Light of Mine Book Review

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

I am a bookaholic. I love books to read for myself and books for my children, but most of all, I love books I can share with my children. Our family loves doing family read-alouds and audiobooks. We enjoy many favorite classics, but I always look for new books to add to our collection. That is why I jumped on the opportunity to review Allen Brokken’s Light of Mine Unit Study – Premium through Towers of Light Christian Resources LLC.

What is Light of Mine?

Light of Mine is a 205-page novel that shares the adventures of three siblings as they battle the “dark one” and learn to shine the light of God’s love. The book was full of adventures, mishaps, and excitement. Through it, Brokken weaves the gospel truth into the story. It is the first book in the Towers of Light series.

The adventures are family-friendly, but some intense moments in the book might be a bit much for really young or sensitive children. For example, in the beginning, the father has gone off to fight the “dark one,” and the children believe he is lost and presumed dead. Their mother then leaves them at home to go and save him.

What was in the Unit Study Bundle?

The Light of Mine Unit Study – Premium included the novel, workbook, and audiobook for Light of Mine. The workbook is recommended for grades 3-6+. The workbook breaks the book down into a four-week study, with activities for five days a week. The first four days of the week include:

• A reading assignment.
• Reading comprehension questions.
• Vocabulary.
• Memory verse.
• A story passage for more in-depth discussion.

The fifth day of the week has an activity or craft to accompany the week’s reading. The book also has an answer key to help parents facilitate the study.

The bundle also included the audiobook as mp3 files on a thumb drive and a personal audio player. I loved having both options and that my younger children could listen independently without needing any other technology when using the personal audio player.

How Did We Use the Light of Mine Bundle?

The design of the unit study involves reading a chapter or two a day through the course of the study and doing the work in the workbooks over the course of a month. However, I knew that my eight-year-old son would enjoy it but would need a little extra support. I also felt it would be a fun listen while we were riding on a trip we had planned during the review period.

So, I decided that we would listen to the whole book as a family. Then I could go back and have my eight-year-old reread a chapter at a time and work through the workbook. This strategy will give him extra exposure and still give us a fun family audio.

What Did We Think?

My husband and son thought the book started slowly, but it did not take too long to get everyone hooked! We enjoyed the book’s adventure and appreciated the spiritual lessons included. (They did take a different take on a couple of issues than we do, but we were still pleased with the overall spiritual lessons.) It was a great family read-aloud but be mindful that parts might be scary for young/sensitive children.

The workbook is best for upper elementary students, and the book is probably best for third or fourth grade and above if used as an independent read.

My one complaint is that the book ends with a cliffhanger. While we are excited to continue to read the story, I personally dislike not having closure at the end of a book, even when it is a series. That said, I would still recommend the book, just expect the cliffhanger and a desire to purchase the next book in the series.

“I am enjoying the book. I enjoy listening to the siblings and how they work together to make things happen. Sparkle frog is cool.” Elizabeth Age, 14

My eight-year-old loved it so much that we had to have “oakameal” for breakfast, which was how the youngest sibling in the story said oatmeal.

If this sounds like a book your family would enjoy, you can find out more at Light of Mine Unit Study – Premium, and click on the graphic below to see what other crew families thought!