Web Newberys and News

Technically it’s mid-January, I know.  But we’re finally running again on all cylinders after the holidays–or at least I am!  After traveling and dealing with tech issues, I’m ready to launch into this new year.  As you may recall, last year we developed a segment called Web Newberys, where we linked to some of the best sites and articles about kids’ book around the web.  We’ll continue that today along with a brief overview of what’s going on at our site this week and next.  Hopefully they’ll both help you keep up to speed in the literary landscape.

Web Newberys

• Free Christian ebooks: it’s been a while since Christianbook.com launched their new ereader app.  But if you haven’t checked out their free Christian book selection, now is a great time to do it.  Among some books I don’t care for, there are several kids books that might be worth having on your ereader, ipad or even your desktop.  Includes an ESV Bible and classic kids’ books The Dutch Twins by Lucy Perkins Fitch and Alone in London by Hesba Stretton.  It took me about two minutes to download their free desktop software so I could get the ebooks.

• Reading Austen to Avoid Becoming Mrs. Bennett:  A mom who also happens to be the founder of Beautiful Feet Books (teaching history through literature) talks here about reading Pride and Prejudice with her daughter.  More to the point, she shares some of her lessons learned from Mrs. Bennett’s mothering, such as how not to humiliate or overindulge her children.

• YA Author at Carnegie Hall, Web Event:  On the evening of January 15, uber-popular writers and cultural critics John Green and Hank Green are hosting a webevent from Carnegie Hall roughly a year after the launch of John’s award-winning book, The Fault in our Stars.  The brothers host a video blog (vlog!) that is perhaps the most influential in kids’ publishing.  Their stuff is almost always entertaining and occasionally too salty for my taste.  Still, it’s an interesting event idea for making books relevant for young adults, and worth knowing about how influential their volg has been.  I haven’t found a good link for how to watch this, but I bet you can get it on their vlog, vlogbrothers.com.

• Book Giveaway:  WhenYouRise.com is giving away Nancy Guthrie’s Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow.  Considering we all deal with sorrow (and know people who are dealing with it right now, if we aren’t)  it’s probably worth throwing your hat in the ring on this one.

• Need a New Bible Study?  Melissa at Hive Resources just finished up a series of reviews on Bible studies.  I linked to the kids’ Bible study, but while you’re there, be sure to look around on her homepage for other Bible studies she reviewed last week.

• Books for the Vulnerable:  Next week is the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and World’s Susan Olasky has some great book recommendations related to it, including two kids’ books.  See some of the best new resources for the most vulnerable among us.

News

As for Redeemedreader news, we’ve had a lot going on of late.  We switched web hosts, and the site is now humming (at least on our end) like it hasn’t in a while.  We have a new intern on the way, and some daunting but exciting topics ahead.

This week Janie looks at a couple of World War II background books, while I’ll give you a run down of Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas’s recent autobiography on Thursday.

On Friday, Janie will give the opening shot on a series on sexuality and kids’ books, including gaylit, promiscuity, and even abortion.  It won’t be all bad news, though, since we’ll have some good resources to recommend, and as always, we’ll look to find Christ in all the confusion.

With such a difficult subject coming up, we’d covet your prayers.  We’d also love to hear any books you think would be instructive about sexuality, whether as models or books that need to be critiqued.