Posts by Janie Cheaney
*No Purchase Necessary by Maria Marianayagam
The protagonist of No Purchase Necessary is a young man of Sri Lankan heritage faced with his first great moral challenge.
Read More*The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell
The Poisoned King is the second installment in Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures series, with some old friends and new characters.
Read More*Dance in the Desert by Madeleine L’Engle
Dance in the Desert, a classic nativity story by Madeleine L’Engle, gets a new look in this 2025 revision.
Read MoreIf Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry
If Looks Could Kill asks important questions about violence against women, pulling no punches on the way to a hopeful conclusion.
Read MoreI Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This by Eugene Yelchin
I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This is Eugene Yelchin’s graphic-novel memoir of falling in love in the last decade of the Soviet Union.
Read MoreTime Lions and the Chrono-Loop by Martin Seneviratne and Krystal Sutherland
The first volume of the Time Lions series sets up a wild ride through history and mistaken attempts at changing it.
Read More*The Biggest Story Advent by Kevin DeYoung
The Biggest Story Advent carries on Kevin DeYoung’s Biggest Story series with a lift-the-flap advent devotional for younger children.
Read MoreThe Picasso Curse by Dan Guzman
The Picasso Curse poses the question, What would you do if a million-dollar piece of artwork fell into your hands?
Read MoreLost Evangeline: A Norendy Tale by Kate DiCamillo
In Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo, wishes are fulfilled in unexpected ways.
Read MoreWhere Only Storms Grow by Alyssa Colman
Where Only Storms Grow brings the “Dust Bowl” of the 1930s vividly to life, as a family struggles to hold on to hope.
Read MoreThe Story Of Martin Luther by Jared Kennedy
Martin Luther headlines a new series of Christian biographies for 4th-6th graders.
Read MoreLearning to Lead: Another Redeemed Reader Booklist! (Updated)
In his Confessions, Augustine wrote this on the subject of “time”: “I understand well enough what time is, so long as no one asks me.” In the same way, we recognize leadership but find it hard to define. “Leadership” takes different forms in different circumstances, and it has many components. The best leaders are also…
Read More*The World Entire: A True Story of an Extraordinary World War II Rescue by Elizabeth Brown
The World Entire tells the true story of the Portuguese diplomat who rescued almost 30,000 refugees during World War II.
Read MoreThe Forest of a Thousand Eyes by Frances Hardinge
The Forest of a Thousand Eye pictures a decaying community at the mercy of nature, and one girl plunged into a desperate situation.
Read More*The Winter of the Dollhouse by Laura Amy Schlitz
The Winter of the Dollhouse is a cozy story with fantasy elements addressing generational relationship, longing, loss, and reconciliation.
Read More*Putin vs. Zelensky: The Russo-Ukrainian War by Ben Thompson
Putin vs. Zelensky focuses on biography to give readers a grasp of the fraught history between Russia and Ukraine, and how the current conflict developed.
Read MoreThe Library of Curiosities by Jenny Lundquist
In The Library of Curiosities, an orphaned girl discovers her heritage as the latest of a curiosity-collecting dynasty.
Read More*Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting: The Graphic Novel adapted by K. Woodman-Maynard
Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting: The Graphic Novel, is an excellent visual presentation of a classic story.
Read MoreHansel and Gretel: An Analysis
Imagine Hansel and Gretel told by a best-selling writer of horror fiction. Does it work?
Read MoreThe AI Incident by J. E. Thomas
The AI Incident pits a foster kid longing for a home against a cold-hearted machine with its own plans.
Read MoreSchoolbot 9000: A Graphic Novel by Sam Hepburn
Schoolbot 9000 is the first volume of a graphic-novel series examining the effect of machine learning on education.
Read More*The Peddler and the President by Ann D. Koffsky
Through the lens of a lifelong friendship, The Peddler and the President makes the fraught history of modern Israel accessible to chapter-book readers.
Read MoreLittle Mouse Saves the Day! by Jeff Smith
The simple story and basic layout of Little Mouse Saves the Day helps very early readers learn to interpret graphic storytelling.
Read MoreThe Library of Unruly Treasures by Jeanne Birdsall
The Library of Unruly Treasures introduces readers to a race of tiny people with wings, and a human girl who may be their rescuer.
