Nearly seven years ago, I found myself enchanted by Champ Thornton’s Radical Book for Kids, and I couldn’t wait for my kids to grow into it. I even asked for more of it. So when Thornton published his follow-up, The Really Radical Book for Kids, I had to check it out. I’m grateful to New Growth Press for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows a similar format to its precursor, with 41 brief chapters on a wide variety of topics. The chapter that most interested me with respect to Bible study are:
- Chapter 3: Exploring Proverbs
- Chapters 14-15: Exploring Genesis
- Chapter 16: Snakes, Dragons, and the Bible
- Chapter 19: Humor in the Bible
- Chapter 21: Battles of the Bible
- Chapter 27: Exploring Romans
- Chapter 28: Reading the Bible in 3D
- Chapter 31: Exploring Mark
- Chapter 33: Two More Battles of the Bible
- Chapter 34: The Story of Jesus
One of the great strengths of this book is that it seeks to instill hunger for the scriptures. For example, on page 137, in a chapter overviewing the book of Romans, Thornton says straight out, “You can use the circle chart on the next page to get the big picture of the whole letter of Romans. Check it out, then go read Romans in your Bible.” He provides just enough information to help teens grasp the Scripture, and then he sends them on their way to chow down!
Along the way are some fun facts or goofy ideas, showing teens that God’s world is an amazing place to live. For example, chapter 29 offers a few metaphors for using the Bible to view the world: two circles showing the distinction between creature and creator, and a triangle with three corners showing three possible perspectives on any question. And then for fun, Thornton provides directions for making a magic flying ring out of a piece of paper—a flying ring that will go farther than most paper airplanes!
I must note that the final chapter, on the true meaning of Easter, is one of the simplest and best explanations of the resurrection I have seen in a work for young people. It is pure gold.
I confess that this book wasn’t quite as enthralling as the original Radical Book was, but perhaps that’s just because it’s no longer as novel an approach. But with that said, the book is jam-packed with rich, biblical teaching and reflection on the world. I am delighted to pass this on to my teenagers to provoke both consideration and conversation.
I’m happy to recommend it to you. Find it at Amazon or Westminster. And if you don’t have the original yet, Westminster has a special deal on both volumes.
Disclaimer: Amazon and Westminster links are affiliate links, providing a small commission to this blog at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for helping us to make hard decisions (chapter 4) and continue reviewing great Bible study resources.
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