Heirloom Audio Productions ~ Review

We love reviewing audio adventures, so when it was time for the new adventure from Heirloom Audio to be reviewed, my kids said “yes!”. We were so excited to receive our copy of St. Bartholomew’s Eve. Unfortunately, it was shipped right before Hurricane Florence and we had to wait an extra two weeks to receive it in the mail since mail delivery was on hold. But once it was delivered, we made sure to open it up and listen right away. It came at just the right time for us to have a distraction from all of the hurricane mess.

Heirloom Audio takes G.A> Henty books and turns them into an audio adventure your family will remember.  Their main goal is to bring the story to life to make the listener feel like they are actually in the story. It is like watching a great movie, but without the screen.

St. Bartholomew’s Eve takes place during the Huguenot War. It take place after the Reformation when the Huguenots are battling the Catholics for the right to worship God. Philip, who was raised in England, but has French ties from his mother,  goes with his cousin to France to help the Huguenots. Philip finds himself in many dangerous situations. When it came to what he thought was going to be the end, a voice from the crowd begins singing…A Mighty Fortress is Our God… Many of the Protestants did die during the St. Bartholomew’s Massacre, but there were also many that lived and had much more faith than when the war started.

As always, we enjoy listening to the audio adventures as a family. There is so much to learn from the stories, You are able to incorporate the story into your history lesson for the day. You can also listen and have a discussion with your children about the time period and how it is the same or different from today. There are many ways to use the audio drama in your homeschool.

My children would much rather listen to the well produced audio dram than have to sit and read the book. I do have one child that loves to read, but she also loves to listen to the drama stories. The actors do a wonderful job with the work and the production itself is well put together. We love how the sound effects make it feel like we are actually a part of the story. I also love that some well know actors help to make the productions. Brian Blessed (Star Wars), Elizabeth Counsell (Chronicles of Narnia), Andy Harrison (The Secret Garden), and Hugo Docking (Oliver Twist) are a few of the well known actors.

We never just listen to the drama once. We always have to listen again and see if there was anything we missed the first time. It never gets old or boring and it is like listening the first tie every time. 5 stars for Heirloom Audio Productions!

Make sure to read what other crew members that about St. Bartholomew’s Eve by clicking below.

Brinkman Adventures Season 6 ~ Review

Having reviewed Brinkman Adventures in the past, my family was excited to be able to listen to the brand new  Season 6: Underground Rising. We reviewed a digital download copy of this season. The season can also be purchased on a CD.

The missionary stories found on this season of Brinkman Adventures are real  stories about real missionaries. You can find out more about each story from the Real Stories page on the website. Season 6 is about two hours of listening time, perfect for car rides, during family Bible time, or really, anytime. You can even find a recipe on the page for some yummy treats.

The episodes that are included with season 6 are as follows:

• Dutch Underground, Part 1 &2
• Twice Born Fly
• I Wonder Why
• Free Burma Rangers, Part 1& 2

Not only are Brinkman Adventures great for Bible time, they are also great for learning geography. You can help your child find the places on the map where the stories take place. These are not just stories you can listen to, but they are action filled drama re-enactments that will make you feel like you are there with the missionaries. You can hear cars passing by, people talking in the background, bells ringing. You can also hear joy, excitement, fear, and heartache as you listen to each story.

Since many of the stories take place in the past, you can also use the stories to discuss the time period for history. For example, the story Dutch Underground takes place during World War II. This story would be great to listen to if you are studying that time period to  know how it affected different people. The story focuses on the Nazi’s in Holland.

We listened to each story during our homeschool day and discussed each story after listening. With having a wide range of ages in our family, we were able to have lengthy discussions with the teenagers and short to the point discussions with the elementary age child.  We discussed the time period and looked on a map to see where each story took place.  We also discussed what they thought it would be like to be the person during the time and how they would have handled each scenario.

It’s always difficult to pick a favorite since they are all well done stories and keep your attention the whole time, but for this season, I would have to say I enjoyed listening to the Twice Born Fly story. This story was based on a dream that Ian Brinkman had one night while he was sleeping. It talks about salvation and how with Jesus in us we should not fear death.

My boys enjoyed listening to the Free Burma Rangers story. My girls didn’t have a favorite. They enjoyed listening to each story and discussing the stories with us after listening. My seven year old enjoyed looking on the map to see the different ares where each story took place. As always, we definitely give Brinkman Adventures 5 stars!

You can save 10% on Season 6 (or any item on the website) by using the code FALL10.

Read what the other crew members thought about Brinkman Adventures, Season 6 by clicking on the graphic below.