Wonder

Title of Book:  Wonder

Author:  R. J. Palacio

Publisher and Publication date:  Alfred A. Knopf, 2012

ISBN number:  978-0-375-86902-0

Audience: Ages 8 and up

Summary:  August Pullman is born with a severe facial deformity and is sheltered from the world and home schooled by his parents and sister until fifth grade when he begins middle school at a private school where he knows no one.  Making friends is hard enough in middle school, but when you look like Auggie, it’s nearly impossible.  He endures stares, ridicule, betrayal, loneliness and heartbreak before an overnight school field trip erupts in a group fight to protect him.  When the trip is over, most people at school realize he is just another kid like them and in fact a pretty terrific one.  This is a heartwarming story about courage and about judging people for who they are rather than what they look like.

Literary elements at work in the story:  This great story is broken into eight sections and told in first person from the view of six of the characters including Auggie, his sister, her former best friend, her boyfriend and two friends from his new school.  Each section has short easy to read chapters that express genuine feelings and allow the reader to experience the characters point of view and gain further insight into the story andits dynamics.  Each section of the story opens with a quote from a song, a movie or literature that relates to the section or character and ties into the story.  There is also mention of his English teacher’s precepts (defined as rules about really important things-like a motto) throughout the story and those are included at the end of the book in an appendix as well as those precepts written by the main characters.

Presentation of gender/race/culture/economic status/age/disabilities/etc:  The characters in this story are middle class and upper middle class white people living in New York City.  The main character is a 10 year old boy who has a severe facial deformity and a hearing disability.

Theological conversation partners:  1 Samuel 16:7-Humans looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks on the heart, Parable of the Good Samaritan, Matthew 7:1 (Do not judge others), 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (Love is…), Genesis 1-Created in God’s image-it is good, Shema/Mark 12:30-31 (Love your neighbor as yourself).  Karl Barth-The Judge who was judged in our place and was just.

Faith Talk Questions:

1. What story or character in the Bible does Auggie’s story remind you of and why?
2. How would you line up the characters in this story with the parable of the Good Samaritan? Why?
3. Who in this book do you think is the Good Samaritan?
4. What do you think it means to be created in God’s image?  What does that mean for people with deformities and/or disabilities?
5. What does it mean to judge other people?  How do we judge people?  How does God judge people?
6. What does it mean for us to love our neighbor?
7. Think of the ‘Auggie’ that you go to school with-How is he/she treated by other?  By you?
8. What can you do to love the “Auggie’ at your school?
9. How is courage displayed in this story?
10. What is Auggie’s source of courage?  What is yours?

This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Lisa McLennan.

Stellaluna

Title of Book:  Stellaluna

Author:  Janelle Cannon

Publisher and Publication date:  Harcourt Brace & Company, 1993

ISBN number:  0-15-280217-7

Audience:  Ages 4 – 8

Summary:  Stellaluna is a baby bat who is separated from her mother during an owl attack.  She ends up in a bird’s nest befriending the baby birds and being cared for by the mother bird.  As she grows she begins to act like a bird.  Along her journeys as she grows she meets other bats and becomes reunited with her mother.  They teach her how to be a bat and she realizes that she isn’t being who she was created to be and that life is much better for her as a bat.  She finds her bird friends and shares her new bat skills with them and tries to teach the birds how to be a bat.  The birds aren’t very good at being a bat and run into trouble.  They wonder together how they can be so alike and yet so different.  

Literary elements at work in the story:  From the very beginning, readers will be wondering how Stellaluna will survive the owl attack and make it without her mother.  The author uses suspense, humor and dialogue between the bats and birds to keep the reader engaged.  There are beautiful illustrations to enhance the story and help the reader visualize Stellaluna’s journey.  This would also be a great story to use in a readers theater or for children and youth to act along with the reading.

Presentation of gender/race/culture/economic status/age/disabilities/etc:  This story highlights the different gifts, abilities and strengths that bats and birds have, like people.  Each is uniquely made with different abilities.  These creatures are very similar but also very different.  The book represents that neither is better than other, just different.

