Posts by Janie Cheaney
Gladys Hunt on “Improving” the Classics
14 years ago, A.A. Milne’s estate sanctioned a new book of Winnie-the-Pooh adventures. Was this a good idea?
Read MoreButton Pusher by Tyler Page
Button Pusher is the graphic-novel memoir of a boy who struggled with ADHD before learning to manage it.
Read MoreThe Guardian Test by Christina Soontornvat
The Legends of Lotus Island series follows a child of destiny as she seeks to pass “The Guardian Test.”
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Getting Them to Sleep
Gladys Hunt shares two of her favorite go-to-sleep books.
Read MoreThe Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri: A Book Discussion
The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri: Betsy and Janie Discuss Betsy: Janie, you and I both (eagerly) received advance reader copies of Daniel Nayeri’s newest book, The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this book was delightful. It’s also…
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Developing a Sympathetic Heart
How good stories can be good teachers
Read MoreIceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen
In Iceberg, a 12-year-old stowaway experiences history’s worst maritime disaster.
Read MoreNonfiction Picture Books: Concrete; Luminous; The Animal Toolkit; The Universe in You; Digestion: The Musical
Outstanding picture books from 2022 feature the story of a ubiquitous building material, unusual animals, basic particle physics, and a different take on the topic of digestion.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Taking Notice
“A good book should help you notice the world, and you can’t begin too early with noticing.”
Read MoreSchool Trip by Jerry Craft
School Trip, a companion novel to Newbery-winning New Kid, launches the Riverdale Academy students on a tour of Paris.
Read MoreA First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
In A First Time for Everything, Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat looks back on a life-changing tour of Europe as a 13-year-old.
Read MoreNot an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles
Not an Easy Win is the encouraging story of a displaced young man finding purpose and life lessons in the game of chess
Read MoreLeeva at Last by Sara Pennypacker
Leeva at Last introduces us to a plucky young heroine who overcomes evil with good.
Read More3 Picture Books about Friendship and Positivity
Silver Linings and The Bright Side showcase a positive attitude, while Friends beyond Measure puts a clever, mathematical spin on childhood best friends.
Read MoreNoticing by Kobi Yomada
Noticing, a picture book for tweens and older, beautifully illustrates the point that “One of the best things you can be is interested.”
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Library Blessings
The first American public libraries were no place for a kid. Why?
Read MoreHoney and Me by Meira Drazin
Honey and Me explores the fun and challenge of middle-grade friendship in the context of the Orthodox Jewish community.
Read MoreAll My Rage by Saaba Tahir
All My Rage, winner of the 2023 Printz Award, follows a pair of Pakistani-American teens from uncertainty through trauma to stability and hope.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Simplicity
Bored with reading the same picture books over and over?
Read More*Dragonfly Eyes by Cao Wenxuan
Dragonfly Eyes is a slowly-unfolding, beautiful picture of family love and loyalty during the stressful days of China’s Cultural Revolution.
Read MoreCSK Illlustrator Roundup: Standing in the Need of Prayer, Me and the Boss, and The Talk
These picture books featuring the African American experience earn high marks for illustration.
Read MorePrincess of the Wild Sea by Megan Frazer Blakemore
A twist on Sleeping Beauty, Princess of the Wild Sea explores the concept of heroism and the danger and reward of risk-taking.
Read MoreVictory, Stand! by Tommie Smith and Derrick Barnes
Victory, Stand! tells the story of the notorious “Olympic fist” from a point of view that makes it understandable.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Pigs and Possibilities
Nine recommendations for a classic story involving three plucky porkers
Read More2023 Geisel Award Winner: I Did It! by Michael Emberley
I Did It!, winner of this year’s Geisel Award for early readers, charmingly illustrates a common childhood experience: trying and failing.
Read MoreGeisel Roundup: A Seed Grows, Fish and Wave, Gigi and Ojiji, Owl and Penguin
The 2023 Theodore Seuss Geisel honors books for beginning readers focus on friendship, family, and nature.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Shared Adventures
Gladys Hunt shares how (and why) to become an the adventurous, read-aloud family.
Read MoreNewbery Honor: Iveliz Explains it All by Andrea Beatriz Arango
Iveliz Explains It All follows a 13-year-old girl into depression following a traumatic event, with signs of hope toward the end.
Read More2023 Newbery Winner: Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
Freewater, this year’s Newbery Medal winner, is as much an adventure tale as little-known history.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on the Music (and Magic) of Words
We wrap up this month’s -Honey for a Child’s Heart Read-along with two meditations on the unique power of language to the human soul.
Read MoreThe Lost Year by Katherine Marsh
The Lost Year uses multiple voices to narrate a sad chapter of history: Stalin’s deliberate starving of Ukraine.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Raising Readers
“Literacy” begins long before a child can read for herself. Here, Gladys Hunt muses about how to take those first steps.
Read MoreThe Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum
“Hoodie Rosen” introduces teen readers to the Orthodox Jewish world and the reality of antisemitism.
