If getting tackled is the best way to make new friends, that’s okay with Jack. After all, starting fifth grade at a new school is even rougher than pee-wee football. But how can he join the Lions and help Ellison build the Most Epic Bookmobile Bike Ever? Jack devises the perfect game plan–until he fumbles it with the most epic bike crash ever and a game day disaster.

Can Jack recover his friendship with Ellison?

And can God use a playing field or a moving library to build understanding and foster forgiveness?

Adventures, friendships, and faith-testers . . . all under the watchful eye of a great big God.

The Tree Street Kids live on Cherry, Oak, Maple, and Pine, but their 1990s suburban neighborhood is more than just quiet, tree-lined streets. Jack, Ellison, Roger, and Ruthie face challenges and find adventures in every creek and cul-de-sac—as well as God’s great love in one small neighborhood.

In the book series, set in the 1990s in the suburbs of Chicago, Amanda Cleary Eastep invites kids to be part of a group of friends who face challenges that don’t extend too far beyond the borders of their neighborhood.

By engaging readers’ imaginations, her hope is that they will laugh, learn, and grow in their faith right along with the Tree Street Kids and their families. The opportunity for diverse friendships may not have been as common in the suburbs in the ’90s as they are today, but Amanda wants to encourage kids, wherever they live, to be open to having friendships that reflect the diversity of the Creator.

Amanda Cleary Eastep is not related to Beverly Cleary but wishes she were. She is, however, a children’s writer, and the Tree Street Kids is her debut series. Amanda knows kids because she’s still one at heart. When she is forced to act like an adult, she edits nonfiction books by grown-up authors.

Amanda’s children’s writing has been published in Ladybug, The Friend, Sunday school curriculum, and at Story Warren. As a longtime writer, she’s contributed to Christianity Today, Think Christian, and many other print and online publications. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and she leads writing workshops at her local teen center.

Learn more about her books at https://treestreetkids.com

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The Bridge Podcast Network is made possible by generous support from The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel and Victoria’s Restaurant on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - Open 7 days a week, year-round - Learn more at https://boardwalkplaza.com

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Written by a kid for kids, You're Joking Me is a hilarious collection of more than 450 puns, riddles, one-liners, and knock-knock jokes that are sure to have kids (and their adults) laughing up a storm.

William Daniel is a sixth grader, a WWII enthusiast, and a competitive gymnast. He builds model airplanes and wants to be a pilot someday. He has an older sister, Maris, and a twin sister, Calyn, and is the younger by four minutes. As you can well imagine, he enjoys making people laugh, which he does for family, friends, and at school. William lives in Colorado with his family and dog, Riley.

Learn more about the author and order the book at https://www.yourejokingmebook.com

Please share StoryJumpers with a friend if you enjoyed this episode. StoryJumpers is still growing, and your positive review and 5-star rating would help.

The Bridge Podcast Network is made possible by generous support from The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel and Victoria’s Restaurant on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - Open 7 days a week, year-round - Learn more at https://boardwalkplaza.com

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Jesus’ good work didn’t end when He returned to His Father — God’s Spirit came and continued the rescue!

Follow along through 30 Bible stories that show how the Holy Spirit came and what Jesus’ friends did. Experience the adventures of Peter, Paul, and other believers from the Pentecost celebration through the Acts of the Apostles.

These stories will keep your child amazed, engaged, and inspired with: a key Bible verse at the beginning of each story, a conversation-starting question at the end of each story, beautiful illustrations and intriguing maps, and learning opportunities for the littlest hearts to share the love of Jesus.

Read the stories for a month as a daily family devotional or throughout the year. Get excited to go and tell how Jesus makes everything good and new!

Bestselling Children’s Author Laura Richie offers The Go-and-Tell Storybook: 30 Bible Stories Showing Why We Share about Jesus, the third title from her beautifully illustrated Bible Storybook series. This newest release (Nov.1) from David C Cook follows The Advent Storybook and The Easter Storybook, each featuring simple, engaging Bible retellings to inspire children and their families to “go and tell” the story of Jesus, the Rescuer. Written for children and their families, the storybook further addresses why Jesus came, who He is and how His work of rescue and hope continues, spreading from His first-century followers to the whole world, even today.

