Get a Discount and Add Dramatized Bible Stories to Your Day with The Adventum {A Homeschool Review Crew Review and Discount Code}

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

If you and your family enjoy audiodramas and Bible stories then I recommend taking a listen to The Adventum, Volume 1, produced by Wise King Media. I have recently had an opportunity to review this fictional retelling of stories of Bible stories and am impressed with how they imaginatively make the Bible come alive with powerful background music and sound effects and a full cast of voice actors.

What Is The Adventum?

The Adventum, Volume 1 is an imaginative, immersive, and gripping retelling of Bible stories that takes families back to the Creation through Noah's family's experiences and when Abraham's experienced euphoric relief when God provided a ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac to stories of Jacob and Esau.

Available as a 4-CD set, like I received, or a digital download, The Adventum, Volume 1 makes the Bible come to life for families by taking the characters of the Bible, the Words of God, and some imagination to create engaging stories filled with music, sound effects, narration, and dramatic dialogue that immerse you in what it might have been like to live during ancient Biblical times.

The entire Volume 1 set is about four hours long, broken into segments of a few minutes to about 30 minutes, with an average of, I'd say, 20-minute stories.

In the tradition of all great audiodramas, The Adventum, Volume 1 uses high-quality sound effects, music, and dialogue to immerse you in action and adventure, making your listening experience almost like watching a movie in your mind with full audio.

What The Adventum Is Not

The Adventum audiobook series is not an audio Bible recording that only uses the words of Scripture. It does, however stay true to the characters of Scripture and, where the voice of God is used in the audioadrama, it's taken verbatim from the NKJV and NIV translations of Scripture. There is no artistic license taken with His words.

A Discount for You

If you'd like to listen to samples of the audiostories, make sure to go to The Adventum website where you will also see - at the time of this writing - that The Adventum, Volume 1 is 50% off. Better still, The Adventum is offering free shipping for Training Happy Hearts readers! Just use the code advcrew22 at checkout!

Our Experience with The Adventum

The first time I listened to The Adventum, Volume 1 I was on the tail end of a long roadtrip with two of my children. Both children enjoyed the stories with me and thought the imaginative retellings were interesting, but one thought that the sound effects were a bit too overpowering.

After that, because my children were rarely in our minivan at the same time this summer, I listened to the rest of the 4-CD set on my own on my way to and from daily Mass. Interestingly, on a few of the days I listened, the messages from the CD-set and those from the Scripture and homilies I had heard at Mass lined up, allowing God to use a combination of prayer, my time at Mass, and my time with the audiodramas to speak to my heart. (I love it when these things happen!)

Likewise, on a few occasions when my daughter and I were going for what I call walk-n-talks, she brought up things that she had heard or read during her studies and personal spiritual reading time and I found myself relating thoughts I had had after listening to The Adventum on those mornings. 

Thus, I can attest that the creative and immersive retellings of The Adventum impacted my thoughts and family conversations, and I am glad I have had the opportunity to listen to the CD-set.

How You Might Use the Adventum

The beauty of a CD-set like Adventum is the flexibility with which it can be used. It comes in a hard plastic case with sleeves for each CD that - through my experience - stands up to being shuffled about in bags and vehicles. Some ideas for using it are:

1. Enjoy family listening time together by listening at home while you color, do chores, play with blocks, etc.
2. Pair the audiodramas with history studies so that early Biblical history can come alive.
3. Engage in Bible study time by listening to the audiodramas and then reading corollary Scripture.
4. Dive into Lectio Divina with kids by keying into the Scripture passages that each story in the set was created from and then choosing another Scripture passage for children to read, meditate, pray, and contemplate.
5. Prompt Biblically-inspired writing by having your kids pick Words of God from Scripture in other parts of the Bible and then create an imaginative retelling using real Biblical characters and stories much like The Adventum does.
6. Share selections in a co-op or catechism class.
7. Make long car rides seem to go faster by immersing yourself in the stories.

