April 2024 Book Club Recommendations

Our goal in the Foundation Worldview Book Club is to provide resources for you to have meaningful, literature-based worldview discussions with the children God has placed in your care. We work hard to choose books with insightful, truth-based themes. However, we know that our subscribers will have different convictions about the content they allow in their homes, churches, and classrooms. We encourage you to read the recommended books ahead of time, to ensure that the content fits within the framework you have already established in your ministry context. Please also note that by recommending a certain book, Foundation Worldview is not endorsing every work published by a particular author. Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, Foundation Worldview will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Book for Adults

Book for Children Ages 8-12

Question 1 - Armulyn sings songs of Anniera because he says that he is homesick for it, a feeling that Sara and many other characters resonate with. When we feel a similar feeling, like we do not belong here, what should this feeling point us to?

Discussion Guide - Read Hebrews 11:13-16. Then, discuss how our home is not on this earth. So, Christians should feel a sense of homesickness for the new heaven and new earth.

Question 2 - Gnag sought to destroy Anniera and the Jewels because he thought he was unloved; all he truly wanted was a name. He did not realize he already had a name, so he sought to make one for himself. How does Gnag's quest reflect what we see happening in our world today with the lie that we can make everything align with our feelings (change our gender, find our identity in our desires, make everyone affirm us, etc.)

Discussion Guide - Discuss how, just as Gnag already had a name, all humans are born with an unshakable identity as God’s image bearers (Genesis 1:26-27). On top of this, God desires that we be adopted into his family (2 Peter 3:9). Our culture teaches us to seek out a flimsy, ever-changing identity for ourselves when the only true and lasting identity is found as image-bearers who are reconciled to God.

(SPOILER ALERT - We recommend that you not read this question and discussion guide until you have completed the series.)

Question 3 - Throughout the series, Janner’s fatal flaw has been selfishness. How do we see him overcome this flaw at the end of the book, and what lesson can we learn from this act?

Discussion Guide - Discuss how Janner lays down his life for Kalmar. He faithfully fulfills his duty as a throne warden and new life is brought to Anniera. Read Luke 9:23-25 and John 12:24-26. Discuss how the call of the Christian is to die daily to ourselves and follow Jesus, and from this death springs new life.

Book for Children Ages 4-7

Question 1 - How did Fanny respond when people told her what a pity it was that she couldn’t see?

Discussion Guide - Discuss how Fanny would explain that the first sight her eyes would ever see would be the face of Jesus.

Question 2 - How did Fanny use her time and gifts to honor God?

Discussion Guide - Discuss how Fanny spent her days writing hymns that praise God. Introduce your children to the hymn Blessed Assurance if they are not already familiar with it.

Question 3 - How can you use the gifts God has given you to honor Him?

Discussion Guide - Discuss gifts you see in your children, how you already see them using those gifts to glorify God, and how they could use those gifts in the future.