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.

Wulf the Saxon ~ Review

Do you love history? Are you learning about ancient European history in your studies? Have you read books by G.A. Henty and want to hear them in an audio drama? Do you need something to listen to while on long car rides? Heirloom Audio Productions has, over the last several years, been recording audio dramas based on G.A. Henty’s works. They have already done several and their latest is Wulf the Saxon. They have had some famous actors and actresses for many of the voices in their productions including Brian Blessed as G.A. Henty.  Others include John Rhys-Davies, Cathy Sara, Tom Baker, Kirk Cameron, Joanne Froggatt, and Sean Astin just to name a few.

My kids and I like to listen to audio dramas really just for the fun of it. By listening to Henty’s works, this is a great way for my kids to learn more about him and his works. It also helps them with learning more about the area in which the story takes place. The audio dramas are also great for families with different age groups. Although some of these stories may not be appropriate for children under six, my kids ranging in age from almost 7 to 16 have enjoyed listening to these audio dramas together.

Wulf the Saxon takes place around the year 1066. It takes place in the countries of England and France. The first part of the drama begins with Mr. George talking with two boys and explaining to them kings, earls, and dukes. He tells them the difference between the three of them. Wulf is a young Saxon man when King Edward (the confessor) was on the throne. After the introduction, the adventure begins. Wulf becomes a thane to Harold who is an Earl who eventually becomes King. While working under Harold, Wulf does different things for Harold, like running errands and fighting in some battles to protect him.

I love listening to these dramas because it becomes so real. For instance, while they are sailing in a ship, a storm is happening. The sound effects are so real that you can almost feel the waves yourself and see the ship rolling over the waves. And you become relieved yourself when they finally see land.

As time goes on, the Duke of Normandy finds a way to trick Harold into taking an oath and Harold is to be the Duke’s servant.  But Wulf makes sure Harold gets safely back on the ship to England. More time passes and Harold eventually becomes King.  Eventually, Harold and Wulf find themselves shipwrecked on the shores of Normandy. And without giving too much of the story away, unless you know your history, Harold and Wulf find themselves fighting in the Battle of Hastings.  Without going into all of the details, I will just say that listening to this battle makes you feel like you are there with Wulf and the others.

We love listening to these audio dramas and learning more about G.A.Henty and more about the years that his books have covered. We have in the past used the study guide, but this time we listened to the story in two sittings and did not have any further discussions.

Wulf the Saxon is another 5-star product! It is professionally recorded and it is able to draw you in right from the start.



These stories are great to listen to on their own, but if you wanted to expand your studies with questions, vocabulary, and more, you can do that by joining the Live the Adventure Club.

Brinkman Adventures Season 4 Review

 

Imagine you are in a house singing songs to Jesus and being read stories from the Bible when all of a sudden the police enter the home and accuse you of holding a church in your house. But it’s not a church, you are just reading the Bible to your family and some friends. The police don’t care. They won’t listen and you are arrested. Brinkman Adventures has twelve new stories to share from Brinkman Adventures Season 4.

The above story is based on a true story that happened in Russia. In fact, all of the stories found on the Season 4 CD’s are based on true missionary stories. I was able to review the physical product for this audio drama, but they are also available as a download. There are four CD’s that contain over five hours of listening entertainment. Each story is about 30 minutes long.

Travel around the world looking at maps as you listen to the missionaries tell their stories. They are not just a narration of a story, but a re-enactment of the story. We hear the cars in the streets, the roar of the boat engine, people talking in the background. Hear the heartache and joy from the people as you listen to the stories.

The twelve stories included in season 4 are as follows:

1. A Paradise Lost
2. Remember Nhu
3. Aisha’s Fear
4. Heart Song
5. The Crashed Kitchen
6. Crisis in the Congo
7. The Mysterious Palm Feller
8. War of the Raccoons
9. The Five Guys
10. Toughest Man
11. Cambodian Quest
12. What Brings Us Together

These stories can be used in many ways during your homeschool day.

• Geography ~ print out a map of the world and map the location of the story
• History ~ since the stories take place in the past, you can discuss how the story might differ from then to now
• Bible ~ the stories are missionary stories and the Bible tells us we should go into all the world. You could take the time to pray for a missionary or even write to one.

We listened to each story and discussed the story. We talked about where it took place and if they would want to visit the same area. We talked about how they think they would respond to the different scenarios in each story.  We discussed how we thought it felt to be there at that time. We learned so much by listening to these missionary stories and look forward to hearing more. We will continue to pray for the missionaries around the world.

