The Radical Book for Kids: Exploring the Roots and Shoots of the Faith is a super-cool new book for Christian kids.  This is a very nice, full-color hardcover book, and it mixes (solid) theology with interesting bits of trivia, hands-on project ideas, etc. in a way that makes the Bible “cool” — but without compromise.

The author, Champ Thornton, has done a fantastic job of presenting theological ideas and biblical texts in a way that connects with young readers, but without “dumbing down” the content to imprecision.  He does this in part by using language children will understand and analogies they’ll recognize (and explaining trickier vocabulary when necessary), but also by adding “fun” content to provide context.  This allows the reader to mentally connect the biblical text with things outside the Bible, and discover that it’s relevant.

The target age range is 8-14, and I’m amazed at just how much it covers in its 253 pages.  At risk of being tedious, I’m going to flip through and see if I can summarize each “chapter.”

• the overall theme of the Bible (the “plot” in a nutshell)
• how the Bible is organized
• names of God
• the gospel
• growth through spiritual disciplines
• martyrs
• dealing with anger
• the OT law, and Jesus’ NT summary of it
• how to clean your room
• biblical manuscripts
• hermeneutics (how to interpret the Bible)
• how to make your own sling
• excerpts from Thoughts for Young Men
• famous phrases from the Bible — and phrases people only think are from the Bible
• how to do daily devotions
• the Hebrew alphabet
• the Old Testament (summaries of the books)
• the New Testament (summaries of the books)
• Hebrew holidays
• traveling/journeys in the Bible
• the Universe and what’s at its center
• dealing with fear
• how to memorize
• God’s mission (rooted in the 1st question from the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “What is man’s chief end?” “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”)
• famous female missionaries
• common Latin phrases
• jewels in the Bible
• how to decide what to do or not to do
• growing in wisdom
• wild creatures in the Bible
• elephant jokes
• manners
• John Bunyan & C.S. Lewis
• what God is like
• evidence for God
• Psalms
• constellations
• food in the Bible
• famous male church leaders/martyrs
• the purpose of parents
• times in the Bible
• seeing God in the world around us
• prophets
• DNA & natural laws
• how to pray
• working hard
• love
• being a good friend
• summarizing the Bible (creeds)
• how to make pottery
• money in the Bible
• making good decisions
• fun and games in Bible times
• the Greek alphabet
• the Lord’s Supper
• dealing with enemies
• the resurrection
• the gospels
• tying knots
• the “Passion Week”
• the epistles
• the early Church
• how the Bible came to us
• taking sermon notes
• making a sundial
• more famous Christian women
• weapons in the Bible
• make a catapult
• common Christian symbols
• dealing with hard times/circumstances

Each of those subjects is around 2-4 pages, and all written in a very approachable style for older children/young teens.

Each section is a little different, but as you can see, it’s pretty colorful.  I’m really looking forward to seeing what my children gain from it over the coming months.