (ages 9–12)

Mumsi Meets a Lion

“I picked Mumsi Meets a Lion because it reminds me of when I was a kid imagining what it would be like if I met a lion. Would I be able to stand still? Would I run away as fast as possible or would I try to fight the lion off? I don’t know, but it sure was fun thinking about it.” —David

And that is exactly what young readers will encounter when they read Kim Stegall’s picture book—an account of a boy named Mumsi and what he does when a lion comes across his path. (picture book)

The Railway Children

“I never read The Railway Children until I was an adult. A friend recommended it to me around the time my second child was born, and I fell in love with the book immediately. Be sure to read the book aloud so that you can fully appreciate the beauty of the author’s language choices and storytelling ability. The story itself celebrates the carefree innocence of childhood and will delight your young child again and again.” —Megan

You’ll find themes of adventure, family values, and trust throughout this wonderful youth novel by Edith Nesbit. (ages 9–12)

What Do I Know About My God?

“I chose What Do I Know About My God? because it’s a book that I return to over and over again when I need to be reminded of what Scripture says about who God is and what He does. As a teenager, I first remember seeing this book at my aunt’s house and wondering if it could teach me more than I already knew about my Lord. Now having finished the book and taking up the challenge to begin my own journal, I can say that God has used this book as a tool in my life to help me grow in my relationship with Him and in my gratefulness for His words. It has also been a source of encouragement as I share the Bible truths with other women God brings into my life.“ —Meredith

This book by Mardi Collier is great for personal growth or group study. Although written for women, it presents truths about God that are valuable for all believers.

What’s Stopping You?

“What’s Stopping You? sounds like something that I could have used when I was a teenager and didn’t really understand God’s Word. It seemed that very few people had the knowledge, the patience, or the time to teach me. I believe that if I had better understood what I needed to do to become more like Christ, some of the wrong choices I made wouldn’t have affected me so much.” —Byron

Written by Nathan Thomas, this book challenges teens to pursue God with all their being.

Have you read any of these books? Share your story with us below.