The Turkey’s Treat – Marie Sanderlin Metroke, Victor Guiza (Illus.)

©2009 Outskirts Press, Parker, CO

Marie Sanderlin Metroke has been writing children’s stories for three decades. And this short fun number shows why she keeps on doing it.

Bespectacled Jeffrey Watson can’t wait for Christmas. It means Christmas trees and turkey dinners. But a sudden onslaught of snow threatens his traditions. Even so, Mom and Dad and sister, Tammy, together with Jeff, jump into the car to get first a tree and then stop at the supermarket for some last minute groceries. That is when the chaos begins with Jeffrey and a prize turkey right in the middle of it.

The artwork and the Christmas sentiment are both magnificent in this little treasure. There are a few hiccups along the way if you are expecting to reach the suggested 9-12 year old target audience (such as using names like four-eyes to describe the hero of the story). Otherwise, this is a great story to get you in the mood for Christmas fun and Christmas dinner.

Four reading glasses.

—Benjamin Potter September 25, 2009

Called and Accountable – Henry and Norman Blackaby

© 2007 New Hope Publishers, Birmingham

Henry Blackaby has been a favorite of mine since I studied Experiencing God the first time some 20 years ago. Now he has teamed up with his son Norman to compile and expand the material in his study Called and Accountable: Discovering Your Place in God’s Eternal Purpose. In six short chapters, the Blackabies wrestle with the major questions of a Christ-follower’s calling:

• Why does God call us?
• What is a call?
• Who are the called?
• How am I called?
• When am I called?
• How do I live out the call?

Most believers struggle with just these questions, and we are all at some point on the spectrum in dealing with them.

One drawback to the book comes in most of the elder Blackaby’s writings—namely, that parts of the text draw heavily on the principles introduced in Experiencing God, and thus from time to time the reader feels he is simply reading an advertisement for or testimonial to Experiencing God. Otherwise this is an excellent primer on finding and living out one’s call to God’s kingdom purpose.

I rate this book 3 out of 5 reading glasses.

—Benjamin Potter, September 9, 2009

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