Read MoreRaymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo
Three 10-year-old girls cope with life’s ups and downs by learning to rely on each other, in Raymie Nightingale, a story with “magical” elements.
Read MoreThe Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
The Penderwicks, first in a series, delightfully introduces readers to the four Penderwick sisters, their widowed father, and a hound named Hound.
Read More*Rivers by Simon Chapman
Rivers is a stunning picture-book exploration of Earth’s waterways.
Read More*The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli by Karina Yan Glaser
The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli take readers on parallel quests through ancient China and New York’s Depression-Era Chinatown.
Read MoreSnoop by Gordon Norman
A recuperating boy learns more than he needs to know by becoming the neighborhood “snoop.”
Read MoreThe Burning Season by Caroline Starr Rose
The Burning Season pits a 12-year-old girl against a fast-moving forest fire.
Read MoreThe Friendship Train by Debbie Levy
The Friendship Train is the heartwarming true story of Americans pitching in to relieve European hunger after World War II.
Read MoreWhale Eyes by James Robinson
Whale Eyes is an innovative memoir by a young filmmaker, documenting his struggles with reading and physical difference.
Read More*Frog’s Rainy-Day Story and Other Fables by Michael James Dowling
Frog’s Rainy Day Story is a collection of modern-day fables exposing contemporary follies in an amusing and discussion-worthy way.
Read MoreGus and Glory by Sarah Guillory
Glory and Gus stars a scrappy, mystery-loving girl and a slobbery, lovable bloodhound.
Read MoreSpelling It Out by Margaret Finnegan
In Spelling It Out, a competitive speller discovers his own strengths as well as the value of family.
Read MoreGiant by Judith McQuoid
Giant draws on historical fact to imagine two pivotal years in the childhood of C. S. Lewis.
Read MoreZero! The Number That Almost Wasn’t by Sarah Albee
Zero! takes readers on a whirlwind picture-book tour through the history of a mathematical concept.
Read MoreDrawing Is … Your Guide to Scribbled Adventures by Elizabeth Haidle
Drawing Is . . . hands young artists a few basic art principles and encourages them to let their imaginations run wild.
Read MoreThe Playmakers by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown
In The Playmakers, three underdogs work hard to boost their game to the next level.
Read More*John Calvin’s Illustrated Institutes by Martin Williams and Joy Williams
Calvin’s Institutes in a graphic-novel format introduces young readers to the tenets of Reformed theology.
Read More*How to Tell a True Story by Tricia Springstubb
How to Tell a True Story ponders how “truth” is perceived and what it may cost to reveal it.
Read MoreThe Lemonade War Graphic Novel by Jacqueline Davies and Karen De La Vega
This graphic novel version of The Lemonade War is faithful to the original with clever visual additions.
Read MoreThe Pecan Sheller by Lupe Ruiz-Flores
In The Pecan Sheller, a spirited 13-year-old girl learns to stand up for herself against an oppressive factory system.
Read MoreFairy Tale Comics: Classic Tales Told by Extraordinary Cartoonists
Eighteen classic tales are retold in panels by established graphic artists in Fairy Tale Comics.
Read MoreDorothy and the Wizard in Oz, a Graphic Novel Adaptation by Shanower and Young
This graphic novel adaptation from Marvel brings Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz to life for fans of the series.
Read MoreCandle Island by Lauren Wolk
Candle Island is a study of recovering from grief and forging new bonds.
Read MoreRise and Fall: Great Empires That Shaped the World by Peter Allen
Rise and Fall introduces young readers to world empires that don’t receive as much attention in the history books.
Read MoreThe Summer of the Bone Horses by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
The Summer of the Bone Horses recalls a boy’s sojourn with his Dakota grandparents on the Rosebud Reservation.
Read More*Benny on the Case by Wesley King
Benny on the Case introduces a sleuth with Mosaic Down Syndrome and an indomitable, loyal partner.
Read MoreThe Hunger Games: A Christian Response
A Christian response to The Hunger Games: should we read it?
Read MoreA Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel by Ursula K. Le Guin and Fred Fordham
A Wizard of Earthsea recasts a classic fantasy novel in graphic-novel format.
