Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix

Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix. Katherine Tegan Books, 2015. 304 pages.  Ages 12-15   Reading Level: Young Adult Ages 12-15 Recommended For: Young Adult 15+ Truthful Newington, daughter of a retired Admiral, lives in the English countryside where nothing much happens. She longs for the excitement of city life, and after a precious magical heirloom…

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Bianca: The Brave, Frail, and Delicate Princess by Meg Welch Dendler

Bianca – The Brave, Frail, and Delicate Princess is a story about a young woman who defies expectation in order to save her kingdom.  *Bianca – The Brave Frail and Delicate Princess by Meg Welch Dendler. Serenity Mountain Publishing, 2017. 196 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended For: Ages 8-10 Princess Bianca was told…

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The State of our Heart – Virtual Discussion

The Redeemed Reader Team is discussing books this week in light of our Wisdom & Wonder Week 1 Theme: Turning to God/Away from sin. We are looking specifically at how our favorite literary characters are turning to God and away from sin. Earlier this week, we posted general discussion questions for this theme that work with…

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Wisdom and Wonder: Linked Reads – Week 1

This week’s theme: Turning to God and Away From Sin To further engage with the theme, here is a list of archived posts that we feel correlate with the idea of turning away from sin and towards God. How Long, O Lord? When Bibliotherapy Isn’t Enough – Megan reminds us that we need to turn to God Himself in…

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Wisdom and Wonder Booklist – Week 1

Wisdom & Wonder Week [1] Booklist: Weekly Theme: Turning towards God and Away from Sin Wise-Up #1 (Real Wise Man) and #2 (Heart of the Problem); NavPress #1-#2 (Wisdom’s Benefits, parts 1 and 2) Each of these books below ties in with this week’s theme. Pick and choose from what’s available at your local library…

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Beauty and the Beast Devotional # 5 – Love

This is the fifth devotional we’ve had on the key themes in Beauty and the Beast. To see links to previous three as well as information on the rest of our Beauty and the Beast series, see our Beauty and the Beast Adventure. Unconditional Love A love that steps down from perfection in order to…

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Cruel Beauty: a Redeemed Reader Discussion

Some of the staff here at Redeemed Reader decided to discuss Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge as it relates to the story of Beauty and the Beast. The novel is promoted as a retelling of the classic fairy tale. If you are unfamiliar with the premise of Cruel Beauty, please read Janie’s review of the…

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Should You Read Rick Riordan’s Latest: Magnus Chase?

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor Rick Riordan’s The Hammer of Thor is the second book in his Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. After saving the world, sixteen year old Magnus Chase and his friends are thrown headlong into another adventure orchestrated by the god of mischief,…

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The Trials of Apollo Book 1: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

This storyline of the series, which focuses on the now mortal god Apollo, is great in theory, but the first book is lackluster and inappropriate for younger readers. The Trials of Apollo Book 1: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan. Disney-Hyperion, 2016, 376 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Recommended for: ages 12-15 Apollo’s pride…

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Reading with Discernment: YA Literature

One of the high school classes I teach is devoted to helping students become discerning readers. Modern young adult fiction can be a minefield of conflicting worldviews, confusing messages, and the subtle (or not so subtle) push for readers to blindly accept the stories they read with little or no hesitation. We spend a good…

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Reading Outside Your Preferred Genre

As a teacher, I’ve had various conversations with parents about how to get their children engaged in reading.  The flip side of that conversation comes when a student is interested in reading, but won’t venture outside a specific genre. Now, at first, this might not seem like a concern. If the student is reading, isn’t…

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A Reflection on Rick Riordan

Five years ago I picked up a middle grade fantasy book called The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan and was hooked by the end of the first page. For those unfamiliar with Riordan’s work,his first series, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” follows a middle school student, Percy, who discovers he’s a Greek demigod, and that…

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Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2009. 352 pages Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 16-up Bottom Line: A problematic retelling of a Nordic fairy tale “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” which explores the story of a nameless young woman and an ice bear…

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Dragons at Crumbling Castle by Terry Pratchett

Dragons at Crumbling Castle: And Other Tales by Terry Pratchett, illustrated by Mark Beech. Clarion, 2015. 352 pages Reading Level: Upper Elementary and Middle Grades, Ages 9-12 Recommended For: Ages 10-13 Bottom Line: A collection of fantasy short stories that invites readers to look at the world from different perspectives. Pratchett’s writing invites readers to…

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