Activity/How-To
Rube Goldberg’s Big Book of Building by Ed Stackley, et al
By Janie Cheaney |
Rube Goldberg’s Big Book of Building features practical instructions to building 25 impractical machines. Rube Goldberg’s Big Book of Building: Make 25 Machines that Really ...
Read More *The Biggest Story Family Devotional by Kevin DeYoung
By Janie Cheaney |
The Biggest Story Family Devotional expands on The Biggest Story Bible Storybook to offer a practical and flexible devotional guide. *The Biggest Story Family Devotional ...
Read More 
Fun with Math: Sir Cumference Speaks Volumes, The Pigpen Problem, and Our World: By the Numbers
By Janie Cheaney |
Sir Cumference returns, Goat and Sheep solve a math problem, and Steve Jenkins crunches the numbers. Sir Cumference Speaks Volumes follows our hero through another ...
Read More A Kid’s Guide to the Night Sky by John A. Read
By Janie Cheaney |
A Kid’s Guide to the Night Sky provides young stargazers with a handy and accessible primer. A Kid’s Guide to the Night Sky: Simple Ways ...
Read More 
You’re the Boss by Brian Weisfeld and Bonnie Bader
By Janie Cheaney |
You’re the Boss is a quick but comprehensive guide to for entrepreneurial kids interested in starting a business. You’re the Boss: A Kid’s Ultimate Guide ...
Read More 
Art All around Us by Xiao Situ
By Janie Cheaney |
Art All Around Us introduces young readers to the nearly infinite variety of art and its meaning in ordinary life. Art All around Us: A ...
Read More 
Who Built That? Bridges by Didier Cornille
By Betsy Farquhar |
Who Built That? Bridges is a clever picture book-in-translation that illustrates ten famous bridges and the construction process and engineers behind them. Who Built That? ...
Read More 
*Big Book of Math by Katherine Hannon
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Big Book of Math is a timeline book absolutely filled with mathematical figures, faces, and facts, all situated within the context of a biblical ...
Read More 
3 Picture Books about “How”: The Dictionary Story, The Shape of Things, and How to Make a Picture Book
By Janie Cheaney |
Three new picture books give readers insight into words, maps, and stories. The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston. Candlewick, 2024, 56 pages. ...
Read More 
The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson
By Janie Cheaney |
The Observologist is a fun and fascinating introduction to wonders of creation available for viewing in your own back yard. The Observologist: A Handbook for ...
Read More 
What It’s Like to Be a Bird by David Allen Sibley
By Janie Cheaney |
What It’s Like to Be a Bird is an endlessly browsable resource for budding birdwatchers by a well-known authority in the field. What It’s Like ...
Read More 
Chinese Menu by Grace Lin
By Janie Cheaney |
Chinese Menu traces the origin of everybody’s favorite Chinese dishes, from wonton soup to rice fortune cookies. Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends behind ...
Read More 
Maps, by Eleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski
By Janie Cheaney |
Maps is an oversize and endlessly browseable collection of hand-drawn maps of most of the world. Maps by Eleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski. Candlewick, 2013, ...
Read More 
SmART: Use Your Eyes to Boost Your Brain by Amy E. Herman
By Janie Cheaney |
SmART, a young-reader version of the best-seller Visual Intelligence, employs art as a way of teaching observation and interpretation. SmART: Use Your Eyes to Boost ...
Read More 
A Kid’s Guide to Backyard Bugs by Eliza Berkowitz
By Megan Saben |
Fascinating, familiar specimens of insects AND arachnids are found in this lovely guide for young naturalists. A Kid's Guide to Backyard Bugs by Eliza Berkowitz, ...
Read More 
Comics: Whys, Hows, and Wherefores
By Janie Cheaney |
(Originally published at Redeemed Reader on November 27, 2013) Most kids enjoy comics or their upscale cousins, graphic novels. Of those who enjoy them, many ...
Read More 
Noticing by Kobi Yomada
By Janie Cheaney |
Noticing, a picture book for tweens and older, beautifully illustrates the point that “One of the best things you can be is interested.” Noticing by ...
Read More 
Reformation Day Holiday Traditions
By Megan Saben |
Inventing a Celebration I’ve never had much use for Halloween. We didn’t celebrate it when I was growing up, substituting other family fun that day, ...
