Resource: The Children’s Hour Blog
Since my children are small, I am not able to review as many books for older children as I would like, and since I have no seminary training, I hesitate to review Bible literature for children. This is where The Children’s Hour by Ray Van Neste comes in. This book review blog is devoted to children’s literature with an emphasis on Bible, history, and fiction.
The blog is maintained by Dr. Ray Van Neste, an Associate Professor for Christian Studies at Union University, and a pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Jackson, TN. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament, and maintains another blog on pastoral ministry called Oversight of Souls. He is the father of six children between the ages of 1 and 12.
Dr. Van Neste started The Children’s Hour in December 2005 and posts to it regularly. The blog consists primarily of book reviews, as well as reflections on children’s literature, reading, and Christian parenting. His reviews are thoughtful and readable, and his theological basis for them is solid and well-informed.
Unfortunately, there is no way to access all the titles he has reviewed other than paging through the blog or by searching the blog by keyword. He does review books that he doesn’t recommend, and since he doesn’t use a rating system it is necessary to read each review to find out whether he recommends it. For this reason his blog is limited for use as a reading list, but this is still the best online resource I have found of this kind. It’s one of the first places I look for help when I need help forming a judgment about any book, and there is always something new, provoking or inspiring on his home page. He also provides a short list of recommended Bible literature for children which alone makes the site worth visiting.
Categories: 4 Stars, Reviews of Book Lists
Posted on July 1, 2009
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Having great books available at home in your own library is like being the owner of the best grocery store in town, where the crispest produce, the most recent catch of fish, and the freshest bread, warm from the oven, is available to you 24/7.
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On behalf of Tim, thanks for the DR recommendation and kind words, Shanna!