I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.
Kingdom Files: Who Is Jesus? by Matt Koceich Series: Kingdom Files
Published by BARBOUR PUBL Incorporated on August 1, 2018
Genres: Biography & Autobiography, Christian, Juvenile Nonfiction, Religious
Pages: 96
Source: NetGalley
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What do you know about Jesus?
Was He: . . .the Son of God? . . .the man who gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk, and raised people from the dead? . . .the One who died so that we might live? . . .all of the above?
Journey along with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee, on the hill called Golgotha, in the very center of God's amazing power!
This biblically accurate story of Jesus, the Son of God, created just for the kids in your life, explores the life of Jesus while drawing 8- to 12-year-olds into a fascinating time and place as they learn about the One who gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk, raised people from the dead, and who died so that we might live. Featuring three key sections--a Fact File, an Action File, and a Power File--kids will enjoying learning about the life of Jesus while coming to understand that an ancient Bible story really does apply to their lives today. Dozens of captivating line art pieces add depth and interest to every chapter.
I was intrigued when I saw the premise for this series come across my radar. Back when I had the Minions full time I was forever on the search for books appropriate for their varied ages that also helped to solidify a strong foundation of faith in a means that was relatable to them. I’ve enjoyed the Imagine. . . series by this author so jumped in feet first. So far there are two books in the Kingdom Files series that I’ve gotten my hands on. Laid out in three distinct sections, each helps to bring the reader to truth from the Bible about each person. Fact File that gives relevant information about the person. Action File which gives Biblical truth about that person, including why they are important to our history and our faith. And Power File that provides additional Biblical stories, lessons and memory verses. Today we talk about Jesus. I personally enjoyed the timeline in this section.
Moving on to the Fact File I started to feel a little all over the place. The writing was encouraging for a emergent or struggling reader while still keeping a strong or advanced reader engaged. However, the clues felt awkward placed and while they seemed intended to draw for deeper meaning and understanding they can potentially lead to distraction with some readers. While the information in this section was pretty encompassing of Jesus’ entire life it felt a little rushed and too much information. Each ‘chapter’ in this section almost felt like and, and, then, and and it all just came at me. Example, the information about the beattitudes felt like a list of things that were said instead of creating engagement in their deeper meaning for the reader. Another area that felt like it was sloggy was the pages of names for Jesus, I mean pages people. I liked that they included reference verses where the names gained relevance but for a young reader this felt just too much. Gravy, for a cranky old woman reader it was too much! This section, for me, was where the most hiccups came from and where I feel like the most improvement can be made for future installments.
However, the Power File was were it was at for me. The lessons, the teaching, in these small stories could easily be used as a devotional opportunity. Each is bulleted (Love the Lost, Show Mercy, Forgive, etc) with a succinct teaching moment and accompanying memory verse. This book has 10 of them total which would allow a parent to go back with their child as a way of teaching more about Jesus, faith, studying and learning the Word as well as the value of a daily devotional and prayer. All in all this book was highs and middles for me. There weren’t any lows. . . I think, when used correctly in the right atmosphere and the right environment the middles can be overcome and the highs can definitely be used to deepen the faith of a child, or adult.
About Matt Koceich
Matt Koceich is the author of the Imagine series, a brand new, epic Bible adventure for kids. He lives in Mansfield, Texas with his wife Cindi and their four children.
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