This is a book near and dear to my heart. I remember reading it to my children when they were very young . The wonder on their faces as they heard about little Christian and his journey to the Celestial City more than made up for the loss of my voice:-)

From the back cover: “For more than a half century… Little Christian and Christiana have captivated children in their quest to reach the Celestial City. A journey fraught with danger, pitfalls, and temptation, this retelling of John Bunyan’s classic allegory, Pilgrim’s Progress, celebrates more than 60 years. The anniversary edition of Little Pilgrim’s Progress contains the best of the many illustrations used to depict the highs and lows of the Christian journey through life and the ultimate reward: eternity with Christ. This profound allegory will delight children ages 8-12, providing spiritually rich reading they will adore and long remember.”

What I Love

The beauty of this book is that it tames the darkness of the original in order to bring the material to a place where young people can feel its depth without drowning in verbosity and adult fear. The author remains true to the story and doesn’t degrade the message. I am usually one to read originals… we love the original versions of The Mysterious Island or the Henty books. But, Pilgrim’s Progress is so much more than just a story. It speaks to the spirit and that’s why it is important to make it accessible when children are young. The challenge of this story is what it brings to the heart, and what a gift it is to plant those seeds at a young age!

The book itself is terrific, but what I am especially excited about is the study guide, called the Little Pilgrim’s Progress Adventure Guide, that Moody is putting out with the 60th Anniversary Edition of the book. Accessible, thoughtful, equally helpful in an individual or group environment, the Guide utilizes different modalities such as vocabulary study, comprehension questions, allegorical concepts, literature elements, bible application, and character analysis to open up the rich lessons contained in the book.

I could see a homeschooling family using this book and study guide not just as a literature study, but also as a unit study for character development. If you want to dig even deeper, the guide is a great jumping off point for character study. It will also be helpful to anyone having difficulty with training children in heart issues. The common language that you develop when reading this book as a family is immensely useful when training or disciplining children. I remember using the book for this very thing when the boys were younger.

What Could Be Improved

Honestly, I don’t know that I would change anything.  The language is right for the audience, the content is respectful of the original and the analysis is appropriate for the version.  Kudos to Moody for bringing this timeless classic into a format suitable for younger children.

Grade from the Professor

A+

I am excited to walk through this book with my own children one more time. They have older hearts now, and I suspect that this will be a terrific tool to draw them in to examine, in an age-appropriate manner, the motives that lie behind their actions. I was just getting ready to read the full version of Pilgrim’s Progress.  Having just finished Anna Karenina, I needed something that will subvert the human condition for a loftier goal. I think I will make it a point to align my reading with Little Pilgrim’s Progress, so the boys and I can discuss both versions.

But, that’s not all…

(are you ready for it?  I know, the suspense is killing you…)

Moody Publishers has been kind enough to provide one copy of Little Pilgrim’s Progress and the Adventure Guide for me to giveaway to you! You can register by sending me an email, by making a comment below, or by liking the Professor Mom page on Facebook. I will be drawing the winner’s name on Monday morning. Good luck!

So what is the Pages of History Series? Here is a description of the Series on the Pages of History Facebook page (which you can visit and see what other are saying about the series.)

“From a mysterious safe in a dusty library comes the gateway to a journey through history. What James and Lance thought would be a boring school project is astonishingly transformed into an adventure that will forever change their lives.

Perfect for family story time or individual study, Pages of History transports the reader through the timeline of the world—providing a view of God’s work in every age.

In this exciting first volume, James and Lance travel from Creation through the Reformation. Their adventures in history will captivate readers young and old.”

This 448-page, hardcover book covers 96 major events and thousands of years of history in the format of a compelling story with an unapologetically Christian worldview.

What I Love

The storyline woven throughout the book involves two boys who basically travel through time, learning about different pieces of history as they go. A wise dove guides them through, introducing the boys to different characters and providing moral commentary on the events. The way the authors use the dove as a thread through the story is a clever tool to keep the story moving and to provide the boys with mature oversight as they continue their adventure.

The history for this time period is addressed in a very age-appropriate manner. Without covering up ugly episodes, the authors have been discerning in how much detail the story needs. The boys have many zany adventures, which are thoughtfully interspersed with some of the heavier historical events. I really enjoyed that balance.

This story really shows how history is God’s story and that every time has validity. The boys are today’s boys… they talk like today’s boys, think like today’s boys and question like today’s boys. Children of today will relate easily to the language the boys and their culture references, however, the authors keep it tasteful. As the story progresses, the history points the boys to God and His plan for the world.

What Could Be Improved

In future books, I would like to see just a little more fluidity to the story line. For instance, the first time I came across Alexander the Great, he was given a brief mention and then the story moved on. I had no way of knowing whether that thread would be picked up again later. (It was:-) In my mind though, the flow of the story would be a little smoother if there was a callout box or something that would let me know that more was forthcoming… Maybe something like a foreshadow box or something of that nature.

Also, the two boys are definitely boys, and there is a slight flavor of “why would a battle be fought over a girl?” It didn’t bother me, but some girls may have a hard time relating.

Grade from the Professor

B+

This series looks very promising and, frankly, it is just plain fun. I am especially pleased to see such a well-done narrative of history for the elementary age. Even my fifth-grader enjoyed whiz zing through it because the story was catchy and it reinforced some of his more in-depth studies. For fourth grade and under, this would be a great spine for the study of history. And, it is my understanding that more volumes will be forthcoming.

I am also pleased to let you know that the folks at Veritas are running a launch special that includes a $10 Veritas coupon with every order AND volume pricing of 40% off of orders for 5 copies or more. The link for that is http://resource2.veritaspress.com/Promotions/Pages_of_History.html. After the cutoff on Friday, November 30 at midnight, that will convert to an About The Book page with order link.

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