Anyone that knows me understands my love for detective stories, movies, and television shows. Therefore, I was elated when David C Cook along with Case Makers Academy, sent us Forensic Faith for Kids to read, work through, and review.
BOOK SUMMARY & FEATURES
Initially, Forensic Faith for Kids only appears to be about Daniel, Hannah, and Jason solving a mystery. Bailey, a Corgi puppy is missing and they must use detective skills while searching for the owner. As you read through the book you learn that the Hannah has been challenged by a friend to prove that Jesus claimed to be God. While the boys are walking through their mission Hannah is putting together evidence to defend her faith. Daniel and Jason, along with help from Detective Jefferies, follow clues through the neighborhood learning more about Bailey and her owner. The boys also help Hannah find scripture, sermon notes, and other evidence to support her stand about the deity of Jesus. In the end, it turned out that the cases overlapped and allowed for the return of the puppy. Though a new soul wasn’t added to the Kingdom during Hannah’s assignment, she learned that a seed was planted and prayer goes a long way.
Scattered about the book you’ll find these various features to enhance your reading experience.
- CSI Assignment: various scriptures and questions to dig deeper into God’s word.
- Detective Definitions: an explanation of lingo used by officers
- Detective Tools: inspirational messages to help you continue
- Dig Deep: reminders to use the website
CASE MAKERS ACADEMY
There are myriad of opportunities to enhance the reading experience by visiting the website and participating in the Case Makers Academy. This online school features video introductions for every chapter which are approximately three to five minutes long. The videos feature a summary of the previous chapter, details about what is going to happen next, and life application points. Printable PDF files are included at the bottom of chapter video which creates a Cadet Academy Notebook. The Adult Leader Guide gives details about the chapter concepts as well as discussion questions to help the children understand what they have read. The Training Activity and Note Sheet files provide art, science, fill in the blank, and other creative ways to revisit the text.
TEAM KEMP ACADEMY’S THOUGHTS
Upon arrival, I was anxious to see how this book and the activities would pair with explaining Christianity. We used this book daily for two weeks, working through a chapter a day. We would watch the video, read the material, and complete any provided activities. I found it best to print the worksheets all at once and pull them from a folder, as needed for the day. The story was well put together in neither storyline overshadow the other. It was apparent that solving both mysteries was important and lessons were learned from all parties involved. I also liked how both stories combined at the end. Even though it wasn’t a 100% happy ending I was grateful that information was included about how we should be thankful for opportunities to share our faith whether or not the people receive it. It is also important to note that Hannah confirmed that Jesus’s presence in flesh represents God because he was working on the Father’s behalf. Jesus is not God, he is the son of God, making him one third of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). The added features in the book and on the website also provided extra opportunities to study the word and gain a clearer understanding of what the scripture has to say. I think it is imperative to teach our children to study scripture and not use cliches or their opinions to defend the gospel.
Many young believers want to tell others about their relationship with Jesus but aren’t really sure how to begin. As a fan of teaching Apologetics, I think we should start early when teaching our children the importance of proper study and defense of Christianity. I’m appreciative of books like these, which provide a firm foundation of study techniques that can be carried into adulthood. For the past several weeks we enjoyed learning how to be detectives with Forensic Faith for Kids, provided by David C Cook and Case Makers Academy.
You can see what other faith-filled detectives are doing in the Case Makers Academy group on Facebook.
Click the photo below to read other Homeschool Review Crew blog posts about this book.
Make this week adventurous,
Ta’Neisha K.
Marriage, Motherhood, & Homeschool 