Hero Tales: A Family Treasury of True Stories from the Lives of Christian Heroes

Hero Tales #1

by Dave Jackson, Neta Jackson

The Jackson's tell the stories of 15 Heroes of the Christian faith. A black and white pencil illustration precedes each biography. 3 short stories about the individual then illustrate their virtues. Some virtues are repeated across several individuals. A Bible verse about the virtue and a discussion section of both comprehension and application questions completes each profile.

Individuals and virtues covered are:
Gladys Aylward: Confidence, Resourcefulness, Courage
William & Catherine Booth: Creativity, Boldness, Discipline
Amy Carmichael: Sacrifice, Compassion, Servanthood
Adoniram & Ann Judson: Truthfulness, Perseverance, Dedication
David Livingstone: Thankfulness, Humility, Dedication
Martin Luther: Vision, Courage, Joy
Dwight L. Moody: Repentance, Boldness, Strength
Samuel Morris: Peacemaker, Boldness, Encouragement
George Muller: Faith, Graciousness, Trust
Menno Simons: Integrity, Loyalty, Sacrificial Love
Mary Slessor: Courage, Mercy, Peacemaker
Hudson Taylor: Faith, Trust, Obedience
Harriet Tubman: Compassion, Joy, Perseverance
William Tyndale: Vision, Patience, Faith
John Wesley: Discipline, Boldness, Generosity

The book ends with a list of the character qualities and which stories contribute to an understanding of each.

This is book #1 in a series of 4 books.

Genres: Christian, Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, School, Faith

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1996

About the author

Dave and Neta Jackson are a full-time husband/wife writing team who have authored and co-authored many books on marriage and family, the church, relationships, and other subjects. Their books for children include the TRAILBLAZER series and Hero Tales, volumes I,II, III, and IV. The Jacksons make their home in Evanston, Illinois.

Reviews

[Lo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked learning about the historic figures and the page-sized portraits that preceded each hero, but I have too many issues with this book for a recommendation.

It claims the Bible teaches against polygamy and slavery (it doesn't). Additionally, it references a law in Burma that forbade worship of any god other than Buddha (no Buddhist has ever called Buddha a god).

Also, many of the virtues are written in a misleading way. An example:
"Forgiveness means not taking revenge on people who have treated you badly."
So, as long as you don't take any action to harm the offender, you've forgiven them? This tragically ignores the heart condition essential to forgiveness.

I was dismayed to find 2 Corinthians 9:11 grossly mistranslated to fit the Wesleyan principles of Kingdom Economics.

You can pass on this one.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this part of the school year when we finish books almost every week. It satisfies the completist in me. This book of short (two-page) stories of figures in Christian history introduced my kids to the idea that there are people in the past who loved Jesus and lived for him. It also amazed them with remarkable faith and provision. I’m glad we read it this year, though, because my 8-year-old is ready to tackle more complex biographies but I love that my 4- and 5-year-olds could experience it with him.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book could get 5 stars for just nostalgia. I remember my mom reading this to my sisters & I, sometimes crying/sobbing. Now I have read it (at the supper table as family), sometimes crying/sobbing. So funny because I remember as a child that it is kind of annoying when the reader cries. Now I am that reader. Moving on. I will say, there were a few times I took a pause as what was written did not quite seem politically correct for nowadays, but still really good & interesting overall. Many of the people my husband hadn't heard of (and some I didn't remember either), and it led to some good table discussions (mostly between the two of us, as you kids are still quite young).

[Abigail Westbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great way to introduce kids to famous heroes of the faith. We really liked the discussion questions and memory verses at the end of each chapter, too - made for many good conversations. This could be used as a devotional or (as we did) as part of a homeschool morning basket.

[Dionna Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book to my kids. There are discussion questions at the end of some stories and we especially liked those. It got us talking about a lot of issues and spiritual matters that I don’t know that I would have brought up on my own otherwise.

[Amanda Erdman · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love this book. My kids were very interested in each hero of the Christian faith. We pretty much skipped over the virtues and descriptions of the virtues because they were not well defined. We also chose not to ask the comprehension type questions at the end, but instead chose to discuss the story as a family.

We tended to read about one person at a time, and the way the stories are arranged is a bit confusing. There’s a short biography of each person, then three short stories from that person’s life, but they are y necessarily in order.

I liked that we could find a lot of these biographies as Torchlighters movies, free on Amazon Prime!

