"Attack at the Arena" Book Review

                                               

"Attack at the Arena"

By: Paul McCusker &

Marianne Hering

About the Book:

"Patrick and Beth learn that Mr. Whittaker’s fancy ring can be seen inside the Imagination Station but not outside of the machine. A mysterious letter leads the cousins to fifth-century Rome in search of a special cup that belongs to a monk. If found, the cup could keep the mysterious Albert out of prison.

At the Roman Colosseum, Emperor Honorius is hosting a gladiator battle in celebration of a war victory. Beth attends the event as the emperor’s slave; Patrick attends as a monk’s apprentice but is taken prisoner and sent to fight in the arena. During their adventure, the cousins meet Telemachus (a true historical figure), a monk who believes that fighting is wrong. Telemachus is willing to risk everything—even his life—to stop the killing. When the cousins return with the cup, they find that a third letter has been sent with more information about Albert’s fate."


About the Authors:



Paul McCusker is the creative content director for Focus on the Family. He has been a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and drama since 1979. His work includes over forty published novels, full-length plays, dramatic sketch collections, and song lyrics. For the Adventures in Odyssey series alone, he has written over 200 half-hour radio episodes, eighteen novels, and two screenplays for the best-selling animated videos. He has dramatized many classics for Focus on the Family Radio Theatre, including A Christmas Carol and Jan Karon's At Home in Mitford. He also wrote and directed the Peabody Award–winning Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Freedom and created the highly acclaimed Father Gilbert Mysteries series. Paul lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children.

                                                  
Marianne Hering is a prolific writer, having written hundreds of articles and a number of books for children and parents. For nine years she worked for several magazines in Focus on the Family's periodicals department and became the editor of Clubhouse, a Focus on the Family children's magazine with a circulation of over 100,000. Marianne's book titles include two series for girls (Lights, Camera, Action; and White House Adventures) and a recent biography of William Bradford. Her most recent title is a compilation of activities from Clubhouse magazine, the Focus on the Family Clubhouse Family Activity Book. As a mother of three children, Marianne is interested in parenting and education issues, including home schooling and tutoring reading. She graduated from Biola University (La Mirada, California) with a degree in psychology and has continued her education with courses in writing and editing. She and her husband, Doug, live in Colorado with their nine-year-old daughter, Danielle, and two-year-old twin sons, Justin and Kendrick.

My Review:
Attack at the Arena is book 2 in The Imagination Station series about cousins Patrick and Beth and their adventures in time.  Set in Roman times, this story is full of action and adventure as the cousins are literally fighting for their lives on a mission to retrieve a special silver cup.  This is a lesson about peace and I loved the very detailed black and white illustrations that help keep your imagination full of details. I do wish that the change of heart that Honorius had was explained more, what was it that Telemachus said that made him realize that God is the Bread of Life?  I wanted to hear more dialogue but overall this is a great story with a timeless message.  Recommended for ages 7 and up and grade level of 2.3.  You can join Patrick and Beth on their adventures too, visit TheImaginationStation.com and get fun facts about Vikings and learn about the animals of Greenland.  You can also get all the details on the next book in the series.  Check it Out!


**I received a complimentary copy of "Attack at the Arena" for purposes of this review however all opinions are my own.