Read MoreThe Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner
The Trouble with Heroes examines the fraught relationship between a young teen and his late, larger-than-life father.
Read MoreThe Beat I Drum by Dusti Bowling
In The Beat I Drum, Dusti Bowling follows a character from her earlier best-seller as he navigates a move and a new relationship with his father.
Read MoreRiding the Rails: Big Boy 4014 and Ticket to Ride
Big Boy 4014 and the Steam Train charts the restoration of a legendary locomotive. Big Boy 4014 and the Steam Train by Marsha Diane Arnold, illustrated by Adam Gustavson. Sleeping Bear Press, 2025, 40 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 6-12 They were the largest steam locomotives ever built. In the…
Read MoreAre We There Yet? by Stacy McAnulty
Are We There Yet? is an entertaining travelogue of the first cross-country road trip.
Read MoreThree Picture Books to Make You Think: Echo, Home, and A Cup of Quiet
In Echo, a spoiled little boy learns that real friendship doesn’t mean total agreement. *Echo by Adam Rex. Dial, 2025, 46 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 0-4 Recommended for: ages 2-6 “Junior Junior was born in a big house on the side of a mountain . . . and the echo was born soon…
Read MoreDeath in the Jungle by Candace Fleming
Death in the Jungle tells the harrowing story of the “Reverend” Jim Jones and the tragic fate of his followers.
Read MoreA Day at the Beach by Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge
A Day at the Beach delivers on its title: snapshots of a variety of 11-13 year-olds during a single day on the Jersey shore.
Read MoreThe Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud
The Cartoonists Club introduces young readers to the techniques and rationale of sequential graphic storytelling.
Read More*The Hiding Place: A Graphic Novel adapted by Mario DeMatteo
The Hiding Place: A Graphic Novel faithfully adapts Corrie Ten Boom’s story for graphic-novel fans.
Read MoreHeidi: A Graphic Novel adapted by Mariah Marsden
Heidi: A Graphic Novel introduces young readers to the classic story with gentle artwork and minimal text.
Read More*Surviving Vesuvius by Christopher Harrisson
Surviving Vesuvius is an intimate look at an ancient disaster.
Read MoreThe Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest is a thoughtful, touching, and gently humorous speculation about the afterlife.
Read MoreOnce for Yes by Allie Millington
n Once for Yes, an apartment building forms relationships with its residents and faces threats of its own demolition.
Read MoreOld School by Gordon Korman
A boy raised in a retirement village must give up his Old School for seventh grade with . . . actual seventh-graders. Old School by Gordon Korman. Harper, 2025, 276 pp. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 Dexter Foreman has been getting along just fine with his Grandmother at The Pines…
Read MoreFirst Steps in Verse: *You’re a Poet and Dino Poet
Two new books about writing poetry, addressed to early-elementary grades, take different but equally unique approaches.
Read MorePilgrim Codex by Vivian Mansour
Pilgrim Codex is a story about Mexican immigration told in Aztec-inspired artwork and text.
Read MoreGod with Us: Bible Stories on the Road to Emmaus by Matt Mikalatos
The graphic novel God with Us takes a unique approach to Bible stories, using Luke 24:27 as a framework.
Read More*The Storyteller’s Bible by Kathryn Butler
The Storyteller’s Bible weaves the gospel into 35 theologically-rich stories from scripture.
Read MoreThe Book of Belonging by Mariko Clark
The Book of Belonging gets a lot of the Bible right but makes some significant omissions.
Read MoreThe Last Keeper (Dream Keeper series #5) by Kathryn Butler
The 5-volume Dream Keeper series comes to a rousing finish with The Last Keeper.
Read More*How Elegant the Elephant by Mary Ann Hoberman
How Elegant the Elephant teams a beloved poet with a Caldecott-honor author to create a winning collection of animal poems.
Read MoreMax in the Land of Lies by Adam Gidwitz
Max in the Land of Lies completes Adam Gidwitz’s “Operation Kinderspion” duo with a tale both thrilling and thought-provoking.
Read MoreHow to Survive on the Moon by Joalda Morancy
Getting to the moon was only the beginning. But How to Survive on the Moon?
Read MoreThe Enemy’s Daughter by Anne Blankman
The Enemy’s Daughter traces a friendship born in adversity during World War I.
