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Summary: Captivating story
Review: I previewed this book before providing it to my son, and found it really captivating. Many other reviews describe the plot, so I'll simply say that the characters are truly human and that the setting is truly brought to life. Even though I have read and studied the Bible for years, this novel brought to life things I had never understood. It truly gave context to the hatred the Jews held for their Roman oppressors, and gave me new insights - all in the midst of a great story - into Jesus' ministry being centered around Galilee, where the hatred of Rome ran deepest and the Zealot movement had its greatest sway.As to age-appropriateness, I would say this is best for kids 10-11 and up, and would also be enjoyable for adults. Younger readers would need some guidance through parts of it. For adults who enjoy this sort of book, I would highly recommend Fishers of Men (Kingdom and the Crown I) by Gerald Lund. Lund's story is excellently told, thoroughly captivating and provides insights on Jesus' ministry that'll really make you think.
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Summary: ...
Review: This Is By Far the Worst book i have ever read. It Is Very very confusing and is very boring
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Summary: The Bronze Bow
Review: This book is about a boy named Daniel who lives in Israel. He's part of a secret army being developed by Rosh. When they have enough people in their army they will attack Rome.Read this book to find out if Israel gets it's freedom.
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Summary: bad book
Review: I did not enjoy this book at all.It gos into to much detail.Ex.I triped ona rock.The rock had green moss on it.he book was a wast of time to read. DO NOT READ IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Summary: Elizabeth George Speare Amazing as Usual!
Review: Elizabeth George Speare only wrote four books that I'm aware of, and all but one were awarded a Newbery Award. (And the one that did not win an award, "Calico Captive," is one of my favorite books of all time!) Ms. Speare was quite simply a fantastic writer of historical fiction. Her books are written in a style suitable for young readers, but anybody who loves historical fiction will love her work regardless of age! It's such a shame that she did not write more books. I admit that I had my reservations about "The Bronze Bow," since its setting in 1st century Judea seemed incongrous with Ms. Speare's other books which are all set in colonial New England. Also, although I'm a practicing Catholic, I was not keen on reading a fictional book with Jesus as a character fearing some very dry, preachy version of the most famous man in history would ruin the believability of the story. But my reservations were completly unfounded. Ms. Speare describes life in Roman occupied Judea with the same wonderful detail as she did colonial America. She ably describes the political/historical situation with great skill while weaving it into her fictional story of a young man deciding which path he will choose in life. Daniel, the protagonist, is as three dimensional and believable as Kit Tyler in "The Witch of Blackbird Pond." In fact, all the characters are memorably brought to life especially Daniel's emotionally devastated, younger sister, Leah. However, the major surprise is Ms. Speare's portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth- what a wonderful depiction of that itinerate preacher. Jesus is a supporting but crucial character in the narrative, but Ms. Speare does not use him to preach to the reader. Instead, the reader, like Daniel, is left to decide who Jesus is- just a kind-hearted teacher? A miracle worker? Someone unwilling to take sides? The messiah? Daniel is puzzled by these questions because the Jesus he sees is just a human being and not a resurrected savior in glowing robes. "The Bronze Bow" is arguably Ms. Speare's strongest novel, and that says alot considering her other work. It's historical fiction at its finest, and anyone who passes on it because of fears of it being "too religious" or "too preachy" are doing themselves a disservice. A great work of fiction is a great work fiction regardless if one of the characters happens to be Jesus of Nazareth.
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Summary: Thought provoking, excellent historical perspective
Review: I am an adult godfather always looking for good books for my young friends. This is one of my three best finds in years. (The others were The Witch of Blackbird Pond, also by Elizabeth Speare, and A Line In The Sand, the Alamo diary in the Dear America series.) The story is told in the time of Jesus in a village near where Jesus teaches those who come to hear him. Daniel, a young outcast, is sworn to fight the Romans with the goal of throwing them out of the land altogether. There are many other young men who want to do the same thing, but they need a leader. What they do, how they prepare, their speculation whether the new teacher Jesus may be that leader, and most of all, Daniel's struggles between his oath and what Jesus has said to him, are the story. This is not a religious book, though its end point is the second great commandment Jesus gave (Matthew 22:39). It is a book about life in the time, the unrest and resistance of many Jews to Roman rule, the confusion of many Jews looking for a military messiah trying to decide if Jesus could be that man. But more than that, it is like any other moral tale of any other time, a story of a man trying to decide what is the right thing for him to do. It is not simplistic, I'm 57 and I read it entirely, but neither is it difficult reading. I strongly recommend it for anyone from 9 years on.
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Summary: The Bronze Bow
Review: Daniel is a Jewish boy living in a small Israeli town in the time of Jesus. He runs away from a blacksmith who has been beating him. He runs up into the mountains and joins a band of thieves. He longs to free Israel from the Romans and to shed Roman blood while doing it. This is a book that will keep you up late into the night reading. As David said in one of his psalms, "God is my strong refuge, and has my way safe. He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms may bend a bow of bronze..."
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Summary: A great emotional action story
Review: This book is full of action and heart. it is a very good book
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Summary: Still powerful
Review: I was first introduced to this book in my 8th grade English class. I enjoyed it so much then, I went out and read the author's other books. I recently picked this one up again and was amazed at how powerful it still was to me. The story concerns Daniel, a young Jew at the time of Christ. He has an intense hatred of the Romans and lives with in an outlaw band in the hills. When his grandmother dies, he must move to the village to take care of his sister while trying to continue his life's mission of driving the Romans back to Rome. He is drawn to the miracle worker, but just doesn't know what he truly thinks about him. Is he the Messiah sent to free them from the Romans? And will his sister ever recover? Ms. Speare was able to create a complex plot that is simple enough for her target age to understand, but still captivating to adults. I got so caught up in the events when I was rereading that I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this children's novel to readers of all ages.
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Summary: Memorable Impact
Review: This is one of those you will read all your life. If you've ever dealt with prejudice it's a life-changer. If you even just like action and intrigue, it tingles with it. The story revolves around Daniel's hatred of the Romans who oppress him and how he resists the entrance of love into his life. Intelligent, spunky Malthace and her brother, new acquaintances of his, surprise some humanity from under his dark exterior. Then there's his beautiful sister, Leah, who has been traumatized by witnessing Roman retribution as a child. What to do when a young Roman soldier falls in love with her? Meanwhile, rumors abound about a new leader who will unite the zealots and all true patriots to overthrow Roman rule... a Jesus of Nazareth, who is coming to town. I discovered this book as a child and when I became a teacher, read it aloud to my class one summer. On the day of the last chapter I lost my voice and my boss happened to come by and read it aloud to the class for me. At the final paragraph, his voice broke and he actually cried... a powerful book.
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