My 8 Year Old Son’s Favorite Book Series

I am fortunate that my son Caden enjoys reading but it can be tricky sometimes finding the right books for your kid. Which is why I am always excited when I come across a book series that we both truly enjoy.

These book series are mom approved and don’t have much bathroom humor in them. I am looking at you Captain Underpants.

Without anymore chitchat, that will be at the end of the post, here is what my 8 year old says are his favorite book series.

Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol

Each book contains ten mysteries, and not only does Encyclopedia have a chance to solve them, but the reader is given all the clues as well. Caden read a few of these to me and they were challenging. Not going to lie, there was a few that I couldn’t figure out right away. I think he is currently on book 5 in this series and still enjoying them.

The Secret of The Hidden Scrolls by M.J Thomas

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series follows siblings Peter and Mary and their dog, Hank, as they discover ancient scrolls that transport them back to key moments in biblical history. In the first adventure in the series, Peter and Mary find themselves witnesses to the creation of the world just as God is speaking it into existence. Can they unlock the mystery of the scrolls before they get trapped in history forever?

This series was started by a Dad who was looking for books that his nine year old son could read that would teach him about the bible in a fun way. He couldn’t find any so he decided to write his own series. The books are well done and Caden talks about what he has learned with our family. There are 9 books total in this series and I am so thankful to have discovered these books.

Mac B. Kid Spy by Mac Barnett (Illustrated by Mike Lowery)

The precious Crown Jewels have been stolen, and there’s only one person who can help the Queen of England: her newest secret agent, Mac B. Mac travels around the globe in search of the stolen treasure…but will he find it in time?

These books are like gold in our house. The other kids circle around Caden so he can read them aloud to them. They love the illustrations so much, which are done by Mike Lowery who illustrates and write the Gingerbread Man Loose Series that our family loves too.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncellos Library by Chris Grabenstein

When Kyle Keeley learns that the world’s world’s most famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, has designed the town’s new library and is having an invitation-only lock-in on opening night, Kyle is determined to be there! But the tricky part isn’t getting into the library—it’s getting out. Because when morning comes, the doors stay locked. Kyle and the other kids must catch every clue and solve every puzzle to find the hidden escape route!

This book was a little longer for Caden but he did great with it and enjoyed it so much. It reminded me slightly of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. If your child likes puzzles and a good adventure check out this 5 book series.

The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett

This book. We are currently reading this aloud during the day and it is so funny. I look forward to reading it just as much as the kids. It is by the same author as the Mac B. Kid Spy Series.

Miles Murphy is known for one thing and one thing only: pranking.
He’s the best prankster his school has ever seen. So when he’s forced to move to boring Yawnee Valley (also known for one thing and one thing only: cows), he assumes he’ll be the best prankster at his new school too. There’s one problem. The school already has a prankster—and he’s good. Really good.

We read it and I think I know what is going to happen and it always leaves me so surprised and laughing out loud with the kids. I would read this book even if I didn’t have kids.

I love hearing about new to me books that my kids might enjoy. If you have any please feel free to share in the comment section below.

Last week was a blur in our house. Between home schooling, a dentist appointment for me to get a crown put on, Josh’s work schedule, and watching the presidential inauguration it went by so fast.

I am feeling so hopeful for our country and Wednesday was just such a good day. We busted out our projector and watched the firework show on the wall in our bedroom. It was great.

Also all the Bernie Sanders meme’s are just making me smile so much. This one is my favorite currently.

I hope you are having a great day and thank you so much for stopping by the blog :).

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My Most Read & Loved Fiction Books

I love reading. My husband bought me a Kindle tablet last year for my birthday and I didn’t realize how much I would use it. I think I am reading more now because I have such easy access to books. I really enjoy having Kindle Unlimited too because for $10 a month I have access to loads of books I can read for free.

Below are my all time favorite fiction books. It was hard for me to narrow it down but all these books are either books I have read multiple times or books I am planning to read again in the near future.

Uncharted by Angela Hunt

“I’m beginning to think the island wants to keep us here.”

It was supposed to be an adventure. A little time off to honor the memory of a friend and complete a service project in the tropics. Do good deeds while getting a tan.

