What was your favorite picture book as a kid?
Oh, my. This will date me. I grew up with the now vintage Uncle Wiggly books as well as the original Peter Rabbit stories. Children’s literature was not as prolific as it is today, so I am thankful our young children are blessed with so many more enjoyable literacy opportunities.
What was the first “real” book (with chapters and without pictures) you remember reading?
I was a horse lover and dreamed of having my own “black stallion” one day, or probably any old nag would’ve thrilled me. Taking riding lessons at the local college stables was the excitement of my week. So, I read the Black Stallion series written by Walter Farley—every single one. Later as a reading specialist and writer, I had a chance to develop teachers’ guides for some of those books. Although I still cherished the stories, I honestly wasn’t impressed with the author’s writing. It was a different era of authors, for sure.
What was your most favorite book in high school?
In high school, Gone with the Wind was my favorite novel. I remember reading it one long, hot summer—before we had central air conditioning! Imagine that!
What was your least favorite book in high school?
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Depressing though true on many levels.
What was the last novel you read?
Dead Sea Conspiracy by Jerry Jenkins
What was the last nonfiction book you read?
The World of the End: How Jesus’ Prophecy Shapes Our Priorities by David Jeremiah
Which book lived up to the hype (from the past 1-2 years)?
Dead Sea Conspiracy – quite an intrigue woven with interesting factoids about biblical history
Which book do you love that needs more hype?
When the Morning Glory Blooms by Cynthia Ruchti. It is so beautiful.
Next novel on your TBR.
Facing the Dawn by Cynthia Ruchti (I love her use of language!)
Next nonfiction on your TBR.
You Carried Me: A Daughter’s Memoir by Melissa Ohden (2018 Christianity Today Book Award)
Slow Road to Love: A Mature-Age Christian Romance by Juliette Duncan
Victory in Spiritual Warfare by Tony Evans
The Pleasure of His Company by Dutch Sheets
Tell us about your newest release/upcoming release.
I am so excited to share a children’s picture book series I’ve co-authored with Marjorie Wingert. We are such complementary authors for children. She is a mom of an elementary-aged daughter, and I’m a grandmother of eight!
We call the series of four books The Cornerstone Concepts Series for Children (published by Elk Lake Publishing, Inc.). The illustrations, with their bright colors, and the rhyming text create fun for kids to approximately eight years of age. While written for entertainment, they also were written for a greater purpose—to ground children in biblical concepts before the world enters in with its progressive ideologies.
We have a parent/child devotional booklet available to accompany each story. These can help parents take the concepts further as they choose. Seven days of short kid-friendly devotionals, appropriate scriptures, and discussion questions allow parents, grandparents and teachers to further develop concepts about biblical perspectives on race and diversity, the value of life, the wonder of God’s creation, and living with God’s purposeful design in each of our unique lives.
JOAN C. BENSON: Joan is a wife, mother of four adult children, a grandmother of eight, a former educator, and author/speaker. She has been a freelance writer for over thirty years in addition to having served as a reading specialist, teacher mentor, and a classroom teacher in her first career. After retiring from her educational life, she pursued her love for writing with freedom to share her spiritual insights. Her debut historical fiction novel, His Gift, came out in 2020. She has recently co-authored four children’s books with Marjorie Wingert with the first one published in March of 2023: God’s ABCs. Previously, Joan has been published in multiple Christian magazines including LifeWay’s “ParentLife” and Regent University’s “The Christian Leader.” Some of her devotional writings have been published on CBN.com. Joan also has many years of experience writing children’s ministry publications for LifeWay Publishing. Please follow her blog and share with others who might be blessed.
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