Rivers Houseal

Like people, some stories are shorter than others. Here are five such petite stories, the perfect length for an afternoon read. Each of them is a jaunt in noticing things--be it a typewriter, a medieval church bell, a grandfather clock, a fiddle, or a potato. Noticing things in the world God made always comes with consequences of some sort; and thanks be to God, levity is often part of the deal.

The Church has a rich history of music and hymns. But many mainstream congregations have thrown out the older hymns. Why?Archaic. Antiquated. Obsolete. The wording in the old hymns is deemed too out-of-date to be worthwhile to the modern Church. To which Hidden in the Hymns says, "Hogwash." It's true that phrases like "raise my Ebenezer" and "round it has cast, like a mantle, the sea" are fuzzy to modern ears. But what isn't archaic is the subject matter of these old hymns. And the plain fact is that many older hymns dive deeper into comforting truths than most Christian pop songs do. These old hymns are full of Scripture and rich insights. What better music could your children have stuck in their heads? But in order for children-and adults-to love these old hymns as they deserve, they'll need to know what the hymns are talking about.Enter Hidden in the Hymns. In order to help children see why the old hymns are worth holding on to, Rivers Houseal has paraphrased eighty classic hymns into words that a middle-grader can understand. The paraphrase is presented stanza by stanza-first, a vocabulary "translation" is given, immediately followed by the original hymn lyrics. This allows children to grasp the meaning in the hymn stanza they are about to read, then see that meaning in its original wording. The result: children realize what powerful teaching and beauty is hidden in these hymns.

Of Nature and Kings is a fantastical tale aimed primarily at readers ages 8-12, but meant to be equally as well enjoyed by gray-bearded men in porch rockers.It is a tale of boring towns, snow that comes on schedule every year, and old leather books that may not be as fictional as some people assume. There is a story concerning the world of Londane that never should have been told, but it was--and Lacter Tibbak heard it. And it's a good thing he did.Lacter Tibbak is twelve and bored to death with his life. But upon an afternoon, his father's friend entertains him with a story, and that story turns out to be a briefing for the quandary that Lacter's family will shortly be swept into. The Tibbak bloodline calls from an unexpected place--indeed, a place no one knows about at all......Except the people whom Lacter has always trusted the most. Lacter's journey to learn who he really is takes him and his family across the Noctial Sea, to a place known only to his father and their closest friends. But even Lacter's father doesn't know what they're going to face when they get there.Of Nature and Kings deals with Christian family values, and a strong anti-sorcery theme runs throughout the tale--not painting sorcery and magic as myths from which we have nothing to fear, but rather as real evil with destructive consequences. There is also an undercurrent of providence, described by one character as being "Father Above's destiny for me." This timeless story of purpose, calling, and reconciliation makes a great family read-aloud Critical Praise for the Author"I truly believe she will be recognized by the writing and publishing world as a bright new talent." - Dr. Bart Dahmer (Founder, Innovo Publishing)"I am in love with her work. She is a natural-born storyteller." - Deborah Wade (Director of Advancement, First Assembly Christian School)