Laura Richie is a wife, homeschooling mom and registered nurse. A missionary kid for several years, Laura confesses she didn’t truly understand her need to be rescued until later in life. Now she delights in sharing the beauty and grace of her Rescuer through her books, The Advent Storybook, The Easter Storybook and the latest release of The Go-and-Tell Storybook. Laura resides in Oklahoma with her husband and four children.

Learn more about the book at LauraRichie.com where you can also pick up a copy of The Go-and-Tell Storybook!

Please share StoryJumpers with a friend if you enjoyed this episode. StoryJumpers is still growing, and your positive review and 5-star rating would help.

The Bridge Podcast Network is made possible by generous support from The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel and Victoria’s Restaurant on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - Open 7 days a week, year-round - Learn more at https://boardwalkplaza.com

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Jolie loves the beach. She loves to show her daddy how fast she can run across the warm sand. She loves to show him her sandcastle masterpieces. She loves adding to the reasons she is beloved. When her daddy tells her that those things she does aren't the reasons she is beloved, she has something big to think about.

Beloved was inspired by the chart-topping ballad by Jordan Feliz, this precious story teaches children about finding our value not in the things of this world, but rather in the love of their Savior.

Dove Award-winning musician, Jordan Feliz, along with children’s book author Jes Woller and illustrator Hilary Griffith team up to tell the story of a little girl named Jolie who is trying to figure out why she is so beloved.

She ultimately finds out that it isn’t about how fast she can run, how big her sandcastles are, or even how thoughtful she is – she is beloved because she is a child of God.

This read-aloud storybook for 2- to 6-year-olds:

• Shows young people the character of God through a fun beach-themed story
• Teaches that God dearly loves his people
• Sparks family discussions about Jesus’ love for his children
• Makes a comforting bedtime story with its heartfelt message of God’s loving heart

The book is available now to order from https://jordanfeliz.com/belovedbook

Please share StoryJumpers with a friend if you enjoyed this episode. StoryJumpers is still growing, and your positive review and 5-star rating would help.

The Bridge Podcast Network is made possible by generous support from The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel and Victoria’s Restaurant on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - Open 7 days a week, year-round - Learn more at https://boardwalkplaza.com

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LOVE: This book explores the concept of LOVE through the eyes of a child. Ellie is a curious 5 year old with an adorable dog Rose and lots of questions. LOVE is explained to Ellie using basic principles of kindness and compassion for others. Whether love comes in the form of embracing someone, forgiveness, acceptance, or loving yourself, the power of LOVE is undeniable as it brightens the world and keeps it aglow. In an age of social media and outside influences, Dr. Norman emphasizes the importance of basic human virtues in promoting goodness in the early development of our precious children.

GRATITUDE: Ellie is a curious 5 year old girl with an adorable dog named Rose and lots of questions. In GRATITUDE, Ellie is frustrated when her playdate is spoiled by a rainstorm and she decides nothing ever goes her way. Discover the creative way Ellie's mother helps her remember just how much she has to be grateful for.

Lisa has published a six book "Ellie Asks" book series on HOPE, LOVE, RESPECT, JOY, GRIEF, and GRATITUDE. Lisa wants to emphasize the importance of core values in today's world by spreading a positive message that will connect parents and kids through the joy of slowing down and reading together, and inspire kids and adults alike.

Lisa's faith is at the heart of everything she does including her books and she wants to share the message of Galatians 5:22-23 in Jack's Divine Fruit. She uses the double entendre of fruits kids like to eat with the fruit that feeds our souls and shows us who to be!

Lisa donates a portion of all proceeds from her books to Brenner Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC. With her love for children, Wake Forest, and passion for medicine, she donates to the Children's Cancer Cancer Support Program at Brenner Hospital.

Dr. Lisa Norman was born and raised in Dalton, in beautiful northwestern GA. Lisa considers her faith and family most important to her. She is the wife of a financial advisor, mother of four children, and a practicing physician. She is passionate about the arts, especially piano and all forms of dance, and as a former exchange student in both Argentina and Spain she has a special interest in Hispanic cultures.

Her love for writing poetry began at an early age and has continued throughout her life. A graduate of Wake Forest University and Emory School of Medicine, Lisa lives with her family in Winston-Salem, NC.

Please visit Lisa's website https://lisanormanbooks.com and stay up to date on all her books and events by following her on Instagram and Facebook @lisanormanbooks.

