An Adventure While Reading the Bible - A New TOS Review!

Bible study, reading and memorization are a major part of our lives both individually and in our homeschool. So when I heard that the Crew had the opportunity to review a new study Bible for kids I jumped at the chance.  I was so thankful to be chosen and hoped that this would be a Bible that fit our needs, especially for Arianna.

The Product:
The Bible is called the Deep Blue Kids Bible which has been created in the CEB or Common English Bible translation by Abingdon Press. This translation was completed in 2011 by over one hundred and twenty Bible scholars from over 22 faith traditions.  They really worked to keep the translation both clear and accurate. They also chose to be consistent by using the same English word for a Hebrew or Greek word to keep with their goals.  They also decided to use transliteration for monetary weights as well as for measuring (dry/wet) weight and capacity. Then when they were able they would use a footnote to give an estimated equivalent in the U.S. English measurement.  All of these steps show the thoughtfulness of the translators to keep this Bible aimed at a 7 - 12 year child by keeping it clear, concise, accurate, and inspiring.

There are many interesting features of this Bible that make it very unique and engaging to children. At the very first your children will meet the Deep Blue Crew - Asia, Edgar, and Kat - who are there to help your children dive deep into God's Word.  They each have a specific area that they are most interested in and it comes across when they pop up throughout the Bible reading. Ari's favorite is Kat because she's sporty and adventurous (and she likes her 'voice' that she has her talk in.) Audrie's favorite is "Asia she talks a lot, like me."  Then a few pages in there is a code to the In-Text notes and other features that you will see littered throughout the pages.

• Sailboats - helps us grow stronger by pointing out positive traits we can have in our lives
• Umbrellas - help in difficult times by explaining unhappy emotions and traits that aren't good for us
• Lighthouses - help develop rock solid faith by discussing the basics of following God for life
• Life Preservers - give answers to tough questions and the harder to understand sections of the Bible.

Then there are Did You Know sections (Bible trivia, customs,etc), God's Thoughts/My Thoughts (devotions to help your child dive deeper into the Word), Navigation Point! (which mark key verses and passages that would be good to memorize), and Bet You Can! (reading challenges).  All of these work together to make Bible reading fun and enjoyable and helps your child really delve deep into His Word to hide it into their hearts. And you can't miss the 8 full color maps from National Geographic that are tucked in the back of the Bible.

Our Experience:
When this Bible came in I was undecided on which of my daughters would benefit the most for it.  As soon as I opened the Deep Blue Kids Bible, it was clear that Arianna would be the one most benefited.  Since Audrie is still in the process of reading this Bible isn't easy for her to just pick up and use.  But I'm sure that in time we will be purchasing one of her very own. ;)  So when I brought the Bible out to show them our newest review I almost had a mad rush to grab it out of my hands and start to explore.  I had Arianna read the beginning pages and notes to explain all about the different features and notes that she would come across while reading.

 I also had her read a few more sections on Bible basics as well as discuss the opening pages to each of the 66 books.  On those opener pages one of the three kids will give a brief overview of the book, mention some things they will discover, people they will meet while reading, places they will travel to and words they will want to remember.  I have found these opener pages a great tool to ask questions to Arianna as she reads through a book.

Most days I can find Ari reading the Bible to herself or to her brother and sister.  She asks to read it every day which is a BIG chance in our house.  She decided to start reading from the beginning and has been taking her time reading all the additional notes in the passages.

Her favorite is the Bet You Can sections.  Arianna says "it makes you read a section that they choose in a set time.  One time they made me read a chapter before an hour and it only took me thirteen minutes.  That was pretty easy." Another of her favorite sections are the Sailboat notes. "These notes describe what something is in case you don't know - like it had one for obedience and then it told me what obedience was.  They had one while I was reading about Noah and it told me what a flood was, but I already knew."

My Thoughts:
This Bible is very kid friendly both by the internal and external design.  The one we received is ImageFlex with a blue background and the three explorers in a boat.  There are 4 other designs you can choose from.  It is also a great size (~5 1/2 x 8 1/2) for portability, but without to tiny of a printed word size.  This Bible with ImageFlex softcover retails at $26.99.  You can find places to purchase this Bible at a variety of prices including the Christian Book Distributors - which is having a HUGE sale (at the time of this writing.)

I also loved some of the resources they have available including two books - Finding Your Way Through the Bible and a Learning to Use My Bible Teacher's Guide and Class Paks which  were created to help you and your child/student get the most out of their Bible time.  You can find them and views of all the exterior cover choices at their store.

You can also check out their short video giving you an introduction to this Bible and a sample of the text at their website.  Please remember to head on over and read how other Crew members used Deep Blue Kids Bible in their family. You can contact them and even join their email newsletter list.

*** I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse 2011-2012 Crew and receive free products and services in exchange for a thorough and honest review. Though I am compensated with free products, I am not compensated in the form of money for any of my reviews. My reviews will always reflect my honest opinions, findings, beliefs and experiences with the products and services that I receive.***