Read More 
The Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success by Joshua Shifrin
By Janie Cheaney |
The “Homework Squad” shows attention-challenged students how to study smarter. The Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success by Joshua Shifrin, PhD, illustrated by Tracy ...
Read More 
A Jesus Easter by Barbara Reaoch
By Megan Saben |
Explore the story of Easter with A Jesus Easter, a family devotional for Lent with interactive questions and journaling prompts. A Jesus Easter: Explore God's ...
Read More 
*The Double Dangerous Book for Boys
By Megan Saben |
The Double Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn, Arthur, and Cameron Iggulden is a clean, engaging, fascinating, and robust book for boys, just like the ...
Read More 
J. R. R. Tolkien for Kids by Simonetta Carr
By Hayley Morell |
An interactive biographical introduction to Tolkien with 21 activities, J. R. R. Tolkien for Kids is perfect for middle grade Tolkien enthusiasts. J. R. R. ...
Read More 
Outdoor School: Hiking and Camping by David and Blevins
By Janie Cheaney |
The Outdoor School series offers interactive guides to experiencing, understanding, and appreciating nature. Outdoor School: Hiking and Camping by Jannifer Pharr Davis and Haley Blevins, ...
Read More 
*10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin
By Janie Cheaney |
With Christianity increasingly under fire, apologist Rebecca McLaughlin answers 10 questions every young Christian will have to confront. *10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and ...
Read More 
Bee Fearless by Mikaila Ullmer
By Janie Cheaney |
In Bee Fearless, Mikaila Ulmer tells how she grew a multimillion-dollar business out of a lemonade stand--but not by herself. Bee Fearless: Dream Like a ...
Read More 
Picture Books for Young Writers: My Pencil and Me and How to Write a Story
By Janie Cheaney |
My Pencil and Me by Sara Varon. First Second, 2020, 34 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 5-7 Every writer knows ...
Read More 
Ancient Romans, Alphamaniacs, and Incredible Jobs
By Megan Saben |
Three illustrated non-fiction books share fascinating information about ancient cultures, unusual wordsmiths, and careers you might not have considered. Ancient Romans and Their Neighbors: An ...
Read More 
A Better Than Anything Christmas by Barbara Reaoch
By Betsy Farquhar |
Dig in to the Christmas story a bit more intentionally this year with A Better Than Anything Christmas, a family Advent devotional with interactive questions ...
Read More 
Comics: Easy as ABC! by Ivan Brunetti
By Janie Cheaney |
Comics: Easy as ABC! is an accessible introduction to drawing for young artists, but the content includes one big misstep. Comics: Easy as ABC! An ...
Read More 
How to Be a Person by Catherine Newman
By Janie Cheaney |
How to Be a Person humorously introduces middle-graders to life skills both practical and thoughtful. How to Be a Person: 65 Hugely Useful Super-Important Skills ...
Read More 
Road Trip USA
By Megan Saben |
The sensible way to plan a vacation would be to decide months in advance where you want to go and how you want to get ...
Read More 
Everybody Counts by Kristin Roskifte
By Janie Cheaney |
Everybody Counts is more than a counting book: it includes big numbers and big thoughts. Everybody Counts: a Counting Story from 0 to 7.5 Billion ...
Read More 
Exploring the Bible Together by David Murray
By Janie Cheaney |
Exploring the Bible Together launches families on a year-long journey through Scripture in a way that’s both practical and effective. Exploring the Bible Together: a ...
Read More 
Everything Awesome about Dinosaurs by Mike Lowery
By Janie Cheaney |
A fact-packed and tongue-in-cheek resource for dinosaur fans, with a distinct evolutionary slant. Everything Awesome about Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Beasts by Mike Lowery. Orchard ...
Read More 
How to Raise a Reader by Pamela Paul and Maria Russo
By Janie Cheaney |
How to Raise a Reader focuses less on the “Why” and more on the “How” of fostering a love of literature in your own children. ...
Read More 
Go Build Something! Engineering Books for Boys (and Girls)
By Janie Cheaney |
STEM is big in schools and publishing today, and many educators add an A to make STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Engineering ties ...