Read MoreJella Lepman and Her Library of Dreams by Katherine Paterson
Katherine Paterson’s latest is a biography of Jella Lepman, an unexpected postwar hero.
Read MoreMy Presentation Today Is about the Anaconda by Bibi Dumon Tak
Animals give school-style presentations about other animals. Guess whose Presentation Today Is about the Anaconda?
Read MoreAll Better Now by Neal Shusterman
All Better Now, a thought-provoking read for mature teens, grapples with the consequences of a different kind of pandemic.
Read MoreMixed Feelings by Liana Finck
Mixed Feelings introduces very young children to their own complicated emotions.
Read MoreBlack Culture Roundup: *When I Hear Spirituals, How Sweet the Sound, *Everywhere Beauty is Harlem
Three picture books about African American culture can open windows of understanding a wider world.
Read MoreSong of a Blackbird by Maria van Lieshout
Song of a Blackbird connects two generations of an Amsterdam family through the story of the Dutch Resistance during World War II.
Read More*New House, New Home by Megan Saben
Lively text and pictures show what it takes to make a New House, New Home—by our own Megan Saben! (And scroll down for a special offer!)
Read MoreTrans Ideology: Resources for Parents
Four books, written from a secular perspective, offer help for parents confronting harmful transgender ideology.
Read More*Will’s Race for Home by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Will’s Race for Home is a classic coming-of-age story set during the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889.
Read MoreHow to Teach Kids Theology by Sam Luce and Hunter Williams
How to Teach Kids Theology reminds parents and youth leaders of the whys and wherefores of biblical instruction.
Read More2025 Schneider Family Awards: A Little Like Magic and Popcorn
This year’s Schneider Family winners for excellence in children’s books about the experience of disability.
Read More2025 Sibert Honor Books: Call Me Roberto, The Girl Who Sang, The Enigma Girls, and Wings of an Eagle
This year’s Sibert honor books for excellence in nonfiction include two minority sports heroes, a very young Holocaust survivor, and a World War II espionage story.
Read More2025 Sibert Medal Winner: Life After Whale by Lynn Brunelle and Jason Chin
Life after Whale pictures the phenomenon of “Whale Fall”: how the earth’s largest living creature supports thriving ecosystems for decades after death.
Read More2025 Caldecott Honor Books: *Home in a Lunchbox, My Daddy Is a Cowboy, *Noodles on a Bicycle, and Up Up Ever Up
This year’s Caldecott honor books feature warm family ties, amazing skills and ambitions fulfilled.
Read More2025 Caldecott Medal: Chooch Helped by Andrea L. Rogers
Chooch Helped is a loving depiction of a Cherokee girl’s little-brother issues
Read MoreMendel the Mess-Up by Terry LaBan
In Mendel the Mess-Up, an accident-prone Jewish boy turns his weaknesses into strengths against rampaging Cossacks.
Read MoreThunder City by Philip Reeves
Thunder City supplements Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines quartet with different characters but similar formula.
Read More2025 ALA Newbery Award – Nailed It!
We report on this year’s Newbery and Caldecott award-winners.
Read MoreSeven Small Inventions That Changed the World by Roma Agrawal
These “Seven Small Inventions” are often overlooked, but where would we be without them?
Read MoreClose Up & Far Out by Mary Auld
Close Up & Far Out demonstrates how two 17th-century scientists opened windows on the very large and the very small.
Read MoreNewbery Roundup #2: Plain Jane, Wrong Way Home, and The First State of Being
Our second roundup of Newbery-buzzing books includes a graphic-novel fairy tale, an escape narrative, and a time-travel adventure.
Read MoreNewbery Buzz #2: One Big Open Sky
Today Betsy, Janie, and Hayley discuss a verse novel we all loved.
Read MoreNewbery Buzz #1: Olivetti
Beginning our annual series of discussions on possible Newbery contenders.
Read MoreSwimming with Spies by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger
Swimming with Spies is an animal rescue story that provides valuable background to the Russia/Ukraine conflict.
Read MoreNewbery Roundup #1: Hank Hooperman, Louder Than Hunger, and The Enigma Girls
Beginning our annual coverage of possible contenders for the coveted Newbery Award.
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