When you have pre-teen boy who is also a reluctant reader, finding clean books that he wants to read can be tough. When I learned of this new series from Barbour Publishing, I hoped we wouldn’t be disappointed. Bible-based fiction full of adventure, would it live up to our expectations? We are happy to report that Imagine . . . The Great Flood by Matt Koceich definitely does.
The story opens with Corey facing a move with his family away from his school and friends. While at the park with their dog, Molly, Corey shares his fears with his mom. She reminds him that God is in control and to trust Him. Corey hits his head while going after Molly in the woods as a thunderstorm begins. The next thing, Corey is waking up face-to-face with a pair of lions. And the woods are gone. He encounters Shem and quickly learns that he is at Noah’s ark as the animals are being gathered.
We don’t want to spoil the story for you, so you will have to read for yourself to see what transpires and how it all works out. Bear in mind the fiction aspect. We have no problem with a Biblical event as the backdrop for a fictional story, but some might. As expected, Corey learns that he can trust God. He also has a run-in with Nephilim. And, not trying to spoil it for you, he gets back home to the present day. In fact, the last couple of chapters take place after the move. Let’s just say, the exciting scenes do not end when he comes back to the present time.
We thoroughly enjoyed the story. We have read other stories where the main characters travel to points in history, using magic. We were very pleased that there was no magic in the making of this story. I read with my son me aloud with him following along as he sat beside me. I encouraged him to reread parts of a chapter after we had read it together. This kind of together reading is one of the ways he is practicing and building confidence. If he were reading at grade level, this would have been great for him to read alone. We’re getting there, and books like this encourage him to keep working at it. His plan is to be able to read the next book in the Imagine series on his own.
Have a daughter that prefers to read books with female protagonists? We reviewed another series from Barbour Publishing a few years ago that would be perfect, Diary of a Real Payne. The daughter that reviewed this with me recently introduced her younger sister (now 9 1/2 herself) to this series. I love that they are sharing favorite books with each other!
You can download a sample to see if your reader would enjoy this adventurous Biblical story. You can read other reviews of Imagine . . . The Great Flood by clicking the image below.