The Adventum, Volume 1 seeks to inspire and captivate you through:

• helping you identity with Bible heroes of the past - as real people with real struggles much like us
• igniting a hunger to read Scripture.
• sparking curiosity, excitement, and a deeper love for God.

Enjoy its immersive experience of the stories of Genesis.

 

Learn More

See how other Homeschool Review Crew families used The Adventum, Volume 1 by clicking through the banner below.

Listen to samples of this engaging Bible stories audioadventure at The Adventum website.

The Adventum has more resources for your homeschool, to include four more volumes in this series and a growing collection of text and audio lessons, which can be found on The Adventum blog, and are directly connected to the the audiodramas

Don't forget that at the time of this writing you can get 50% off  The Adventum, Volume 1.

Training Happy Hearts readers can also get free shipping by using the code advcrew22 at checkout!

You might also enjoy the additional four volumes of this series that are also available on the website, including Volume 5, which is ready for pre-order.

3 Family Favorite Dramatized Audiobooks for the Season

 Happy final week of Advent!

Truth be told, my family and I  "failed" much of the third week of Advent as far as many of our day-to-day traditions go, and - since we were out so much - we did more listening to stories in our minivan than we did reading together by our Advent Wreath and Jesse Tree.

So, today, I thought I would share which CD's we had the in the minivan to help us revisit seasonal stories that have become nostalgic to us. Perhaps you and yours might enjoy these audio stories, too. 

{Some links may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and Music Maestro affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.}

Your Story Hour Christmas Stories

This set contains 14 30-minute dramatized audio stories, including classics like The Gift of the Magi, Biblical stories like Mary from Nazareth, and stories for forgiveness like A Sheaf of Grain. You can get a taste for what Your Story Hour radio dramas sound like on their website where there are a few free stories available.

Maestro Classic's The Nutcracker

We've been listening to this Maestro Classics CD since we reviewed it back in 2015. It's a wonderful version of the Nutcracker!

The Familyman's Christmas Treasury

Sadly, computer issues made us lose our digital downloads to the Familyman's Christmas Treasury set, which we reviewed back in 2016, but we still have our one CD from the set, The Stranger. which hits us differently every year when we listen to it pending what's going on in our lives.

During the week, we also managed a few picture books from the list we shared before and, blessedly, had a fruitful week overall with service and some extra special celebrations, which included:

...the gift of family, friends, and fun at Great Wolf Lodge...

...someone getting his permit...

...enjoying the lights, the crisp night air, and fun with friends at Edaville...

...and our youngest making dinner for Daddy and the rest of the family.

I pray that your Advent has been fruitful and fun, and would love to hear the titles of your family's favorite seasonal audio stories and books.

***

Find book and audio selections for all four weeks of Advent by clicking throgh each image below

Get Homeschool Books at Wholesale Prices {A Library and Educational Services LLC REview}

Books and audiodramas.  If you love them like we love them, Library and Educational Services LLC is a service you need to know about! 

We recently has a chance to order Hiding in Plain Sight (a Lifehouse Theater On-the-Air audiodrama), Who Was Alexander the Great (from the Who Was series), and some beautiful Reinforced Hardcover Library Binding Nonfiction books from the History's Greatest Warriors series and the That's Me in History series, all of which came in speedily and have been being enjoyed by our family.

Oodles of Resources at Discount Prices!

Before I tell you more about the specific materials my family ordered from Library and Educational Services LLC, I want to explain a bit about the company.

Library and Educational Services LLC is a family-owned company based in Michigan that has been around for 40 years.  The company sells materials at 30%-70% off to libraries, schools, resellers, specialty stores, churches, missionaries, daycare centers, ministry leaders, and - how awesome is this - homeschoolers!  

They ship all over the world, including to military bases, have oodles and oodles of choices in their catalog, and are known for their knowledgeable, courteous, and outstanding service, with real, live people who answer questions and help you with your orders if you call.

Gotta love a wide selection of wonderful quality materials at low prices with real live people to help!

