A Melodious Sonnet

I haven’t been very impressed with the quality of books coming from the recent rise in teenage literature. Now, I know there are good books out there — there always are good books to buy — but most everything doesn’t look like it’s worth a whole lot. So today I’m being a rebel and making my own book list for teens — from books that are worth their weight and will teach you some history besides. These books are good books. They’re worth wasting an afternoon on. Enjoy!

1. Pontius Pilate  |  Best for: Age 15 and above, Adults

We all know Pontius Pilate as the guy who condemned Jesus to crucifixion. The man who had no backbone whatsoever to stand up and do what was right. What we don’t know, however, is what the rest of his life was like. Paul Maier did a marvelous job researching this story, and created a fascinating tale of ancient Rome and Israel, setting up the scene so we can understand better what was going on when Jesus was on the earth.

2. Hittite Warrior  |  Best for: Age 12 and above, Adults

What would it have been like to live in a typical Canaanite city during the days of the book of Judges? Through Uriah’s eyes, we see the fascinating tale of Barak and Deborah, Sisera and Jael, and get to watch God’s hand at work in many ways. This isn’t only a story of the Israelites at that time, though—it encompasses the Canaanite beliefs, their enemies of the time, and much more. While not completely Biblically correct, this is a wonderful, engrossing story that shows the time period in a clearer light than I have ever seen in any other book.

3. Twice Freed  |  Best for: Ages 12 – 15 and above

A Patricia St. John masterpiece, this enthralling tale of adventure, hate, and coming to Christ is well worth its place in the hall of Christian historical fiction. Onesimus, a slave, longs for freedom—but what price is he willing to pay in order to get that freedom? When the chance he’s been waiting for finally comes, he takes it—and realizes this isn’t really where he wants to be. He ends up meeting the Apostle Paul, but can he accept the teachings of love and patience that Paul seems to believe in so strongly? This story is a testament to the life and teachings of Paul, and is an encouraging reminder of the fact that God cares for each one of us—no matter who we are.

4. God King  |  Best for: Ages 10 – 15, Adults

This is another of Joanne Williams’ Biblical masterpieces. Through Taharka’s story, we get to see the amazing miracle of the Assyrians being defeated by the Lord through the faith of King Hezekiah. The story follows the little-known facts we have about a king of Egypt named Taharka, who had to deal with both a family revolt and the threat of the Assyrians. So while giving an amazing view of what it was like to be an Israelite at the time, we also get a great picture of Ancient Egypt and how difficult it would have been to be a pharaoh. Two wonderful stories pulled into one, which makes for lots of tension and a great novel.

5. The Golden Goblet  |  Best for: Ages 10 – 15 and above

Ancient Egypt: Ranofer longs to be a goldsmith, but his step-brother Gebu, a stonecutter, cares little for anything other than finding ways to get more gold. I had a hard time deciding whether or not to include this story in the list. While worth a lot when it comes to giving a feel for what Ancient Egypt was like, it isn’t a Christian story by any stretch of the imagination. The plot is great—you instantly feel sorry for Ranofer, and when bad goes to worse it’s really hard to put this book down. It’s also a fairly clean book, for the most part. While this story is definitely not twaddle, it does have a lot of mentions of the Egyptian gods, which means I can’t recommend it quite as highly as other stories (such as God King, above).

6. Titus: A Comrade of the Cross  |  Best for: Ages 10 – 15, Adults

Israel, at the time of Jesus Christ. Titus is trapped in a life not of his own choice, with his father a robber and his brother a cripple. Through his eyes—and some insights from others around him—the life and ministry of Jesus are shown in a new light. This is a great companion to studies of Jesus’ life, and a fascinating story of despair, hope, and new life.

7. Beyond the Desert Gate  |  Best for: Ages 12 – 15 and above

This is a great story about Judea in 70 AD. Philo’s father is a merchant, and in his travels he comes across a young man on the point of death after being captured by the Romans. This new friend can’t remember anything about his past, except that he thinks he helped a group of women and children escape Jerusalem when the Romans were taking over the city. Then the Romans come to their own quiet town, intent on gathering supplies and troops to crush the Jewish rebellion once and for all. One of Philo’s brothers goes to join the Jewish Zealots, and Philo has to work for the Romans in order to keep food on their table. With tension escalating in the family—and danger to themselves and their livelihood—can the family make the right decisions and thus get through this difficult time? This story brings the fall of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation to life.