[Willow · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far, we are a bit disappointed with this book. Each person featured is introduced in a mini-biography (approximately a page long) that gives the bare facts from birth to death (including giving away events that the successive chapters tell). The next sections, only a page or two long, and therefore feeling very "bite-sized," story-tell in random chronology and merely highlight a few scenes in each person's life, in order to demonstrate a particular character quality. I guess I was expecting more in-depth biography written in a living way.

Each little chapter ends with a definition or description of a character quality, a Bible verse, and discussion questions. Some of the definitions were oversimplified or even just sort of made-up; for instance: "Forgiveness means not taking revenge on people who have treated you badly." "Humility is not thinking you are so good that you can't accept failure." "Joy is to be found when you don't take life or yourself too seriously." "Boldness requires going after a goal single-mindedly." I really didn't care for any of these. I think they fall very short of the true definitions.

Some of the Scripture texts were taken out of context, inviting poor hermeneutics and a false understanding of God and Scripture. For example: Matthew 7:7 (ask, seek, knock) to seemingly demonstrate that God will give you what you want just because you asked.

We probably aren't going to finish this as a read-through book, but may keep it as a reference, at least until we find something that works better for us. I'm going to search out some biographies that can take us deeper and be more living and use those in place of this.

[Amy Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was scheduled as part of our Bible time in our homeschool with MFW ECC. As we traveled around to different parts of the world, we would read the corresponding biography/bios from that part of the world. So, this week, we read about Gladys Aylward while we studied China. There are 3 little vignettes from the heroes' lives, as well as an opening mini-bio of the person. So it was scheduled for Tuesdays-Fridays (not every week). Then the kids copied a sentence about character traits that the Jacksons put at the end of each little anecdote from the hero's life. (3 copywork sentences total, one per day Wednesday through Friday). For how it was scheduled, it went perfectly along with the curriculum. It isn't enough to be the only Bible curriculum; we are also reading Windows on the World for prayer focus and the book of Matthew. But it is a perfect addition. It's not thorough coverage of the hero by any means. We have read longer biographies on many of the heroes in this book, but it's still a nice little reminder. The character trait definitions are focused only on the relation of that character trait to the story; so these virtue definitions are very specific, and might strike adults as not a very comprehensive or thorough definition. But I didn't have a problem with it, since it was so obviously tied to the story. Also, the verses were taken from poor translations at times. In summary, it was great for what it was scheduled for, but I could see how it might be disappointing to someone who wanted it to cover more. In that case, I'd go for Hannula's Trial and Triumph or the YWAM Christian Heroes: Then and Now set.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was all right. Each historical person of faith, from Harriet Tubman to Martin Luther to Dwight L. Moody, has a brief biography and three short stories from their life, each story showcasing a character quality like Bravery or Perseverance. While I enjoyed the true stories of faith and fruit, I know my kids were confused when the stories delved far into church politics, and overall this approach (to my mind) could have the unintended effect of a focus on works.

Some of these people (like Gladys Aylward) inspired my kids; my 5-year-old called this the Gladys Aylward book for a long time after we finished her section. Some, like Menno Simons, they just didn't "get." My personal favorite was Samuel Morris, a man I had never heard of before, whose section was POWER. I want to know more about him!

Overall, though, I think I prefer Missionary Stories with the Millers, the Hidden Heroes books, the Benge biographies, or even Dave and Neta Jackson's historical fictions based on these same figures. In Hero Tales, I think the snippets from their lives were just too short for the girls to get a clear picture of their overall walk, or even remember who or where they were in history.

We enjoyed it well enough as a read-aloud during Wednesday lunches, and I anticipate my girls looking through it again because the shortness of the stories feels accessible for them to attempt on their own as early readers. Definitely worth the $2 I spent on it at the thrift store!

[Susanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction for kids to Christian heroes like William Tyndale, Martin Luther, Menno Simons, John Wesley, Adoniram and Ann Judson, Harriet Tubman, George Mueller, Amy Carmichael, and Gladys Aylward. I read these to my boys and they led to some interesting conversations (about the Judsons not taking revenge and about Aylward conquering fear and about death and the afterlife). However, I didn't like the story-telling style and neither did I agree with every single lesson. But I remember reading these as a pre-teen, and the story of Amy Carmichael cleaning the toilets herself because someone else didn't want to has stuck with me for decades.

I read most of the paperback before returning to the library. (I skipped William and Catherine Booth, Mary Slessor, Amy Carmichael, and we didn't finish DL Moody.)

[Lorinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my children were young, we through Hero's Tales vol. 1-4 as our morning devotional.