But when a storm rocks their plans, five long-time friends from college find themselves hurled onto a desolate island, and relief fades to fear. Here nature rules with a vengenance. The lone shelter from raw conditions is a sinister cave. Are they victims of a bizarre psychological experiment? Or could this godforsaken place have the power to maroon them forever?

This book still haunts me when I think about it. My mom recommended this book to me and once I started it I could not put it down. It was so good and made me really think. I don’t want to say much more at risk of giving away the plot but trust me. It is good. Don’t read the reviews on Amazon. Just buy it and read it.

These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy Turner

A moving, exciting, and heartfelt American saga inspired by the author’s own family memoirs, these words belong to Sarah Prine, a woman of spirit and fire who forges a full and remarkable existence in a harsh, unfamiliar frontier. Scrupulously recording her steps down the path Providence has set her upon—from child to determined young adult to loving mother—she shares the turbulent events, both joyous and tragic, that molded her, and recalls the enduring love with cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot that gave her strength and purpose.

I loved it soon much and can’t wait to read it again. If you live in Arizona this is a must read in my opinion. I have no idea how people survived a wagon train out west and lived to build homes and establish towns in the scorching desert. All the emotions with these books. I didn’t want this book to end and was so happy when I learned there two other books in this series.

Chataine’s Guardian: Book One of the Annals of Lystra (Volume 1) by Robin Hardy

“I am assigning a Guardian to ward you. His name is Roman. . ..”

Thus begins Surchatain Karel’s explanation to his daughter, ten-year-old Chataine Deirdre, as to why her life is about to change dramatically. Karel’s small country, Lystra, possesses the only navigable river on the southern coast of the Continent. The provinces that surround Lystra want its river trade, and will do anything to gain it–even kill the heir to the throne. So Karel places her life in the keeping of the most capable and trustworthy soldier he can find.

Willful and spoiled, Deirdre sees this guradian only as another servant to be mastered. She teases and abuses him as he places his life on the line for her day after day, year after year. Deirdre does not know at what point she beings to love him. But Roman knows from the very beginning that to love her will mean his death.

I am not sure if my mom bought these books for herself and handed them down to me but I can remember reading this book in our backyard when I was about 12 and really loved it. I have only read the first three books but there are more in this series but Volume 1 is my favorite and have read it more times then I can count.

The Christy Miller Collection by Robin Jones Gunn

It all starts the summer Christy turns 15. She leaves Wisconsin and spends her vacation with her wealthy aunt and uncle in Newport Beach, California.That’s where she meets Todd, the surfer with the screaming silver blue eyes who changes her life forever. Find out what happens when Christy’s parents make an announcement that puts Christy in a new high school at the start of her sophomore year.

I started reading this series in either Junior High or High School, I can’t remember, but I read them over and over again. I was around the same age as the main character when I started reading these books. The characters seemed so real to me and I loved the real life situations that these books portrayed and how to make the best choices based on what the Bible says. The author just recently published more books in this series and I feel like I have been able to grow up with Christy Miller. There is loads of Christy Miller books and several spin off series as well. If you have preteens or teenage daughters get them these books!

Chop, Chop – The Series of a Lifetime by LN Cronk

It seems to David that both Greg and Laci are a bit . . . out there. Between each of them constantly chopping off their hair for charity and Greg’s clandestine hand signals, neither of them seem likely to develop friendships with reserved young David. Despite their differences, however, all three grow closer to each other and – as they do – David grows closer to God as well. Nearing adulthood, David finds himself content in every way . . . but when tragedy strikes, David must struggle to find his way back to God.

There are 7 books in this series and I highly recommend reading Taken which is a spin off stand alone book by the same author. This is similar to the Christy Miller series where it follows the same character as they grow but these books are so much richer and deeper. All the books were good. I was so invested in this series while I was reading it that I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning on several occasions because I couldn’t put it down. This entire series is available to read for free with Kindle Unlimited.

RUNNERS UP

Do you have a favorite fiction book that you would recommend? What is the book and why do you love it?

