Did you know S.D. Smith made a book not involving rabbits? The author of the popular Green Ember books is back with an exciting new series (2 books so far). This series has a lot going for it. It jumps right in with a neat baseball scene, set back in the 1980s. It includes great characters and friendships between them. The main character Jack is an African American boy who is a cool incredible athlete with a “nerdy” side, who is kind and loves reading. His best friend Benny is a fiercely loyal funny guy (the humor in this book and the interactions between these friends is really enjoyable). The young lady, Michelle, who joins them is super kind and loves both karate and dance. The older quiet groundskeeper, book store owner turns out to be a guide and much more than they originally expected.

Similar to the last book we reviewed, “Raising Dragons”, this title is relatable to young readers by starting in this world, but scratches the ‘fantasy’ itch that so many enjoy without the negative aspects of many books in this genre (in this case there are other worlds/realms out there). This setup also opens the door to many future stories in this exciting world/setting.

On an important note, we feel there was an intentional step forward on the spiritual side over what we saw in the first Green Ember book we reviewed. There are numerous instances of places where the characters mention prayer. Nearly each of the ‘good’ main characters mentions it at some point. Michelle prays for Jack’s Mom, who is sick. Mr. Wheeler says he prays daily. We see Jack pray when he wakes up in the morning and when he is in trouble. His mom mentions that she always prayed for him when he was troubled (‘when you feel worried, just pray). It mentions his friend Benny “crossing himself”. We find out his father recited the 23rd Psalm as he died and his mother has prayer it since thousands of times since. Her trusting in the Lord even in the face of tragedy is a focal point as the story progresses. There are a few great comments, one about God’s sovereignty, “I’m not the one who controls what happens, and the one who does knows better than you and me”, “I know where I am going. I know the story isn’t over for me, even at death”, and “You can exalt yourself or humble your heart. You can choose the way of life or the way of death. There are no other paths”. Church is also mentioned a few times. Jack and Benny talk about attending church on Wednesday night. We are told Jack attends a Baptist church and Benny a Catholic service. Michelle says that she that someone is “on the prayer list at our church”. The ladies from Jack’s church visit and leave encouraging notes for his mom.

With all of that positive content above, we do hope that these authors and stories continue to own their faith and use their platform that God has given them to boldly declare about God and His goodness, specifically mentioning Jesus. In Green Ember’s review we had to go and search and eventually found a Q&A that gave us confidence to tag it as a Christian author. This book has more Christian content, but still the author’s bios are mostly clear or anything, with the only exception being S.D. Smith mentioning church in his long list of things he enjoys. We really want to see more and more authors being bold in their bios.

Overall this is a very enjoyable read and one that certainly trends in the right direction from a faith-perspective. One we are happy to put forward as HIGHLY Recommended.