A New Thing

I've started this blog in hopes that I might write more of the reviews that I have been wanting to write over the last months.
In celebration, I've combined and re-posted a couple of my Caleb Pascal reviews.

Here's to new things - enjoy!

An Amazing High-Wire Balancing Act

Thrown out with the trash as a baby, Caleb has lived most of his life feeling like someone’s unwanted left-overs. Things don’t get any better when he’s “adopted” by Mr. Groeger, who treats Caleb worse than hired help. Over-worked and beaten, Caleb has begun to accept this miserable life when he meets an old circus clown who shows Caleb that he wasn’t created to live this way.

Kids (and adults) who enjoyed the dynamic characters of The Series of Unfortunate Events, will also enjoy the motley crew that Kersten Hamilton has assembled in this series. With Caleb Pascal & the Peculiar People, Hamilton has created a series that young and old will love to read, featuring dramatic plots, compelling characters, and solid faith lessons. The author also places a verse or two of scripture at the beginning of each chapter; children and parents can have fun figuring out how each verse relates to the chapter it precedes.

Kersten Hamilton packs each book chock full of everything one would hope for in a children's book. I was most impressed by Hamilton's ability to incorporate complex ideas, in simple language, within the plot of the story. Not once did I feel as if the story dragged because of dialogue, nor did I ever feel as if the ideas were treated only superficially. There is great depth and drama contained within these slim books.

This is quite a feat for any author, but especially for one in the market Hamilton finds herself in. Very rarely in the Christian children's market does one find such a daring and talented author (at least in my experience). Often, we find books that are heavy on "Christian Themes"- whether that comes in the form of dense apologetic or heavy-handed allusion. In many cases, even the theology is watered-down in order for the books to be either understandable, or palatable to a wider audience, and in doing so these books sometimes border on bad theology.

Kersten Hamilton's Caleb Pascal books are none of these.

I could say much more, but I won't. Instead, I'll allow you to discover the world of Caleb for yourself.