Read MoreCaldecott Honor Roundup: Ain’t Burned All the Bright, Berry Song, Choosing Brave, and Knight Owl
This year’s Caldecott honor books explore a range of moods from wistful to whimsical.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Enjoying Poetry with Children
Children have a natural love of poetry that can easily be encouraged.
Read MoreThe British Are Coming (Young Reader Ed.) by Rick Atkinson
The British Are Coming recounts the first 4 years of the American Revolution in an engaging style, capturing substance and detail.
Read MoreMr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait by Leonard S. Marcus
Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait is an unusual and touching look at our nation’s 16th president through the then-new medium of photography.
Read MoreToo Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls by Atinuke
“Too Small Tola” returns in a second volume of this warm-hearted series of Nigerian family life.
Read MoreLove and Laughter Book List
A Valentine’s Day list of books that celebrate family love and wholesome romance
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Choosing Mother Goose
With so many excellent editions of Mother Goose out there, how do you choose?
Read MoreWindswept by Margi Preus
Windswept is a lovely fantasy/fairy tale of children learning to take on the responsibility of stewardship through story, service, and sacrifice.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Enduring Value
Enduring books are created by enduring authors!
Read More2023 Newbery Buzz Roundup #2: Frizzy, How to Build a Human, and Attack of the Black Rectangles
We take one more stab at some highly-praised books and their chance for winning children’s literature’s top prize.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Award-Winning Books
On Monday, the American Library Association announces its annual Youth Media Awards But how many of the honored books will still be read 10 years from now?
Read More2023 Newbery Buzz #3: Northwind
Might Gary Paulsen’s last novel be a sentimental favorite for Newbery recognition?
Read MoreNewbery Roundup #1: Freestyle, Swim Team, and Maizy Chen’s Last Chance
Three novels for middle-grades that may be under consideration for this year’s top prize
Read More2023 Newbery Buzz #2: The Door of No Return
Back for our second buzz, Janie and Betsy talk over a troubling but moving verse novel.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Metaphor and Imagination
Must literature be “real” to be “true”?
Read MoreThe Lucky Ones by Linda Williams Jackson
In The Lucky Ones, an impoverished family in the rural south takes a big step up during the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s.
Read More2023 Newbery Buzz #1: A Rover’s Story
In which we discuss books that are likely under consideration by this year’s Newbery committee.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on the Value of Fantasy
Editor’s Note: We kick off the New Year, and Month #5 of our Honey for a Child’s Heart Read-along, with one of the most popular and venerable genres in children’s books. George the Dragon-Slayer Originally published on the Tumblon website May 19, 2009 “A serious attack on the fairy tale as children’s literature comes from…
Read MoreThe Real Dada Mother Goose by Jon Scieszka
In The Real Dada Mother Goose, popular humorist Jon Scieszka subjects familiar nursery rhymes to every possible variation.
Read MoreOut of Range by Heidi Lang
Out of Range puts three warring sisters into a life-or-death situation that will destroy their bond—and perhaps their lives—or restore it.
Read MoreBelittled Women by Amanda Sellet
Belittled Woman features a contemporary Meg, Jo, and Amy reluctantly participating in their mother’s pet project: a tourist attraction reenacting scenes from a certain 19th-century novel.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Little Golden Books
Gladys Hunt recalls the origin of a book series that adorned almost every American home.
Read MoreLooking for True by Tricia Springstubb
In Looking for True, A lonely boy and a frustrated girl find common cause in rescuing a dog from its neglectful owner.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Reading Together
If 2023 the year you’ll be more intentional about family read-alouds?
Read More*Berliners by Vesper Stamper
Berliners is the story of a family scarred by war, politics, and false ideology in postwar Germany.
Read MoreAgent Most Wanted by Sonia Purnell
Virginia Hall, one of history’s most effective spies, is the subject of this engrossing biography.
Read MoreUnbreakable by Rebecca Barone
Unbreakable makes the complicated story of unlocking the Enigma code accessible for young readers.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Book-Gifting
How to think twice before purchasing that Disney adaptation
Read MorePeace Is a Chain Reaction by Tanya Lee Stone
Peace Is a Chain Reaction tells a little-known story of World War II and how former enemies of opposite sides of an ocean came together in forgiveness.
Read MoreHaven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure by Megan Wagner Lloyd
Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure is a realistic but heartwarming animal tale of loyalty and friendship.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Christmas Books
Here’s a list of books to read under the Christmas tree, from a lady who has field-tested each one.
Read MoreThe Rat Queen by Pete Hautman
Though not for every reader, The Rat Queen effectively exposes the harm caused to individual souls by hiding or excusing their own sins.
Read MoreA Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
A Rover’s Story employs an unusual protagonist to celebrate science, space exploration, and humanity.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Enjoying Picture Books–at Any Age
Did that picture book make you laugh out loud at Barnes & Noble? Pause a moment before buying it for your grandson . . .
Read MoreThe Way of Birds: Duet and Feathers Together
Duet and Feathers Together present two notable bird species: the northern mockingbird and the white stork.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on The Scent of Thanksgiving
Gladys Hunt shares some wonderful, evocative picture books for family Thanksgiving gatherings.
