How Three Brothers Saved the Navy

How Three Brothers Saved the Navy, by Charles A. Salter

(The Kare Kids Adventures #3)

(Outskirts Press, 2016), pb., 111 pp.

Think of the Hardy Boys in a military family and you have a good idea of what this book is like. Three brothers- Matt (12 yrs old), Ryan (10 yrs old), and Jake (8 yrs old)- like to play like they are Force Recon Marines drawing from various things they have learned from their father who is a Captain in the U.S. Navy. In one of their adventures they stumble across a terrorist plot to destroy US aircraft carriers using HALO jumpers. In the ensuing adventure the boys display heroism, courage, teamwork and perseverance as they help to foil the terrorist attempt.

This was a fun read and my 10 year old daughter and nine year old son loved it. Some will probably scoff at the idea of boys this age accomplishing what is recorded in this story or even fret over suggesting to other children that they should seek to take on armed enemies. Such people will miss the point of the book. Is the accomplishment of these boys outlandish? Of course! But that is part of the point. It isn’t likely that any of our children will discover a new world in the back of one of our wardrobes or closets and become kings or queens of those worlds. Nor are we suggesting they find wolves or witches to kill. Rather we want them to be inspired by the courage, initiative and care for others demonstrated in these stories. Salter’s story succeeds well in this goal as he portrays hard working confident children who engage the outdoors, work together and are attentive to their surroundings.

We really enjoyed this book and commend it to you.

Daredevil Duck

DaredevilDuck, by Charlie Alder

(Running Press Kids, 2015), hb., 48pp.

$16.95

Ages 3-7

This book is due to be released next month, and I was sent an early copy for review. It is a fun, nice book which encourages children to be brave while being honest about our frailty. Children’s books on this sort of topic often go wrong either being cheesy, telling them simply to believe in themselves or even saying bravery isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Mrs. Adler hits the topic very well.

First, the book is creatively designed. There are several half pages where you turn a portion of the page to reveal something which changes the scene. My children have always enjoyed these in books. The illustrations are simple and fun as well.

The hero, Daredevil Duck, wants to be brave and dreams of being brave. However, he really struggles with being scared. However, a situation arises in which he helps someone else and finds he can be brave. This encourages him to continue being brave though he still gets scared sometimes. This simple message is the basic thing I want to communicate to my young children. It is both inspiring and realistic. It is hopeful and recognizes our struggles.

My nine year old daughter is my first reviewer of books for younger children, and she liked this one.

This is not an overtly Christian book, but one that addresses the issue of fear in a basic, helpful way.

Encouraging Boys to Manhood

We really enjoy using Veritas Press’ Omnibus curriculum in our homeschooling of our older boys. Good books are suggested (though we don’t read every book listed) and the accompanying study guides with questions are very helpful. My boys are currently reading G. A. Henty’s Winning His Spurs - A Tale of the Crusades, and I especially appreciated the opening paragraph of the study guide which is pasted in below:

Jonathan Edwards entered Yale College at age thirteen and graduated at age seventeen.  He served as a minister at age nineteen, and after returning to Yale at age twenty he passed the examination for a Master of Arts degree.  In an age characterized by a lowering of expectations and standards, we marvel at such maturity and responsibility.  There was a time, however, when a boy was expected to behave like a man at age thirteen.  There was a time when a thirteen-year-old boy was expected to be skilled at something other than playing video games.  Unfortunately, we live in an age characterized by low expectations for our youth.  We rarely envision our teenage boys taking on such responsibilities or taking up five small stones and slaying a giant.

            Winning His Spurs takes us back to a time when a young boy was challenged to behave like a man.  We are encouraged to rethink the expectations we have of our youth.  As we observe the life of Cuthbert, the main character, we get a glimpse of the bravery and courage that a young boy can have.  As we enter into the events surrounding the crusade to recapture the Holy Land, we see the action through the eyes of a valiant boy, and we are forced to reexamine our own lives.  If we view literature and history as an opportunity to explore our own hearts, Winning His Spurs is a call for men to stand up and face life’s challenges with renewed vigor and courage.

Selfishness vs. Courage

I find myself wanting to post a quote from Bob Schultz’s Boyhood and Beyond almost every day as we read through the book (see previous post). There is a wealth of wisdom here, and it stimulates good conversation. Today we read the chapter titled, “Leadership,” where he drew from the story of Ernest Schackleton, a story I have related to the boys before.

Here are two strong excerpts from his application:

“Many boys are said to be shy. Their parents explain why their son did not say thank you or hello with the excuse, “Joey is just being shy today.” The truth is that Joey is just caught up in himself. Joey thinks too much of his own feelings and thoughts to consider someone else. Joey is simply selfish.” (111)

“Do you want to be a man with courage like Shackleton? Your biggest hindrance is selfishness. The selfish are not courageous. You must become a man who thinks of others. It is not waiting for some big chance to save lives that makes a hero; a hero is made by thinking of others in everyday situations.” (113)