Biblical Biographies

Hello.

Lots of us have old Adventist-published titles in our libraries especially old mission story books. I hope many of you are also adding newer Adventist-published titles to your libraries. I happen to really enjoy the historical stories about Biblical characters. I remember a teacher read the book Deborah by Margit Strom Heppenstall which is a story about the little captive maid in Naaman’s house. That story helped to bring Biblical characters to life for me. I also like the newer books in this same genre such as Ruth and Boaz, Samuel, and so forth. The authors of these Biblical biographies today have usually done quite a bit of research into ancient culture and it is very interesting to learn what the culture of Bible times was like. One consideration that a teacher may need to make is to note that a few of these books may contain some adult material. They were written for an adult audience. This is usually not graphic sexual content, but instead may be implied. If you are concerned about this you may want to be careful which of these books you place in your library. On the other hand, most of them are so thick that only your better readers will likely tackle them. I often make the comment to the students that are checking out these Biblical biographies that this book is meant for a “sophisticated reader.” If you are concerned about this type of book and you don’t have time to read these books yourself to look for adult themes, try asking a parent who loves to read. Ask the parent if they would be willing to read a book or two and check for any material they feel might not be appropriate for your school. This is a way that parents can help the school in a constructive way.

Recently I used these books in a unit for advanced students in our junior high. We used Ruth and Boaz as a literature set and they finished out their assigned pages by using other historical Biblical biographies of their choice. We discussed Biblical lifestyle and culture and compared it with our lifestyle today. These books really help to bring Biblical characters to life and add a great deal of interest to the simple Bible stories we learned as children.

Check out your local ABC and upcoming camp meeting sales to find books to add to your library. Meanwhile, here are a few titles in the Biblical historical characters genre you might like.

Young Readers
• Bible Arch books – These are easy to read picture books. May be available from your local Christian book store.
• Ruth Redding Brand – Abraham, Adam and Eve, Joseph, Jacob. Available at the ABC.

Middle Readers
• Carl Haus – faith-building stories for kids. Available at the ABC.
• Thurman C. Petty – Fire in the Gates, Siege at the Gates. Available at the ABC.
• Detective Zack books by Jerry D. Thomas. Available at the ABC

Older Readers –
• Samuel, One Small Light by Daniel J. Drazen
• Hannah by Lois N. Erickson
• Leah, a Love Story by Lois N. Erickson
• Joseph by Terri L. Fivash
• Dahveed: Yahwey’s Chosen by Terri L. Fivash
• Esther by Trudy Morgan-Cole
• Deborah and Barak by Trudy Morgan-Cole
• Ruth A Love Story by Ellen Gunderson Traylor
• John, Son of Thunder by Ellen Gunderson Traylor
• Hagar God’s Beloved Stranger by Hester Thomasen
• Peter, Fisher of Men by Noni Beth Gibbs
• The Prodigal by Bradley Booth
• Malchus by Noni Beth Gibbs

All of the above and more may be available at the ABC.

Have a great week.
Audrey