The Fourth Wise Man is the story of Artaban, a Persian magi, whose family has recently died tragically. Artaban, while studying the stars, discovers a new star, the one foretold in the Old Testament. He resolves to follow the star and find Jesus, despite the ridicule of his friends. Taking his ever-complaining slave, Orantes, he embarks on his perilous journey of faith.

The Trumpeter of Krakow is set in fifteenth century Poland. The main characters are Pan Andrew, a Ukranian farmer, his son Joseph, and Elzibieka, the niece of a neighboring alchemist. Joseph and his parents flee to Krakow after their home and fields are mysteriously burnt. Joseph thought that they had left all their troubles behind them, but a villain named Button Peter continues to pursue them, trying to get something of great value from them. When they reach Krakow, Joseph's father surreptitiously changes their names, leaving behind all traces of their past.

This book tells the story of a young Egyptian slave girl whose yearning for freedom places her in the middle of a tangled web of intrigue and deception. Mara, Daughter of the Nile is a marvelous piece of historical fiction, giving detailed descriptions of ancient Egypt in the time of pyramids, temples, battles, and pharaohs. The plot is fast-paced and the characters are exciting, brave, and adventurous .

Bright Candles is a fictional book about a 16 year old Danish resistance worker in World War II. This book shows the trauma of living in occupied Denmark through the eyes of a teenaged boy. As you read this, you will find out about the courage and bravery of the resistance, and how the Danes fought to help keep their country free. My mom and I both read this book and really liked it (so it has a teenager and an adult 'seal of approval'). The only part I didn't like was the fact that there is some mild swearing in it.