Posts by Betsy Farquhar
Empire of Bones (Ashtown Burials, #3)
Empire of Bones (Ashtown Burials #3) by N. D. Wilson. Random House, 2013. 448 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades Recommended For: age 10 and up. We’ve been talking about history this month at Redeemed Reader, but today’s offering takes a different approach. Just out this week, N.D. Wilson’s third Ashtown Burials book, Empire of Bones,…
Read MoreSugar and P.S. Be Eleven: Middle Grade Historical Fiction
It’s another dual review by Janie and Betsy today! We’re teaming up to bring you reviews of two middle grade historical fiction novels during our History Month this October. Set almost 100 years apart, Sugar takes place during Reconstruction in the 1870s, and P.S. Be Eleven takes place in the 1960s. We’ll go through them chronologically;…
Read More*A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet
*A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Knopf, 2013. 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8Maturity Level: 2 (ages 4-8) and up A Splash of Red chronicles the life and art of a man named Horace Pippin who was born in 1888.…
Read MoreOur Favorite Science Book Picks (and a Printable List!)
We’ve thrown a lot of titles at you during our Science September for science-related informational texts. Because we know many of you, like us, love to have a list available when shopping or heading to the library, we’ve gathered those titles all in one place AND added lots more! You may click on the main…
Read MoreScientific Fiction or Fictional Science? Three Genre-Busting Reads
Janie and Betsy team up once again to bring you reviews of three recent scientific fiction works! Janie does the first and Betsy the second two. Are they fiction? Sci-fi? Read on to find out! Itch: the Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter, by Simon Mayo. Splinter, 2013, 410 pages. Age/interest level: 11-15 Itchingham “Itch”…
Read MoreScience Picture Books: Authors and Illustrators of Note
It’s Science September at RedeemedReader! The world of picture book nonfiction (or “information books, ” as nonfiction is being called now) is exploding with very well done, well researched, and appealing titles. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are placing a premium on informational texts (aka “nonfiction”), so teachers are looking for solid nonfiction titles…
Read MoreLaboring and Resting: Books about Both!
In this digital world of ours, I can post this blog entry “on” Labor Day without having to do any work on Labor Day: I’m typing this a few days ahead, will schedule it to post right on time, our posts are automatically tweeted, …. Ironic, isn’t it? Work: Is it the problem or the…
Read MoreBeowulf: Legend, Worldview, and Contemporary Narratives
When I used to teach high school British Literature back in the day, Beowulf was always our first big study. It’s first chronologically, and it’s also an outstanding way to introduce worldview-in-literature concepts. As the school year gets underway, I thought I’d share a bit of my approach to Beowulf in particular and literature in…
Read MoreRose Under Fire: Sequel/Companion to Code Name Verity
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein. Disney, 2013. Age: 14 and up. Last year, I read one of the best books I’ve ever read: Code Name Verity. Thankfully, I’m not the only one who thought so: it garnered a Printz Honor among other notables. When a sequel or companion novel comes out for a book…
Read MoreSummer Reading Challenge: One Family’s Experience
As we end our Summer Reading Challenge, I thought it would be fun for you–our readers–to hear a personal reflection from me on how our family experienced the challenge. After all, we are real people with real families behind this website! A Little Background We are a family of five: mom (me), dad, daughter (aged…
Read MoreSummer Reading Challenge, Week 7: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Don’t forget to fill out the Redeemed Reader 2013 Survey if you haven’t done so! (There’s a giveaway involved!) Still hangin’ in there with us? We’ve packed our Summer Reading Challenge with some great books, but I must confess that we’re ending with my favorite of the lot. If you haven’t read it yet, do…
Read MoreSurvey Says… (and a Giveaway Announcement!)
We will be wrapping up our Summer Reading Challenge this week and taking next week OFF to regroup and tweak our plans for this fall. BUT, we need to hear from YOU, our faithful readers, before we finalize our fall plans. We want to make sure we are delivering the kind of content you enjoy…
Read MoreOne Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson
A lonely boy and a lonely girl team up to rescue their dog friends and end up each finding a true home in this feel-good middle grades read. One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson. Scholastic, 2012 (first published 2011). 288 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-12 Recommended For: Middle Grades, ages 8-12 (especially…
Read MoreWhite Fur Flying by Patricia MacLachlan
A gentle chapter book that explores family emotional issues with a big dose of furry love on the side. White Fur Flying by Patricia MacLachlan. Margaret K. McElderry, 2013. 128 pages. Reading Level: Chapter Books, ages 8-10 Recommended For: Ages 7 and up, as a read aloud or independent read MacLachlan is such a gifted…
Read MoreBoy + Dog = Good Read
Boy + dog is a solid formula that’s been in play in the literary world for decades. How many of you read Old Yeller in school? Flipped through Tin Tin comics growing up? Watched endless TV episodes of Lassie? Recent Boy + Dog Books Several boy + dog books published recently offer solid additions to…
Read MoreInteresting Picture Book Biographies (Librarians’ List)
Many people think picture books should be left behind in the preschool years. Megan and I heartily disagree with that sentiment, and we invite you to check out one of these picture book biographies at your local library to read through with your family of all ages. They are great jumping off points for more…
Read MoreSummer Reading Challenge, Week 2: The Middle of Somewhere by (our very own) J. B. Cheaney
If you’re new to our Summer Reading Challenge, welcome! If you started our Around the World adventure last week with us, congratulations and let’s continue our journey. This week we’re taking a road trip across Middle America. The Middle of Somewhere by J. B. Cheaney. Knopf, 2007. 224 pages. Worldview Rating: 4.5; Literary Rating: 4.…
Read More100 Great Adventure Books for Kids: Summer Read Along Book Lists are Here!