Read More 
World Atlas: Essential Student Reference
By Betsy Farquhar |
Does your student have a world atlas at home to reference? Is your classroom or school library stocked with several? Do we even need a ...
Read More 
Explorer Academy: Code-Breaking Activity Adventure
By Betsy Farquhar |
Learn to break codes like a professional sleuth in Explorer Academy: Code-Breaking Activity Adventure for middle grades. Explorer Academy: Code-Breaking Activity Adventure by Dr. Gareth ...
Read More 
Look! I Wrote a Book! by Sally Lloyd Jones
By Janie Cheaney |
Sally Lloyd Jones shares the basics of book-writing with simple advice that works for any age. Look! I Wrote a Book (and You Can Too) ...
Read More 
The Delights of Childcraft, part 2
By Megan Saben |
Yesterday I introduced a set of books that impressed me as a child, and I appreciate them more now as a parent and home educator. ...
Read More
The Delights of Childcraft, part 1
By Megan Saben |
I remember the first book that taught me to love poetry as a child. "Antonio, Antonio," by Laura E. Richards, was in the second volume ...
Read More 
STEM Girls: a Roundup
By Janie Cheaney |
The range of fields encompassed by Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) are the new educational Holy Grail, replacing history, social science, and the humanities. ...
Read More 
The Survival Guide to Money Smarts by Eric Braun
By Janie Cheaney |
Practical worksheets and relevant concerns make this “Survival Guide” a useful money primer for middle graders. The Survival Guide to Money Smarts by Eric Braun ...
Read More 
The Money-Smart Family System by Steve Economides
By Janie Cheaney |
"Money smarts" begin at home in this family-oriented guide to teaching wise management. The Money Smart Family System by Steve and Annette Economides. Thomas Nelson, ...
Read More 
Shakespeare Fun and Frivolity
By Megan Saben |
Shakespeare fans who have room on their shelves and a box of freshly sharpened colored pencils will find good application for both with three fun ...
Read More 
Sign Here: Twenty-Two Unofficially Official Pull-Out Forms
By Hayley Morell |
Perfect activity for your list-loving child on a cold winter’s day. Sign Here by Gabrielle Djanogly & Adele Mildred. Prestel Junior, 2018. 48 pages. Reading Level: Ages ...
Read More 
A Colorful Past by William Boekestein
By Janie Cheaney |
A coloring book for elementary through middle grades offers a sweeping view of church history, from the first century to the twentieth. A Colorful Past: ...
Read More 
Science Ideas in 30 Seconds by Mike Goldsmith
By Janie Cheaney |
In spite of some outdated ideas about science and faith, these 30-second explanations form an interesting tour of science history. Ages 8-15 Science Ideas in ...
Read More 
Cleopatra and Ancient Egypt for Kids by Simonetta Carr
By Janie Cheaney |
Christian biographer Simonetta Carr explores the life of Cleopatra, one of the most fascinating and mysterious women in history. Ages 10-16 Cleopatra and Ancient Egypt ...
Read More 
Summer Fun Booklist: Full of Activities and Things to Do!
By Betsy Farquhar |
Summer Days Ahead The glorious weeks of summer are upon us (if you live in the Southeast) or soon to be (if you live in ...
Read More 
Stuck in the Stone Age by Geoff Rodkey
By Janie Cheaney |
Stuck in the Stone Age offers a short course in story writing as well as a wacky time-travel adventure. Ages 8-12 Stuck in the Stone ...
Read More 
With My Hands by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
By Janie Cheaney |
With My Hands, a poetry collection for ages 5-10, celebrates the endless creativity of humans from the earliest ages. With My Hands: Poems about Making ...
Read More 
It’s National Poetry Month – Let’s Write a Poem! (Free Download)
By Janie Cheaney |
In honor of National poetry month, here's a sample lesson from Wordsmith Apprentice to help reluctant writers produce original verse. "Poetry" is a scary word ...
Read More 
Bible Review: NIV Kids’ Quiz Bible
By Janie Cheaney |
The NIV Quiz Bible challenges readers with over 1000 questions to answer from the text. NIV Kids’ Quiz Bible. Zonderkidz, 2018, 1795 pages Recommended for: ...