8. The Eagle of the Ninth  |  Best for: Ages 10 – 15 and above

The ninth legion marched into the north of Britain—and never returned. Marcus, the son of the centurion who led the legion, is determined to find out what happened and bring the eagle back—thus preserving the honor of his father’s and the legion’s name. Then he is badly injured in a fight, and his quest appears to be an impossible dream. Will the ninth legion’s name always be disgraced? Can the warring tribes of Britain ever be under control of the Roman army? This story adds a whole new depth to the stories of Rome in Britain, and—along with a great adventure—shows the inner workings of the Roman army and how the British people lived in 1–200 AD.

9. The Bronze Bow  |  Best for: Age 10 and above, Adults

With the Romans ruling over Judea, life for Daniel is very hard. He hates what they have done to his countrymen and himself, and wants revenge—in any way, shape or form. While with the local band of rebels, he is able to unleash that hate at times, but then his grandmother falls sick and dies, giving him no choice but to abandon the outlaws and care for his sister. Meanwhile, a new teacher comes on the scene, preaching love and forgiveness. Daniel longs for the peace and joy he senses in this man Jesus and his followers, but in order to follow Him he must also forgive the Romans—and that is something he isn’t willing to do. This book is gripping from the very beginning, and doesn’t feel “flat” like so many other books I’ve read about Jesus and other famous men at the time. This story has a vibrantly real feel to it, and is a great favorite at our house.

10. The Ides of April  |  Best for: Ages 12 –  15 and above

Hylas’ master is found dead, and only by a miracle has Hylas not been captured and sent to prison as well. The other household slaves—including his mother—will be killed if the murderer isn’t found quickly. Can Hylas, with the help of his master’s son-in-law, discover the murderer before it’s too late? Set in ancient Rome, this story is very helpful when studying the Roman’s way of life. It’s also a good clean story that anyone would enjoy even without the history.

Question: What other great historical fiction books for teens have you read that aren’t on this list? Please share; I’m always on the lookout for more good books to read!

One of Dad’s coworkers—a family friend—has told a fascinating story about his family. His family lived in Holland when the Nazis took over, and his grandfather helped to hide Jews. Along with some of the family, his grandfather was arrested—and eventually died in concentration camp. Some of his family still has a hard time talking about the Germans.

While a tragic tale, it is something that seems to be very common from places affected by the Nazis. World War II stories come up frequently—especially ones coming from an Allied viewpoint. Have you ever noticed before how few books there are that show the war from the Axis point of view? Today’s collection has a few different books in it—several sharing what it was like to live under the dictatorship of the Nazis, one about the Communists, and several others about people generally affected by the war.

All of the titles below are great as read-alouds.

1. Twenty and Ten  |  Best for: Ages 5 – 12

Sister Gabriel is caring for twenty children in a house close to a remote village, where they hope to be safe until the war is over. Then a request comes to hide ten Jewish children for a while. Even though it could be extremely dangerous if they were caught, both the children and Sister Gabriel feel like it is their responsibility to try to protect these children. Then, one day, instead of seeing Sister Gabriel coming home with food from the village, the children spot two German soldiers on the road. They must hide the Jewish children, but where? And will they have enough food to last until Sister Gabriel gets back—or the soldiers leave?

2. Escape from Warsaw  |  Best for: Ages 8 – 15

Joseph has been taken prisoner by the Nazis, and sent off to prison. He knows he must get back to care for his family, and even though it’s difficult he manages to escape and sets off for home. When he arrives back, however, he finds his home in ruins and a neighbor across the street tells him that his wife was taken to prison, the house locked up with his children still inside, and then the Germans set off a bomb to destroy the place.

Meanwhile, the children have managed to escape, and forged living quarters among the ruins of their destroyed city—away from the destruction of their once-happy home. The three of them—Ruth, Bronia, and Edek—get along fairly well, until one day a Nazi patrol picks up Edek. Ruth and Bronia must fend for themselves. They have no choice but to go to their grandparent’s place—where their parents had told them to go if something happened to the two of them. But the journey is dangerous—will they be able to get there safely? How will they find enough food to eat? Will they ever be a complete, happy family again? This story is for slightly older children—say 10 and over—and it is a great picture of what life for children of that time would have been like.

