This review was created by the editorial staff at Thriving Family magazine
This mystery adventure book is the third in “The Parker Twins” series by Jeanette Windle and is published by Kregel Publications.
Captured in Colombia is written for kids ages 9 to 13. The age range reflects readability and not necessarily content appropriateness.
Justin and Jenny Parker, 13-year-old twins, travel with their Uncle Pete to Colombia to check on oil sites. They arrive to find that one of the oil sites has been bombed. The twins befriend a young teenaged girl, Estrella, who lives with Colombian guerrillas, a band of men who consider themselves freedom fighters. Uncle Pete is kidnapped and the guerrillas demand the release of the two prisoners responsible for bombing Triton Oil in exchange for his freedom.
Estrella offers to help the twins find their uncle, but instead, leads them into a trap. The twins, along with Steve, their security guard, are captured and tied up with Uncle Pete. Steve manages to escape and goes for help. Before he returns, the guerrillas leave the others in an area that is about to be destroyed by volcanic activity. Estrella, who is beginning to realize that she has been wrong about many of her beliefs, gets away from the guerrillas and returns to free the captives. The teens and Uncle Pete fight for their lives as a mudslide nearly overtakes them. Steve returns with help, and they all make it to safety.
Uncle Pete and the twins believe in God. The twins talk to Estrella about God throughout the book. At the end of the book, Estrella goes to live with a Christian couple whose ministry focuses on street children. Estrella promises to listen to what they tell her about God.
The guerrillas have taught Estrella that there is no God; they take care of each other.
Uncle Peter is a positive role model and looks out for the twins’ safety until he is kidnapped. Steve is also a positive role model and is concerned about the twins’ safety.
A bomb explodes, and Uncle Pete is kidnapped. Later the twins and Steve are captured. Steve is hit in the head, and the twins and Steve are tied up. The twins and Uncle Pete are left to die.
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If your children have read this book or someone has read it to them, consider these discussion topics:
Can you think of an example of this in your life?
Doña Rosa and her husband, Don Eduardo, offer to give Estrella a home. The first time, she left them.
How do this couple’s actions demonstrate forgiveness?
Justin has a hard time forgiving Estrella for betraying them.
Book reviews cover the content, themes and world-views of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. A book’s inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.
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