Something for Everyone

For our review, we were given a gift certificate of about $70 to spend on materials directly ordered from Library and Educational Services LLC.

After browsing the amazing amount of materials the company offers, I ended up picking the audiodrama myself - a dramatization based on truth called Hiding in Plain Sight - and, then, had each of my children pick one other book or series that they thought looked interesting.

This took some time since the company offers so many resources - paperbacks, CD's, DVD's, hardcovers, devotionals, Bibles... history, science, geography, nature, sports, fiction, children's books... and all vetted with the promise that:

"The CDs, DVDs, and books we choose to distribute are carefully selected to ensure they are not contradictory to Biblical standards and values.”

~Library and Educational Services LLC 

Finally, my youngest asked for Who Was Alexander the Great, my middle child picked a 4-volume That's Me in History Series, and my oldest picking a 5-volume History's Greatest Warriors series.


Pleased with Our Selections and the Service

Once we ordered our materials, they came in super quickly, so we dove right into them.

My youngest immediately picked up one of his big brother's books and began reading it.

Then, since we had to head out that day, we popped Hiding in Plain Sight into our minivan CD-player and began listening to it.

My children had this to say about the audiodrama:

"I liked it. It was about a slave couple that escaped from Georgia in 1848." 

"I really like it! It was an audiodrama with many people doing voices and with sound effects. 

I also liked that they touched based on how slaves were punished, but had characters go away before it got too bad, so you heard about it, but not so graphically. It was realistic, but not overly gruesome. 

In the audiodrama, one slave had a white parent, so she looked white and, one day someone said, 'If I didn't know better, I would think she was white.' That sparked an idea. She and her husband decided that they would run away with her dressed up as a white man with a bad arm so she wouldn't have to write and a stinky poultice for at terrible toothache so people could not see she had no facial hair. Along the way, there were close calls, but they made it to freedom."

"It was about two slaves who escaped and pretended to be a white man and his slave. They went on trains and stuff and made it the north, but, then, had to go to England to escape slave catchers and laws. I liked it. It had action and character voices."

I found the story engaging and well told myself  - with enough realism not to gloss over true history, but enough sensitivity to keep it family friendly. I also liked the clear faith in Christ the main characters had!

(There is also a Ninja book, but, after it traveled through the hands of all three of my children, "wasn't me" misplaced it before I could get a picture of it. We think it is at a friend's house, since one of my children brought it to a friend's to show them some cool parts.) 

As for the other selections we picked, my oldest had this to say:

"I picked the History's Greatest Warriors Series because I liked the picture of the guy with the battle ax, and it looked like it might information for the fantasy novel I am in the midst of writing. 

When the books came in, I read every single one of them and found new facts in most of them. The Samurai and Ninja ones were the most informative for me, because I have not studied Asian warriors as much, but I liked the Gladiators one the best. It had the best images and was well written. 

Some interesting facts that were in the books were:

• Ninjas could dislocate their jaws.

• Gladiators were sometimes hired by emperors and politicians as bodyguards.

• Samurai were mostly archers.

• European doctors during the knights era knew little about medicine so many knights died from battle wounds.

• The god Odin had nine daughters that flew over battle fields on winged horses and decided which vikings would live or die."

My youngest said:

"I picked Who Was Alexander the Great, because I like him. 

I learned that he killed his best friend in anger, because his best friend was saying that Alexander should not act like he was a god. Then, he lived in his tent with no food or drink for three days for penance. 

I also learned that there was a city on an island that no one could get to. Alexander wanted to conquer it, so he has his men dump rocks in the water and cover them with dirt and stuff to make a bridge to conquer it. 

I liked that there were larger font words and pictures. 

I also read my brother's books about Ninja, Samurai,Vikings, Gladiators, and Knights. I liked how they were written, and I liked the topics. I have already read them twice! 

I also read some of the Egypt and the Inquisition books my sister got. They are interesting."

My middle child has this to say:

"I picked the That's Me in History Series, because they looked easier to read than some books but did not look boring. 