Theological conversation partners:  Two prominent themes are represented in this story.  One is the love and care for your neighbor.  The other is how we are each uniquely made yet at the same time we are all the same, children of God.  Following along the lines of this theme is the idea of being who God created you to be and not trying to be someone else.  Love your neighbor-Deuteronomy 6:5, Mark 12:31, Matthew 25: 31-46, Hebrews 13:2, Uniquely made-Psalm 139:13, Creation-Genesis 1, Spiritual gifts- 1 Corinthians 12: 1-11, 1 Peter 4:10, Romans 12, Ephesians 4,

Faith Talk Questions:

1. In what ways is Stellaluna shown the love of a neighbor?
2. How can you see God at work when bad things happen to Stellaluna?
3. How is Stellaluna unique from the birds?  What happens when she tries to act like a bird?
4. How does Stellaluna feel when she discovers her true self?  How does it change her life?
5. What do Stellaluna and her bird friends discover about themselves?
6. How are we like Stellaluna?

This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Lisa McLennan.

In God’s Name

Name of Book:  In God’s Name

Author:  Sandy Eisenberg Sasso

Illustrator:  Phoebe Stone

Publisher:  Jewish Lights Publishing

ISBN: 9781879045262

Audience:  Ages 4+

Summary: After the world is created, people realize that everyone and everything has a unique name except for God.  What is God’s name?  Each person recognizes God by a different name based on their own life experiences, such as Source of Life, Mother, Father, Shepherd, or Rock.  They argue with one another that their own name for God is the right name and that it is the best name.  Then one day all the people are gathered at a lake that reflects each one of their faces, and at the same time they all proclaim their name for God.  At that moment, the people know that all the names for God are good and they call God One.

Literary elements at work in the story : In God’s Name is written as a fable with poetic text and vibrant illustrations.  It celebrates diversity and, yet at the same time, the unity of all people.  It recognizes the conflict that divides different religions and denominations and invites the readers to listen to others, so everyone can have a better understanding of God.  It is about acceptance, openness, and reconciliation.

Theological conversation partners: In our faith journey, it is very easy to come to understand God from our own life experiences and limit the qualities of God to only what we see and know.  However, this book reminds readers that God is so much bigger than any one of us and can only truly be understood when we all come together to proclaim our knowledge of God with others.  In Exodus 3:14, God reveals Godself to Moses as “I AM” leaving the door wide open to our understanding and knowledge of  God.

Faith Talk Questions:

1.  There are a lot of names of God in this book.  Which name most ressonates with you and why?
2. Make a list of other names for God that are not listed in this book.

This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Amanda North.

Paul and Sebastian

Name of Book:  Paul and Sebastian

Author:  René Escudié

Illustrator: Ulises Wensell

Translator: Roderick Townley

Publisher:  Kane/Miller Book Publishers

ISBN:  9780916291495

Audience:  Although, I think the book is appropriate for children ages 4-8, one review I read said that her five-year-old son became afraid when the boys were lost. 

Summary:  Paul and Sebastian is a story from France about two obedient little boys who live next door, but their mothers’ do not wish them to play together because they live in different circumstances. Paul lives in a green trailer with blue curtains and Sebastian lives in a blue apartment with green curtains.  However, one day the boys become lost during a school outing, and that night, in a red cabin with a yellow table they forget about their differences.  In the midst of the cold and frightening situation, they become friends. They share their food and trade their jackets.  When they are found at last, their mothers’ mistake the little boys for the other, bringing the wrong boy home. Each mother kisses the wrong boy good night and tucks him into bed.  The next morning, upon realizing their mistake the two families become friends.

Literary elements at work in the story (Genre/setting/characterization/plot/theme/point of view/style):  From France, this book is a pleasant, simplistic story about a friendship that arises in spite of differences in life-style.  The attractive illustrations, like the text, use deftly echoed details to emphasize similarities between the two families: the senseless rift between them is born of style rather than of race or relative affluence.  The illustrations become larger and brighter when the boys get lost on the school outing.  The bright red cabin and  yellow table contrast the subtle blues and greens in the earlier illustrations. Though the illustrations are stronger than the text here, it is interesting to have a European slant on a universal issue.

