Gretchen Engel – Page 2

Pros

The book goes into detail about the Roman occupation of Israel, the religious and political climate of Israel, and several of the key historical figures such as Augustus Caesar, Herod, Tiberius, and Pontius Pilate. O’Reilly and Dugard go into great detail to put Jesus’s life into historical context, which helped me understand parts of the Bible even better. O’Reilly and Dugard are Catholic and while they keep this book historical, the authors hint that they believe the Bible to be true. Bill O’Reilly narrates the audio version, and I highly recommend it.

Personal Opinion

My husband and I have listened to all of the O’Reilly-Dugard “Killing” books, and I’m going to do a series on these books because I think each of them offers fantastic insight into the social and political climate at the time. However, not all will carry 5-star ratings even though the writing quality and level of detail are the same. Not all are family friendly due to varying degrees of objectionable content especially in the books covering more recent events.

Discussion points for parents & teachers:

Jesus of Nazareth

The Roman Empire

Pontius Pilate

King Herod

Caesar Augustus and Tiberius

Pontius Pilate

The Jewish Religion of the first century

The beginning of Christianity

For parents, especially those who are Christians, will appreciate the historical account of Jesus’s life, which is a different way of proving the Bible is true from a different perspective. For teachers and librarians in public or secular schools, this is not a religious text and could be a good way to introduce the history of Christianity into the classroom. The authors are Roman Catholic and at the end hint that they believe Jesus is the Messiah, but they make it clear that the book is meant to be a historical account of Israel in the years approximately 1-33 AD.

6 Dates to Disaster by Cynthia T Toney is a thought-provoking book for high school students. Wendy is coasting through the last weeks of school eager for her family trip to Alaska to see Mrs. V and Sam. Unfortunately, financial struggles threaten that dream. Wendy is determined to figure out a way to get to Alaska. When a job opportunity from a classmate looks like the ideal way, Wendy is forced to consider whether or not it’s too good to be true. There’s also a fun mystery involving a jewelry box, and Wendy’s former best friend has a new boyfriend who is bad news.

Pros: See my comment below about one of the main plot points related to a scandal that arises as a result from Wendy’s tutoring job. The ensuing ethical dilemma was thought-provoking. Cynthia creates strong and fun characters. Her stories are humorous and realistic but are clean and morally uplifting. Wendy’s stepdad looses his job threatening her summer plans. Consequently Wendy pitches in to earn money for her Alaska trip to see Mrs. V. David and Wendy handle coupledom without being too physical or dramatic. Wendy is a big-hearted girl, especially when it comes to her stepsister Alice and her former best friend Jen.

Cons: Not too many. There are a few ethical things that come up. The aforementioned plot point of Wendy’s tutoring job. Also, Jen gets involved with an older boy who is a bad influence. There’s alcohol involved, which is handled very well. It’s clear that underage drinking shouldn’t be condoned and that drinking and driving is extremely dangerous. David and Wendy kiss and physical temptation (at a very PG level) comes up. The two “put on the brakes” fast so the story doesn’t go far with this.

Rating: 5 Stars. I bought a copy of this book and will buy other copies for teens. It’s definitely a book for high school kids, possibly seventh or eighth graders. There’s nothing really inappropriate in the subject matter. However, it’s is a bit too mature for kids any younger than this.

Personal Opinion: I’m a big fan of the Bird Face series and 6 Dates doesn’t disappoint. Wendy is as funny and plucky as ever. Alice is sweet. David, Gail, etc. round out a strong supporting cast. Without spoiling anything, we’re reunited with several characters from 8 Notes to a Nobody (Book 1).

Discussion points for parents & teachers:

Job Loss
Family
Dating/Relationships
Academic Dishonesty
Underage Drinking/Drinking and Driving
Integrity
Priorities

Most of all, Wendy’s dilemma about her tutoring job challenged me. She is concerned that she’s doing too much for the students she’s tutoring. As an adult, I didn’t see anything wrong with what Wendy did. However, I had to step back and put myself in the shoes of a high school student. While adult writers might hire an editor or someone in another profession might have a peer or senior colleague review their work and mark it up with corrections and suggestions, that isn’t really the role of a tutor. They’re just supposed to help a student understand concepts not heavily correct or even rewrite assignments.