I was right. I read parts of all of the books and they had stories and history. 

I liked the cover art and how they start out with a story, so it's like someone talking to you instead of just dry history. 

I also like that almost every page has some sort of illustration or picture to go with what they are saying.  

I also read my little brother's book Who Was Alexander the Great. I enjoyed it, because the Who Was series focuses on one person but includes little bits from the time period and how the person's life changed parts of the time period. 

When Alexander the Great's temper flared up, you did want to be the person he was angry at. He killed two people - once when he was drunk and once in a fit of rage. He did good stuff, too, but this is what stood out to me. 

I liked that the chapters were not that long and that there was a lot of white space on each page. The That's Me in History book had a smaller font and not as much white space. 

I also read parts of my older brother's Ninja book. It was neat the way they started off with the last ninja, but it was pretty disgusting that Ninja's dislocated their arms and jaws. 

The quality of all these books are good.  They are informative."

Without question, I am glad we did this review and am well-pleased with the quality of the materials we received and with the speedy service Library and Educational Services LLC offered. 

The fact that the company sells at wholesale prices to homeschoolers thrills me and I definitely recommend checking them out as you plan for your fall needs as well as for gift giving times.

Learn More

Connect on social media:

Website | Facebook | YouTube | Pinterest | Instagram

Read the reviews!

You can also click over to about other resources that Library and Educational Services LLC  by reading the other Homeschool Review Crew reviews since we each picked different products to check out.

For the Temple... and For the Modern Day, Too {A Heirloom Audio Productions Review}

Our family has come to absolutely love Heirloom Audio Productions and were so excited to receive their latest release - For The Temple by G. A. Henty - just after we had finished re-listening to an old favorite (In Freedom's Cause).

In fact, as soon as my children brought the package containing our copy of For The Temple into our house, a little ritual unfolded: They ripped the package open and cheered, and, then, we immediately began listening to the audiodrama during driving time and laundry time, eagerly immersing our imaginations in history and adventure!

An Old Story for a Modern Time

By the time we had finished For The Temple, I was thinking, Such a wise selection for these times, Heirloom Audio Productions! Of all the G.A. Henty stories you could have adapted for your award-winning audio theater productions next, you truly chose a relevant one!  For today's world seems wrought with in-fighting in politics, among Christians, and more - and it also is easy for people to get so caught up in a cause that we can miss truth if not looking for it. 

In my opinion, For The Temple dramatically tells a tale set in history, but, at the same time cautions and inspires us for the current day - making it a fantastic addition for pleasure listening, history studies, character inspiration, and faith-building. 

When Ancient History Speaks to Children

All three of my children love listening to G.A. Henty stories produced by Heirloom Audio Productions for the sheer excitement and adventure of them. They also "get" the stories on a deeper level - sometimes on their own and sometimes with help.

When I asked my eight year old for his thoughts on For The Temple, he said:

When I saw For The Temple, I was excited, because I like Heirloom Audio Productions CD's. (A note with the CD) said it was the best yet. I didn't think it was. I think either In Freedom's Cause or the Dragon and the Raven are the best, but this one is very good, too.

For The Temple is about the Romans and the Jewish people battling. The story focuses on John, a young Jewish farmer who turns into a soldier and leads other young men to protect the temple. I liked the battles, especially the one with the battering ram smashing down walls.

In the story, some Jewish people were fighting each other. That wasn't smart. They could have had more people to fight the Romans if they were not fighting each other.

Then, when I asked him if what was happening in the story is still happening today with anyone and if he could tell me a lesson the story taught him, he said:

Today, Christians fight each other sometimes. That's not smart. We should focus on faith not fighting, not focus on earthy stuff, but the heaven stuff.

My eleven-year-old had a lot to say when I asked her for her review of the CD-set:

I enjoyed For The Temple.

For The Temple takes place in the time when Jewish people and Romans were fighting.

This story is about a young man named John from a grape farming family who goes on a boat ride. When a storm hits,  he is saved by a galley ship.  He is invited to go fight the war, and he does.