(How) does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story?  The main characters of this book are white boys from a very similar economic situation.  Their differences come from subtle life-style choices.  The pettiness of their differences is almost comical, alerting the reader to think about petty differences we see in others.

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:10, “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”

Theological conversation partners (scripture, confessions, doctrines, theologians, etc):  This book is a great book dealing with love for one another in the midst of our differences.  It is also an empowering book for children, as it is the children who teach the adults about acceptance. 

Faith Talk Questions

1. Was it fair for the mothers to forbid their sons from playing with each other?  Have your parents ever asked you not to be friends with someone?  Why?  Did you obey them?
2. The differences that divided the families in this story was based on where they lived.  What differences divide the families in our community?  What do you think of these differences?  Are they something that we can overcome, like the boys in the story, or are they too divisive?  If we can overcome them, how can we do it?
3. Think of someone from your school or community who is different.  What can you do to become their friend?  What obstacles will you have to overcome to be their friend?

This review was prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Mandy North.

Come to the Great World

Name of Book: Come to the Great World:  Poems from Around the Globe

Author: Wendy Cooling

Illustrator: Sheila Moxley

Publisher: Holiday House

ISBN: 0823418227

Audience: Ages 4-9

Summary: A collection of thirty-one poems that were written by poets from around the world.  The collection represents an array of cultures and emphasizes the uniqueness of each while celebrating the universality of childhood. The poems bring us into the world of children. How they “think, play, talk and sing.” Kids will be able to see themselves in the poetry and can learn to appreciate the differences in their neighbors from around the world. The illustrations are vibrantly colorful and help to bring out some of the details of the poem. The poems cover a variety of topics including; adults, play, nature, poverty, and hope for the future.

Literary elements at work in the story:  A good book that exposes children to poetry and to the world in terms younger children can easily understand.  A great tool for helping children to further develop their understanding that God created the world and all that is in it and calls humankind to participate with joy and care in the life that we share with others on the earth.

Perspective on gender/race/culture/economic ability: The collection of poems will speak to all children and provides them with an opportunity to gain cultural insights by looking at the world from a more global perspective.

Theological conversation partners: Genesis 1, Psalm 24:1

Faith Talk Questions:

1.    What are some things that you have in common with your neighbors around the world?

2.    What are some things that are different?

3.    Do you think that the differences matter more than the similarities or vice versa? Why?

4.    Who created us all?

5.    Why is that important to remember when talking about other members of human race?

Review prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Susan Wills

Elizabeth Leads the Way

Name of Book: Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote

Author: Tanya Lee Stone

Illustrator: Rebecca Gibbon

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Audience: Ages 4 – 10

Summary: This is the remarkable story of a remarkable woman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  From a very young age Elizabeth felt strongly that ALL people should matter, ALL people belonged, ALL people should have rights and protections, and ALL people should have choices.  This is the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s life, loves, ambitions, and her campaign for a woman’s right to vote.

Literary Elements at Work: There are two important literary elements at work in this story: the extraordinary life and ambitions of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the artistry. Tanya Lee Stone tells the story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton in a straightforward and interesting narrative, unlike many other biographical early readers!  Ms. Stone tells us that Elizabeth learns for the first time at age four that boys are treated and thought of superiorly to girls.  And this injustice will set Elizabeth off on a lifelong journey to prove that girls are just as brave, just as smart, just as physical, and have just as much value as boys.  The climactic moment comes when Elizabeth realizes that the only change that will prove useful for the betterment of all women is the right to vote.  Interestingly, it was Elizabeth Cady Stanton that wrote the initial language that would later become the Nineteenth Amendment, giving women the right to vote.  It took FORTY-FIVE years from the first time the legislation was introduced in Congress to become law!  Elizabeth did not live to see women obtain the right to vote.  The illustrations are bright and colorful, just as is the woman they portray!  Each illustration gives context for Elizabeth’s life and the injustices she railed against during her various life stages.  Rebecca Gibbon pays particular attention to historical detail, giving each illustration an authenticity to the plight of women and slaves.  Ms. Gibbon uses period dress, lighting, housing, transportation, and other everyday common items consistently throughout this narrative, taking the reader/listener back to the early to late nineteenth century.  Tanya Lee Stone and Rebecca Gibbon make a delightful team in telling the spirited story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Scripture: Genesis 1:27,  Isaiah 43 selected verses : “Thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine…Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.”  Galatians 3:28 ; Adapted from Matthew 10: Jesus summons his twelve; gives them authority to cast out unclean spirits, cure every disease and sickness; and sends them out with these instructions: go to the lost sheep, proclaim the good news, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.  (NRSV)

