Out of the Shadow World

Ten-year-old Pax Jackson doesn’t know if he’ll make it to his next birthday. He has cancer. And he’s about to embark upon an unforgettable adventure. At their favorite climbing tree, Pax and his best friend, Jayni, meet Wilmer--a comical bellbird who introduces them to a magical realm of delightful and bewitching creatures.

The children sail a vast sea, navigate a frightening forest, and summit a perilous mountain in search of a mysterious man who might be able to heal Pax. Will they be thwarted by a malevolent weeping willow, a horde of Bumfuzzles, or the dragon snake? The kids face their fears and the lurking evil that threatens to destroy them. And they also contend with their own inner struggles: Pax, wounded by Jayni’s ignorance of suffering, and Jayni, resentful of how Pax’s illness has changed him.

Will the mysterious healer meet their dreams and expectations? Pax and Jayni return to their world with newfound joy and hope--and a keen awareness of the very real magical world that lies within their shadow world.

In Out of the Shadow World, Colleen Chao masterfully weaves a tale of suffering and joy. Children will be captivated. Readers develop empathy and a theology of suffering that equips them to both face difficult circumstances and love others who are experiencing hardship.

COLLEEN CHAO has written extensively about finding God’s goodness in the unexpected chapters of her life, including singleness, chronic illness, and terminal cancer. She’s worked as an editor and writer for global organizations, and an English teacher to some of her favorite people on earth—teenagers. When she’s not wrangling words, she enjoys beautiful hikes, side-splitting laughter, and half-read books piled bedside. She makes her home just outside Boise, Idaho with her husband Eddie, their son Jeremy, and Willow the dog.