Middle School Reading

The Heart Changer

Homeschool Review Crew

As part of the Homeschool Review Crew, we receive a lot of fun review products.  Recently we received a copy of a new book out on the market for middle school reading.  The Heart Changer by Jarm Del Boccio, Author who happens to be a teacher through  SchoolhouseTeachers.com  is sure to be a new middle school reading favorite.  Make sure to request it at your library as well as get a copy for your own home.  A teacher’s guide to use along with the book is also available at the above link. 

About the Book

This is a retelling of the story of Naaman from the Bible but with a little different perspective than you are used to.  Through the eyes of a young girl to be exact.  She’s approximately 12 years of age and a captive from one of their raids.  After being brought to Naaman as a servant girl for his wife and their household she must decide how she will face her future now.

As Miriam struggles with her new place in life and not knowing if her family survived she has to decide if she will still follow her God, not only that but how she can share God with those who captured her.  Can her knowledge of her God even save the life of Naaman?

Great retelling of a classic Bible story that doesn’t always get a lot of attention.  Will captivate readers. 

About the Author

Jarm  Del Boccio (‘J’ pronounced as a ‘Y’) finds her inspiration in everyday life, but in particular, when she travels the globe, observing the quirky things that happen along the way. Focusing on the lives of characters from the past, Jarm is devoted to breathing new life into the pages of history.

Jarm has a background in elementary and high school education and served for seven years as a school librarian. Grateful for the opportunity, she taught three missionary kids in an isolated area of Papua New Guinea. She is part of SCBWI and American Christian Fiction Writers and has published articles in “The Old Schoolhouse” magazine as well as currently teaching on their online site. 

“The Heart Changer,” her debut MG historical/biblical fiction, released with Ambassador International April 26th, 2019. Jarm is content with the journey God has placed her on and lives with her husband and adult son and daughter (when they are not away) in a tree-lined suburb of Chicago.

Teacher’s Guide

The teacher’s guide wasn’t fully what I was expecting.  It contains some fun facts about the author first off.  All of her favorite books or book recommendations are ones we love.  Except for Dr. Suess.  I’m not a fan of him really.  

Next came a short section about what Miriam might have liked or thought.  I think this is a cute little section and I love how the author has such nice answers and explanations of things.

After that is a section of things to think about or ponder.  There are several questions with no answers that would make some thought-provoking discussion questions. 

A section on researching the setting comes next.  This helps you delve into what that time in history was like, what leprosy is, etc. 

Other fun parts are some recipes, some linked studies and devotionals, and finally some activities related to the book. 

My Thoughts:

I gave this book a quick read.  By this I mean it only took me an hour or so to read.  It’s a great story for your middle-grade readers.  The Heart Changer focuses on a young twelve-year-old who is captured by the Syrian army.  Her captor sees something in her and offers her to Naaman as a house servant as his wife has been wanting a new one.  

Miriam isn’t sure if her family survived and doesn’t know how she can do this.  At first, she’s mad at God and doesn’t understand what’s going on.  She’s bitter and doesn’t want to let herself care about those around her.

As Miriam grows in both her faith and her new home she becomes bolder and helps her captors.  By doing this she gets to go back to her homeland for possibly a glimpse of her family. She’s so worried about them.  But she’s also found a friend or two in this new world and making a change in not only her own life but theirs as well.

I highly recommend this as a great middle school reading book.  It reads quickly and is relatable.  It’s a great book with a wonderful lesson.  

This girl really could be a girl today in that she’s a refugee(we see a lot of those lately) who is separated from her family and filled with worry and doubt.  Great way to make an old tale from the Bible relatable to the youth of today.

My 14-year-old daughter read the book and enjoyed it as well.  We used some of the recipes from the teacher’s guide as well as looked up a few more.  And of course, being me it wouldn’t be a study if we didn’t read some book about the time period and do a small report on what leprosy is and how it affects people.  

Learn More

You can read all of the reviews of The Heart Changer and what others think of this middle school reading book on the Main Blog Post over on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.  They can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.