An angry teen, a desperate mother, a missing father, and a shadow lurking in the background. Things were going from bad to worse for Nick and his family. Tempted to run away after yet another argument with his mom, Nick receives a handwritten, leather-bound copy of an old book---a family legend passed down to him from his great grandfather. The book, called Dragon Seed, leads Nick deep into his family's history and introduces him to another angry young man who lived in the shadows (the shadows of the tombs). Like Nick, you'll be shocked to discover where he fits in this story of epic proportions!
This page-turning, young adult fiction story invites older children and teens into the real-life struggles of Nick. But it also ushers them into an imaginative exploration of the life of the young man Jesus saved as he wandered through the tombs. Best-selling author Marty Machowski uses both stories to introduce the reality of spiritual warfare and how its shadows affect and change us.
Machowski, a trusted teacher for children of all ages, presents a thoroughly biblical view of spiritual warfare that emphasizes the importance of humility and dangers of pride. Teens will be drawn to the story of Nick and his struggles and will learn, as they read, to also identify the shadows in their own life and turn from them. While the biblical teaching is evident throughout the narrative of Dragon Seed, Machowski also includes a twelve-lesson Bible study at the end of the book to help teens ground their understanding of spiritual warfare on biblical principles.
Youth pastors, leaders, and parents will also want to explore with teens the small group study at the end of the book with its unique take on spiritual warfare that emphasizes the biblical theme of humility. This is a perfect book to read with a group and discuss together the implications of Nick's struggles for their lives.
My review:
I like to review juvenile fiction so I can find good books for my nieces and nephews to read...... and also because I enjoy reading them.
This story is different from most of the juvenile fiction I read in that it is an allegory. The main character, Nick, is reading the story which is the story of Satan's fall up through Jesus' resurrection. A lot of the focus is on what the devil tries to accomplish. Even though I know the narrative very well, the author put a whole new spin on it that kids are sure to enjoy, along with adults. Even though I know how the story ends, the book still pulled me in and I didn't want to put it down. The author has a great writing style that is both entertaining and teaches a lesson.
Dragon Seed is definitely a book kids will enjoy, and will hold their interest for sure. Though the story will be familiar to most, it is packaged in a totally different way than kids are used to hearing. This is a great way to get kids to read the Bible and get the important lessons from it they may otherwise overlook.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
About the author:
Author Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for more than twenty years. Marty leads Promise Kingdom, the gospel-centered children's ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He and his wife, Lois, and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He is also the Executive Editor for Children's Resources at New Growth Press.
Marty Machowski, who studied industrial design in college, learned to combine the creativity of art with the discipline of mechanical engineering. He reflects on how his background specifically prepared him for his current ministry as an author. "Thinking up the hundreds of object lessons for the Gospel Story for Kids curriculum used problem solving creativity I learned as an industrial designer. It was exciting and challenging to create fun games and object lessons for kids that communicated the biblical concepts of the weekly lessons."
Dragon Seed is available from New Growth Press.
Thanks to Litfuse Publicity for the review copy
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