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Magnus Kir Children’s Book

One of the books we read was Magnus Kir by Christian author Dean Hardy.  I personally was unable to put it down – and cannot wait for the rest of the family to read it.  I found it captivating and thought provoking as I followed Zack through his adventure.   He’s just 12 years old and like any curious boy his age he’s on the edge of loyalty and rebellion as he questions his surroundings.  His community is picture perfect, safe and secure on the inside.  But what lies beyond the wall?  Is it really as bad as everyone says or is it a chance at freedom from the mundane?  Why does the community have such rules – what really happens to those who are sent away as a punishment for breaking them?  Could they actually be better off as some of them think?  All of these questions and thoughts of adventure run through young Zack’s mind as he realizes he must find out for himself.

In an instant Zack finds himself on the outside and in this moment my mind drifts to the part in the LOTR movie where Samwise standing at the edge of the field as he says to Frodo and states that if he takes just one more step that he’ll be the furthest he’s ever been – except for one thing, our dear Zack is all alone – he has no Frodo to confide in – no friend, anywhere outside the wall.  As you wish that he had one of his dear friends at his side, you are, at the same time grateful his friends are safe inside the wall – because you know that Zack is no longer safe and secure.

The fate that awaits Zack is fearful – filled with adventure.  What horrible creatures will cross his path?  Will he survive, and if he does – how could it possibly turn out well?  How could anything turn out well or ever be the same?

Perhaps on of the reasons I found this story so appealing was that I remember a lot of similar thoughts and feelings from when I was about 12-14 – why do we have rules?  What if we broke them – does it really matter – and who does it matter to?  What would it be like if we lived outside our lives – what if we did something drastic to escape – from our church, religion – our lives?  Do we have anyone there protecting us?  How important is it for us to have structure in our lives – rules in family, church and government?  Are the rules set in place to restrict us – or give us more freedom?

The opportunity for discussion is clearly there – and I think it would be an excellent way to bring up such thoughts with a possibly rebellious child and open the doors to discussion that might really be helpful.

I highly recommend this book – it’s for ages 9-12, but I thoroughly enjoyed it myself.  And if you go to the author’s website you can also download a free 15 page discussion and study guide, with vocabulary words – which makes it great for homeschool.  I’ll be using this alongside our history/government curriculum because it presents so many excellent points – I love it!

Dean Hardy’s Magnus Kir had me turning page after page of suspense, fear and mystery – and after reading the last page, with a lump in my throat, I found myself “lost between a smile and a tear…

christian children's book Magnus Kir

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