Please share StoryJumpers with a friend if you enjoyed this episode. StoryJumpers is still growing, and your positive review and 5-star rating would help.

The Bridge Podcast Network is made possible by generous support from The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel and Victoria’s Restaurant on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - Open 7 days a week, year-round - Learn more at https://boardwalkplaza.com

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Home isn’t always what we dream it will be.

Eleven-year-old Sierra just wants a normal life. After her military mother returns from the war overseas, the two hop from home to homelessness while Sierra tries to help her mom through the throes of PTSD.

When they end up at a shelter for women and children, Sierra is even more aware of what her life is not. The kind couple who run the shelter, Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin, attempt to show her parental love as she faces the uncertainties of her mom’s emotional health and the challenges of being the brand-new poor kid in middle school. The longer she stays at the shelter, the more Sierra realizes she may have to face an impossible choice as she redefines home.

This middle-grade novel offers a compassionate look at poverty, homelessness, and hope. Readers walk alongside brave Sierra as she holds on to a promise she believes God gave her: that one day she will have a real home. But what if that promise looks far different than she has ever dreamed?

Enjoy this reading of Hotel Oscar Mike Echo by Linda MacKillop!

Linda MacKillop writes stories for both adults and kids. She and her husband, Bill, raised four sons in a book-filled home with nightly read-aloud time. Her favorite read-aloud place is a tent, preferably on the water. After living in Virginia for many years, she now resides outside of Chicago in an empty nest. Linda earned her MFA degree in creative writing from the Rainier Writing Workshop and strives to put life’s broken pieces and people together again through stories filled with heart and charm.

You can learn more about her at lindamackillop.com

Please share StoryJumpers with a friend if you enjoyed this episode. StoryJumpers is still growing, and your positive review and 5-star rating would help.

The Bridge Podcast Network is made possible by generous support from The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel and Victoria’s Restaurant on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - Open 7 days a week, year-round - Learn more at https://boardwalkplaza.com

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Top Three Reasons Camp Minnehaha is the worst –

-   The spiders (wayyy too long legs)

-   King Arthur (a rampaging goat intent on my destruction)

-   Victoria, AKA The Diva (an evil cabinmate obsessed with French beauty products and my humiliation)

Chloe McCorkle knew a summer camp where you had to learn a career was a bad idea. She tried to tell her parents, but they just had to go on vacation to Alaska and ship her off to camp for two weeks.

It’s not ideal, but she’s going to try to make the best of it. She might even learn some skills that will help her make money for the new bike she’s been eyeing. But to do that, she’ll need to survive an underwear-eating goat, an invincible spider, and a camp director who’s convinced Chloe is trouble...

Taryn Souders novels have been named to state reading lists, including the Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Awards, Georgia Children’s Book Awards, Alaska’s Battle of the Books, and many, many more awards!

Her latest book, Coop Knows the Scoop, was a 2021 Edgar Award nominee for Best Juvenile mystery novel. Listen to the StoryJumpers episode featuring Coop Knows the Scoop here...

Taryn lives in Sorrento, Florida with her husband, David, their three children, and two cats—an overly fuzzy Ragdoll named Mordecai and a polydactyl Hemingway named Sebastian—who like to terrorize flies.

Learn more about her books and get a free ACTIVITY KIT when you visit her website at tarynsouders.com

Please share StoryJumpers with a friend if you enjoyed this episode. StoryJumpers is still growing, and your positive review and 5-star rating would help.

The Bridge Podcast Network is made possible by generous support from The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel and Victoria’s Restaurant on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - Open 7 days a week, year-round - Learn more at https://boardwalkplaza.com

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He needs to help his friend keep her home. But it means facing that cold, deep darkness ... Again.

Parker Buckman loves his new home in Rockport, Massachusetts. But strange things have been happening ever since Devin Catsakis’ funeral. A mysterious figure has been stalking the town, with a series of break-ins leaving everyone on edge.

Parker’s new friend Ella is just as convinced as her grandmother that it’s all the work of a ghost, and they could lose their home in Rockport if the stalker doesn’t stop.

Parker wants to help Ella, which means facing this mystery head- on. He also has to trust Harley—who seems to have his own hidden agenda—to have his back.

And God can see all hidden things, right? Parker is starting to won- der. Because the great revealer of secrets sure seems to be taking his time on this one.