Later, he ends up making his own force of young, unmarried Jewish men to antagonize Roman soldiers. He becomes a legend as he tries to protect the temple.

This story throws you into the past - an exciting adventure. Will a young man have to choose between being with his family or fighting for the temple? Will a Roman leader who  makes a promise to a Jew keep his oath? Will the Jewish people continue to fight amongst themselves or will the ban together to fight the wrath of Rome? I guess you'll just have to listen to find out.

When I asked her if the CD made her think about anything nowadays, she said:

When I listened, I wondered, will we, as believers in Christ continue to quarrel amongst the different branches of believers or will we choose to put away our differences and preach the gospel through our actions?

I liked this CD set, because it's an exciting adventure.

My thirteen-year-old enjoyed the story a lot - and related it to a hot-button current events topic:

For The Temple is another exciting tale brought to life by the talented people at Heirloom Audio Productions. It tells the story of one of the wars between the Jews and the Romans shortly after Christ's death and resurrection.

John, a grape farmer's son, who is played by Joseph Reed, decides to join the fight against Rome. He forms a band of young, unmarried men who harass the Romans, striking them fast and hard when they least expect it.
For The Temple is probably in my top five Heirloom Audio Productions CD's, because it is fast-paced, filled with battles, and set in a time period I like.  Also, many of the characters show vigor and honor. In fact, there are honorable (and dishonorable) people on both sides.

This CD-set teaches a few things:

(1) To fight against each other is sometimes worse than not fighting against a common enemy.

(2) Sometimes, things you believe all your life are not always true.

(3) Sometimes, those you are fighting against may be better people than those you are fighting with.

Today, in this time, it is a time when we all must unite - Catholic and Protestant, Christian and Jew, against the evils of the modern world.

When I listened to this CD-set, even though it had nothing to do with abortion, it made me consider how we need to stop fighting among ourselves and stop this horrible thing. Abortion is against the will of God and always will be. We need to ban together to fight for the will of God.

I just love how For The Temple sweeps you away with top-notch voice acting, sound effects, score, and storytelling while also moving you to apply the lessons of the past to the modern day!

 

There's a Study Guide, Too!

In addition to the physical audio CD-set we received, we also got a link for a downloadable study guide.

We've never been ones to use a study guide as written as we tend toward a more relaxed and eclectic homeschool style than a super structured and bookish one, but, I still appreciate the careful thought and design of Heirloom Audio Productions study guides and find them helpful to browse and to share parts of with my children.

The For The Temple study guide is well-designed and user friendly, with sets of "Listening Well" comprehension questions that can be used with younger children and "Thinking Further" ones that can be used for writing assignments with older students. 

There are also well chosen lists for "Defining Words" to help you focus your children on vocabulary that may be new or unfamiliar, helping them to learn what the words means after hearing them in context.

Also included in the guide "extras", like a brief history of the historical character Josephus and a description of typical foods in Ancient Jerusalem, a Bible Study, and a bibliography.

In my family, we read the brief articles in the study guide and chatted about them, plus I sometimes pulled ideas from the questions to pepper organic conversation with.  I also browsed the vocabulary lists and discussed some of the words I was not sure my children already knew. 

I can see other families using he guide in a more formal way for journaling, formal discussions, reports, papers, unit studies, etc.

Learn More

If you'd like more takes on For The Temple, click on over to read reviews from the 80 Homeschool Review Crew families that were blessed to listen to it!
 

Find all the reviews!

Connect on social media:

 

• The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A. Henty series FB page
• Heirloom Audio Productions social pages
  • Facebook
  • Twitter @HeirloomStories
  • Google+
  • Instagram @HeirloomAudioOfficial

 

Discover other audiodramas that can help you "live the adventure".  We've happily reviewed all of the Heirloom Audio Productions to date and encourage you to check them out.  They are all top-notch historical adventures told from a Christian perspective.

Find our review.

Wulf the Saxon