I’ve used this book for the past two weeks as my “wake up book” for the kids, and I loved it.

It’s a book built for quick, grab-your-attention type reading. The chapters are just 15-20 pages of easy-flowing text, and each ends with facts, a summary, a challenge, and a prayer. By the time I’m done reading each morning, my kids are awake, their minds are focused on the goodness of Christ, and we’ve already had a quick prayer. I couldn’t ask for more!

This is a book of mini-biographies of famous Christian men, though each begins in their childhood. This sparks the kids’ interest as we read it together, but very quickly the characters grow up, follow the Lord, and endure amazing experiences in ministry. Howat keeps the stories moving, and although she necessarily leaves some important scenes out from these men’s lives, it only serves to whet our appetites to read even more. I felt like it’s a kids’ version to another favorite series of mine, Daring Devotion and Daring Dependence by M.R. Conrad.

I recognized all of the names in this book before reading it—and I’ve even read the full adult biographies of some—but there were two about whom I really knew nothing, Nicky Cruz and Luis Palau. I’ve seen Cruz’s book, The Cross and the Switchblade, on church library shelves but have never read it…yet now my interest is piqued!

The Ten Boys

1. Brother Andrew – This chapter opens with young Andrew’s part in the rebels’ cause during WWII. It also relies heavily on his use of “the miracle car,” a never-dying vehicle God provided which allowed him to smuggle Bibles to folks who craved them.
   
2. John Newton – This chapter begins with Newton at age 9 and includes stories of press-gangs and slavery. It slowly morphs him into adulthood without our really noticing it, which was a nice touch on Howat’s part. It was in this chapter that I first noticed the book was published in Denmark and is meant for a European audience—it mentions the work of William Wilberforce and suggests that we write our own members of parliament to help make changes in our own country. That bit was a surprising wave of freshness for me, since everything I otherwise read subliminally reinforces the misconception that America’s the center of the world. Another special thing about this biography in particular is that it makes no mention of Newton’s having penned “Amazing Grace,” which is arguably his most famous accomplishment. Instead, it focuses almost exclusively on the slave trade.
   
3. Billy Graham – Like with Newton, this chapter took an unexpected turn. While it certainly describes Graham’s extensive career as an evangelist, it mostly emphasizes American race relations during the 1960s. Billy grew up with a kindly black servant, because that’s how things were done in his childhood—but in 1964, he bucked the American norm by preaching to a mixed crowd in Birmingham, AL, where blacks and whites together came in droves to receive Jesus as Savior. It’s good my kids get exposed to names like Billy Graham’s this way, because he otherwise doesn’t come up often in our conversations. I really enjoyed reading Graham’s full biography, America’s Pastor by Grant Wacker (2014), several years ago, though I’ve only read one of Graham’s own books, Nearing Home (2011).
   
4. Eric Lidell – I know I’ve read other books about him, but I’ve apparently never reviewed any of them. Olympic runner, Chinese missionary, martyr—no wonder Chariots of Fire was such a big hit! Lidell’s commitment to never run on a Sunday was viewed as both foolish and unpatriotic, yet he stuck to his principles. Growing up, my family always respected Sunday too, but it strikes me now that Lidell was beholden to a “law” that isn’t even biblical and may be criticized as more legalistic than principled. Something I had to consider as I chatted about it with the kids. Still, the man died a martyr’s death, faithful to Lord, disciplined more than most Christian heroes, and certainly well worth honoring and remembering.
   
5. William Carey – It’s interesting the things Irene Howat chose to emphasize in some of these biographies. Here, she describes Carey’s famous translation work and his single convert, but she also spends an equal amount of time talking about his leather globe and the dislocated shoulder. Perhaps these are bits of info kids really cling to?
   
6. David Livingstone – I began reading a Livingstone biography when I traveled to Africa last year but never finished it for some reason. I think I found the text too dry, though the man’s background and adventure-style ministry certainly weren’t. The only other book I’ve read that contains his mini-biography is The Romance of Missionary Heroism by John C. Lambert (1907).
   
7. Nicky Cruz – I knew the title of Cruz’s biography, The Cross and the Switchblade, before I started reading this chapter, but I’ve never read the book before. This was a very helpful introduction to his life and the change Christ brought. Definitely interested in reading his full biography someday!
   
8. Adoniram Judson – My recent trip to Myanmar got me excited to read more about Adoniram Judson, so I enjoyed the short biography, Adoniram Judson by Faith Coxe Bailey (1955). I’d like to read a more in-depth biography someday, knowing how influential his Bible translation—miraculously rescued from destruction!—remains even to this day among the Burmese people.
   
9. George Müller – This man of prayer from Bristol is an amazing example of faith. Never having asked for a penny for his orphanage, he was able to rescue and raise children by the hundreds with donations that boggle the mind.
   
10. Luis Palao – It was great to find out more about this evangelist from Argentina. I had no idea that other men were as influential for the Gospel as was Billy Graham! Exciting to read about.

The book also includes a quiz section in the back, which I didn’t notice until the ends. The questions are more about facts and names that applications, but it was still fun to go through with my kids.

We’ve got another book in this series, Ten Girls Who Changed the World, sitting on our shelves, so that’s definitely going to be our next morning read. Such a great, inspiring way to start our days!

©2024 E.T.