The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: Christian Fiction for Kids~Part 2 {Book Review}

"So where is book 5?"
These were the first words out of my youngest son's mouth after finishing book 4 in the children's chapter book series from WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group called The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls. I am always on the lookout for quality books that aren't filled with smut. This is especially true when it comes to book selections for my boys. So much of the children's literature available--especially for chapter books--is filled to the brim with smut and political agendas. And that's not coming into our house! Thankfully there ARE other options out there.

In 2017, we were able to review the first two books of The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series, and I was thrilled that we got the chance THIS year to review the next two books in the series The Great Escape (Book #3) and Journey to Jericho (Book #4). My youngest son decided he wanted to be the one to read them this year--and we are happy to now share our review of the next part of the series!

About The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls Book Series

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls book series is published by WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. This book series is geared for ages 6-9 and is biblical fiction. The series revolves
around siblings Peter and Mary who are sent to be with their Great-Uncle Solomon for a summer. While there, they discover ancient mysterious scrolls collected by their Great-Uncle, which transport them back in time to key moments in biblical history as soon as they break the seal. While back in time experiencing the bible event, the siblings must also solve a riddle before they can come home.

The Great Escape (Book #3) picks up where the last book ended. Mary and Peter are ready for a new adventure, and it starts shortly after they find ancient Egyptian sarcophagus in Great-Uncle Solomon's house! Now they are headed back in time to Ancient Egypt and arrive at the time of the great Exodus of the Israelites. While there, they are able to witness the devastation of the plagues, are chased by a panther, and they battle the Great Magician--Pharoah's cunning advisor who reminds them an awful lot of Satan from their previous adventures. The pair work hard to solve the secret of the scroll as the waters of the Red Sea part for the Israelites--will they make it home before the waters crash down on them and the Great Magician steals their scroll?

Journey to Jericho (Book #4) continues with the Israelite story as Peter and Mary arrive right as the Israelites are about to enter Canaan, the Promised Land. Earlier in the story, they learned that their Great-Uncle Solomon was a spy for the International Spy Agency when he was younger. He gives them his old tools like a walkie-talkie and a "Top Secret Spy Training Manual" book to help them learn more about being good spies. Moments later, they "hear the Lion roar" and race to open another scroll--which ends up returning them to the travelling Israelites as Joshua is being given his instructions by God for leading them forward into Canaan. The time travelers join a secret spy mission to Jericho, help sneak Rahab to safety, and face the scheming Man in Black. But will they be able to solve the secret of the newest scroll before the walls of Jericho come crashing down?

Our Thoughts

My youngest (age 8 1/2) was the one who enjoyed the first two books the most last time--but THIS time he was so happy to be able to read them WITHOUT my help. He grabbed book #3 and started right into it. He loved sharing the stories with me and I saw him smile as he read. He finished the book quickly--nearly in one night and dove right into the other one. He finished the fourth book even more quickly, and as soon as he was done, declared "Where is #5? I'm ready for it!" He was very bummed to learn that there wasn't any more...(or is there?! Keep reading for more information) I found that he easily could read and follow the plot with minimal assistance from me. I totally agree with the note of this being for ages 6-9 or grades 1-3. But even my 13 year old enjoyed these stories--so really they are just great family friendly books.

We both like the line art pictures that are included in the books. The books aren't full of a lot of illustrations, but there are enough to keep it interesting.

from Book #3

from Book #4

His favorite part of the Great Escape (Book #3) was on page 104-105 when the Israelites were leaving Egypt. He liked the illustration the most.

His favorite part of Journey to Jericho (Book #4) was when the wall started to fall and they were running up the stairs trying to get away from the falling wall. He liked it because it was exciting and the they did fall---and landed back at Great-Uncle Solomon's house.

Interestingly enough, we happened to be studying the Exodus and then the journey to Jericho in our bible study the past few weeks--so the books were the PERFECT companion to this as we were able to compare the stories.

Any issues?
Like the earlier books in the series, anything we had problems with were minor and more preference than anything else. Because of our personal view on angels and their physical appearance, we weren't a fan of a frequently mentioned winged archangel Michael. If you are fine with Michael the angel flying in (he is always portrayed with huge wings--even in the illustrations) regularly to talk to the kids than you won't even notice. Again, this is personal preference.

Also, the children called on the angel Michael to save them--and I think it would have been better to have them call on GOD to save them. But again. That's personal preference.

Things to Consider--
As always, just remember that your children should know this is BIBLICAL FICTION and it would be very important to read the actual stories of these events and compare and contrast fact and fiction. The books even includes at the end the chapters where the events took place, so that you can read the referenced verses for yourself.

Favorite Characters--
The last time we did these books, my son's favorite character was Hank the dog. This time, his favorite character is Peter. I myself like Great-Uncle Solomon--although I feel really bad for him that he never gets to go on these adventures with the children after discovering all the artifacts.

In Summary--
If you are looking for a good and entertaining option for your elementary aged children (ages 6-9) to enjoy, please consider checking out The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls book series from WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. These are great stories for bringing major biblical events to life!

ps. I happen to know that book #5 is available and is called The Shepherd's Stone! Needless to say, I'm snagging that one for my youngest to read as a surprise!

Want to Know More?

We have been enjoying The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls book series from WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group! What did the other crew members think? Make sure you visit them to learn more!

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