Author Archives: designpointaaron

AUTHOR: Mark

GENRE: Religious Text

SUMMARY: At the beginning of Mark’s Gospel account, he writes that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of God.” Then he designs the rest of the book to help readers understand Jesus as the messianic King by showing the amazing things Jesus said and did as well as how people responded to him. Some reject Jesus’ true identity, others doubt, and some believe he is who he says he is.

Mark shows Peter, a disciple, affirming Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. But what does it really mean for Jesus to be the messianic King? Is it all glory, peace, and power? Peter is humbled when he discovers that Jesus’ path to the throne would require suffering and that all those who follow him would suffer too.

Jesus was not the king the people were expecting. Mark’s account doesn’t shy away from the unexpected nature of Jesus’ arrival on Earth, but he also makes clear that Jesus is who he says he is: the Jewish Messiah and the son of God.

Many of the Jewish people hoped that the Messiah would come to overthrow the Romans and rule as king, but that wasn’t what Jesus did. He came to serve and to usher in God’s Kingdom on Earth. And he didn’t come in royal authority and power—he came to humbly sacrifice his life in order to save his people.

AUTHOR: Janet & Geoff Benge

GENRE: Biography

SUMMARY: Suddenly, Corrie’s ordered life was lost in the insanity of war. With bravery and compassion, her family and countless other Dutch citizens risked everything to extend God’s hand to those innocents marked for certain execution in a world gone mad.

Corrie ten Boom’s life of determination, faith, and forgiveness in the face of unimaginable brutality and hardship is a stunning testimony of the sustaining power of God (1892-1983).

AUTHOR: C.R. Fulton

GENRE: Mystery

SUMMARY: “STAMPEDE!” Isaiah yells as the herd heads straight at his and Ethan’s tent… Twelve-year-old Isaiah Rawlings wished for only one thing this summer, a camping trip outside of Kentucky. I’m so tired of camping in my backyard, he groaned. Isaiah pleads with his parents to reconsider their usual summer trip to dusty old museums and big cities. When his dad unexpectedly announces a trip to Grand Teton National Park, Isaiah is ecstatic! On the second night of camping, He wakes to a thunderous noise that grows louder and louder. The ground begins to tremble. Earthquake?! Isaiah scrambles from his tent… When Isaiah, his cousin Ethan, and sister Sadie investigate the next morning, tracks lead them back to a broken fence. As they scan the surrounding area, something seems off…Why? More than one set of tracks lead into the park. Was this stampede accidental or is there more to the story? Join The Campground Kids as they work together to solve their first mystery in Grand Teton National Park.

AUTHOR: Marianne Hering & Marshal Younger

GENRE: Historical Fiction

SUMMARY: Patrick and Beth arrive in World War II Holland in the farm country. They must smuggle a baby (by bicycle) into the capable hands of Corrie ten Boom at her home in Haarlem. Along the way they hide from Nazi soliders, meet a Russian surgeon forced into service by the Germans, and encourage two Jewish children who haven’t been outside in over three years. The children learn to appreciate the bravery and sacrifice of everyday people who helped the Jews.

AUTHOR: Pam Muñoz Ryan

GENRE: Historical Fiction

SUMMARY: When Esperanza and Mama are forced to flee to the bountiful region of Aguascalientes, Mexico, to a Mexican farm labor camp in California, they must adjust to a life without fancy dresses and servants they were accustomed to on Rancho de las Rosas. Now they must confront the challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great Depression. When Mama falls ill and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must relinquish her hold on the past and learn to embrace a future ripe with the riches of family and community.

AUTHOR: Chris Grabenstein

GENRE: Fantasy Fiction

SUMMARY: Kyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library.

Lucky Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of the first 12 kids in the library for an overnight of fun, food, and lots and lots of games. But when morning comes, the doors remain locked. Kyle and the other winners must solve every clue and every secret puzzle to find the hidden escape route. And the stakes are very high.

In this cross between Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Night in the Museum, Agatha Award winner Chris Grabenstein uses rib-tickling humor to create the perfect tale for his quirky characters. Old fans and new readers will become enthralled with the crafty twists and turns of this ultimate library experience.

AUTHOR: C.S. Lewis

GENRE: Fantasy Fiction

SUMMARY: The secret passage to the house next door leads to a fascinating adventure in NARNIA…where the woods are thick and cold, where Talking Beasts are called to life…a new world where the adventure begins. Digory and Polly meet and become friends one cold, wet summer in London. Their lives burst into adventure when Digory’s Uncle Andrew, who thinks he is a magician, sends them hurtling to…somewhere else. They find their way to Narnia, newborn from the Lion’s song, and encounter the evil sorceress Jadis before they finally return home.

AUTHOR: C.R. Stewart

GENRE: Adventure Fiction

SUMMARY: One year later, the Committee has struck back with a vengeance, crippling the Resistance now scattered throughout Europe. When Devonbury Academy in Switzerland is attacked, Tom and Sarah’s only hope is to make it to a safe house in northern Italy by relying on their own experience, covert training, and martial arts.

Overpowered and outnumbered, Tom and Sarah are ruthlessly hunted throughout Italy by the Black Nobility and a merciless team of killers. Henry and Oliver discover a devastating truth, Detective Gowerstone is confronted by a dark secret from his past, and Inspector Fontaine is pushed to her limits.

Will Tom and Sarah ever find the Britfields? Relationships will be challenged, new friendships forged, and an unparalleled finale of sacrifice, romance, and loss.