To celebrate both the imminent arrival of Christmas and the newly-released second edition of The Book Tree, we have put together a special package for parents and teachers—a Book Tree starter library!

This set of children’s books—hand-picked by staff members Laura Storm and Emily Young—offers a sampling of classic children’s literature. For each chapter in The Book Tree, one book has been selected, giving parents and teachers (and anyone else who wants to build up their library) a head start. Since it is patterned after The Book Tree, this package has something for all ages: beginning readers, curious middle-schoolers, and older children ready for the challenge of reading classic novels and biographies. (And who knows! “Adult” readers just might find something they’d like to read, too.)

For more information on this special offer (available only in November), visit the Starter Library item page. From here you can take a look at each book individually and see what Elizabeth McCallum and Jane Scott wrote about it. But don’t forget to return to the Starter Library if you want to purchase the complete set!

From Patrol Mag:

PatrolTV: Christopher Hitchens & Douglas Wilson from Patrol Magazine on Vimeo.

Why do people leave our email list?

Whenever someone unsubscribes, we ask them to tell us why. Not because we’re upset, but because we’d genuinely like to know—perhaps they can offer us tips on how to improve.

But sometimes—sometimes you just, well, see for yourself:

It’s not important enough to me. I like my camera and take photos with it regularly but am not a serious photographer.

Taken from Pastor Wilson’s blog:

Here are the unfolding details about the Hitchens/Wilson book tour/debate, as I understand those details. I will be with Christopher Hitchens next Wednesday (October 29) at King’s College in the Empire State Building at twelve noon. This will be a book signing event in a town hall style meeting, hosted by Marvin Olasky, who is the provost of the college there. That evening Christopher will be debating a rabbi somewhere (I think), and I will be answering questions at 8:30 pm for the atheist/agnostic clubs for Columbia and NYU. I don’t know the venue for that. I assume someone is going to just take me there. Hope so anyway.

The next evening, October 30, we will be in Philadelphia hosted by Westminster Theological Seminary at 6:30 pm. The moderator for that event will be Scott Oliphant, the professor of apologetics there at Westminster. That will be more of a traditional debate. I believe this will be the event with the most room.

The final event of the tour will be on Friday, the 31st, in Georgetown in the DC area, at a place called Martin’s Tavern. This debate will be from 2:30 to 4:30 in the afternoon. Because the seating there is limited (only room for 100), here is some very important information on that. Admittance will be on the basis of your name being on a guest list, and applications to get on that list need to be made to this address: hitchens.vs.wilson@gmail.com – and if you make it onto that list, you will receive confirmation of that fact.

If you can’t make it to any of these events, please pray for us. There will be a camera crew accompanying us everywhere, and a documentary of the whole thing is being made. If you have to wait for the video, you should have a great seat, and you will make it to all the events on the tour. But if you can make it in person, it will be great to see you there.

For about three weeks out of every year, Moscow is transformed in an autumnal wonderland. I know this isn’t unique, but since we spend so much time looking at clouds, or dirty snowbanks, or sunburnt fields, the changing colours of autumn are a real treat. We’re right in the thick of it these days: out my windows (and back a block or two) are various collections of yellow and orange leaves. It’s beautiful, and while I do love the snow, I’m really enjoying the piles upon piles that surround us.

(Why do I always include a weather update? Beats me. It just seems appropriate somehow—a recognition that time is still moving.)

The real reason for this blog post is to point you to some cool places around the internet. Well, actually, they’re just places where people are talking about Canon books. But we think that’s cool, and if you’re reading this, then you probably agree.

Rachel Bagley has a fantastic review of Is Christianity Good for the World? that just she posted this morning. Along with summaries of main arguments and comparisons to “The Great Debate” (Bahnsen vs. Stein), she also notes “Wilson’s grace: congeniality towards his opponent, thankfulness to God and Christianity Today for the forum provided, and the grace given in the gospel message at the end of the book.”

Sarah Groves (of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa) has reviewed the upcoming Heaven Misplaced on her church’s blog. Are you an avid anti-postmillennialist? Well, Sarah writes that

even if you are not convinced by Historic Optimism, you will still find this book encouraging. Wilson evocatively reminds us of what Jesus’ death and resurrection actually accomplished. He really is the Lord of all nations. He really has been given authority over all powers. All we have to do is declare the authority and power that Jesus already has. If you are serving in what looks like a fruitless situation, these reminders are timely and life-giving.

Which is exactly what we wanted this book to do. (And starting December, you can stop just trusting us and see for yourself.)

Lastly, Logos Bible Software is starting to create some custom libraries with Canon titles—so far, they have five available. Hop on over, and take a look: they’re ideal for pastoral or personal study (since Logos incorporates them so that you can search your LBS library through Scripture passages).