3. Number the Stars  |  Best for: Ages 7 – 12

Annemarie’s friend, Ellen, is a Jew. As the Nazis begin rounding up the Jews, Annemarie’s family decide to take in Ellen, and the girl’s parents go into hiding elsewhere. It’s a dangerous risk to take in a Jew, but for now there is no other choice. Early one morning, two Nazi soldiers raid their apartment, and they must make them believe, somehow, that Ellen is a part of the family. What will happen to all of them—but especially Ellen—if the Germans find out she isn’t who they say she is? How can Annemarie and her family protect her friend? This is an exciting story, one that all youngsters will enjoy.

4. The Endless Steppe  |  Best for: Ages 12 – 15 and above

In 1941, ten-year-old Esther lived with her happy family in a town in Poland, helping out where she could, spending time with her aunts, uncles, and grandparents, and tending some of the family’s vast gardens. She had heard that a war was going on outside, but it was far removed from her peaceful life. Then one day the Russian soldiers pounded on the door and told them that they were “capitalists, enemies of the people”, and that they were to be sent somewhere else to live. That “somewhere else” turned out to be a gypsum mine in Siberia. With her whole family broken up, and little food, can they hope to see anyone in the family make it through alive? This is a fascinating story of how the Russians treated the people they conquered, and what life was like in Siberia at that time.

5. Snow Treasure  |  Best for: Ages 8 – 15 and above

Norway’s gold bullion is in danger of falling into Nazi hands, and it must be removed as quickly and efficiently as possible. After conferring about the problem, it is decided that the children of the village are the only hope of getting it all to safety. By putting the gold into little sacks, each child could take a sack, sled down to a designated spot close to a hidden fiord where a boat was secretly moored, and then return to make the dangerous journey again. This is a thrilling adventure story, one all children will love to hear—and the best part? At least to some extent, it is founded on fact.

6. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: In the Midst of Wickedness  |  Best for: Ages 12 – 15, Adults

A story written more for young adults than children, this tells about the greatly controversial life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. As a child, he thought World War I very exciting, but when the food levels ran low and he had to help scavenge like other children, he realized war wasn’t as glorious as he had thought. Then, in the intervening years between World War I and World War II, he grew up and became a pastor. When Hitler rose to power, he along with his family feared the worst—and, soon, the man’s ideology was controlling all of Germany. Dietrich did his best to help the international community understand what was going on in Germany, and did what he believed was the right course of action as a pastor. He was involved in several unsuccessful assassination attempts, and eventually imprisoned because of his beliefs. This is not a very happy story, for the most part, but it is an amazingly well-told story about how Hitler affected Germany, and what life was like under his ruling. It’s also a great biography of a fascinating man.

7. Jars of Hope  |  Best for: Ages 5 – 12

Through this book full of beautiful pictures, we get to see a bit of the life of Irena Sendler and her great service to the world during World War II. A social worker in Poland, Irena worked among the 500,000 Jews crammed together into the 2 square miles of the Warsaw Ghetto. Under the guise of giving vaccinations—to “prevent disease spreading to the rest of the city”, she was able to smuggle somewhere around 2,500 children out of the ghetto and give them safe homes. She kept detailed records of their real names and true parents, as well as their assumed names and who now cared for them. You can’t play the game long without being found out—what will happen to those children if the records are discovered?

8. Corrie Ten Boom: World War II Heroine  |  Best for: Ages 10 – 15 and above

Corrie Ten Boom has always been an inspiration to me. She isn’t perfect—are any of us?—and yet she wholeheartedly served the Lord right where He placed her. Growing up, she was a bit of a prankster—although she always repented afterward. Then as she grew older, and no husband came along, she did work for the Lord that included working with young women and retarded children. She also worked in her father’s watch shop.

When World War II began, and Germany invaded Holland and slowly began rounding up Jews, she realized she had a job to do there, too. Soon, aided by her father “Opa” and sister Betsy, she began working in the Dutch underground—helping Jews find safe hiding places, sourcing and then distributing ration cards, and helping those in need as much as she could. Then someone betrayed them to the Nazis, and they were all taken to prison, Corrie and Betsy later going on to concentration camp. Corrie was eventually freed, and went around the world sharing messages about God’s love and forgiveness. This is a great story to share with your older children, showing how God can use anyone for His work—even a watchmaker and his daughter.

Question: Does your family—or any family friends—have passed-down stories from the war days? What World War II stories would you add to this list?