The Secret of The Hidden Scrolls {A Book Review}

In this book review, we are looking at two great titles from The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series which is published by
WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. While there are five titles available in the series, this post focuses on
The Great Escape (Book #3) and Journey to Jericho (Book #4).

In our home, we absolutely love a good adventure book, even if we feel like we may have read parts of the story before. Whether we are reading junior versions of older stories, rereading a household favorite, or jumping into something brand new based on the recommendation of others, we are always reading and always ready to see where a good book wants to take us.

Luckily, the two titles we just finished reading from The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls fit right into the category of adventure stories we love!

I Honestly Had A Different Plan

When the review for these books first came up my plan was to make them a part of our morning basket. While WorthyKids recommends these chapter books for readers ages 6-9, I felt that both my 5-year-old and 8-year-old would enjoy them. We read a wide variety of books as part of our morning basket and the youngest has sat through plenty of books that were technically above her age range.

However, when my son saw them he was immediately intrigued and begged to read them. I tried to get him to wait – even told him they were for a review – but he insisted. So I compromised. I told him he could read the first one, The Great Escape (Book #3), by himself but that he was going to need to wait on the second one (which is technically book #4 in the series). I figured he would start the book, lose interest (because it’s a chapter book), and we would end up reading them together.

Boy, was I wrong! Not only did he start reading The Great Escape, he read through most of it in one sitting! He woke up the next morning and finished it. This boy, who just a few days prior was telling me he didn’t like reading chapter books because they were too long, finished a chapter book in less than 24-hours.

On top of that, he was now begging to read Journey to Jericho as he just had to know what happened in the next installment. So I did what any semi-relaxed homeschool parent would do – I told him to grab the next book and keep reading. I’d figure out the details of the review later.

What Did He Love About These Books?

So just what did my son love about these books so much? That’s the million-dollar question, right, and the one that was burning in my mind. How did he go from not wanting to read chapter books independently to devouring them both in just two days? No math lessons. Skipping out on video game time. Face stuck in a book laughing as he excitedly turned page after paged.

I was so intrigued I asked him. Knowing I didn’t have time myself to sit down at the time and read them, and certainly not wanting to crush his excitement by asking him to wait for me, I bided my time and waited. Enjoyed the moment of not only him simply being excited about reading, but excited about chapter books. For him, this was a huge moment!

Simply put – the storylines grabbed his attention from page one! As a series, both books pick up where the prior one left off, but gives the reader enough background information to read them independently. Right from the first page, he was transported into familiar Biblical stories in a new and exciting way. Right from the comfort of his bed that first night he traveled to ancient Egypt, reliving the well-known pages of the Exodus story. He journeyed with Peter, Mary, and their dog Hank as they left their Uncles’ home via a magic scroll and found themselves in the desert of Egypt meeting a princess. Page after page he read as Peter and Mary met the Hebrew slaves and witnesses the plagues he has only read about in the Bible take place on the pages of a chapter book while the main characters lived as guests in the castle with Pharaoh. Eventually meeting up with the Great Magician and with the help of Michael the angel, the duo worked to solve the secret of the scroll and return to their Uncles’ home before time ran out and they were stuck in Egypt forever.

In Journey to Jericho, he was again catapulted into a beloved Biblical story with the same familiar characters. This time, my son found himself in the desert inside a tent decorated with candlesticks, loaves of bread, a golden box, and candles before running into Joshua. Peter and Mary, along with their dog Hank and the reader, are right in the middle of yet another pivotal story. And just like in The Great Escape, the reader is hooked from page one. From sneaking into the walls of Jericho on a spy mission to meeting Rahab and witnessing a girl being teased over her doll, each page begs young readers to keep going. Once again, the scroll plays a pivotal role in helping Peter and Mary return to their Uncles’ home and they are guided and helped by the angel Michael and come up against the Great Magician who again tries to thwart the kids.

In short, both of these stories captured his attention and kept it. Enough mystery to keep him going. Just enough familiarity to keep him knowing where the story should go. And easy enough for him to read them independently even if he was leery at first about chapter books.

My Turn To Read The Secret of The Hidden Scrolls

Knowing that my son had finished reading both of these books (more than once), and armed with the knowledge that he loved them, I set out to read them myself. Still reading our current morning basket book, yet driven by his excitement, I sat down one afternoon to start the first book. For an adult, these are easy reads. Quick (around 100 pages each) and exciting, the author, M. J. Thomas weaves a fabulous story while sticking to Biblical truths.

More importantly, at the end of both stories, the author tells the readers exactly which sections of the Bible to go to if the reader wants to read more about the story they just read. And in The Great Escape, he lets the readers know where he took some creative liberty and why. I absolutely love how forthcoming the author was and that he directs the readers to the Bible to verify the stories he shared in a new way. So much so that I ventured to The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls website to find out exactly why M. J. Thomas created these books. In short, he was looking for an exciting way to encourage his own son. Books that would teach and guide while at the same keep kids’ intrigued and turning the page.

Personally, I think he did just that! In just a couple of hours, I myself had read through both of the stories, guessed my way through as Peter and Mary worked to solve the puzzle on the hidden scroll, and also watched for major changes from Biblical truth. I could see why my son was hooked with an easy to understand storyline, age-appropriate language, and chapters ending in cliff hangers that beckon the reader to keep going. Scattered throughout were illustrations that helped the story come to life. And there was just enough intrigue that you too will wonder if Peter and Mary are able to solve the riddle without changing the past (one of the rules the angle Michael gives Peter and Mary). And even if as the parent you already know it will all work out (it is a children’s book after all) there is enough in there to keep you entertained.

Plus, it’s an amazing opportunity to review beloved Biblical tales in a new and different way.

More From The Secret of The Hidden Scrolls

While this review does only focus on The Great Escape (Book #3) and Journey to Jericho (Book #4), there actually are five titles currently available. And for the last couple of weeks, my eight-year-old has done a great job of reminding me of this fact. He’s hooked and I know that the rest of the series will make it’s way to my home shortly!

And I’m ok with that. Books that are clean, well written, and engaging are always a good thing. And if it can also include the faith element that is so important to my family – even better! The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls from WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group hits every mark for this household and I’m confident they will do the same for yours.

Check out the other Crew reviews here!