The Really Radical Book for Kids: More Truth. More Fun Hardcover – March 6, 2023

The media could not be loaded. Love the open ended topics provided. Encourages great conversation with your children (and I learn along side of them).

Champ Thornton released his first book in this series, The Radical Book for Kids, nearly nine years ago. Our family enjoyed this book. It was such a unique take on theology, Church history, science, history, and random fun facts and activities. Filled with truth that was captured in beautiful illustrations.The follow-up of Thornton's book was more of the same. I love how Champ connects the beauty and the mystery of our world to the greatness of our Creator. His work in this book reminds me of Abraham Kuyper famous quote:“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”Champ has something for everyone through engaging graphic layouts for various activities and subjects he has a unique blend of curiosity and gospel fluency. As a parent or ministry leader looking for activities or a model for scripture engagement in a fun and relevant way.Something for my girlsHere is an example of a section my daughters would enjoy. One of my daughters is an avid baker and would find herself drawn to the recipe but would also learn about foods mentioned in the Bible. What is so great about this particular lesson is the 4D nature of the lesson. You will learn facts about food in the bible but make biscuits and do something to remind them of what they learned. Finally, they will smell and taste the biscuits they made and those smells and flavors will cement truth in the heart and senses of any young baker with a passion for knowing the truth.Something for my boysMy boys loved joke books. They would read them on road trips and laugh out loud. They would read me the knock-knock jokes and try to get me to guess the punch line. My boys are older now, but they would have loved this section in Champ's book. How cool that our God cares about the important parts of our world and loves to hear us laugh. I know, as a parent, there is nothing better than hearing your kids laugh without restraint. The unbridled joy of young laughter is something I will miss as our kids grow up and move away.Something for all of usChamp's grasp on Theology is solid. This isn't something that you always find in even Christian books for kids. Often times adults writing books for kids do those kids a disservice by writing the truth about God that is so simplified that it loses the heat and the light that orthodoxy brings. As someone who has worked with kids for over two decades, I can tell you that kids can wrestle with deep things. We honor them and we honor God when we speak clearly and directly to them about the deep things of God. When we discuss their need for God's mercy and his endless supply.Christian WorldviewFinally, Champ does something that is going to be increasingly important. He addresses worldview issues our kids are facing and will face one day. With the increasingly secular culture, we find ourselves immersed in the need for our kids to recognize the lies they hear and the lies we tell ourselves. The only way for us to see them as lies is to place them beneath the blazing light of truth. Champ does that throughout his book with both wisdom and grace. Your kids need to know how to respond to lies like "Love is love," "You are enough," and "Follow your heart."I highly commend Champ's book to you. It is a book you can either walk through with your kids as part of your bedtime routine, or it can be a book you hand to them, and they can enjoy the beautiful layout that contains life-giving truth. I pray that the effort my friend Champ expended will encourage your child to see everything in light of the saving mercy of Jesus.

We have used this book as a family devotional. It has captured the attention and minds of my 5-year-old and 3-year-old. Our baby also loves all the colors! Their favorite chapter so far is on page 69 which is titled, “Snakes, Dragons, and the Bible.” The author does not shy away from hard topics and presents them in Biblical truth!The book is laid out in chapters. Each chapter starts with what I would deem a history, science, geography, or fun story. Then the story ties into biblical, apologetic, or spiritual truth. Thornton has expertly figured out how to write in a way that captures the attention of young people and then leads them into a spiritual lesson.There are fun facts sprinkled throughout the writing, such as the fact that 1,089 feet are about as tall as a 77-foot skyscraper (pg 102)!It’s only the writing in part that captures the attention of children, the illustrations are fascinating and take more than a few seconds to soak in. Which shouldn’t surprise anyone since they were done by Scot McDonald, who is an award winner graphic designer.The Really Radical Book for Kids is recommended for ages 8-14, however, I would like to argue that in the right circumstances, those younger can enjoy the content as well.As I am writing this my children are 5, 3, and 9 months. Now obviously my baby would prefer to tear and eat the pages rather than enjoy its true content, however, this book captures the attention of my 3 & 5-year-old. The book is not something that they are capable of reading by themselves as I believe is intended, but they sit raptured at the kitchen table as we eat our breakfast and read out loud a chapter. There are some chapters that go over their head such as chapter 19, which is entitled “Humor in the Bible.” However, most of the chapters are very friendly for all ages and will point you to the gospel.For ages 8 and up, the text is written in short paragraphs, in large font, and visually stimulating. As I have stated before, many of the pages remind me of how an infographic looks. Specifically, I think this could be good for struggling readers who may need a bit of extra ‘jazz’ to make the reading enjoyable for them.This book has one goal and that is to point kids to God. You will never regret teaching your children biblical truths. Champ Thornton does an excellent job writing and creating a book that exceeds expectations. Will you be picking up this book? We are loving it so far!

The Radical Book for Kids by Champ Thornton is an exciting, unique, and informative book that answers many of the questions kids have about the Holy Bible. It’s a treasure of information for kids who love history, trivia, and learning fun facts.Tweens and teenagers will be fascinated by the book’s unique design and layout. Each section of the book is filled with detailed illustrations, vivid colors, and bold wacky fonts,It has a scrapbook/notebook feel to it that appeals to this age group.Thornton strategically teaches kids about Bible truths, debunks myths, answers common and uncommon questions all while weaving cool historical and biblical facts with a long string of humor.This is a book I would have appreciated reading as a young teenager. Oftentimes the questions I asked were met with unsatisfying answers that only scratched the surface of my curiosity and left me wanting more. This book will not only satisfy the inquisitive teenager’s laundry list of questions but it may also strengthen his(her) faith in God.The Radical Book for Kids is a a necessary book for this generation. It is an excellent resource for local church assemblies, house churches, Christian schools, and homeschoolers alike. The target audience: kids ages 8-14.