Theology: God creates us, forms us, redeems us, calls us by name, honors us, and loves us.  Why?  Because we are precious in God’s sight.  This good news seems throughout history to be relegated only to a few, sometimes whites only, sometimes males only, sometimes Germans only, sometimes heterosexuals only, sometimes Americans only, sometimes the rich only, sometimes the healthy only, etc.  And…yet…the Bible tells us that God created ALL people—male, female, black, white, short, tall, rich, poor, sick, healthy, American, African, on and on in the image of God.  Thus, we need a constant reminder that God creates, forms, calls, honors and loves us and EVERYONE else.  We are to go and do likewise.  Or, as Jesus says, we are to go to the lost sheep, proclaim the good news, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.

Faith Talk Questions:

Sit down beside your child, let her hold the book and turn the pages.  Ask her to point to Elizabeth as you read.  Repeat this process on each page, considering the following:  In the story, Elizabeth wants to ride horses, raft across a river, learn French, religion, math and science, earn money, and vote.  What does her father tell her? What do her friends tell her?  What does her husband tell her?  What does her school tell her?  What does her culture tell her?  What does the law tell her?  What does Elizabeth do?  How does Elizabeth answer her father?  Her husband?  Her friends?  Her school?  Her culture?  The law of her land?  What if someone told you, “No; you cannot learn to read!  No; you cannot ride horses!  No; you cannot run fast, jump high!”?  And you ask, “Why?”  And the answer is, “Because you are a girl!”  What do we do when the Bible tells us one thing (that we are created, formed, called, loved, honored by God and precious to God), and the world tells us something else (that we are not honored, valued, precious, loved, called)?  Does that mean God does not love you?  Form you?  Call you?  Honor you?  That you are not precious to God?  Wait for responses.  LISTEN (without interrupting) to what your child thinks. Can you think of other people that God loves and values but the world does not?  Consider African Americans, Native Americans, folk with mental illnesses, folk with physical illnesses and/or deformities, homosexuals.  List others.  Say, “God creates, forms, loves and calls all people all the time because you and I and they are precious in God’s sight!”  Say a prayer thanking God for all those that God forms and loves and calls.  Say a prayer of intercession for those who hear so often from the world, “NO; you cannot!”  What did Jesus say?  What did Elizabeth do?  What can we do?  Who does God love, form, call, honor?  Who is precious in God’s sight?

Additional thoughts:

Terezin

I was once a little child

Three years ago,

That child who longed for other worlds.

But now I am no more a child

For I have learned to hate.

I am a grown-up person now,

I have known fear.

By Hanus Hachenburg, a teenager imprisoned at the Nazi camp, Terezin[1]

Review prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Kim Lee

---

[1] Qtd. Rubin, Susan Goldman. Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Fiedl Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Terezin. Holiday House: New York, 2000, p. 25.

Don’t Laugh at Me

Name of Book: Don’t Laugh at Me

Author: Steve Seskin & Allen Shamblin

Illustrator: Glin Dibley

Publisher: Tricycle Press

Audience: All ages

Summary: Don’t Laugh at Me is the poignant tale of children and adults who wear braces, are chosen last for teams, beg on street corners and yet plead for acceptance and understanding.  The story gives voice to our human condition: the desire to know that we belong, no matter how small, slow, sick, different, or poor we are.

Literary Elements at Work: There are two important literary elements at work in this story: artistry and the driving undergirding plea: don’t laugh at me. The illustrations depict the differences that these younger and older persons feel set them apart—glasses, braces, size, mental and physical coordination, wheel chair, race, etc.  A child could easily retell the tale by following the artistry.  The illustrator tells us that he himself wanted to be a basketball player but was too short.  The storytellers introduce each character and spotlight a stigma or stereotype—nerd, geek, slow, glasses.  This is followed by the refrain, “Don’t laugh at me.  Don’t call me names.  Don’t get your pleasure from my pain.  In God’s eyes we’re all the same.  Someday we’ll all have perfect wings.  Don’t laugh at me.”  Additionally, this is a song and the book comes with a CD.

