Detective Case for Kids

Homeschool Review Crew

Recently as part of the Homeschool Review Crew we got the chance to read a new book for kids.  This isn’t just any book but rather a detective case for kids from David C Cook.  David C Cook and Case Makers Academy work together to bring this fun book to life to teach kids about being a detective but from a Christian perspective.  Forensic Faith for Kids will help your child discover the truth about Christianity and the evidence to back it up.

Written by J. Warner Wallace and Susie Wallace with Rob Suggs.  J. Warner and Susie Wallace are a husband and wife team.  J. Warner is actually a cold case detective who has been featured on many crime related television shows.  An even more interesting piece of this puzzle is that he is a former atheist.  Other works under his name are Cold-Case Christianity, Cold-Case Christianity for Kids, God’s Crime Scene, God’s Crime Scene for Kids, and Forensic Faith.

About the Book

This is a physical book which is definitely my favorite kind!  I 100% prefer a book you can hold, feel the pages, and even jot down notes in to a book on the computer or kindle.  I’m old fashioned that way.  But also having it in paperback means more kids can have access to this great detective case for kids.  

This book is meant for ages 8-12 or roughly geared towards those in third or fourth grade.  I had children ages 11 and 13 read it individually while I also used it as a bit of a read aloud with my other children.  Most of it was way over he heads of my five year old and two year old of course, plus my eight year old with special needs.  However, my advanced seven year old had some great answers and insight to things. 

The “case” of this book deals with a lost puppy.  Your child must become the detective in this detective case for kids and find the true owner of the puppy.  All the while they’re learning how to investigate and form thoughts and opinions of their own to help them later answer the tough questions with conviction and truth.   

How to Use

There are a few ways to make use of this book and the fun online components.  The first way is to just read the book.  My older two read the book on their own this way.  Just read the book to be reading the book and see where it takes them.  But after they had each had a chance to read it I took possession of the book and added in the fun bonus materials that are available through the Case Maker’s Academy online.

Online you will find supplements to the book to help your child think like a detective and also cement concepts learned.  Each chapter has it’s own file of information and fun.  Some of the helpful content include videos for each chapter, downloadable adult guide pages to help you as the parent or teacher discuss and work with the kids, academy notebook sheets, and training activity sheets.  Not all of this information has to be used with each chapter but it definitely enhances the learning experience.

After having worked through the book and the Case Maker’s Academy I feel this could be a great study to do with a Sunday school class or group of youth at church.  In fact, our homeschool group is using a different book from the detective case for kids series for one of their classes this semester!  My thought would be to take a chapter a week and work through it making a detective notebook and a file folder to store all the “evidence” in.  To use this in that way you really need to have the corresponding adult book as well. 

Our Thoughts

I have to admit I’d never actually heard of J. Warner Wallace or his cold case work or writing until this review came up.  I immediately knew it was going to be something I wanted in our home though.  Having used this book we’re now on the search for all his others as finances allow as well.  

This book isn’t merely a book to read, rather it makes you a part of the book.  It’s written in such a way that “you” are there.  You are a character in the book.  Never named of course but the book references “you” many times  and sets it up so that your teammates for baseball are Daniel and Jason.  Then it helps you and your friends work together to solve the case.

My son recently discovered the Sherlock Holmes mysteries and has loved them.  This is a great way to keep using those detective skills he’s loving but also to learn how to support his faith and share it with others.

This book will remain on our shelves for years to come and I’m sure we’ll be adding the other cold case books to it so that we have more of these great detective case for kids books. 

Learn More

Want to learn more about this fun new detective case for kids and David C Cook?  Check out all the other wonderful blog reviews linked up to the Main Blog Post over on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.  You can also visit them on facebook.