Have you heard of The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls? They are these scrolls that only the ‘chosen ones’ can open. Once they are opened, though, the chosen ones get transported back in time! At least that is the story as told in the books by M.J. Thomas from WorthyKids/Ideals.
My 9-year-old daughter and I read these books as read alouds. I love this time together with her. She was once reluctant to learn how to read. It finally came out why she was reluctant. She said, “If I learn to read, you and Daddy won’t read to me anymore.” How sweet is that? Poor thing. I’m glad she told me because it makes me much more aware of the time I spend (or don’t spend) reading to her.
That being said, she could have read this on her own, as it is geared towards kids ages 6 to 9. There are currently two books in the series and the author, M.J. Thomas, is working on the 3rd one!
We had the pleasure of reading both books:
- The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Beginning (Book #1)
- The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: Race to the Ark (Book #2)
The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls
The main characters of the books are Peter and Mary, who are brother and sister, and their dog, Hank. Book 1, The Beginning, starts with Peter, Mary, and Hank going to their Great Uncle Solomon’s house to stay while their parents are out of the country.
Great Uncle Solomon is an old man with a lot of old stuff in his house because he is an archaeologist. And he tells the kids about the legend of the Hidden Scrolls.
The legend says:
The scrolls contain the truth you seek,
break the seal, unroll the scroll,
and you will see the past unfold
Amazing adventures are in store,
for those who follow the lion’s roar.
He also tells them that the scrolls have a seal on them that only the “chosen ones” can open. In the middle of the night, Peter and Mary hear the roar of a lion. They both go into the hallway to see where the sound is coming from when Hank runs into the library. The follow him in and that is when they find the scrolls and find out THEY are the chosen ones!
Once the first seal is broken, the room starts to fall apart around them and they find themselves in total darkness. That is until they hear a voice say, “LET THERE BE LIGHT” and then there was light all around them.
They still have the scroll, but they can’t read the words on it.
They soon meet the archangel Michael, who tells them they will find clues to help them decipher what is written on the scroll. He tells them they only have 7 days to figure it out or they will be stuck there. Michael is their guide, of sorts. He doesn’t stay with them throughout their entire adventure, but he helps them when they need it.
Of course, they do end up figuring out the message in the scroll and they go back home, but not before they get to see all 6 days of God’s creation, as well as His seventh day of rest. They also meet a snake (Satan) along the way that tries to trick them into giving him the scroll.
In Book 2, Race to the Ark, they meet up with Noah’s sons and help round up the animals. They have the same quest to figure out the words on the scroll. And the same ultimatum that if they don’t figure it out, they will be stuck there and not go home. With even more words to figure out than in their last adventure, Michael is there again to help them when they are in need.
My Daughter is Writing the Next Book in the Series
You would think my daughter was writing the next book in the series for as long as she went on about what the next book should be about and how the story should end!
She said she thinks in book three, the kids should not be able to figure out the message on the scroll in time and get stuck wherever they are in the past. She loves cliffhangers!
Then she said that in book four, they would get another chance and by the end of the book, they would decipher the message on the scroll and get to go home.
I asked her if she met the author, what would she say to him and she said, “You should make the next book where they get stuck wherever they went and they should go where dinosaurs existed. Then in the next book, they get out of dinosaur land.”
She’s pretty serious about this story idea. So, M.J. Thomas, if you’re reading this, you could think about it and let her know. ;)
Our Final Thoughts
Clearly, by the fact that my daughter has her mind reeling writing the next two books in the series, she has enjoyed the books.
I enjoyed them too. I think they are so clever. They take “ordinary” kids and place them right in the middle of Bible stories. You definitely get a sense of what it might have been like to really be there when the world was being created or when Noah was building the ark.
We are excited to read M.J. Thomas’ future books in the series. And, of course, my daughter is anxious to see if he likes her ideas for the books. :)
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