Reading About Heroes of History and Faith: the Sower Series

Not only do we drink tea or eat popcorn while we read...  We also love to draw and paint!  This week served as a fresh reminder that busy hands, help encourage focused minds...

As I mentioned last week, we are reading about Johannes Kepler.  It is a pretty heady book, especially for the 4 and 6 year olds. Painting {and eating and drinking} help keep them interested!

I've always been a lover of books, especially older books where the history hasn't been re-written in order to erase evidence of Christian influences.  Even before my kids were born, I would scour used book fairs for out-of-print books that portrayed accurate history.

At the same time, I'm also a big fan of the library.  I love free books and not having the responsibility to store all of them. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by many of the books and videos we found this last year during our study of early American history.

My kids loved the Liberty's Kids DVD series. They are very patriotic and we enjoyed watching them every once in a while during our intense summer afternoons last year.  I couldn't help but feel a little sad that all references to faith had been removed.  It wasn't anti-Christian, but the silence spoke in profound ways. 

On a bright note, we found and fell in love with this children's biography about Nathan Hale.  It was easy enough that Xander was able to read it on his own last year and yet captivating enough that I ended up re-reading it to everyone.  We were thrilled that it included how he wrestled with his faith and the opportunity to spy for his country.  After he was captured and awaited trial, we were all inspired as we read of his unswerving faith in God and of his request to meet with a pastor and pray before the British carried out his execution.  It was such a cool opportunity to discuss with the boys how our faith plays a role in decisions we make.  In a culture that segments out faith from having any real impact on our lives, I find it is so important to intentionally wrestle with these issues and help our children see how they can apply their faith to everyday living.

This experience inspired me to be on the lookout for books that we could incorprate into our studies that delve into matters of faith and how that intersects with the calling God has given men and women throughout history.  That's why I'm so excited to share how much we've enjoyed reading books in The Sowers Series.  This series gives an engaging glimpse into the lives and accomplishments of these famous men and women and oftentimes uses direct quotes from their wrestling with integrating their faith and their vocational calling. My parents bought many of these books when we were growing up.  We enjoyed them as teens and I even borrowed the book about Susanna Wesley when I was in the thick of trying to find how time with the Lord was possible in the midst of mothering.

Now with our study of astronomy, Xander and I love reading about Johannes Kepler. These books are geared for 9-14 year olds, so they are a bit of a stretch for the younger boys, but they have provided us so much to talk about.

I plan on making sure we have every book in the series and look forward to incorporating them into our studies!  Our children are in desperate need of inspiring role-models and I love how they get to read, about the faith of so many important men and women. 

Check out the many biography options this series offers.  I promise, you won't be disappointed!

*Disclosure: this 'review' is entirely my own opinion, based on years of experience with these books and most recently our delightful last week with the Johannes Kepler book.  This post does, however, contain affiliate links.  Should you make a purchase after clicking one of these links, I receive a tiny commission that helps to support this blog and my book-buying habit.