My suggested Book for June is an extremely exciting and imaginative Book from the Barnabas range for children produced by the Bible Reading Fellowship, Footsteps and Fingerprints, the very first 'Livewires' adventure.
Aimed at children in the 8 to 10 age group, the Livewires are a group of friends, Annie-Log, Tim, Little Ben, Data, Digit and Quartz, who enjoy computers. The book commences with the group about to play a game when a power cut causes havoc.
Boot, the computer, shows 'Genesis l.1.' on its screen but the lights in the room do not come on. The screen then reads, "God commanded, 'Let there be light and light appeared'" and the friends see they have been transported back to the beginning of the Bible. Boot is different too, with two eyes and arms (one of which holds his keyboard(!) while he rolls along on rollerblades, complete now with his friend, Tychi, a real [talking] mouse.)
Annie-Log types in 'Genesis l.9' on the keyboard and so reveals the next instalment of creation. At 'Genesis l.11', plants start to grow and Digit ends up in a tree! Here begins one of a selection of appropriate prayers that appear throughout the Book:
'Dear Lord, thank you for all the beautiful plants, for their colours and scents. Amen'.
Throughout this particular section, the reader is encouraged to make a mobile depicting the stages of creation.
The friends go on to learn about Abram and Sarai and there are puzzles included to assist in the teaching. They meet Elizabeth and Zachariah and later, during a quest to find some water, find themselves standing in the River Jordan with, yes you have guessed, none other than John The Baptist himself. Tychi helps the group understand about the sacrament of Baptism.
Footsteps and Fingerprints continue with imput from Boot and Tychi, coupled with thoughts and questions from the Livewires, leading up to the birth of Jesus.
I liked the Diary included after each section. This gives a task for each day of the week, either something to think about, pray about or to do.
Absorbing and well thought out. Highly recommended. Footsteps and Fingerprints (Bible Reading Fellowship)
£3.50
written by Lynn Winter
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