Reviews by Jana McCraine
The Flowering Cross
On 3/15 Jana McCraine wrote: The next book I reviewed for Thomas Nelson's blog review site, Book Sneeze, was "The Flowering Cross" by Beth Ryan. This is a children's book that is written to describe a modern-day version of how Easter, and Christ's resurrection still impacts people today. In the story, the main character is a six ... A Wonderful Easter Book!
The Vertical Self
On 3/2 Jana McCraine wrote: The next book I reviewed for Thomas Nelson was "The Vertical Self": How Biblical Faith Can Help Us Discover Who We Are In an Age of Self-Obsession" by Mark Sayers. Sayers is a pastor at a church in Australia, and speaker on topics such as faith and culture. This was a different type of book than I ... Mediocre - some strong points, some repetition
The Long Way Home
On 2/9 Jana McCraine wrote: The next book I reviewed for Thomas Nelson’s group, Book Sneeze, was “The Long Way Home” by Andrew Klavan. This is a hardcover book that has a great look on the outside. Instead of a jacket cover, the picture is printed on the cover. The title and graphics are intriguing to an individual ... A great suspense novel for teens and adults, not children
Hermie: Antonio Meets His Match (DVD)
On 1/14 Jana McCraine wrote: The next thing I reviewed for Thomas Nelson was a DVD called “Hermie: Antonio Meets his Match”. This is a children’s movie written by Max Lucado. It is approximately 30 minute long, and there are some bonus features that can be watched as well. I was really impressed with this film. The story ... Wonderful DVD!
The Sweet By and By
On 1/4 Jana McCraine wrote: The next book I reviewed for Thomas Nelson was “The Sweet By and By”, by Sara Evans, with Rachel Hauck. My first impression of the cover was very good. The book has an inviting look, and draws the reader to it. Although the book is categorized as General Fiction, I would guess that the demographic ... A Good Read by Sara Evans
The Tallest of Smalls
On 12/18 Jana McCraine wrote: The next book I reviewed for Thomas Nelson was Max Lucado’s, “The Tallest of Smalls”. This is a children’s book that is probably aimed for the age range of 7-12, although I think children of all ages will enjoy the book. My first impression was to notice the interesting and unique illustratios ... A Great Parable, with Wonderful Illustrations!
Redefining Beautiful
On 10/14 Jana McCraine wrote: The next book I reviewed for Thomas Nelson was “Redefining Beautiful – What God sees when God sees you”. The author is Jenna Lucado, Max Lucado’s daughter. There are excerpts from Max Lucado’s books included, and also some commentary from Mr. Lucado. The book’s target audience is teen ... Great book for Teen Girls!
What's He Really Thinking?
On 9/17 Jana McCraine wrote: The next book I reviewed for Thomas Nelson was “What’s He Really Thinking – How to be a Relational Genius with the Man in Your Life” by Paula Rinehart. The book is 160 pages of advice, 10 pages of appendix, and roughly 30 pages of study guide. Rinehart targets the book to women who are looking ... Average book on the Subject
Fearless
On 9/8 Jana McCraine wrote: The next book I reviewed for Thomas Nelson is a brand new book that releases today, September 8th. It is “Fearless – Imagine Your Life Without Fear” by Max Lucado. Having only read excerpts from Lucado books before, and none in their entirety, I did not have any preconceived ideas about his writing ... A Must Read!
100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs
On 7/28 Jana McCraine wrote: The next thing I reviewed for Thomas Nelson was “100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs” by Stephen Elkins. This book is recommended for children ages 4-8, and I think this is fairly accurate estimate of what audience will enjoy the book and music. I do think most children closer to the lower range ... Great Book, Cute Illustrations, and Great Music
In the Footsteps of Paul
On 6/4 Jana McCraine wrote: The next book I reviewed for Thomas Nelson was “In the Footsteps of Paul – Experience the Journey that Changed the World”. This is a 175 page book filled with beautiful photographs by Ken Duncan. The author traveled to many of the places that Paul went to, and took photographs to chronicle the ... Beautiful Photographs!
The Noticer
On 4/27 Jana McCraine wrote: The next book that I reviewed for Thomas Nelson was “The Noticer” by Andy Andrews. It is categorized as ‘Self-Help/Personal Growth/General’, so I didn’t really know what to expect when I began reading. I don’t normally read many self-help books, but this sounded interesting. It’s written ... Great read!
The Read & Share DVD Bible - Volume 1
On 4/15 Jana McCraine wrote: The next thing I reviewed for Thomas Nelson was the “Read and Share DVD Bible”. This DVD has 13 stories from the Old and New Testament, including Adam and Eve, Jesus being tempted by Satan, Noah’s Ark, and the story of Isaac and Rebekah. It is labeled ‘Volume 1’, so I’m assuming they will ... Fun DVD for Children!
Skeeter and the Mystery of the Lost Mosquito Treasure (DVD)
On 3/16 Jana McCraine wrote: My next item to review was a DVD by Max Lucado called "Skeeter and the Mystery of the Lost Mosquito Treasure". This DVD is in the Hermie & Friends collection, and has the voice talent of John O'Hurley, Tim Conway, Rob Pottorf, and Melissa Disney. The whole lesson of the movie is based on Psalm 139:13-14, ... Great DVD!!
Kiss
On 2/26 Jana McCraine wrote: The latest book I read to review was "Kiss" by Ted Dekker and Erin Healy. At first glance, the book cover doesn't appear to be a Christian fiction book. Along with the title, there is an image of a woman's face with emphasis on her lips. I don't feel like the cover is a good portrayal of the book at ... Great suspense novel!
Boomtown
On 1/13 Jana McCraine wrote: This book was categorized as a Kids/Juvenile Fiction. It was over 300 pages, and I felt like it should be labeled as a young adult book. While I think a younger child would enjoy having it read to them, I think the book is too long to keep the attention of most kids under the age of 12. The story has ... Just OK
Moon Shines Down
On 11/18 Jana McCraine wrote: I received this book, hoping it would be a book that I could read to my son. The author also wrote the popular children's book, "Goodnight Moon". I absolutely love this book! I read it to my son (4 months old), and he sat happily and listened to the whole thing. It's pretty long (about 40 pages), but ... Great book for kids of all ages!