It is difficult to pick a favorite since they are all well done, but I would have to say that the story about Nhu was one of my favorites. We also liked the one about the crisis in the Congo.

Parents do need to take caution on some of the stories, especially if you have a young or sensitive child. My youngest is six and listened to all of the stories. If she had a question, I would try to answer the best I could about the situation.

You can also find the real stories on the website and read about them ahead of time. Get your copy of Brinkman Adventures Season 4 today!

Heirloom Audio Productions: Captain Bayley’s Heir Review

We love being picked to review audio dramas. We have learned so much from the Heirloom Audio Productions adventures of the G.A. Henty books. Their latest audio drama is Captain Bayley’s Heir. And of course, like all of their other productions, this one is just as great. We received the CD’s which has over two hours of adventure. We also received access to the Live the Adventure Club which has access to the study guide and other bonuses.

A little (or a lot) about the story: Captain Bayley’s Heir starts out with Mr. George (the narrator) meeting a young fellow named Frank in America. Mr. George tells Frank that he is going to write a book on America about the California Gold Rush. Frank tells him he would love to hear the story. Mr. George begins the story back in England.

In England, we meet the Hall family, and Frank, Fred, and Alice. Harry Hall is a cripple who has trouble walking and must use a makeshift wheelchair. Frank and Alice live with Captain Harold Bayley. Frank and Fred are cousins and also Captain Bayley’s nephews. They become friends with Harry when Frank rescues his dog from the ice pond.

Alice discovers Harold had a daughter named Ella. Ella had run away when she fell in love with a man that Harold did not approve of. She left an address, but when Harold wrote to her years later, it was too late. Her and her husband had just vanished and no one knew what happened to them.

Frank gets into trouble (fighting and blamed for stealing money) decides to run away to America. When he gets to America, he helps out a man with his boat. This man helps him on getting to California. Frank runs into some trouble (Indians) on the way to California, but he is with a wagon train and they defeat the Indians. Frank gets to California and hits it big during the gold rush. He stays in California and spends some years there. His friend has decided to leave and Frank is on his own. He is out one day when he hears gunshots. He rides up the hill to discover a wagon is being robbed. He rides down the hill and starts shooting the robbers. He is seriously injured and is brought to a hospital.

Meanwhile, back in England, Captain Bayley had hired a detective to find out anything about his daughter. Mrs. Hall has also discovered a clue about Harold’s daughter Ella.

What happened to Frank? What has been found out about Captain Bayley’s daughter? You will have to listen to find out the rest of the story.

About the Live the Adventure Club and Study Guide: Here you will find bonus content such as the e-book of the story, a study guide, some downloadable pdf posters, and an mp3 download of the soundtrack. You are also able to listen online and read along with the script. If you listen online (or even if you don’t), you are able to take a chapter quiz to see how much you remember and how well you were listening.

The study guide has three parts to each chapter. Listening well are questions that are somewhat easy to answer and don’t take up much time. The thinking further questions are questions that require a longer answer and make you think about the story more. The third part is the defining words section. This section has you look up the definition to different words from the story. The study guide also has a few Bible studies.

What we thought: As usual, we loved listening to Captain Bayley’s Heir every day. We used the listen online part of the Live the Adventure Club and read along while listening to each chapter. We also did the online chapter quiz after listening to each chapter. There are twenty chapters and each chapter is under twenty minutes. You could listen to a chapter each day or listen to the whole thing at one sitting if you want with the CD’s. These productions of G.A. Henty's books are the best and we look forward to listening to them when we receive them.

In the Reign of Terror ~ Heirloom Audio Productions Review

You all know from my past reviews that my children and I love audio dramas. It all began several years ago when my husband introduced my children to some Christian audio dramas on the radio on a Saturday morning. Now, years later, my children still love to listen to audio dramas. So, I love when audio dramas come up for review and pray that we get picked to review them. We especially love audio dramas produced by Heirloom Audio Productions. Their newest drama is In the Reign of Terror.

About Heirloom Audio Productions:
Heirloom Audio Productions main goal is to bring history to life. The team actually travels to the area where the story took place to really get a feel for the story. They want the listener to feel like they are in the story as they listen.

About G.A. Henty:
Born in 1832, Henty became an exceptional English author and war correspondent. His stories are historical and adventurous. They became popular in the late nineteenth century and are still widely read today.

