Prince Jonathan's War: A Bible Story

The Philistines have taken over Israel and King Saul needs to run them out. But he's too scared to fight. His son, Prince Jonathan, is ready to trust God. He and his armor bearer have gone to fight the enemy alone. But the Philistine army is pretty big. Have they made a big mistake?

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Mick Michaels thinks first grade readers need exciting books like the ones adults enjoy. So he's creating what you might call "first grade novels" — books that are more involved than easy readers but not as big as chapter books. They tell science fiction stories, fantasy stories, myths and legends, and other types of action-adventure tales that will appeal to most modern kids, especially boys.

These action-adventure books average 2000-2500 words, each with 5 or 6 chapters of around 400 words or less. Each chapter includes a couple of illustrations to help ease the transition from picture-oriented books to text-oriented books. The sentences sound more adult than "See Spot run. Run, Spot, run!" but aren't overly complex. While each book includes two or three challenging new words, the vast majority of words are already part of a first-grader's vocabulary. And each book is checked by a children's librarian to make sure the reading levels are appropriate for young readers. This book is for kids reading on a level of 2-3.

Young readers love action-adventure stories. If you want to encourage them to read, give them books they'll love!