Review: The Drummer Boy by Ted Dekker

Usually on Sundays I write about The Bible and Money. And though I'm doing a book review today, I'm staying true to the day's theme. How's that? Well The Drummer Boy: A Christmas Tale deals with both the Bible and money -- plus has a Christmas theme to boot. Perfect for an end of October Sunday review here at Free Money Finance!

Almost everyone has heard the story/sang the song about the Drummer Buy (pa rum pa pum pum) one time or another at Christmas. The Drummer Boy: A Christmas Tale builds upon the original story/song by taking place in the future -- a future where Christmas has been banned and replaced by a holiday that celebrates prosperity. (Seems like we take a step closer to this every year, so the book's premise is not that far out from being a possibility.) Anyway, as you might imagine, a new Drummer Boy shows up and helps the city find the true meaning of the holiday.

The book is a short read (60-some pages in a gift book format) and the story flew by (it was that interesting). I didn't read it by myself, but instead read it to my kids (10 and 8) at a couple sittings. I had planned to read a bit every night over 7-10 days, but they liked it so much that we finished it in two sittings. My wife joined us as well and we all had a great time with the story. It got a "thumbs up" from all of us.

In my opinion, the book is a perfect stocking stuffer for kids in the 6-12 age range. Or it would also be good to purchase early on in the Christmas season, read to your kids, and use it as a discussion about the reason for the season, materialism, and so on. The book isn't heavy-handed or preachy, but it gets the point across and creates a setting where you can have a good discussion with your kids on these topics.

The Free Money Finance rating for The Drummer Boy: A Christmas Tale (based on my 0 thru 10 rating system) is: 7 Stars.