IMAGINE... The Great Flood

By Matt Koceich

IMAGINE...
The ocean swirled around the boy and pulled him down with unrelenting power. Heavy water churned and tugged at his flailing body like unseen hands yanking him into the watery depths. The fight was finally over. Even though he’d tried to stand up to the enemy, the waves were about to swallow him whole.
 
The last thing ten-year-old Corey remembers (before the world as he knew it disappeared) was the searing pain in his head after falling while chasing his dog Molly into the woods. What happens next can't be explained as Corey wakes up and finds himself face-to-face with not one but two lions! 
 
Join Corey and experience the excitement. . .the wonder. . . the adventure. . .as the epic story of Noah’s ark comes to life.
 
Imagine. . .The Great Flood is the first release in an exciting, brand-new epic adventure series for kids ages 8 to 12 written by schoolteacher and missionary, Matt Koceich. The Imagine series brings the Bible to life for today's kids as they ponder what it would be like to live through a monumental biblical event.

Watch for Imagine...The Ten Plagues in March 2018!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barbour Publishing
• Release date: Aug 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781683224266

Matt Koceich

Matt Koceich is a husband, father, and public school teacher. Matt and his family live in Texas.  

Book preview

life.

CHAPTER 1

PRESENT DAY

TEXAS

Corey held Molly’s leash with a firm grip as his German shepherd pulled him down the sidewalk. Corey’s mother alternated between a skip and a slow jog to keep up with both son and dog. Good thing the park was only a block away.

Corey turned around and stared at the eighteen-wheeler parked in front of their house.

It represented everything that was making Corey upset. New city. New school. New everything. He turned back and tried to seem upbeat, but his mother caught the sadness etched onto Corey’s face.

Son, I think it’s time you try to understand where your father is coming from.

Clouds darkened overhead, even though it hadn’t rained in weeks. Molly pulled against the leash, harder now. The dog couldn’t wait to play catch.

Mom, I’ve had the same friends for the last seven years. I don’t understand why Dad can’t find another job here. Why Florida?

For the past two months, Corey couldn’t stop replaying the scene when his father had come home from work and dropped the bomb. He made it sound like Corey and his mother had a say in the decision, but that really wasn’t the case. Truth was, the Max family was headed to a new place and leaving everything familiar behind.

Now Corey, be honest. Our new home is one block from the beach. Clearwater is beautiful. And we’ll make sure we go to Disney World over the summers. Can’t beat that!

The neighborhood park came into view. A green plastic slide and three swings with black rubber seats rose up from a circular pit of mulch chips.

Corey didn’t respond to his mother’s comment. Instead, he unhooked Molly’s leash from her collar and told the dog to fly and be free. He thought if he were the dog, maybe the move wouldn’t be so bad. Molly didn’t have friends to miss and never see again. If only he could be like the dog and just eat and sleep.

"Yes, Mom, the beach sounds cool. But, we’ve got Galveston here. And Disney World sounds even cooler, but that place is ex-pen-sive."

Mom smiled. You’re sounding like a grown-up. Since when did you start worrying about finances?

Molly was sniffing the grass around the swings, lost in her own world of doggy smells.

Corey ignored his mother’s question. Mom, can you honestly tell me that you want to leave here and move halfway across the country?

Well, she said, sometimes things change. But God never changes, so we rely on Him.

Corey wanted to believe what his mother was saying. He’d heard the Bible stories. He’d read them, too. David and Goliath. Moses and the Pharaoh. Noah and the ark.

Now he would be able to write his own story: Corey and the Move.

Are you listening, son?

Yes, ma’am. Listening and understanding were totally different things, though. Corey heard his mother’s words, but believing that God was in control of everything was something entirely opposite of hearing.

Molly finished her canine investigations. She returned to Corey’s feet. Time for fetching. Corey took a tennis ball from his pocket and tossed it over the swing set. The dog took off like a bolt of lightning. Once the ball was securely trapped in the dog’s slobbery mouth, Molly returned it to Corey for another round.

Corey, sometimes God calls us to places even though we aren’t sure what will happen when we get there.

Corey yanked the ball from Molly’s mouth and threw it farther this time. It landed by the tree line. The faint sound of thunder echoed in the distance. Molly stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Corey.

It’s okay. Get the ball, girl!

Corey’s voice reassured the dog. Molly snatched her target and brought it back to him. This time his mother reached for the ball.

Corey, I love you. I’m sorry this move is scary. We’re all wondering how it’s going to work out. But, what I do know is that God’s in charge.

Corey’s mother launched the ball, sending the shepherd off on another mission.

Watching his dog run toward the unknown darkness of the woods without a care in the world made Corey see a connection to his own situation.

Molly trusts us.

The dog disappeared into the trees.

A flash of lightning arced across the sky. Thunder boomed in the distance.

Yes, honey. She does. We need to do the same thing with God. We need to trust Him with the move. He knows where we’re going. He goes before us. God’s not going to let us go alone.

Another round of thunder and lightning ripped through the clouds.

Molly, still in the woods, started barking.

