The Fourth Release in an Epic Bible Adventure Series for Kids The last thing fourth-grader Wren Evans remembers (before the world as she knew it disappeared) is getting off the school bus to discover her house engulfed in flames. What happens next can’t be explained as Wren finds herself in a beautiful valley with a shepherd named David–in ancient Israel! Imagine. . .The Giant’s Fall is the … Giant’s Fall is the fourth release in an exciting epic adventure series for kids ages 8 to 12 written by schoolteacher Matt Koceich. The Imagine series brings the Bible to life for today’s kids as they ponder what it would be like to live through a monumental biblical event.
Don’t miss Book 1 in the Imagine Series–The Great Flood. . .Book 2–The Ten Plagues. . .or Book 3–The Fall of Jericho!
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An unusual look at a biblical story through a child’s eyes.
Wren is a young girl with very deep heartaches. As she is trying to figure out life in today’s world and with today’s problems she suddenly finds herself getting an eyewitness view of a story she knows from the Bible. I love the fact that she does learn some valuable lessons through it. At the same time the story seems to have a number of very weird twists that made it hard to follow and understand.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.
This is a great series of children’s books that are leading up to something big that is going to happen in the world. These stories help children to learn about the Bible in a fun and interesting way. I am looking forward to meeting all these children again and continuing the journey. I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
This is the fourth book of the Imagine… series and this time author Matthew Koceich focuses on the classic Bible story of the battle between shepherd boy David and a nine-foot giant named Goliath. Wren Evans is a fourth-grade student from Mulvane, Kansas and she feels overwhelmed dealing with her mother’s death, the feelings that she and her father are growing apart and then, getting off the school bus to find her house on fire. As Wren runs away from her overwhelming feelings of loss she finds herself transported to the time leading up to the famous battle mentioned in 1 Samuel 17: 33-51. Suddenly Wren is witness to all of the excitement surrounding this event and she is rescued more than once by an angel named Josephine during some of the action and danger that occurred in Israel in 1020 BC.
I must admit that The Giant’s Fall is not my favorite of these four books and I believe most of it relates to the fact that David and the battle aren’t featured more. David meets Wren and there is a little interaction but I would have liked for him to have given her more advice and encouragement. I do, however, appreciate that this book often mentions Matthew 19:26. “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”. Wren is obviously familiar with God’s Word because she already knows the outcome of David’s battle with Goliath and this makes her a good role model for young readers.
Matt Koceich has an excellent understanding of his reading audience and he is able to creatively mix fantasy and popular culture with actual events from the Bible. His use of easy to understand text and the short length of this book both make The Giant’s Fall an enjoyable book for readers age 8-12; it is also refreshing that he uses both boys and girls as his main characters because young girls enjoy adventures also!
This book has mystery, action, and adventure and it also touches on some of the emotions that today’s youth often experience. Wren’s feelings of hopelessness are often felt by young people and her acceptance and belief that God can do anything is a message that they need to hear!
I hope that Koceich will continue to write more books for this series and I recommend The Giant’s Fall to adults who are searching for good reading material for the children in their lives.
I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to write a review.
If you are looking for an action-filled mystery for a curious child (ages 8-12) this is perfect! The Giant’s Fall is easy reading and has excellent characters, especially for a short book.
Wren Evans is a fourth-grader who is shocked to arrive home after school to see her house burning down! She is already feeling down from losing her mom so recently. Then her mysterious adventure begins and gets to meet David before he slays Goliath! Wow!
The Giant’s Fall is the fourth book in this IMAGINE series and it can be read as a stand-alone but I recommend reading all of these, it is worth it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barb our Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.
The next book in this series is, as the others, a stand alone so jump in wherever you want. Extremely well written, it has a lot of action combined with the Bible truth. Your child is sure to love it. My grandson is always waiting for the next book by author Matt Koceich.
Imagine jumping from present day into the middle of a Bible story. It’s a great way to hold a child’s imagination and teach scripture at the same time. With lots of action, children are excited to read it more than once. I highly recommend it for your 8 – 12 year old.
I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.
Number four in this Bible adventure series, Matt Koceich’s “Imagine: The Giant’s Fall” tackles some weighty issues. Wren Evans recently lost her mother to cancer and arrives home from school to see her house engulfed in flames. The key Bible verse for this story is Matthew 19:26: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” When Wren suddenly finds herself in ancient Bethlehem, this Scripture takes on new meaning. She meets a shepherd boy named David and embarks on a treacherous journey into the midst of a battle between the Israelites and the Philistines, the principle fighter of which is—you guessed it—Goliath.
Unfortunately, this book fell a bit flat for me. While I understand that this is a kids’ adventures series, I wish that it had spent more time on the Biblical aspect. The overall message about trusting God and having faith is good, but the execution is lacking. Wren definitely takes center stage, and David is just a peripheral character. He has very little role in the story, which surprised and disappointed me. Wren’s venture seems disconnected from David’s narrative, and her time in Bethlehem passes very quickly, without allowing the reader to be truly immersed in the setting. Furthermore, the spiritual warfare aspect of the tale is interesting but again does not fit well with the rest of the story. One of the central figures is a female angel, which is not Biblical, and the end of the story seems to make reference to the book of Revelation, but I was confused with some of the details, which again do not seem to line up with Scripture. Overall, this is an interesting read for young kids and pre-adolescents who enjoy exciting stories, but take note that it is not Biblically accurate.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.