About In the Reign of Terror:
This story is about a sixteen year old English boy named Harry Sandwith. He is sent to live with the Marquis de St. Caux in France during the French Revolution. Harry’s father once served with the marquis. The marquis was wanting his son’s to have an English influence. At first, Harry is disliked by the family, but that changes when Harry kills a rabid dog who attacked two of the marquis’ daughters. The marquis must remain loyal to the King during the French Revolution and decides to move his family to Paris when violence is abundant in Paris.  The marquis and his wife are arrested and he tells his children to escape. Two of the marquis’ sons make their way to England. Harry is free to return to England but decides to stay with the daughters in case he is needed. Harry tries unsuccessfully to free the marquis and his wife and they are killed in the September Massacres. Harry learns that the boys were also killed while making their way to England. One night, Harry rescues a man who turns out to be Maximilien de Robespierre. Harry becomes his secretary and eventually makes it back to England. 

Not only do you get to listen to a great story, but you are able to expand on the story with the included digital study guide. Your children learn historical facts from listening to the story and also from answering the questions provided in the study guide. They are also able to learn the meaning of different words throughout the story. Some of the extras we also received are an e-book of In the Reign of Terror, a printable cast poster, and a Bible verse poster.



The study guide is more than just questions. There are three sections to each chapter/track. The sections are as follows: Listening Well, Thinking Further, and Defining Words. In the listening well section, there are several “easy” questions that can be answered fairly quickly. The thinking further section makes you think about some things and have more difficult questions. The defing words section has several words that you look up in the dictionary. There are also several facts posted throughout the study guide. There is even a recipe included in the study guide! The end of the study guide includes a Bible study that could be used during your family Bible time or during your homeschool Bible time. 



What we thought of In the Reign of Terror:
We loved it! This series is so well produced and it really does bring history to life. This is the fifth Heirloom drama we have listened to and we look forward to hearing more audio dramas produced by Heirloom Audio Productions. We try to spread out our listening time, but we always seem to get hooked and just have to listen to more. We did not use the study guide this time, but if we listen again, I will probably go through some of the guide with my older children.

Something New:
Their newest project is the Live the Adventure Club. Here you are able to read along with the script, listen online chapter by chapter, answer the questions, earn badges, and much more. There is also a parent section that offers encouragement, devotions, and a community forum to interact with others. There is so much more, so be sure to check it out.

Check out my other Heirloom Audio Productions reviews:
Under Drake's Flag
The Dragon and The Raven
The Cat of Bubastes
Beric the Briton

The Cat of Bubastes ~ Review

Guess what? You may have heard our excitement when we we were again picked for an audio drama review. Heirloom Audio Productions has done it again! Their new release, The Cat of Bubastes, is another one of our favorite audio dramas. This is the sixth drama realease of G.A. Henty's books by Heirloom Audio Productions.

Most audio productions that we have listened to have been books by G.A.Henty. They help bring the book to life. By listening to a book made into an audio adventure, my children have become more interested in reading the actual book.

About G. A. Henty ~
Born in 1832, Henty became an exceptional English author and war correspondent. His stories are historical and adventurous. They became popular in the late nineteenth century and are still widely read today.

About The Cat of Bubastes ~
This story is about a young prince, Amuba, in ancient Egypt around the time period of 1250 B.C. During a battle with the Egyptians which leaves his father, the King of Rebu, dead, Amuba is captured and taken to be a servant and companion for Chebron, the son of Ameres, the high priest of Osiris. These two boys get caught up in a mystery after uncovering evidence of a murder plot. Eventually, they have to run away after accidentally causing the death of the successor to the Cat of Bubastes, the most sacred animal in Egypt. 

Included with the 2-CD set, are some digital bonuses. The bonuses I received are as follows:

• Cat of Bubastes MP3 Set
• Cat of Bubastes e-book
• Official MP3 Soundtrack
• Printable Cast Poster
• Study Guide and Discussion
• Inspirational Verse Poster
• Behind the Scenes Video

The e-study guide and discussion booklet is 47 pages long filled with a lot of information. There are three main parts to the study guide: listening well, thinking further, and defining word.