I’ll get her,

Reviews for IMAGINE... The Great Flood

[vintagebeckie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fast-paced action and adventure is what you get with Matt Koceich’s book for kids, Imagine . . . The Great Flood. The first book in the Imagine series, this novel takes main character Corey from his suburban neighborhood to the site of Noah’s Ark and the ensuing flood. This imaginative book gets your child thinking about the familiar Bible story by putting them right in the middle of the action.Ten year-old Corey is disappointed that his family will soon be moving from Texas to Florida. Faced with leaving all he finds familiar, he is feeling a bit sorry for himself. Then an accident plunges him into another world. Waking up in the time of Noah, Corey sees for himself the events leading up to the flood.I found Imagine . . . The Great Flood an interesting read for kids. Koceich takes the basic facts of the Flood account and adds his own twist. Corey not only interacts with Noah and his sons, but some of the lesser known people alive at this time — the Nephilim. His fictional account of the well-known Bible story made me go back to the Bible to check out what God’s word had to say about it all. That’s a good thing. It gets the reader to investigate on their own. This book isn’t really time travel, but more of a dream. But in it, Corey discovers truths about God — the fact that He never changes, is in complete control, and has a plan and a purpose for our lives. The end of the book finds Corey and his family settled into their new home and community. The things he learned in his dream are reinforced in his new life.I think 8-12 year-old readers, especially boys, will like this chapter book. It is a great step towards getting them to think about God and dig deeper into His word.Recommended.Audience: children ages 8-12.(Thanks to Barbour for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

[beverlylynnt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! I was blown away by this book. It hits the ground running and never lets up the pace from there to the end. This read is a definite thumbs up. In a series of quirky events, ten-year-old Corey is thrown into an adventure of epic proportions putting him right in the scene of a huge flood--THE Flood--just before the doors to the boat are about to close. Moment by moment Corey's life is in jeopardy while evil all around him is trying to prevent him from reaching safety. Not only does Matt Koceich write appropriate age-related physical conflict to create suspense in this book, but he also includes the more subtle battles of the mind and will, including deception, betrayal and temptation. Although the book is short in length, only 110 pages, the author skillfully blends all the elements together to make a fast-paced read for early readers. The high interest level is sure to attract reluctant readers as well. As a parent years ago, my children and I would read together all the Magic Treehouse books as the stars in this series would travel the world to solve puzzles and find missing pieces. This has that type of feel to it, but without the pictures and with great foundational teaching. It is a chapter book which I believe will lend itself to being read aloud to very young children. If the author develops this into a series, and I think that may be his intention, then we are in for a treat. In the meantime, I highly recommend you pick this up for your young readers and listeners. They'll love this adventure. In fact, anyone between the ages of 7 to 107 will enjoy this book.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Barbour Publishing on behalf of the author. I was not required to write a review, positive or negative. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[mrsboone7 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jam-packed, full of action-from the very first page! Corey, a young boy is saddened by the fact that his family has to move from Texas to Florida. His mom tries to explain to him, that God will be with them no matter where they live at, he kind of understands. He is at the park with his mom and his dog Molly one day, he's playing fetch with Molly, throwing a ball for her. He throws the ball for her and she runs after the ball, but doesn't come back, so he runs to see what has caught her attention. He trips and falls and KAPOW!!!! He ZINGS! Back into the past, and he's talking to Noah and his three sons and SEES the ARK-WOW-HE REALLY TALKS TO NOAH AND HIS SONS and HELPS THEM LOAD ANIMALS INTO THE ARK!!! And animals just walk up two by two and wait patiently to get onto the ark..... I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to publish a review.

[virginia51-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful children's Christian story for ages 8-13. This has a great story of Corey and how he has to trust his parents and God that moving will not be the worst that can happen to a person. Corey gets to live through what may have happened to Noah and his family as they try to get the animals on the ark. I really enjoyed this and believe that children will enjoy the story by themselves or have it read to them. I received a copy of this book from Barbour for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[cbcmedia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a creative story for 8-12 year olds letting them get a glimpse of Biblical stories where the main character has been transported back in time to experience the Great Flood with Noah and his sons. The book starts with Cory, who is 10 years old, and his parents have told him they are moving. He’s not happy. All of the sudden he wakes up in Biblical times with Noah and the Ark. He’s able to make parallels between what’s happening to him now with what is happening in his future life. He’s drawn to God. It’s a fantasy novel and some liberties are taken with the Bible story, but it is fiction and meant to draw in the reader and keep them interested. It does that well. I bought them for our children’s section in our church library and I’m hoping some kids will come in and read them. There are several in this Imagine series. I think young kids will enjoy reading them.

[stardust_fiddle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Imagine: The Great Flood” is a short, quick read. Combining a time-travel adventure with Biblical history, Koceich crafts an inspirational story for young readers, drawing parallels between the two. The tale opens in modern-day Texas, where ten-year-old Corey Max is having a hard time dealing with an upcoming move that his family will be making to Florida. He suddenly finds himself immersed in ancient Mesopotamia, where preparations for Noah’s ark are almost complete. However, powerful opposition threatens to interrupt the project and bring harm to Noah’s family. As Corey works together with Noah’s sons, he comes to understand similarities to his own situation and wonders if he will ever have a chance to get back home. Although this is a short book, it packs plenty of action and lessons about trusting God into its pages, making it a great choice for kids.