Drawing from the lives of faithful men and women throughout church history, authors Dave and Neta Jackson teach character lessons to young (and older) children. All hero sections include a two-page biography and three character lessons in the form of stories from the person's life. Each lesson closes with a Bible verse and three discussion questions. All of the books contain 15 biographies, and all of the character qualities discussed in each book are listed in the back.

[Kiley Cogdill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so compelling. The fact that so many Christians would lay there lives down for Christ is such an inspiration. When you read these stories of missionaries who devote their lives to spreading the Gospel it stirs up a desire in you to do the same. I believe that is the purpose of this book to show what sacrifices a missionary must make, but in the end they will receive the prize of eternal life which makes it so worth it. I recommend this book to all Christians.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good and so well done. It was a perfect book to use to introduce my kids to some great people. We used it for school for learning good character traits as well. Highly recommend.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An encouraging read on the lives of people faithful to the Lord

[Tina Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book I read aloud to my children with short stories about great heroes of the faith.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite series to inspire people of all ages. Have given away several copies.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The scope is pretty good for the size of the book and intended audience, but the discussion questions are oftentimes shallow. We’ll keep an eye out for a bargain on volume 2.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second time through with our Children. Perfect for daily evening family devotions.

[Kristin Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book we used as a read aloud with our kids. Sparked lots of great conversations!

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a devotional approach to church history. Short biographies of each believer are followed by three stories that illustrate their virtues. Each story ends with a Bible verse that talks about the virtue and discussion questions.

This is not heavy study and will not provide you more than a glossed view of each individual. In addition, the stories are not arranged in any particular order - which I find annoying.

However, after we have a good biographical feel for someone, I do find this work provides a lighter, easier way to learn a bit about the individuals. A nice luxury, but not an essential. It would almost fit better as a virtues enhancement (assuming you were studying all the same things) than as a church history biography.

A good book that you could get by without, but might be worth picking up cheap if you find it used. 2 1/2 stars would be perfect!

[Lisa Rathbun]

This is an excellent series! Following a brief biography of each person, there are three very short stories from that person's life each emphasizing a character trait like wisdom or perseverance. This may grab your children's interest enough for them to want to read a longer biography of some Christian heroes of the faith. Even if they don't go on to read more, at least they've been introduced to some wonderful people.



God was always telling the Israelites to remember His works of old. I think we fail if we only teach our children Bible stories (although those are most important because they're inspired). I think we ought to also teach our children of our own Christian heritage, the men and women through the ages who have lived for the Lord.

[Edy Gies · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this with this intention of using it as lessons for our Wednesday night church program. I am interested in teaching today's children about those who came before us and followed the faith. We have a great heritage which is something I want to introduce to future generations. Hoping this was the book that would help me meet this goal, I forged into the story. Some of the stories were good, but if you're looking for something specific to any particular denomination you will be disappointed. It is a okay book, but I don't plan on keeping it on my shelf after we finish our summer program.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are still reading this one, but I love it already. Dave and Neta Jackson have done a superb job highlighting the lives of missionaries in this first volume. Along with biographical information, three character traits describe each missionary's actions and experiences. Discussion questions promote comprehension and personal application. I'm looking forward to reading more of this book with my boys and perhaps collecting the series.

[Charles Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have all four of this book series... I love how this is a bio of each person with a matching pic/drawing of each person... These books tell us the life stories/mission & prayers of many heroes that we know and love. These books tell us stories that we may not know heartwarming stories of God so loved. These stories are well written heartwarming and to the point. I am reading these with my Wife and their great for kids to read and study.

[What April's Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, easy to understand stories of missionaries. The Scripture, questions, and character qualities for each story make it easy to turn into a mini study for older students or readers wanting something a bit deeper.

I tagged this as all ages, but it is definitely geared for elementary up to middle school/junior high level. At the time I'm reviewing this, our grades are 4th-8th, but even my Junior in high school would stop to listen.

[Jenni Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my children. Stories are broken into 4 parts, a couple pages each. I read one over breakfast every morning. The stories are absolutely inspiring and life changing. Great for building moral character in my children and myself. We are still reading a subsequent volume.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories of people throughout history and their stories: Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Dwight Moody, and more.

Each story is about 3 pages long and then has discussion type of questions at the end of each person's story.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned some new things about some of these people. I also learned about people I had never heard of before.
The people are talked about alphabetically. It would have been better (imo) to talk about them chronologically.

[Michelle Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great family time could be spent reading this book to each other. It is very informative and can keep the attention of any children. The stories are very inspirational.

[Becky Mackey · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this book as part of our family devotions. It was interesting and gave us the opportunity to discuss godly character traits with our kids.