1. 03.15 | CBA Retailers+Resources 49The Official Magazine of CBA
Teach kids faith lessons found in
America’s roots.
Ellis Inspires
Patriotism and
Faith
teaching U.S. history.
“Ithelpsyoungpeopleunderstandthatreligious
liberties are the foundation of our country. Both of
us have a deep commitment in this area,”he says.
Susan Arciero illustrates the“Ellis”series.
“Susanisatalentedartist.Togetherweconceived
Ellis to capture the interest of young children. I’m
blessed to work with her,” says Callista, who notes
her favorite picture books growing up were by Dr.
Seuss.“I was a big fan because of the text; it sticks
with you. It’s one of the reasons my text rhymes.”
—Lora Schrock
Rise of the Fallen
ChuckBlack/Multnomah
p$11.99ISBN:9781601425041
Spanning over 6,000 years, this
story follows Validus, the least
of the angels created by Elohim,
as he fights in the ongoing war
against Apollyon and his fallen
warriors.
This second book in the“Wars
of the Realm”trilogy features
plenty of action for the YA
crowd. Readers new to the se-
ries will be pleased to discover
the scriptural guide in the back
of the book.
—Z.D.Wisz
You Have a Brain
BenCarsonwithGreggandDeborahShaw
Lewis/Zondervan
c$18.99ISBN:9780310745990
Raised in poverty by an un-
educated single mother, Carson
rose to be aYale scholar and the
youngest-ever chief of pediatric
neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins. In
this book, he uses his experience
to give teens (and adults) the
tools they need to excel in life.
Filled with meaty, real-world
principles, YouHaveaBrainis ex-
cellent for both study groups and
individual readers.
—Sue Grise
New Releases
The
Story
of King
Jesus
(Da-
vid C
Cook,
c, $14.99, ISBN: 97814­
34707727) pairs Bible stories
with fun illustrations.
The Case for
Grace for
Kids by Lee
Strobel and
Jesse Florea
(Zonder­
kidz, p,
$7.99, ISBN:
97803­10736561) makes ideas
from Strobel’s bestselling book
kid friendly.
“Knowing
My God
Series
Starter
Set”
(Graham
Blan­
chard, c, $24.99, ISBN: 97809­
89794930) includes three titles:
Jesus Invites Me, Jesus Shows Me,
and Jesus Saves Me.
The Grave
Robber Stu-
dent Edition
by Mark Bat-
terson and
Parker Bat-
terson (Bak-
er Books, p,
$13.99, ISBN: 97808­01015977)
shares stories of the miraculous
and how teens can experience
God’s power.
Kids Books+Media/
P R O D U C T I N T E L L I G E N C E
Reviews
>>>March is a great time to prepare for the Fourth of July in your children’s area.
Many picture books, such as Callista Gingrich’s “Ellis the Elephant” series (Regnery
Kids, c, $14.99 each), not only teach lessons about America, they also communicate
strong morals.
“We try to convey the values of courage and resourcefulness.These traits are important
for children to know,”she says.
The wife of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has written four titles for kids
ages 4 to 8 featuring Ellis, a time-traveling elephant who witnesses such events as George
Washington crossing the Delaware, the first man landing on the moon, and pioneers set-
tling theWest. A fifth book is in the works.
TheGingrichesseeChristianretailplayinganimportantroleinequippingthenextgen-
eration with a better understanding of how America was founded.
“I truly love our country. It’s more important now than ever that children understand
how special our country is,” says Callista. “Schools are teaching politically correct history.
Parentsneedtogetkidsthetoolstheyneedtounderstandwhatmakesourcountrygreat.”
While Newt didn’t participate in creating the series, he shares his wife’s passion for