• The Listening Well ask questions about what your child remembers while listening to the story
• The Thinking Further questions are a little bit more difficult where your child needs to think a bit more about the answers
• The Defining Word section are words to look up that require a dictionary to broaden your child's vocabulary

One of my favorite parts of the study guide are the little tid bits that are posted on several pages. In this study guide they are called "Expand Your Learning" that you can see in the sample above. I also love that they include a three page Bible Study at the end of the guide. 

What did we think of The Cat of Bubastes?

Another 5 star production of The Extraordinary Adventures of G.A.Henty! Again, we loved this production and loved how the book comes to life. We love the humor, the suspense, and the adventure. We usually listen the first time without using the study guide, but we go back and re-listen to the story while using the study guide. We always get hooked on the first listen and don't worry about the time. The kids just want to know what is going to happen next and will listen to the two hours in one sitting. They love these and hope that Heirloom Audio Productions will produce more audio dramas. 

Beric The Briton ~ Review

You all know from my past reviews that my children and I love audio dramas. I love when audio dramas come up for review and pray that we get picked to review them. We especially love audio dramas produced by Heirloom Audio Productions. Their newest drama is Beric The Briton.

To be honest, I had never heard of G.A. Henty before I started listening to the Heirloom Audio Productions of his books. I never would have thought to introduce his works to my children if it had not been for the dramas.

About G.A. Henty:
Born in 1832, Henty became an exceptional English author and war correspondent. His stories are historical and adventurous. They became popular in the late nineteenth century and are still widely read today.

About Beric The Briton:
This story takes place around 60 AD during the Roman invasion of Britain. Beric is a young man at this time. He fights with the Iceni tribe which is led by Queen Boadicea. Even though he defeats the Romans, he is eventually captured and sent to Rome. There he is trained to become a gladiator. He gains fame when he defeats a lion with bare hands and is then sent to serve in Nero's palace. He does eventually get back home to Britain after Nero dies, but he is not as welcomed as he thought he would be.

Beric The Briton audio drama is recommended for children age six and up. There is over 2 hours of listening time which is a great way to have fun while learning some history. The cast of Beric The Briton includes some well known actors such as Brian Blessed, Tom Cox, Cathy Sara, and John Rhys-Davies.

Not only do you get to listen to a great story, but you are able to expand on the story with the included 48 page digital study guide. Your children learn historical facts from listening to the story and also from answering the questions provided in the study guide. They are also able to learn the meaning of different words throughout the story. And while reading through the study guide, I found a recipe for Roman Noodle Bake. Sounds good.

I also like how they incorporate the Bible in the study guide by offering several Bible Studies.

Some of the other digital freebies I received are as follows:

• Beric The Briton MP3 Set
• Beric The Briton E-Book
• Official MP3 Soundtrack
• Printable Cast Poster
• Inspirational Verse Poster
• Behind the scenes video

What we thought of Beric The Briton:

We loved it! This series is so well produced and it really does bring history to life. This is the fourth Heirloom drama we have listened to and we look forward to hearing more audio dramas produced by Heirloom Audio Productions. We try to spread out our listening time, but we always seem to get hooked and just have to listen to more. We did manage to spread out our listening this time to a few days. We did not use the study guide at this time, but if we listen again, I will probably go through some of the guide with my older children. 

5 Stars for Beric The Briton!

The Dragon And The Raven ~ Review

My children love to listen to audio dramas. On Saturday mornings, instead of getting up and watching television, my children turn on the radio and listen to the audio dramas on the Christian channel. I have done several reviews for audio dramas in the past. I have also done a review of Heirloom Audio Productions, Under Drake’s Flag. I was so excited to have the opportunity to review another Heirloom AudioProductions. We have enjoyed listening to The Dragon and the Raven over the past month.  I love them just as much as the kids do. 

The Dragon and the Raven is a Christian audio drama based on the novel by G. A. Henty. This drama takes you on a wonderful adventure back to the days of King Alfred. The story takes us back to the days before England was a country. Back to when the Saxons were being overtaken by the Vikings (Danes). In this fictional story that is based on historical events, we are introduced to Edmund, a young Saxon who becomes a hero. Kind Alfred was a young king. He had incredible Christian faith. How will he fight off the Vikings? Will he win the war against the Vikings? If you know your history, you may already know the answers. If not, you can find out by listening to The Dragon and the Raven.

When we received this, I had decided to try to spread out this drama over some time. My kids would rather listen to it all at once, but I’d rather take some time to listen to it. I put the cd in the car, so we could listen to it whenever we were in the car. It keeps them quiet on car trips because they don’t want to miss anything. These audio dramas are always very interesting and entertaining. I also enjoy listening to the dramas and can’t wait to hear the next part of the story, because the quality of the production is outstanding.

