Click here to buy this book! Amazon Lulu Author homepage Category:  Young Adult/Teen Publisher: Sword of the Spirit Publishing ISBN-10:  0615212239 Type: Fiction Pages: 220 Copyright: 2008 ISBN-13: 9780615212234 A brawl between magick and miracles featuring teens and tweens. The Morales family is divided with two positive votes for Harry Potter and one against. Only the father's negative ballot is accepted in the election, and HP books go on the forbidden reading list. Barbara, a bombshell who has bewitched Mr. Morales, urges him to get a life. The kids complain he is not practicing what he preaches in regard to discovering truth for oneself, so he consents to study the first book with them to search for concrete evidence that Harry is a bad influence. In the meantime, the kids' world gets turned upside down when a new family moves to town and starts a gang, pulling the Morales kids in. This is no ordinary group of troublemakers, though they do encounter trouble at every turn. Adam, the son of an Assembly of God pastor, is the leader of the God Squad, whose members use Holy Spirit power to get into and out of adventures in a classic duel between magick and miracles. Excerpt EJ broke the silence. "Seems to me that life is like a big detective story God arranged. We need to get all the clues and figure out the answer to the mystery." "Perfect analogy!" Tammy said. "I think it's exciting to uncover all the truths that God provided for us to figure out who dunnit." EJ smiled broadly. "And in the end, the answer is not the butler, but the devil." "We think so, EJ. Or it could be God, depending on which mystery you're solving. It's been easier for us to avoid the snares because of Adam's gifts." The two Morales kids glanced over at Adam. He was rolling his eyes skyward. "Gifts? What do you mean by gifts?" EJ asked.

Apex Reviews
In this day and age, the gods of lust, materialism, and self-satisfaction hold daily court in the lives of countless individuals blindly seeking some form of validation and acceptance. Lost in the perpetual shuffle, the traditional values of old are increasingly cast aside, ignored, and even vilified as modern humanity adopts a new paradigm shift in praise of instant gratification. In an effort to understand precisely why such a change has overcome the world, experts and lay people alike assign blame to numerous different factors for the gradual, yet lasting, transformation - but more often than not they overshoot the mark, not realizing that it all stems from something equally simple and sinister...

Nowhere is this case made more clearly than in Reforming The Potter's Clay. A fresh manifestation of the ages-old battle between good and evil, this standout work by prolific author Donald James Parker confronts the reader with the very struggles faced by millions of individuals worldwide everyday - only this time the brave heroes are barely old enough to drive. Proud members of the newly formed "God Squad," Adam, Pedro, Tammy, EJ, and others of their Christian friends commit themselves not only to withstanding the various attacks of their sworn spiritual enemy, but also to preventing the spread of his sinister influence throughout their lives and the lives of those around them. To be expected, the teens are met with considerable hostility from all sides - teachers, other students, and even family members included - but they stick together and rely on the collective strength of their bond - and, of course, the providence of a higher power - to overcome any obstacles placed in their way.

On the numerous occasions that the youngsters state their spiritual case, they display a commanding authority of scriptural knowledge. That, combined with a comprehensive understanding of the intermingling of the spirit and the flesh in practical terms, adds an authenticity to the dialogue and overall flow of Parker's story, making it that much more of a compelling read. Also, Parker does a commendable job of avoiding proselytization while addressing such issues as sorcery, witchcraft, and other spiritual phenomena. By doing so, he is able to comment intelligently on a range of different topics without alienating the very individuals who stand to benefit the most from his insightful commentary.

Potent without being preachy, enlightening without condescension - and quite amusing at times - Reforming The Potter's Clay is a welcome addition to the world of Christian fiction. Parker dares to take on quite a challenge in tossing the ideological shackles of political correctness - but he pulls it off with flying colors.


Latonya Franklin
Apex Reviews

Great New Books That Must be Read
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is one of the most successful in modern times. With over 121.5 million copies in print, it is almost impossible to find someone who has not read the books. If you do, they probably have some argument about how they are "above" the books; they were written for young adults anyways. But what do you do when you are not allowed to read the books for religious or moral reasons? Is there really something bad contained within the books that would make them forbidden on some families reading lists? The recent book by author Donald James Parker brings up this intriguing question: Reforming the Potter's Clay.


Introducing us to the Morales family, Parker carries us through the process of spiritual and moral discovery as EJ and Pedro read the tale of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. As they do, they begin to question the simple logic of good and evil that has been presented to them.

This reading of the Harry Potter series brings up in Pedro an inner wondering. Does he have magical skills? Or are miracles only acts of God? Complicating this inner quest is the arrival of Adam and his "gang" known as the God Squad. Moving in next door, Adam and his family bring further questioning into the Morales' family quest to understand good, evil, and how these fit into modern society. Through the community power of the God Squad, however, Pedro learns one of the most powerful lessons a person can: belief in self and in something greater then self.

Reforming the Potter's Clay is not your standard book. Nor is it what some classify as "Christian Writing." No, that would not be doing it justice, for although the story is built around a family who happens to believe in God, the overall message of the book transcends any particular dogma or singular world view. Rather, it is the universal message told over and over again, albeit in a contemporary and well written story. That universal message is one of inner strength and eternal faith.

I really enjoyed reading Reforming the Potter's Clay. Although I was a little skeptical at first, as I delved deeper into the story of Pedro, Adam, EJ, and the others, I came to see how this inner process of spiritual development and trust has taken place in me. Using the Harry Potter series as a starting point was literary genius, and I commend the author for bringing in such a timeless quest into the modern day. An exceptional read for families or young adults, Reforming the Potter's Clay is a book that all those who are at a pivotal point in their life should read.
Peter N. Jones