I Am Rebel by Ross Montgomery
| At a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Best for Ages | 9 – 12 years old |
| Length | 240 pages |
| Genre | Animal Fiction, Adventure |
| Biblical Worldview | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ |
| Story Engagement | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ |
| Read-Aloud Quality | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ |
| Overall Content Quality | 🗣️ Great with Discussion |
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What is I Am Rebel About?
Rebel is Tom’s dog. And he takes that title seriously. When Tom leaves home to fight with the rebels, Rebel follows so he can protect his best friend in the whole wide world. A long grueling journey will test his patience, courage, and strength.
Positive Themes in I Am Rebel
Courage, Perseverance, and Sacrifice: Families will appreciate Rebel’s kind heart and displays of courage, perseverance, and sacrifice as he travels the country to get back to Tom. Families can start their conversations about these themes with 1 Corinthians 16:13, Galatians 6:9, and. John 15:13.
If your kids are interested in I Am Rebel, they might also enjoy:
- The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud by Jenny L. Cote
Discipleship & Educational Connections
Learning Connections: Even though the battle in I Am Rebel is fictitious, it would be a great companion read when discussing historical battles – particularly civil wars and revolutions.
Obedience and Honoring Authority: The entire reason Rebel pursues Tom is because the young boy disobeys his parents and leaves. Ephesians 6:1 and Exodus 20:12
Justice: The revolution is going on because the rebels feel a miscarriage of justice is being done to them. Discuss what biblical justice looks like and whether the rebels were approaching it in the right way. Proverbs 31:8
Forgiveness: A major side character in the book must deal with feelings of unforgiveness. Launch this conversation by digging into Ephesians 4:32 and other related verses to start.
Parent Guide for I Am Rebel 🟡
🟡 Mild/use discretion
- 🟢 Romance/Sensuality: A mouse is looking for his “wife”
- 🟡 Language/Profanity: Mild name calling/insults
- ⚠️Violence/Scary Situations: Rebel is in danger often. A couple of scenes in particular where the animals are in danger may be disturbing for sensitive readers.
- 🟡 Religion/Spirituality: A god referred to as the Companion has similar qualities as God but is referred to as they/them. It would be easy to skip over during a read aloud.
- 🟡 Attitude/Rebellion: Tom is in the predicament he’s in because he sneaks off and disobeys his parents.
- 🟢 Discrimination:The two sides of the battle view each other in a mean-spirited way and discriminate against each other.
- 🟢Substance Abuse: There’s a character who lives in a pub and Rebel has to stay there overnight but no substance abuse mentioned.
The Verdict 🗣️
🗣️ Consider for Discussion with Independent Readers
Discerning middle-grade readers who love adventure and stories from an animal’s point-of-view will love I Am Rebel. You’ll mostly want to have discussions around the intense scenes where the animals are in danger, Tom’s decision to go fight with the rebels, and the appearance of the Companion.
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