I also received a few extras with the two CD set. One of the extras is a study guide. The study guide gives a brief biography of G.A. Henty and King Alfred the Great. The study guide has a set of questions for each track on the disc. Each set of questions has three parts- listening well, thinking further, and defining words. I had planned to use the study guide, but since we listened to the CD in the car, I did not use it. We did discuss the story after each car ride though. 

This is the third Heirloom Audio Productions CD that we have listened to and I cannot even begin to express how well produced these CD's are. The music that is used is perfect. The actors that are chosen are perfect. You can tell by listening to them that they love what they are doing.  I also love that the kids are getting a history lesson while listening to the CD. G.A. Henty wrote some great works of fiction that have many historical facts in them, but also added in some fictional characters to help with telling the stories. Be sure to check out a sample of The Dragon and the Raven and order your copy today. The two CD set with three bonuses is $29.97 plus shipping. 

Want to hear what other Schoolhouse Crew reviewers thought about The Dragon and the Raven? Click the banner below.

Under Drake’s Flag ~ Review

It’s no secret that my children love to listen to audio dramas. I have already done several reviews for audio dramas this past crew year. When Under Drake’s Flag came up for a review opportunity, I was so excited to have the opportunity to review another audio drama. I love them just as much as the kids do.

Heirloom Audio Productions produced Under Drake’s Flag and is in the process of releasing another audio drama that I will tell you about at the end.

Under Drake’s Flag is a Christian audio drama based on the novel by G. A. Henty. This drama takes you on a wonderful adventure with a boy named Ned Hawkshaw. He is given the opportunity to set sail with Sir Francis Drake, one of the greatest sea captains of his time. There is suspense, action, and adventure throughout the drama. Will Ned survive as he fights off the sharks that are attacking him? Will he survive the shipwreck?

Listen to a 60 second summary on the website.

When we received this, I had my three older children (ages 12, 11, and 9) sit down and listen to this story after we had done school work one day. I was only going to play a certain amount each day for them to listen to since this is a two hour long drama, but they couldn’t wait until the next day to listen to the rest. They wanted to know what was going to happen next. We ended up listening to the whole thing in one sitting. It was very interesting and it did not seem like it was two hours long. I also enjoyed listening to this story. My three year old did listen to some of the story, but she would go in and out of the room during the story. She doesn’t quite have the attention span needed to listen to this just yet.  My boys loved this story. My eight year old daughter also enjoyed listening to the story and said she found it exciting. The quality of this production is outstanding.

The 2 CD set comes with a small study guide. Each set of questions has three parts- listening well, thinking further, and defining words. We also received a downloadable pdf study guide which has a lot more questions for each section. You can see the differences below. The one on the left is the small study guide that comes with the CD set and the one on the right is the extended PDF study guide. Click the pictures to make them bigger.

 

Another look at the differences in the study guides. The first one is the physical study guide that comes with the CD set. The bottom one is the PDF study guide.





We used both of the study guides. After we finished listening to the CD’s, I asked them several of the questions from each section. Sometimes I asked them one or two from the small study guide and sometimes I asked them five or more from the pdf study guide. We also went over some of the defining words from each section.

The two CD set is appropriate for ages 6 and up. The CD set sells for $29.95 plus $6.95 shipping.

And now for the news on Heirloom Audio Productions next project. In Freedom’s Cause is the newest production due out this fall. You can keep up with all updates to the newest production on the website or through their Facebook page. You can also connect with them on the Under Drake’s Flag Facebook page.

Wizzy Gizmo ~ Review

My kids and I were recently given the opportunity to review Audio Drama One: "Who Created Everything?" from Wizzy Gizmo. I’m always looking for new audio dramas for my children to listen to at home. My children love listening to audio drama’s on the radio and love when I get something new.

What or actually Who is Wizzy Gizmo?

Wizzy Gizmo is an inventor who creates all types of different gadgets. In addition, Wizzy Gizmo offers books, audio drama, and flashcards that are designed to help children learn more about the Bible.

About Audio Drama One: “Who Created Everything?”

Who Created everything? is written by Chris Del Aguila and Justin Cummins. This is a 36 minute Bible audio drama CD that is based on Genesis chapter one. There is also a bonus of 24 minutes of soundtrack on the CD. The bonus tracks are music tracks. This CD is recommended for ages 4-12 and is available on the website for $14.99. There are also samples available to listen to on the website.



