Book Review: Crossroads in Jerusalem

Crossroads in Jerusalem. Elizabeth Raum. 2019. JourneyForth/BJU Press. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I love choose your own adventure books. I do. Elizabeth Raum has written several biblical choose your own adventure for young elementary-aged readers. Others in the series include Crossroads Among the Gentiles, Christmas Crossroads, and Crossroads in Galilee. Each book offers a series of journeys. In the newest Choose Your Journey, the three journeys are: Journey with a Boy of Jerusalem (and witness Jesus overturning the money-changing tables at the temple), Journey with a Servant Girl (and witness Jesus healing the man at the Bethesda Pool), and Journey with the Lawyer's Assistant (and witness Jesus telling the parable of the Good Samaritan). Of course those are just a tiny selection of the events you may witness in this one. Each story has multiple endings, of course--as all choose your own adventure books do--and readers can reread the book until he/she has read them all.

First sentence from Journey 1: It’s spring in Jerusalem, time for Passover. Passover is the greatest of the Jewish feasts. It occurs every spring and lasts for a week. Jews from all over the world come to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Exodus from Egypt and the barley harvest.
First sentence from Journey 2: Now that you are eleven years old, you can be a great help. You are a member of Chuza’s household. Chuza is an important man. He works for Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee and Perea.
First sentence from Journey 3: The lawyer calls you his assistant. Servant is a better title. You’re actually a slave. Your mother was a slave, which makes you one too.

I love how the back matter includes references for all the events in the book. Readers can choose to read the biblical accounts for themselves in their original context. The choose your own adventure books do tend to rearrange things quite a bit!

I definitely enjoy the series.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Crossroads Among the Gentiles

Crossroads Among the Gentiles. Elizabeth Raum. 2018. BJU Press (JourneyForth). 152 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence:

Journey 1
A Child of Samaria
Your little sister never walks; she runs. She collects pebbles and makes tiny houses for stick people. And she chatters constantly. No wonder Mama is tired.

Premise/plot: Crossroads Among the Gentiles is essentially a Christian choose-your-own adventure novel. It features three interactive stories: "A Child of Samaria," "Bartholomew's Younger Brother," and "Susanna's Daughter." All three stories are set in Bible times during the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Each story has multiple opportunities for little readers to make a decision and determine the course of the story.

My thoughts: I love the premise of this one. I do. I enjoyed reading choose your own adventure stories as a kid. I'd have loved to read ones set in Biblical times as a kid. So I'm happy to recommend these now for Christian families. (I believe this is the THIRD book in their series.)

I am pleased with the back matter as well. I appreciate the fact that the author provides a list of bible stories she used as sources--as inspiration--for each of the three stories. Readers can go straight to the source and read these verses and stories themselves.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Biblea

Book Review: Crossroads in Galilee

Crossroads in Galilee. Elizabeth Raum. 2016. BJU Press. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Your first choice: Who are you? If you are a boy from the vineyard, turn to A Boy in the Vineyard. If you are the fishermen's sister, turn to The Fishermen's Sister. If you are the tax collector's brother, turn to The Tax Collector's Brother.

Premise/plot: Remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books?!?! Crossroads in Galilee is a "Choose Your Journey" book. The premise is the same. Readers choose between three characters (2 boys, 1 girl). Within each journey there are plenty of decisions--big and small--for readers to make. Not all journeys end well. I came across at least one or two that were less than ideal. But most do end well--with the reader ending up believing and trusting in Jesus.

My thoughts: I really, really, really love the idea of this one!!!! IF this book had been around when I was a kid, I would have read it a dozen times, I think.

At the end of the book, the author shares a list of bible passages for each of the three journeys. Readers get a good, solid behind-the-scenes experience of following Jesus.

For example, journey one: Matthew 3:1-12, Matthew 3:13-17, John 1:35-36, Luke 3:10-14, Luke 3:18-20, Mark 6:17-29, Matthew 11:2-3, Matthew 11:4-6, Matthew 11:7-15, Luke 4:33-37, Matthew 8:21-22, Matthew 8:23-27, Matthew 9:2-8, Mark 4:3-9.

The back matter also includes more in-depth information to help readers place these stories into context.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible