Disclaimer: I recieved this book free of charge from KCWC for purposes of reviewing. I was not required to write a positive review.
This is one of the posts that I would prefer not to write....
Every so often I am asked or see the opportunity to review a book or some other item. I enjoy doing that as it allows me to enjoy a free product and I often get to host a giveaway as well so one of you can try something new too. I try to only review items that I think my family and I and you my readers will like. I thought that this book would fit that category. It was billed as a book especially for young male readers and they said it was a good read for Christians. I am always on the lookout for good books for my book worms (Mara and Jonathan) and so was excited about adding this book to the shelves for their enjoyment. Well this book won't make it on to our shelves. I don't like the idea of doing a negative review but since I said I would review it- I will.
I will let you read what the publishers say about the book and then I will give you my take.
Book Summary
RICKY BRADSHAW has never sailed the Caribbean Sea, searched for buried treasure or battled pirates on the deck of a Spanish Galleon. He’s never fallen through the floor of Davy Jones’ locker or watched an old fisherman morph into a porpoise. All Ricky knows is his lonely life with his widowed mom in a tiny apartment overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. But all that changes on a snowy Christmas Eve when Ricky’s apartment building burns down and he suffers a seizure, falling into the chilly waters. Suddenly Ricky finds himself thrust into a world where there is surprising beauty on every island, danger around every corner and great honor and glory ahead of him—if only Ricky can summon the courage to survive the curse of Captain LaFoote.
Author BioEddie Jones
EDDIE JONES has authored four non-fiction books, one young adult novel, and written over a hundred articles that have appeared in over 20 different publications. He is co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and a contributing writer for, CBN.com, Common Ground Christian News, The Ocracoke Observer, and Living Aboard Magazine. He’s a three-time winner of the Delaware Christian Writers Conference and a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Boating Writers International. Eddie sails, surfs and writes in North Carolina. For more information see: http://www.captainlafoote.com/.
It's me, Abbi, again...
I will agree that Eddie Jones is an entertaining writer. I do think it would capture the attention of many boys. However the book doesn't fit the standards for what I want my children to be reading. Perhaps I shelter them but I think that is the purpose of a parent- to do some sheltering. In the book the main character is a teenage boy. There is quite a bit of talk of a crush he has on a fellow schoolmate as well as some of the yucky pranks teenage boys pull in school (One of the reasons I am glad we homeschool!). I expect that sort of stuff in Young adult fiction written by secular writers but I had hoped to not have to deal with that from a christian writer. Also as it speaks of the boys widowed mother he throws in the information that sometimes her boyfriend spends the night. I have no idea why that was added to the book but again I would hope not to find that in "christian" books. There were quite a few other things that bothered me as well but I guess I have told enough for this post.
This books was supposed to teach various lessons but I had a hard time seeing them in the book. There was pretty much nothing in it to make me think that it was written by a christian author. Anyway I was pretty disappointed in this book and would not recommend it.
If you would like you can leave a comment and that will enter you in for the Grand Prize Giveaway that is listed below. I will draw one name from the commenters and then that will be entered in to win the grand prize drawing (25 bloggers will each get to put one name in for the prize). I will draw the name on May 29th.
All you need for a PIRATE PARY!
• 8 invitations
• 8 - 9" party plates
• 8 - 9-oz. cups
• 16 luncheon napkins
• 16 pc. blue cutlery set
• 1 red plastic table cover
• 2 rolls of streamers, 1 blue and 1 red
• 12 each of blue and red balloons
• 2 pkgs. of confetti, 1 blue and 1 orange
• 4 yds. deluxe creepy cloth
• 12 pirate swords with eye patch
• 72 pirate tattoos
• 8 dessert plates
• 16 beverage napkins
• 8 treasure chest-shaped filled treat boxes
• 1 10 ft. pennant
• 12 child-size pirate hats
• 1 photo door banner
• 1 piñata and toy & candy asst.
4 comments:
Abbi,
I agree with you. Our job as parents is to shelter our kids. I let my son got to school for three years. It was a long three years on him and me. Now that I home school I sometimes feel that I shelter my kids too much. But then I see what the other kids their age are doing and I am glad that I shelter them. They don't need to know those things at their age.
Please enter me in your Grand Prize drawing. I have 2 boys and they love to play pirates!!! My youngest made a treasure cake for his cub scout cake auction!!
I have no problem in the arena of sheltering my kids, as I too homeschool our five. However, there is a difference between sheltering and allowing them to see what goes on and to discuss it. I like to think that we as Christian parents would take this into consideration when we teach our kids the Bible. Do you skip sections about prostitution because "it's bad"? How about the destruction of all the people on the earth in the flood of Noah's time? Do we leave that out because we don't want to damage our kids thoughts about a loving God that loved his people so much he refused to allow them to continue down this road of distruction and promiscuity? Of course not! We read His holy words and we talk about them. There's a difference between sheltering and protecting. Yep, don't want my kids in the public schools because I don't want them using drugs and talking about sex like its a game. But we need to allow our sons imaginations to flourish. This is a pirate book where pirates act like pirates. No need to enter me, as I have a copy and love it.
The world offers way too much gunk for kids to face but learning to use moments like this to educate them is vital.
I admire parents who can homeschool. It's a tough job and for what ever reasons you've chosen to do so, my hat is off to you. But I can say a visit to the local mall will probably shock you more than this book. Teens groping one another, violence among their peers, drugs, attitude and disrespect all hit our kids between the eyes when they open the doors.
I loved the book and I've given it as a gift. Tough issues call for good teaching time. This book can be perfect for family time discussion.
Scott and Anonymous,
I agree that it is important to discuss real life problems with our kids. We do that. We are made aware of many of those things (like people sleeping together that aren't married -which bothered me to have it in the book but my kids are aware that it happens because of people we have ministered too) simply through knowing people, reading the Bible and reading through history. I don't shelter my kids from real life and we do talk about.
My problem with this book comes from the fact that the purpose that I saw for it (and what the author apparently saw for it) was to engage and entertain kids. I don't want my children to be entertained with stuff that doesn't go along with Philipians 4:8- "Finally, brethern, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."
Thanks for sharing your opinion but I will respectfully stick with mine.
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