The CD starts of with a catchy tune and you are then introduced to the characters. A new boy has just arrived in town and he sets out to meet new friends. The children take Eli, the new boy, to meet Wizzy Gizmo. Wizzy loves to invent things. In fact, he has just invented the Gizmovision. This new invention is able to take any book to take you right into the book to experience all the sights and sounds of the book.

Their first adventure takes them back to the beginning- Genesis chapter one. There they are able to see and hear the days of creation. As you travel through the days of creation, the narrator reads the Bible verses from Genesis that go with each day. There are also some fun songs throughout the story.

How We Used the Audio CD:

I put the CD into my laptop after we received it and my 12, 11, 8, and 3 year old listened to it. The first time we listened from beginning to end. When we listened to it again, we just listened to the story, not the music tracks. We did listen to the whole CD several times. My girls (8 and 3) really enjoyed listening to the CD. They also enjoyed listening to the music tracks at the end. The last time we listened to this was when we started school last week. We are doing Mystery of History Volume I this year, so we listened to the CD after the first lesson on Creation.

What we thought:

My boys, even though they are 12 and 11, love listening to audio dramas. They enjoyed listening to this one several times. They said if there are any more Wizzy Gizmo dramas available or coming out that we should get them. I hope there will be more audio dramas to add to our collection. This was really fun to listen to. My girls also can’t wait for there to be more Wizzy Gizmo dramas. I enjoyed the songs in the drama. They went along great with the story. Overall, we give this audio drama 5 stars!

The Brinkman Adventures ~ Review

 My children love listening to radio programs. Every Saturday morning they wake up early so they can catch the special programs on the radio that are just for kids. When The Brinkman Adventures came up as a possible review, I was happy to see something that my kids had not yet heard. I and my kids were even happier when we were picked to review Brinkman Adventures. We received The Brinkman Adventures Season 2: Episodes 13-24 on CD to review.

About Brinkman Adventures Season 2:
This radio drama series are stories of a large family, the Brinkman's, mixed with real life missionary stories. The stories are told by the missionaries whose names have been changed and some of the events are more dramatized.

Season 2 comes with 4 CD's and over 5 hours of audio.  Each episode is approximately 25 minutes in length. The episodes that are included in season 2 are as follows:

• The Mystery Ring
• Blue Hat & T-shirt Bible
• How Big is Your God, Part 1
• How Big is Your God, Part 2
• Mexico By Bus
• Treehouse academy
• Pirates of Mayan Island
• Sapphire Slaves, Part 1
• Sapphire Slaves, Part 2
• Hadi's Choice
• Castle of Secrets
• On the Run

An overview of the season:
The first episode focuses on the Brinkman's getting ready to visit missionaries in Belize. As they are preparing, they have found an old class ring and want to sell it to buy curriculum for the school in Belize while also trying to find the owner of the ring.

The next few episodes focus on the stories of the owner of the ring who is a retired missionary. The Brinkmans stay with them while in Texas before going to Belize.


Episode seventeen has the Brinkman's bus in Mexico as they are traveling down to Belize.

Episode eighteen through Episode twenty one focus on the missionaries work in Belize.

The last 3 episodes focus on a missionary family who are working in the Middle East.

How we used the CD's and Our Opinion:
As soon as we received the CD's my boys and oldest daughter wanted to listen to them all right away. I let them take an afternoon and listen to as many episodes as they wanted. They ended up listening to all of the episodes in one afternoon. I listened along with them. After we got done listening to all of the episodes, I asked my three older children which one was their favorite. They all told me that all of them were their favorite. They couldn't just pick one. My boys have already asked me about buying season 1. My oldest daughter said she enjoyed hearing the missionary stories.

My 3 year old daughter also listened, but I'm not sure how much really stuck with her. I enjoyed listening to all of the episodes. I love hearing missionary stories and hearing about what they have encountered during their time in other countries.

How much?
The Brinkman Adventures is geared for children and adults of all ages. On some of the more intense episodes they do mention that if you are under 10, you should probably listen with an adult.

The Brinkman Adventures Season 2: Episodes 13-24 are available on CD for a suggested donation of $25. They are also available in MP 3 format for a suggested donation of $17. They operate on a donation basis.

You can also find the Brinkman Adventures on Facebook.