TIM SHOEMAKER author of sixteen books, including Easy Target, Escape From the Everglades, and Code of Silence to name a few. Tim speaks at schools, churches, and other organizations (such as Focus on the Family, Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Conferences, and Pastor Conferences). He also speaks at retreats, conventions, and workshops all across the country.

Learn more about all of his books - and gain some other life lessons - when you visit him online at TimShoemakerSmashedTomatoes.com

Please share StoryJumpers with a friend if you enjoyed this episode. StoryJumpers is still growing, and your positive review and 5-star rating would help.

The Bridge Podcast Network is made possible by generous support from The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel and Victoria’s Restaurant on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - Open 7 days a week, year-round - Learn more at https://boardwalkplaza.com

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A spy in the Sons of Liberty threatens to crush the patriot cause on the eve of war, but who will fire the first shot at Lexington and launch the American Revolution?

The Marquis de Lafayette commits his sword to fight as France seeks to secretly support the American cause with spies on both sides of the Atlantic. Following Bunker Hill, George Washington faces the impossible task of driving the British from Boston with an undisciplined army and no gunpowder or cannons.

As Congress debates Independence, Thomas Jefferson pens a Declaration—but it will never see the light of day if the vote isn’t unanimous. The Epic Order of the Seven animal team must assist the Founding Fathers with espionage and numerous miracles to win this war for American Independence while a new, evil enemy seeks to slaughter the patriots and their commander in the field.

But which will be the more dangerous—the enemy without or the enemy within?

Covering the events from March 1775 to July 1776, this second book in Jenny L. Cote’s Epic Revolutionary Saga tells of the incredible yet lesser-known struggles of the war before Independence.

Her award-winning book The Voice, the Revolution, and the Key is now available as an audiobook on Audible. The 25-hour masterpiece of Revolutionary adventure features the epic voice talent of Denny Brownlee - who performed 150 voices to bring the book to life!

She has been researching Patrick Henry and the Revolutionary War since 2007! She is passionate about this crucial period of history, and about her favorite Founding Father, Patrick Henry. Her heart's desire is for children to know the REAL history of America, including God's hand of favor every step of the way.

She is a Virginia native, who now lives with her family in Roswell, Georgia!

Jenny L. Cote is author of the five book Epic Revolutionary Saga and the Epic Order of the Seven Series! Learn more about the entire series at EpicOrderofTheSeven.net

Please share StoryJumpers with a friend if you enjoyed this episode. StoryJumpers is still growing, and your positive review and 5-star rating would help.

The Bridge Podcast Network is made possible by generous support from The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel and Victoria’s Restaurant on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - Open 7 days a week, year-round - Learn more at https://boardwalkplaza.com

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Welcome to Camping with Jesus, a five-day curriculum designed by Camping Stick Kids for small backyard settings as well as full-fledged camps.

Campers each receive a hiking stick, five medallions, and a book containing a great story, featuring Scripture memory verses, devotionals, and games.

Our story follows Matthew’s five days at camp. He arrives feeling the loss of his grandfather and holding onto his treasured pocket watch. During the week, Matthew renews past friendships, hears the gospel story, and discovers that the pocketwatch his grandfather gave him provides hope for the future.

Camping Stick Kids also provides a girl-focused book that follows Jen’s parallel story. Parents can choose either story or both, depending on their campers.

Now sit back and get ready to hear the first chapter of Matt’s story, titled The Gold Medallion...

Joleen Steel is the chief operating officer and curriculum developer of Camping Stick kids. A ministry she co-founded with her father. This is a ministry that equips kids with a robust and resilient Christian faith.

Joleen has a heart for the gospel and writes in order to share that good news with as many children as possible. As a former kindergarten teacher, she knows that nothing captures the heart of a child better than a rich, compelling story. She seeks to inspire and ignite her reader’s imaginations through each of her stories, in the hopes that they will discover the truth of Jesus and who they are in him.

Learn more about her books when you visit her website at CAMPINGSTICKKIDS.ORG

Please share StoryJumpers with a friend if you enjoyed this episode. StoryJumpers is still growing, and your positive review and 5-star rating would help.

The Bridge Podcast Network is made possible by generous support from The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel and Victoria’s Restaurant on the boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware - Open 7 days a week, year-round - Learn more at https://boardwalkplaza.com

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