We are so excited to have discovered The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series by WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. We were given the opportunity to review books 3 and 4 in the series, and they were definitely a hit with our family.
These adventure stories follow Peter, Mary and their dog, Hank, as they travel back in time to experience real events from Biblical history firsthand! They must work together, searching for clues to decode a secret message that will return them back home.
The series was born out of author M. J. Thomas's desire to share Biblical truth with his own children in a fresh and exciting way. When Thomas failed to find books for his then nine-year-old son that contained the right balance of adventure and faith, the boy challenged his father to write such a book himself. Knowing that his son wouldn't be young forever, M. J. got right to work on what became the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series.
My own children, ages 5 and 7, were enthralled by the imaginative, engaging storytelling. There was no way we were going to get away with reading just one chapter per sitting. "This author is great at cliffhangers!" my son raved.
In Book Three, The Great Escape, Peter, Mary and Hank are transported back in time to ancient Egypt where they befriend Pharaoh's daughter and have a front row seat to the events of the Exodus. They watch as Moses challenges Pharoah to give the Israelite slaves their freedom and witness firsthand the effects of the ensuing plagues.
Book Four, Journey to Jericho, lands Peter, Mary and Hank among the Israelite army as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. They accompany the Hebrew spies as they scout out Jericho where they meet Rahab and are swept up into a daring adventure.
Reminiscent of the Magic Treehouse series or the Boxcar Children mysteries, these books are perfect for a child who is transitioning to reading chapter books independently. My 7 year old could read these books for himself without any trouble.
The text is clear and easy-to-understand with pictures every few pages. And at just over 100 pages each, the books are long enough to build a compelling story, but not so long that your early readers will get frustrated or overwhelmed. I love that these books provide my kids with the kind of reading practice they need while at the same time instilling great Biblical content.
Each book is a stand-alone story. These can be read in any order. After devouring books 3 and 4, we are excited to go back and read the first two books dealing with the Creation story and Noah's Ark. There is also a fifth title related to David and Goliath. I sincerely hope this author is just getting started. We will definitely be on the look out for more titles to come!
If you'd like to hear from other families who are currently reading this series, check out these reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew.
Thank you for reviewing The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls. I'm so glad your family enjoyed the books!
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome! They are a treat to read.
Delete