Welcome To Light Unto My Path Ministry!

We warmly welcome you to Light Unto My Path Book Reviews. The purpose of this ministry is to provide you with Christian reviews on books in our society. As Christians, it is our responsibility to know what goes into our minds and thoughts through way of books. In today's society, there are very few books that uphold Christian values. It is important that if you have children, you know what they are reading. Parents, this is why we are reviewing a wide variety of children's and teenager's books. It is absolutely essential that you protect your child. For those who do not have children but love to read, we are reviewing a lot of popular and entertaining books that are perfect for you. Under each month is a link to a specific book that was reviewed. It has a picture of the book with several categories that describe the book. This will help you to choose a book wisely without having to go down the aisles of the local bookstore or library searching for a good book. We hope this website is a great resource to all of those book lovers out there. If you want to become saved or aren't sure about your salvation and want to learn more information about it, please read the article after this. Our first priority is to see people saved by the grace of God. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask. God Bless!

How To Become A Christian:

Becoming a Christian is the most important decision of your life. The three basic parts of salvation are admitting to God that you are a sinner, believing that Jesus died for your sins, and committing your life to God. If you have never heard the story of Christ, we will give you the brief version. Jesus Christ is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" who was sent by God onto this earth to pay for your sins. You see, Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Sin can be as simple as telling a small lie, or as big as murder. God loved you enough to send his own son to die on a cross for your sins (John 3:16). That's pretty impressive. Jesus promised that if you become a follower of him (the first step is salvation), you will be with him forever in heaven after you die. We are not going to give you an exact prayer to be saved, but make one up from your heart. It means so much more to God if it comes from your heart instead of something we said. Also, we encourage you to read the best book ever known to man, the Bible. If you don't have one, you can go online to http://www.biblegateway.com/. If you have any more questions about salvation feel free to ask us under the comment section.

Eragon

Title: Eragon

Author: Christopher Paolini
Genre: Fantasy
Age Level: Older child/young adult
Characters: Eragon, Sapphira, Brom, Arya, Angela, and Murtagh
Plot: Eragon is a teenage boy who has spent his whole life in Palancar Valley. Raised by his uncle, who is now a widower, Eragon lives on a remote farm with his uncle and older cousin. While hunting in The Spine, a wild mountain range, Eragon, through an unexpected series of events, finds a strange blue stone. He takes it home with him and later tries to sell it but discovers that it isn’t valuable.
Eragon has always enjoyed and been fascinated by the tales of ancient history. He himself is thrust into them when one night the “blue stone” cracks open and a dragon emerges. Afraid of others’ opinions and antagonism (since dragons are quite rare), he attempts to hide the dragon, whom he names Sapphira. This endeavor is successful until his uncle’s farm is burned to ashes one day while Eragon is away from home. Plagued by guilt because those who destroyed his uncle’s farm were hunting for Sapphira, Eragon leaves on a vengeance quest immediately following his uncle’s death. Brom, the wise but stern village storyteller, joins Eragon and trains him in the arts of magic and sword-fighting. Eragon discovers that he is talented in both of these areas and learns quickly, although not without making occasional (and sometimes costly) mistakes. Through adventure and peril, Eragon and Brom search for the murderers, rescuing an elf, Arya, along the way. Eragon also meets and becomes friends with Angela, a quirky witch who is kind to him and predicts his future. Brom dies, and Eragon, joined by a mysterious comrade named Murtagh, continues the quest. Meanwhile, Eragon, as one of the last remaining dragon riders, wrestles with decisions about where to place his loyalties. The corrupt king hates dragons and dragon riders who are not allied with him, but Eragon is unsure whether to join the elves or the Varden. He finds refuge in a dwarf city. The book draws to a close in a huge battle.

Precautions: Although adventuresome with a fascinating plot, this book has too many objectionable elements to make reading it worthwhile. Angela, a witch, is portrayed as a good character who is sympathetic to Eragon. This confusion of good and evil might confuse younger readers and is definitely contradictory to a Biblical worldview. Also, the basic theology/philosophy permeating the book is counter-Biblical. Brom (a "good" character) teaches Eragon morally ambiguous lessons (i.e. stealing is sometimes permissable). Eragon, although the hero of the book, consistently lies, deceives others, etc. and does not seem repentant afterwards. Arya shows a complete lack of Biblical femininity (Biblical femininity is, in essence, what a woman should be like according to the Bible- character qualities she should exhibit, etc.). There are also a few suggestive scenes in the book (for instance, when Eragon heals Arya). Although the character handles the scenes well and does not succumb to temptation, the reader is prompted to wonder why the author chose to include such things in the first place. When Brom dies, the only thing for Eragon to do is to immortalize his grave and say a last farewell, accompanied by a vague hope for the hereafter. In addition, magic and spells are made to seem attractive and alluring. There are a few bright spots and thoughtful, wise insights scattered throughout the book, but they are few and far between, and several of the shining elements seem actually to have been plagiarized from works by other authors.

Ratings: I would not recommend this book except as a example in fantasy of the emptiness of a worldview devoid of God. Although Eragon has some interesting parts and is definitely adventuresome, it lacks a sound theological/philosophical base. Many other fantasy works have been written that are much more worthwhile to read.

Baby Alicia Is Dying

Title: Baby Alicia Is Dying

Author: Lurlene McDaniel

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: Young Adults

Characters: Desi, Alicia, Valerie, Aunt Clare, Carrine, Brian, Sherrie, Matthew, Gayle, Eva, Sadie, Tamara

Plot: Desi was an ordinary teenage girl until one day her heart was touched by a baby named Alicia. Her Aunt Clare had taken her to Childcare, a home where abandoned HIV positive babies are cared for. Desi works alongside Sadie, Gayle, Tamara , and her Aunt Clare. Here she cares for Baby Alicia by giving her baths, loving her, and playing with her. At school, Desi is made fun of because of her association with HIV babies who will probably develop AIDS. Brian, her lab partner, comforts her and encourages her throughout all of the trials and tribulations. Even Desi's own mother is concerned about her daughter working with the babies. Over time, Desi becomes more and more attached to Alicia. Then, Alicia becomes sick one day and ends up in the hospital. Within a matter of time, Alicia passes away. Desi is heart broken. After Alicia's death, Desi is confronted by Alicia's mother. She explains to the young girl that she really cared about Alicia, but it was impossible to care for her as she was on drugs. The story closes with Desi returning to Childcare. A new baby has arrived at the center and the teenage girl once again becomes attached to another child.

Precautions: Lurlene McDaniel is a wonderful Christian writer. Throughout the entirety of the book, there are significant Bible verses and Christian ideas that go along with the story. This book teaches readers the importance of accepting others (in this case, those who have HIV). Also, it has an underlying message that states that even when those around you discourage you from doing something, it is always important to do what is right. When reading this, be sure to think of how it can be applied to your personal life. As a teenager or adult who is reading this book, you are tempted to do things everyday. This book is a great tool to show cause and effects of certain behaviors and practices. The only major precautions are for those who are younger. Due to the nature of HIV and AIDS, I would not recommend this novel for younger readers.

Ratings: Overall, this is a book that I would recommend. It is a great tool for showing people, especially teenagers, the causes and effects of doing drugs and other negative behaviors. Like I stated earlier, the author is a wonderful Christian fiction writer. Hopefully, this book will be enjoyed and many things will be learned from it.