Review of The Heart Changer by Jarm Del Boccio

I love historical fiction, so I was so excited to read The Heart Changer by Jarm Del Boccio, a middle-grade (ages 7 -12) story set in Bible times, on my Kindle.  Knowing she is a fellow teacher at SchoolhouseTeachers.com made me even more excited! 

I read the book first on my Kindle. I read my Kindle each evening before I fall asleep and found this book easy to use on my tablet. I was so nervous when Miriam was kidnapped and so sad about her being separated from her family. You see, right away I was swept up emotionally in the story set in the Middle East. I loved Miriam who trusted the Lord, yet struggled with doubts sometimes. It was exciting to learn about the workings of an Assyrian household. The household was headed by Naaman, a commander in the Assyrian Army. On a raid through Israel, Miriam is captured and taken home to be a servant girl to the Commander's wife. She leaves behind her loving family in Israel to become part of a wealthy Assyrian household. When the Commander comes down with leprosy, Miriam tells him about the prophet Elisha who is able to heal people with the power of God. Well, you know the story from II Kings, but Jarm brings it alive in a fresh way to her readers. 

The story moved quickly. I loved reading it. Beyond adventure, there was spiritual application. Miriam grew closer to her Creator King, the God of Israel. The book was encouraging and inspiring. 

We also read it together and found it just as exciting. Everyone liked it! 

As a homeschooling mom, I see historical fiction as a treasure that brings other times and places alive for my children. I love finding excellent works that will add to my children's understanding of ancient times, especially biblical history. This book is a perfect addition to our home school library! 

---

Teacher's Guide

The Heart Changer has a Teacher's Guide for homeschooling parents to use with their children.  You can download a free Teacher's Guide here.

​The Teacher's Guide introduces us to Jarm, the author, including her favorite books, Bible verse, and Bible character. Next, we learn more about Miriam, the main character in the story. 

I love the research section next where we are given guidelines to research leprosy, the Assyrian Captivity, the Babylonian Captivity, Syria , Golan Heights, and major rivers in the area. 

The final section asks us to dig into the meaning behind the names of folks in the story, including the names of God. 

The Lord is a heart changer so the we spend some time learning about how God changes our hearts. Finally, there are some Syrian (formerly Assyria) recipes we can make and enjoy. 

I highly recommend The Heart Changer by Jarm Del Boccio and the accompanying Teacher Guide!

Jarm Del Boccio is a writer who has a passion to make history and Scripture come alive for her readers. She teaches a Home Economics course at SchoolhouseTeachers.com. 

You can find Jarm on Facebook, Twitter, Pineterest, and Youtube.  ​

Are you interested in reading more reviews about The Heart Changer? You can read more reviews here.

---

Read More Reviews from the TOS Review Crew

You can read more reviews from the Review Crew here about all kinds of materials available for homeschooling families to use and I strongly urge you to do so. This team blogs about all kinds of curriculum, books, Dvds, and more! You'll enjoy learning what other homeschooling moms think about different products out there!

Until next time, Happy Homeschooling! 
Meredith Curtis