Finding books that captivate my adventure seeking boys, while still teaching important life lessons, can be a challenge. I really enjoyed "The Charlatan's Boy" by Jonathan Rogers! He dives into the life of a young boy named Grady, being raised by a cheating charlatan named Floyd. Together they travel from town to town swindling the villagers to make a living, all the while, the lifestyle doesn't sit right with Grady. He longs to know where he really came from and who he really is.

My boys loved the swampy themes and constant chaos caused when each village finally had enough of the swindlers and would chase them out of town.

Although the book does not have specific Christian context, the lessons within the story do align and opened up some great talking points with my kids.

• The importance of integrity
• Inner beauty and being created for a purpose
• The reality that humans fail and we can't always rely on those around us (leading to great discussions on the importance of putting our faith and trust in God, not in people)

Overall, I really liked this book and am excited to try some of Jonathan Roger's other writings!