OPENING MOVES (BOOK 1 OF THE BLACKGAARD CHRONICLES)

OENING MOVES (BOOK 1 OF THE BLACKGAARD CHRONICLES) by Phil Lollar

Our family LOVES Adventures in Odyssey. If you are familiar with the origin of this fantastic drama series, then you know that it began as a 12 episode pilot program called Family Portraits on the radio show Focus on the Family. I was in 5th grade that year. My dad had a job transfer that took us away from the community and life we loved and plunked us down in the middle of a mess all of us desperately wanted to escape. That year, my dad read aloud the classic Heidi, and we listened to Family Portraits (later named Adventures in Odyssey). We longed for a Mr. Whittaker who had a solution for everything and the homey town of Odyssey where everybody knew each other.

Fast Forward a few years and a few hundred episodes later!

The BLACKGAARD CHRONICLES is a book series based on the episodes of Odyssey that began with Nemesis. Opening Moves introduces the reader to Dr. Regis Blackgaard, a villain who desperately wants control of Whit's End, a center hub hangout for kids in the town of Odyssey run by John Avery Whittaker. Mr. Whittaker or "Whit" is the owner of Whit's End and known for his wisdom, ice cream, and amazing ability to create inventions that bring the Bible and history to life but also spill over into programs that include national security applications, especially a program by the name of "Applesauce." It is a desperate race to keep Applesauce and Whit's End protected from Blackgaard's schemes. Opening Moves highlights the important principles of honesty and responsibility. There is a serious price to pay when both of these come into question. Be prepared. The book ends on a cliffhanger!