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The Buschel Digest: July 2017

I thought it would be fun to start a new series sharing what I have been reading this last month. These posts will range from blog posts, articles, and books that have been noteworthy. Enjoy!

Uncharted by Angela Hunt

This book was way different from any of her other books. If I had to describe it in one word it would be haunting. Definitely a book that will stick with you and I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I had finished. I don’t want to say anything else because it would give away the plot.

Chop, Chop The Series of a Lifetime by L.N. Cronk

You can read these for FREE if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription. I could not stop reading these books once I started. Which is why I read the entire series in two weeks! It was that good! The character development was very well done and it was so interesting to follow the main character as he aged. I cried, I laughed, and I cried some more. If you are looking for a new fiction read be sure to check this out.

Heaven by Randy Alcorn

This book was recommended to me by my Pastor to read. I had been studying Daniel and then Revelation which really got me thinking about Heaven. I really enjoyed this book because it was rooted in scripture and helped me understand what I had been reading in my Bible. If you have EVER had any questions about Heaven this is the book to read. If you have never had any questions about Heaven you should still read this book.

Heaven is such a beautiful place to read and learn about. Our time here on earth is so short and it is reassuring and comforting to know that as Christians our final home will be with God in a new Heaven and new earth.

How Then Shall We Worship? by R.C. Sproul

Worship can mean many things to many people. Even the church cannot seem to agree on how worship should look. We can choose from contemporary music, traditional services, and everything in between. Yet while we often take our cues from pop culture or church history, the true nature of worship is found in God s Word.

Reset for Parents: How to Keep Your Kids From Backsliding by Todd Friel

This is a great book for everyone! Not just parents. It brings everything back to the Gospel. We are all responsible for our words, attitudes, and actions towards others. As parents we have the opportunity and responsibility to show and point our children back to the Gospel as we raise them. If you are looking for how to integrate scripture into your home and child’s heart this is a powerful book and a humbling read.

The Most Dangerous Pool Toy You Own

Dani is a great writer and always posts timely articles that are a great resource for parents. I highly recommend reading this. Josh and I lifeguarded and we saw first hand how floaties create a false sense of security for both the child and the parent. “You don’t know your child can take off their floaties – until they can. You will have your eyes glued on the pool – until you get momentarily distracted and don’t. It’s not just your child who will gain a false sense of security from floaties, it’s you, too. Anything that lessens our best defense to prevent drowning by being alert and constantly watching our children by water, even heightened confidence, is a major problem.”

There is a Better Way to Experience Sexuality, and Christian Parents Need to Be Talking About It

I am so disgusted and disturbed that anyone would EVER think it was appropriate to publish a “how to” guide for anal sex for teenage girls. Melissa from Your Mom Has a Blog responds: “We have to teach our kids that one of the greatest gifts of God is the intimacy between a man and a woman who have committed themselves to loving every inch of each other’s heart and soul. We have to teach them that great sex is safe sex, in the arms of the person who has vowed to hold us up when we need it, who has promised that no illness or accident, no outside interest, no schemes of this world will separate us. We have to show them what it looks like to be in love.”

Standing Against a Destructive Misogyny Threatening our Children

And here is Denny Burk on the same topic: “Last week, Teen Vogue published an article instructing teenage girls how to enjoy being sodomized by their boyfriends. The article is so vile that I am not even going to link to it.”

Guard Your Health

“Any athlete fine-tunes his body and maintains his fitness through a rigorous training regimen. If he doesn’t, his abilities will decline and the competition will soon leave him far behind. Though you may not be an athlete, you are running the race of life. And as you run, you are dependent upon your body and responsible to care for it. If you are going to run to win, you need to guard your health.”

Spurgeon’s Secret for Raising Godly Children

Here are 13 quotes from Charles Spurgeon on raising Godly children.

Earnestly Contending For the Statsitics

“A few weeks ago, TBN released a short clip of an interview with Jefferson and Alyssa Bethke of Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus fame. Jeff and Alyssa have a wildly popular website, filled mostly with content on how to have a happy, successful marriage. Right around the time their marriage will turn five years old, their book, Love That Lasts, will launch. Commentary not necessary.”

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