While the suggested grade level for Mr. Pipes and the British Hymn Makers is 7th grade and up, I really enjoyed sharing this story with my boys (2nd and 4th grade) as a read aloud. This is the first book in a series from Christian Liberty Press by Douglas Bond a Pacific Northwest author and English teacher.
Sometimes my boys don't always understand the hymns from church and using this book as an introduction to the idea of Hymn Makers (they really liked that term) has helped them see the bigger picture when it comes to the hymns of praise and worship and the messages in the hymns. I know that many hymns it is easy to see as they are based on scripture verses making it really easy to introduce the boys to those hymns first. But, getting to know the writers from a different perspective has been not only a learning experience but has also brought us closer to the WORD and helped encourage them to give a little more credit to the hymns we sing. It is about more than words and notes on a page. The message is so much bigger than that.
The boys have so much enjoyed the story time together (partially I think because of the setting and timing it with the recent Olympic games) that I am adding the rest of the series to our school wish list, especially as we move through Ancient History this year and toward the Middle Ages and the Reformation. I love being able to find connections with various subjects and this is looking to be one of those wonderful connections (history, Bible, Music, etc...)
See what the rest of the crew thought of this book
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