Ages 8 to 12 years. The world-famous novel of ancient times, Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ, was written by Lew Wallace, who grew up in the early 1800s roaming the fields and streams of Indiana. Young readers will meet the renowned author as a child whose daring exploits, coupled with a deep religious faith, foreshadowed the Civil War general, governor of the New Mexico Territory, United States ambassador, and author he would become. Children will delight in young Lew's rescue of his brother from a runaway carriage, feel a kinship with the boy and his passion for art as he draws portraits of his schoolmates with his "magic pencil," and share his fascination for the exotic places he reads about in the books he loves. Action-packed illustrations enhance a fascinating story that will draw kids into the life of the young country boy who grew up to write one of the best-loved Christian novels ever penned.