Read MoreThe Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
The Door of No Return uses beautifully modulated verse to communicate the humanity of the Ashanti people and the horrors of the African slave trade.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on the Art of the Picture Book
“We take for granted the amazing combination of words and pictures in story books for children.”
Read MoreBlack Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack
Black Bird, Blue Road is set in a neglected period of world history and explores the subject of death through a lens of Jewish mythology.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Literary Excellence
Editor’s Note: This month, our “Honey for a Child’s Heart Read-Along” partners are thinking about Chapters 3, 13, and 14. The latter two chapters are about picture books, as is fitting for Picture Book Month. Chapter 3 asks what makes a good book, a question Gladys Hunt explored further in today’s blog post. What Makes…
Read MoreAre Cozy Animal Stories Cozying up to Gay Ideology?
One of our readers alerted us to Katherine Applegate’s latest book, as it seemed to her to feature a lesbian relationship. Odder, picturing a beyond-cute protagonist on the cover, is a novel-in-verse about a female sea otter who was born with an extra “spark”: a questing spirit, a taste for adventure. After a storm separates…
Read MoreThe Holy Ghost by John Hendrix
In The Holy Ghost, author/illustrator John Hendrix freely exercises his imaginative powers while contemplating the third Person of the Trinity.
Read MoreContending for the Faith by Joel Beeke and William Boekestein
Contending for the Faith takes readers back to the English Reformation and the origins of the Westminster Confession.
Read MoreWildoak by C. C. Harrington
Wildoak is a gentle story about a girl finding a voice and a cause in the natural world.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Nursery Rhymes
“Nursery rhymes” don’t stop with Mother Goose.!
Read MoreViolet and Jobie in the Wild by Lynne Rae Perkins
Mouse siblings Violet and Jobie must suddenly fend for themselves in a world both terrifying and lovely.
Read More*Church History by Simonetta Carr
Simonetta Carr’s Church History is a must-have for Christian families, good for years of reference and encouragement.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Recognizing the Good
Let Gladys Hunt help you choose some good books!
Read MorePicture Books about Houses: Farmhouse and House Finds a Home
Farmhouse and House Finds a Home honor the ordinary structures that shelter and sustain growing families.
Read MoreOur Hymns, Our Heritage by David and Barbara Leeman
The Leeman’s excellent student hymnal has been republished by Moody Press, with additional songs and supplements
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Your Family’s “Honey Ratio”
Did you ever wonder where Gladys Hunt got the idea of “Honey”? This post should give you a clue.
Read MoreBig Theology for Little Hearts
Crossway’s Big Theology for Little Hearts series attempts to introduce important Christian concepts through the medium of board books.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on the Very Earliest Readers
Gladys Hunt writes, “Don’t underestimate what a child can learn from this kind of book.” What kind of book?
Read MoreAmerican Shoes by Rosemarie Lengsfeld Turke
American Shoes is the memoir of a young girl trapped in Nazi Germany with her family as the world is convulsed with war.
Read MoreGladys Hunt on Longing for Home
Editor’s Note: Four years ago, Redeemed Reader obtained the rights to republish several original blogs by the late Gladys Hunt, author of the classic children’s literature guide, Honey for a Child’s Heart. This year, in connection with our Honey Read-Along, we are honored to publish more of Gladys’ blogs, many originally published on the now-defunct…
Read MoreThe Vanderbeekers on the Road by Karina Yan Glaser
The Vanderbeekrs, one of our favorite families, is on the road to discovery, opportunity, and possibly romance.
Read MoreRide On by Faith Erin Hicks
Ride On is an equestrian graphic novel that horse aficionados will devour.
Read MoreHummingbird by Natalie Lloyd
Hummingbird features a plucky protagonist with a debilitating bone disease—who doesn’t see herself as debilitated.
Read MoreGraphic Novels: Invisible and Twin Cities
Invisible and Twin Cities present mind-broadening views of Latin American immigrants and nationals.
Read MoreYonder by Ali Standish
Yonder is a thoughtful and moving historical novel about the nature of heroism
Read More*The Song that Moves the Sun by Anna Bright
The Song that Moves the Sun takes four teens through the cosmos of Dante, with revelations on harmony, love, and friendship.
Read MoreLines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Lines of Courage follows five young protagonists through the epoch-making carnage of World War I.
Read MoreThe Visible Hand by Matthew Hennessey
The Visible Hand introduces teens to basic free-market economics in a way that’s accessible and entertaining.
Read MoreBrand New Kid by David Almond
Brand New Boy explores the “humanity” of manufactured humans through the eyes of curious middle-school students.
Read MoreScience Picture Books: *The Beak Book, Nano, and Building
Three outstanding picture books offer windows into nano technology, beaver life, and the beauty and variety of beak design.
Read MoreQuick Summer Reads: Treasure Tracks, High Score, and Wretched Waterpark
Three entertaining novels for the adventure-seeker, the heist-lover, and the doom-aficionado.
Read MoreJust Look Around: Sato the Rabbit, One Boy Watching, and The Boy Who Loved Maps
Two picture books, Sato the Rabbit and One Boy Watching, are about using imagination and paying attention.
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