Max Elliot Anderson. Big Big Rustlers. Tweener Press of Baker Trittin Press. 2004.
Big Big Rustlers takes place on a Wyoming cattle ranch. I related well to this book because I taught school in Thermopolis, Wyoming back in the late 70s. I well remember the HUGE ranches with their numerous canyons spread over the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was an exciting place to explore during my off hours and it is still exciting for me to read about the ranches. One of my favorite adventures was visiting the ranch of the school board president and trying to help him round up cattle. My girlfriend from Michigan was visiting and we had quite a day. I don’t remember actually managing to round up any cattle though!
The main characters in Big Big Rustlers, Todd and Amanda, spend a spring break at their Uncle’s ranch. During that time they learn many lessons important in life and also important for Christian believers. The book is non-stop excitement that will keep your preteen reader on the edge of his/her seat.
Recommendation
This is a book for parents to read too. I am sure many interesting discussions about honesty and judging people can follow. In addition, your tweener will be exposed to a State he may not have visited or even read about. Many tweeners are fascinated to know how life on a ranch works in today’s world. Catching rustlers? That’s just a little extra adventure for Todd and Amanda.
Dr. Marvin G. Baker. Matthew’s Story. Tweener Press, 2004.
Written as though by the disciple Matthew, Matthew’s Story, is a retelling of the Gospel of Matthew. It is told in first person so it seems as though the story teller is actually witnessing or participating in the events.
For me, reading this story, made it clear that it is written for that famous “tweener” crowd that find the Bible a bit much to digest. Dr. Baker manages to share Matthew’s story while staying true to the gospel account. I loved seeing him handle that long list of who “begat” who by making some simple charts.
Here is just a sample of Dr. Baker’s writing style:
Whenever Jesus saw the crowds, he knew he had to find a special place where he could teach. Today he wanted plenty of time to share the vitally important information God has given him. The lesson he planned for today was not going to be just a quick talk or a short lesson like he gave sometimes. … [Page 35]
That short passage was written at an eighth grade reading level. The reading level varies throughout the book. This book is easy for the tweeners to understand even without a teacher nearby to explain things to them!
Recommendation
Finally, parents have a tool to get their tweeners to learn the contents of the Gospel of Matthew without being able to understand “Bible” language. It is clear from the writing style, that the author has years of experience in dealing with age 8 through 12 children. This experience was critical to his success with this book.
These books are available at your local Christian bookstore or online at amazon.com.
