Biff and Becka's Stupendous Vacation by Elaine Beachy

One of my greatest joys is sharing good books with Davis but it can be difficult to find books where the characters model good behavior for him. A lot of modern children's books, particularly those for early readers, are filled with characters who behave in a bratty fashion or spend lots of time talking about how much they dislike school or vegetables or their siblings. Now, I understand that a lot of kids dislike those things, and every kid acts like a brat from time to time but by reading books to Davis which showcase these behaviors, it seems as though we are telling him that those things are normal or acceptable. Right now, Davis LOVES school and vegetables and though he doesn't have any siblings, he treats other kids (both older and younger) with respect which is exactly what we expect of him. 

Another difficulty with children's books which showcase kids who misbehave as being the norm is that we are trying to teach Davis about God, the Bible and the Christian faith in general so it can be hard when the things he learns in Sunday school aren't in the books that we read throughout the week. Not that he will only be reading books which are Christian, but having a balance between Christian and non-Christian books is probably going to be more helpful in teaching him values as we raise him.


Biff and Becka's Stupendous Vacation by Elaine Beachy is a book where the author portrays a godly home to give encouragement and guidance to parents who struggle and kids who hurt. In this story, their much anticipated family vacation takes an unexpected turn. Throughout this story you see the characters learn to deal with disappointment and to relate to family and friends with honesty and respect. 


Biff and Becka are looking forward to their family's beach vacation which is something they do every year, however this year, due to finances, their parent's tell them they won't be going to the beach as planned. At first the kids are deeply disappointed and can't see how a staycation could possibly be any fun. Once they give it a try, they find that their staycation is even more fun than their usual beach vacation would be.
Davis loved reading this book, and so did I. The story was full of fun and he specifically loved that the characters were bunnies because we have a pet bunny. I could see him imagining Thumper walking and talking as one of the characters in the story. Each chapter seems to teach the kids a different lesson in addition to the overall message of the book so reading one chapter a night gave us plenty to talk about. The discussion guide in the back of the book gives some great conversation starters as well as activities to do as a family to get even more out of the book which I loved! 


I look forward to reading Elaine Beachy's other stories about Biff and Becka with Davis and I really enjoy reading her blog as well.  

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”