Scripture: Isaiah 43 selected verses: “Thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine…Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.”  (NRSV)

Theology: God creates us, forms us, redeems us, calls us by name, honors us, and loves us.  Why?  Because we are precious in God’s sight.  This good news seems too good to be true.  Thus, we need constant reassurance.  That may be one of the reasons why the Bible says so many times, “Do not be afraid.”

Faith Talk Questions:

Sit down beside your child, let him hold the book and turn the pages.  Ask him to point to the characters as you read.  Repeat this process on each page, considering the following:  In the story, the boys and girls and men and women notice their differences.  Other people notice their differences as well.  These differences make the boys and girls and men and women sad and feel left out.  Sometimes people laugh at others who are different.  BUT, are not we all different?  And the same?  Talk about differences.  Some people are big; some people are little.  Some people walk on two legs; some people ride in wheelchairs.  Some people wear glasses; some people wear freckles.  Some people like to read, some people like to jump.  Talk about sameness.  Short people and tall people are still people.  Everyone has a mom and a dad.  Everyone was created by God and in God’s image.  Ask your child, “Who loves girls with glasses?  Who loves girls with freckles?  Who loves boys who walk on two feet?  Who loves boys who ride in wheelchairs” Wait for responses.  Ask follow up questions, “Does God love people who are fast?  Does God love people who are last?  Does God love people who are poor?  Does God love people who are rich?”  Say, “God loves you when you’re slow AND God loves you when you’re fast.  God loves you when you walk on two legs AND God loves you when ride in wheelchairs.  Why?  Say, “God loves all people all the time.”    Because you and we and they are precious in God’s sight!”  End with a prayer thanking God for all short, tall, black, white, rich and poor boys and girls that God forms and loves.

Review prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Kim Lee

Ophie Out of Oz

Name of Book:   Ophie Out of Oz

Author:   Kathleen O’Dell

Illustrator:  Rosie Winstead

Publisher:  Puffin Books (Penguin Books)

Audience:  Ages 7-10

Summary:  Ophie and her family have just moved from California to Oregon because of her father’s job.  Last year, in the fourth grade, Ophie had starring roles in her school plays, plenty of attention as the only child in her family, and a really good best friend.  She saw herself as Dorothy on the yellow brick road to adventure.  Now she has to contend with dreary, rainy weather, a new baby sister, and being shut out by the popular girls while the class oddball follows her around.  To make matters worse, she finds that she has outgrown her beloved ruby slippers.  Her fifth grade year is a tough journey to self-discovery and self-acceptance.

Literary Elements at work in the story:  Characterization—Ophie is an engaging, bright character.  She draws the reader into her world and her feelings and reactions.  Theme—Ophie is growing up and is learning about herself and her place in the world.  Perspective on gender/race/culture/economic/ability:  The main characters are girls who are lively and engaging.

Scripture:  Psalm 139, Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 3:21-23, I Peter 2:9,

Theology:  Friendship, Accepting differences, Recognizing worth of self and others

Faith Talk Questions:

1. Ophie misses Lizzy, her best friend in California.  Who is your best friend?  What would you miss most about that person if one of you moved away?
2. Ophie wants Brittany to be more like Lizzy.  But Brittany is not Lizzy.  What are some characteristics that make Brittany special in her own way?
3. Ophie notices that all the girls copy what Merry wears and does.  Why do they want to be just like Merry?  Who do you try to copy?  Why?  God made each of us unique and special.  Why, then, do we want to be like someone else?
4. Miss Fast, the teacher, says that Ophie is good enough being Ophie just as she is.  What kind of person does she see in Ophie?  Is being “good enough” acceptable?  In your life, whose opinions about you matter to you?  Why do these opinions matter?
5. Share your response to “I’m the Kind of Person Who …” (See Chapter 9)
6. Why did Ophie feel lost when she found out her ruby slippers no longer fit?  What is meant when we say that a person “feels lost?”  When have you felt lost? (NOTE:  Child may not feel comfortable answering this question aloud or may not have the vocabulary to express his/her answer.  Offer the possibility of an alternate method of response—writing in a journal, drawing a picture, etc.) What helps us cope with feeling lost?

