Pride goes before a fall

In this ongoing biblical time-travel series, Whitney has helped slay Goliath, stowed away on Noah’s ark, been swallowed with Jonah by a whale, and more. This time Whitney picks up the bad habit of elitism and finds herself propelled back to the Tower of Babel-right at its very moment of mass confusion! Whitney begins this unexpected journey on the soccer field, where she is star player on an unbeaten team. Overly confident, she and her team stop practicing and use the time to taunt lesser competitors. The coach is so furious he threatens to disband the team. Chastened, Whitney uses her grandmother’s Emerald Bible and is whisked back in time. There she witnesses another arrogant group and the sobering results of its pride. A much humbler Whitney returns home, faced with the task of helping to change the team and change the coach’s mind. Perfect for middle graders, the Whitney series is made up of exciting, fun-filled books illustrated throughout with lively black-and-white drawings. The series presents everyone’s best-loved, best-known Bible stories with immediacy and impact. Whitney herself is a flawed but lovable heroine kids will readily identify with. Her stories incorporate pre-teens’ all-consuming concerns at home and at school. Best of all, the Whitney books show kids they can be an active participant in their own faith. This is a great title for all Christian kids aged eight to twelve, especially fans of the American Girl series, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and the Cooper Kids adventure books. Recommend it also to parents and grandparents, parochial school religion and English teachers, and CCD and Sunday school teachers.