ADVENT BEGINS THIS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH

A family devotional and adventure story for Advent!  Jotham's Journey is read by tens of thousands of families all over the world, each night for the four weeks before Christmas.  The book has just been re-issued, and is now available for purchase at Amazon.com or Kregel.com.  Click on the image at the left to ORDER NOW from Amazon.

Or to read about Advent and the story of how Jotham's Journey came to be, click here.

Questions often asked about Jotham's Journey:

by author Arnold Ytreeide

Q:  What ages is the book written for?

A:  Jotham's Journey appeals to a wide range of ages -- we've had comments from parents of four-year-olds who swear by it, and others who tell us their college children still come home from school just to be a part of the tradition of reading the story.  Even many parents report "reading ahead" in the story after the kids are in bed!  For most families, though, the story will probably be fairly meaningless -- and possibly a bit scarey -- to any children under six.  It is extremely popular with ages ten to fourteen.

Q:  Do you have to read it every night of Advent?

A:  That's how the book was written, but it's often just not possible.  December schedules are busy with school concerts, church plays, shopping, decorating -- you know the drill.  Even in our family, we often had to skip a night, then catch up later.

Q:  How is the book supposed to be used?

A:  Jotham's Journey is designed as a devotional story.  In our family,  we would gather in the living room, turn out the lights, and light the candles in the Advent wreath.  I (the father) would read the story for that day (the days of reading are clearly marked) as well as the short devotional thought that goes with the reading.  We'd discuss the devotional a bit, then my wife would pray.  After that, one of the kids got to choose a Christmas carol for us to sing, then it was off to bed.  Of course, there's no rule that says it has to be done this way, and there are many single-parent families, and even single people, who have different traditions.

Q:  What about the other books?

A:  Jotham was the first of a trilogy.  Bartholomew's Passage and Tabitha's Travels will be re-issued over the next two years.  While Jotham came first, and it may be best to start with him, all three stories intertwine in such a way that you can start reading with any one of the books.  Having three views of the same story allows families to rotate through them; by the time your child hears Jotham's Journey the second time, he or she is three years older and will hear a completely different story.