Review prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary graduate Mary Anne Welch

The Color of Me

Name of Book:  The Color of Me

Author:  Linda L. McDunn

Illustrator: Barbara Knutson

Publisher:  Liturgical Press

Audience: Ages 5-8

Summary: The author uses the story of creation in Genesis to begin this book.  Very descriptive language is used and along with the illustrations helps the reader to understand the many things that God created. The author also writes about how God created people of all different colors.  The fact that all of what God created was good is emphasized.  A child asks a group of people what color God is and is given many different answers.  The book ends as a rainbow forms following a rainstorm.  God is the color of all of us because we were created in God’s image.

Literary elements at work in the story:  The theme of this story really emphasizes the fact that many different creatures and people were all created by the same God.  This theme can help lead children to an understanding that they are one tiny part of a great big beautiful world with many differences in it. The theme also points out to the reader that each thing God created was created for a special purpose and is needed in the world in which we live.  This book could be the catalyst to a rich conversation with children about God to help them gain a more concrete understanding of what can be a very abstract concept for young minds.

Perspective on gender/race/culture/economic ability:  While none of these perspectives are specifically addressed in this story, the book does seek to emphasize diversity both in creatures and human beings.  Diversity is celebrated in the fact that the author repeats multiple times in the book that what has been created is “good.” The illustrations do a wonderful job of showing how the colorful diversity of our world and all that live in it makes it beautiful.

Scripture:  Revelation 4:11, Genesis 1:27, 1 Timothy 4:4, Matthew 28:20

Theology:   All that was created on the earth exists because of God.  Human beings are made in the image of God.  All that God created is good.  We are not alone because God will always be with us.

Faith Talk Questions:

1. What do you think the author means when she says that the light God created contains all the colors of God?
2. How do butterflies give “beauty to the breeze?”
3. The author says that dogs wag their tails with “unconditional love.”  What does that mean?
4. Why were people created
5. What special gifts do you have that you can share with other people?
6. Why do you think the people could not agree about the color of God?
7. How does the rainbow in the sky after the storm answer the child’s question about the color of God?

Review prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary graduate Marcia Rauch.  For another student’s review of this book, click here.

Listen to the Wind

Name of Book: Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea

Author: Greg Mortenson & Susan L. Roth

Illustrator: Susan L. Roth

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

Audience: Ages 3-6

Summary: A story told from the perspective of the children present in the village when changes occurred, based upon the adult book Three Cups of Tea. The children share their perspective of the story of an injured hiker who is cared for and healed in the village and then promises to return to build the village a school. The book also contains a photo scrapbook of actual people, events and places that were pertinent to the actual story in Three Cups of Tea.

Literary elements at work in the story: The story is told through collage, from the first person collective point of view of the village children. It is set in the village of Korphe in Pakistan. The children share their excitement about Dr. Greg’s return to the village to build a school, out of a promise made when the village nursed him to health.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economic/ability make a difference to the story? The reality of the village poverty is resounding; the children have no materials for school and a teacher that visits only once a month. At the end of the book, an explanation of the Pennies for Peace foundation shares that $1.00 American will provide funding for one child’s education for an entire month in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The story shows a white American male coming to make changes, which can play in to the American identity of “coming to the rescue.”

Scripture: James 2:14-17

Theology: We are the body of Christ in the world, the church of God. We are called and gathered by God into this one body for the purpose of worship and service. God creates the church and we live as part of it, in loving relationship with God. God gives the church work to do in the world, telling the story of God’s love for us all in Jesus.

Faith Talk Questions:

1. What did the village people do for Dr. Greg?
2. What gift did Dr. Greg promise to bring to the village? Did he follow through on his promise?
3. Why is it important for us to help other people who don’t have a much as we have?
4. What is something that you can do to help someone, sort of like Dr. Greg did?

Review prepared by Mason Todd, Union-PSCE in Charlotte

Another review of this book was posted on January 4, 2010.