Read More 
*Big Picture Bible Crafts by Gail Schoonmaker
By Janie Cheaney |
A great resource for Sunday school or art class, these Bible crafts will help kids learn while they create. All ages *Big Picture Bible Crafts: ...
Read More 
The Wonder of the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Wonder of the Greatest Gift offers a complete Jesse Tree experience with devotional and ornaments for the whole family to enjoy. The Wonder of ...
Read More 
The Coloring Book of Cards and Envelopes: Christmas
By Betsy Farquhar |
A whimsical collection of 24 cards and coordinating envelopes to color and share this Christmas! The Coloring Book of Cards and Envelopes: Christmas by Nosy ...
Read More 
*The Radical Book for Kids by Champ Thornton
By Janie Cheaney |
This fun and friendly compendium of Bible facts, everyday knowledge, history, how-to, wise counsel, apologetics, and doctrine is a terrific resource for every Christian kid. ...
Read More 
The Kids’ Book of Simple Machines by Kelly Doudna
By Betsy Farquhar |
A perfect instruction manual for young tinkerers who want to know how things work and how to leverage the six simple machines to build cool ...
Read More 
The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments by Miller, Homer, and Harrington
By Betsy Farquhar |
There's no excuse to be bored with this book lying around: chemistry, physics, the natural world, and even the human body are just a page ...
Read More 
Science Experiments You Can Eat by Vicki Cobb
By Betsy Farquhar |
Kids will love getting to eat their science projects in this clever, well organized book all about science. Science Experiments You Can Eat, Revised and ...
Read More 5 Ways to Connect Legos and Literature
By Megan Saben |
What do you do when spring is shining and the kids are squirming? If you have a child who is enthusiastic about Legos, enrich their time ...
Read More Brick Flicks by Sarah Herman
By Megan Saben |
Brick Flicks: A comprehensive guide to making your own stop-motion Lego movies by Sarah Herman. Skyhorse Publishing, 2014. 206 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, Ages ...
Read More 20 Ways to Draw a…: A Sketchbook for Artists, Designers and Doodlers [series] by various authors
By Megan Saben |
20 Ways to Draw a…: A Sketchbook for Artists, Designers and Doodlers by various authors. Quarry Books. 95 pages. Reading Level: Ages 4-8 and up Recommended ...
Read More 
McSweeney’s The Goods, vol. 1
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Goods, vol. 1 by McSweeney's. Big Picture Press, 2013. 96 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-12 Recommended For: Ages 8 and up Bottom ...
Read More *Daily Bible Reading Program for Children: 7/52 Bible Study
By Betsy Farquhar |
*Unfortunately, it looks like this program is no longer available. Consider this review a source of inspiration! If you create something like this, be sure ...
Read More Keeping Your Cool by Lou Priolo
By Janie Cheaney |
Keeping Your Cool: A Teen’s Survival Guide by Lou Priolo. P&R, capsule 2014 (new edition). 251 pages, unhealthy including appendices. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages ...
Read More 
*Hosanna, Loud Hosannas by Barbara and David Leeman
By Betsy Farquhar |
*Hosanna, Loud Hosannas: Essential Hymns Every Child Should Sing compiled and written by Barbara and David Leeman, 2014. 300 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-12Recommended ...
Read More 
Eye Benders: The Science of Seeing and Believing by Clive Gifford
By Betsy Farquhar |
Eye Benders: The Science of Seeing and Believing by Clive Gifford. Ivy Press, 2013 (U.K.) and 2014 (U.S.A.). 64 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, 8-12 ...
Read More 
It’s Party Time! How to wish Will a happy 450th
By Janie Cheaney |
What better way to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday than to throw a party! With ten or more guests and liberal use of the suggestions below, it ...
Read More 
Mission Work for Kids: Sewing School and Crafts for Hope
By emily |
In our Summer Reading Challenge, we've just read the story of Nate Saint, one of the men who entered glory alongside Jim Elliot trying to ...
Read More What’s on the Menu? Literary Cookbooks!
By Janie Cheaney |
Food occupies our minds a lot this time of year—to gather around, to give away, to serve to strangers at the Salvation Army, to stuff ...
Read More *Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
By Janie Cheaney |
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen. Random House (Wendy Lamb Books), 2007. 88 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Maturity Level: 4 (Ages 10-12) Bottom ...
Read More