***To read the next post in this series, see our Summer Reading Challenge, Week 1: Around the World by Matt Phelan.*** Summer Reading Challenge June has arrived, and so has our Summer Reading Challenge! We hope you’re ready for a global literary adventure this summer. It’s not too late to join us in the read…
Read MoreWe Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson. Jump at the Sun, 2008. 96 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-12 A large, coffee table-sized book full of Kadir Nelson’s lush paintings and fascinating baseball history make this a must-read for baseball lovers everywhere. Skillful artwork depicts portraits of famous people in the…
Read MoreChristian Romance: part of a well-balanced “book diet”?
A Balanced “Book Diet” Reading is like eating: you need a variety of wholesome ingredients, a little sugar, and a little moderation across the board. Sometimes you need to chew on a steak (mull over a “deep” text), and sometimes you just need some brain candy. Most of the time, though, you need a well-balanced…
Read MoreSammy and His Shepherd by Susan Hunt and Cory Godbey
Sammy and His Shepherd by Susan Hunt and Cory Godbey. Reformation Trust, 2008. 56 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 0-8 Geared for slightly younger children than Hunt’s other children’s devotionals, Sammy and His Shepherd focuses on a single theme: using the 23rd Psalm as a clear metaphor for salvation. The story quality in this one is…
Read MoreCassie and Caleb Discover God’s Wonderful Design by Susan Hunt and Richie Hunt
Cassie and Caleb Discover God’s Wonderful Design by Susan Hunt and Richie Hunt. Moody, 2013. 96 pages. Reading Level: Devotional, ages 4-8 Susan Hunt and son Richie Hunt tell 20 short stories about siblings Caleb and Cassie and their Christian family. The stories are a touch contrived, such as you might expect from a story-with-a-meaning,…
Read MoreShort Summer-Length Devotionals for Families
Summer’s Just Around the Corner! My family’s summer schedule is quite different from our school year schedule. What with travel, fun in the sun, and other diversions, it’s easy to get completely out of our normal routine. I find myself steering away from big “commitments.” Part of the charm of these two devotional guides by…
Read MorePoetry Contest Update!
Poetry Contest Closed and Winners Announced Soon! Our Poetry Contest is officially closed–many thanks to all the contestants! We received some fantastic entries, more than 50 total. We are putting our heads together and plan to announce the winners this coming week. This will be a tough decision; there are some talented young poets among…
Read MoreShark Girl: Drama in Real Life (and in fiction)
This post has been planned for a couple of weeks, but I wanted to acknowledge a potentially sensitive connection with the victims of the recent Boston bombings. Books like the ones I’m discussing below can be great windows into the world of someone who suffers a physically altering tragedy such as some of the bombing…
Read MoreRed Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski
Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. Houghton Mifflin, 2009. 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8Recommended for: ages 4-8 Sidman and Zagarenski use color as an organizational schema through which they poetically explore the seasons in this unique book; it is a true work of art.…
Read MoreWaxing Poetic: a pop quiz and some homework from the teacher
It’s National Poetry Month! Who cares, right? Well, YOU should care. Not because it’s “National Poetry Month,” per se, but because poetry is worth enjoying and learning more about. Why? Well, for one, Scripture is full of poetry–and not merely in the Psalms, either. Poetry is often an expression of deep, intimate emotion or experience…
Read MorePoetry Contest and Challenge for National Poetry Month!
April is National Poetry Month, and we here at Redeemed Reader love to be in on any literary action. Therefore, Megan and I are sponsoring a children’s poetry contest! (Note: there will be prizes!) [Incidentally, I won the last Redeemed Reader Poetry Contest and have enjoyed my Notes From a Tilt-a-Whirl prize.] We are also…
Read More*The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and David Small
Lydia shares her efforts to bring beauty to the world around her in this epistolary picture book. *The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and David Small. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8 Recommended For: Ages 4 and up, especially as a read aloud! Lydia Grace Finch is staying with…
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