Angeliki and the Shipwreck
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Overview
Reading level grades 4–6. Story themes resonate through age 17.
Angeliki and the Shipwreck is the first installment in The Witness Series by Josh Hardin, a new collection of middle grade historical fiction that places young characters inside Bible stories from both the Old and New Testaments. In this book, readers join Angeliki, a fourteen-year-old girl traveling as a fellow passenger on the ship carrying the Apostle Paul to Rome.
When hurricane-force winds threaten to destroy the ship and everyone on it, Angeliki must decide whether to surrender to her panic or to trust the unwavering faith of a chained prisoner named Paul. Faithful to the biblical account in Acts 27, this gripping adventure invites readers to experience Scripture as living history.
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Product Details
| SKU | M439-8 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Master Books |
| Weight (in lbs) | 0.26 |
| Title | Angeliki and the Shipwreck |
| Series | The Witness Series |
| ISBN 13 | 9781683444398 |
| Contributors | Josh Hardin |
| Binding | Paperback |
| Page Count | 176 |
| Publisher | New Leaf Publishing Group, LLC |
| Dimensions (in inches) | 4 1/4 x 7 |
More Information
Ageliki is a sensitive, perceptive fourteen-year-old who, in her mother's words, is afraid of wind and storms even on a sunny day. When her father receives a work promotion that requires relocating to Rome, the whole family finds themselves aboard a ship crowded with shackled prisoners and a captain more interested in cargo than caution, sailing during the most dangerous time of year on the Mediterranean.
Already unhappy about leaving home, Angeliki is frightened by the risk of sailing so late in the season, when storms make the crossing treacherous. The captain presses on anyway, ignoring every warning. But one prisoner catches her attention: a battered, soft-spoken man named Paul who carries himself like someone who has nothing to fear. He is educated, articulate, a fellow Roman citizen, and completely unafraid. That puzzles her more than anything else about the voyage.
She can't stop wondering: What gives Paul such calm in the face of chains and catastrophe? Why does his companion Luke carefully document every detail of the journey on parchment scrolls? And why does Aristarchus, a fellow prisoner and experienced sailor, offer his help to the struggling crew and join Paul and Luke in prayer and worship songs?
The more time Angeliki spends with them, the more she suspects they are right about the danger ahead. But unlike her, they aren't afraid for themselves. Their only concern is for others on the ship. Paul's words stay with her: My God will take care of me in any circumstance. If only she could believe that too.
Written at a fourth to sixth grade reading level but rich in emotional depth and mature themes, this book is an ideal choice for reluctant or struggling readers in grades 7–11 who find longer or more complex books frustrating. Fast-paced and full of tension, with energetic black and white illustrations throughout, Angeliki and the Shipwreck will keep readers turning pages, even those who already know how the story ends from Acts 27.
Customer Reviews
My child especially enjoyed following Angeliki’s journey after the shipwreck and seeing how she handled the challenges that came her way. The story does a great job of showing resilience and growth, and it gave us some natural opportunities to talk about perseverance and trusting God during difficult circumstances. The setting and events kept his attention, and he was curious to see what would happen next.
The writing flows well without feeling overly simple, and it held his interest all the way through. Overall, it was an engaging and meaningful read for our homeschool—one that sparked both interest and good discussion.
There is a good coverage of Biblical themes and principles, especially the theme of trusting in the one true God alone. Overall, I recommend it for the suggested age range. I would not recommend it for a younger advanced reader, which is not a downside. It wasn't written for lower elementary. There is some discussion of sacrifices (dumping grain in the water) and idols to false gods, and while presented in the negative, I don't want to get into some of those specifics with younger kids.
There a couple of things that I'll have to consider before giving it to my children when they are a little older. One is the characters could have been fleshed out better. Paul especially. He comes off as a sweet grandpa figure. In the Bible I think we can gather that he was very loving and tactful, but he was also very direct. That direct, passionate side felt like it was missing. My other consideration is the illustrations. While I prefer human made artwork, that's not even my issue with them. AI illustrations can be done well IF they are cleaned up by someone who knows what they are doing. There were a few instances of classic weirdness with the fingers that AI struggles with. The characters in the pictures often seemed disconnected from their environment and other characters, including things like inconsistent perspectives and line of sight being off. They often appeared to be looking just to the side of something or someone instead of right at them. One of the things that encouraged my love of art as a child was the beautiful and skillfull artwork in my books. I'm still inspired by my children's books. So I do think the quality of illustration matters, both for the artistic example, and as an example of work ethic. AI art might be easier, but as far as this book is concerned, it really didn't feel better. I'm not looking to completely avoid AI art in our lives, but I also care about the examples of Christian work ethic I set before my children. So do I recommend it? Well, yes. I still do. It's not bad, and better than a lot of secular stuff out there. I just hope that they improve upon some of these things for the rest of the books in the series.
My kids (ages 7–11) absolutely loved this historical fiction book! It was dramatic and adventurous, yet remained faithful to the biblical account. I especially appreciated the emphasis on what prayer is and and how worship can exist even in the midst of chaos.
So often with books like this, the creative license an author takes can overshadow the true biblical story. As the author notes at the beginning, he set out to avoid changing any details from the biblical account, only enhancing it with fictional elements from a young person’s perspective. I think he succeeds beautifully.
We are all looking forward to reading more from The Witness Series as they become available!