Boys

World War I: An Interactive History Adventure by Gwenyth Swain

World War I: an Interactive History Adventure by Gwenyth Swain. (You Choose Books), Capstone, 2012. 112 pages including timeline, index, etc. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ...
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Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey by Nick Bertozzi

Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey by Nick Bertozzi. First Second, 2014. 125 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Maturity Level: 4 (ages 11-12) and up This ...
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Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood by Nathan Hale

Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood by Nathan Hale. Amulet, 2014. 128 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12Maturity Level: 4 (age 10 and up) This ...
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One Realm Beyond by Donita K. Paul

This review was written by a Redeemedreader intern and high school student.  Thanks, Grace! One Realm Beyond by Donita K. Paul.  Zondervan, 2014. 416 pgs. ...
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Space Case by Stuart Gibbs

Space Case by Stuart Gibbs. Simon & Schuster, 2014. 337 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10. Maturity Level: 4 (ages 11-12) Moon Base Alpha ...
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Junk Drawer Physics by Bobby Mercer

Junk Drawer Physics: 50 Awesome Experiments That Don’t Cost a Thing by Bobby Mercer. Chicago Review Press, 2014. 187 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages ...
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National Geographic Kids Biographies: Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison by Barbara Kramer. National Geographic Kids, 2014, 32 pages. Reading Level: Early reader, leveled readerMaturity Level: 2 (ages 4-8) and up National Geographic ...
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National Geographic Kids: Robots

Robots by Melissa Stewart. National Geographic Kids, 2014, 48 pages. Reading Level: Early reader, leveled readerMaturity Level: 2 (ages 4-8) and up It can be hard ...
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Zoobots by Helaine Becker

Zoobots: Wild Robots Inspired by Real Animals by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Alex Ries. Kids Can Press, 2014, 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, ...
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Centerburg Tales by Robert McCloskey

Centerburg Tales by Robert McCloskey. Viking, 1979, 191 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, 8-10Maturity Level: 2 (ages 4-8) and up Centerburg Tales is set in ...
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Homer Price cover

Homer Price by Robert McCloskey

Homer Price by Robert McCloskey. Viking, 1943. 149 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, 8-10Recommended for: Ages 8-10 McCloskey has transformed his picture book hero, Lentil, ...
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Lentil by Robert McCloskey

Lentil by Robert McCloskey. First published by Viking, 1940. Reading Level: Picture Books, 4-8Recommended for: Ages 4-8 Lentil, McCloskey's first picture book, is now 74 years ...
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I Can Read / Made By God

    I Can Read! Made by God series, edited by Mary Hassinger. Zonderkidz, 2010-2011, 32 pages. Reading Level: Easy/Leveled Readers, Ages 4-8 Maturity Level: ...
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Zane and the Hurricane

Zane and the Hurricane: a Story of Katrina, by Rodman Philbrick. Scholastic, 2014, 181 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 11-12 Maturity Level: 4 (ages ...
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Almost Super by Marion Jensen

Almost Super, by Marion Jensen. Harper, 2014, 251 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, Ages 8-12 Maturity Level: 3 (ages 8-10) Every four years, on February ...
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Curiosity

Curiosity, by Gary Blackwood. Dutton, 2014, 310 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, Ages 11-12, Young Adult, ages 12-14 Maturity Level: 5 (Ages 12-14) Philadelphia, 1836: ...
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What is War Good For?

How do you use the label “anti-war?” As in, “Saving Private Ryan is the best anti-war movie ever made, or “All Quiet on the Western ...
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*The Warden and the Wolf King

An epic finale to an epic fantasy series. *The Warden and the Wolf King,by Andrew Peterson. Rabbit Room Press, 2014, 519 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages ...
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The Great Greene Heist

The Great Greene Heist, by Varian Johnson. Scholastic, 2014, 226 pages.  Age/interest level: 9-13. Everybody loves a con man, as long as they’re not the ...
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SRC, Week 5: A Wrinkle in Time

Other Summer Reading Challenge posts: Introduction, Week One: 1) Kids, 2) Teens, 3) Devotional.  Week Two: 1) Kids, 2) Teens, 3) Devotional.  Week Three: off Week ...
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SRC, Week 4: The House of Arden

Other Summer Reading Challenge posts: Introduction, Week One: 1) Kids, 2) Teens,  3) Devotional.  Week Two: 1) Kids, 2) Teens, 3) Devotional.  Week Three: off Week ...
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The Story of Owen: Review and Discussion

It's officially an off-week here at Redeemedreader.  But we've put together one "extra" post for your holiday weekend: a review of The Story of Owen: ...
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SRC, Week 2: Rush Revere and the First Patriots

Other Summer Reading Challenge posts: Introduction, Week One: 1) Kids, 2) Teens, 3) Devotional.  Week Two: 1) Kids, 2) Teens, 3) Devotional.  Week Three: off Week ...
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SRC, Week 1 (Teen list): The Dragon’s Tooth by N. D. Wilson

Welcome Teens! Who's finished the first book??!  Not me!!!  And that's totally OK, because we've got another week before we post our discussion on The ...
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Ice and Jungle–New Middle-Grade Adventure

Ice Dogs, by Terry Lynn Johnson. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 279 pages. Age/interest level: 12-16. It’s the call of the wild—Victoria Secord loves her 16 ...
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It’s Summertime! Let’s Learn Something!

While we're gearing up for our summer reading challenge (still time to sign up!) the kids may be looking around for something to read. Fiction ...
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Raising “Wild” Readers

How do you teach the pleasure of reading to non-readers? Convinced by research studies and personal experience that worksheets and conventional methods of teaching literary ...
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Boys of Blur and Beowulf: Like Father, Like Son

It's not often that we are privileged to read literary gems from both father AND son. But that is indeed the case here; to make ...
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Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge. Candlewick, 2003, 116 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Maturity Level: 5 (Ages 12-15) One-line Summary: Kevin, age 15, ...
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*The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

*The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. Harcourt Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. 237 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grade, ages 10-12 Maturity Level: 4 (ages 10-12) and up Bottom ...
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The Shakespeare Stealer–and an Interview with Author Gary Blackwood

The Shakespeare Stealer (1998), Shakespeare's Scribe (2000), and Shakespeare's Spy (2003), by Gary Blackwood.  Penguin Group; Puffin Books.  Age/interest level: 12-16. True story: in 1998 ...
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Adventuring with Wilder Good, Gannon & Wyatt, and a Giveaway!

The Adventures of Wilder Good: Elk Hunt, by S. J. Dahlstron.  Paul Dry Books, 2013, 101 pages.  Age/interest level: 9-13. The title says it all: ...
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America, the Future: Divided We Fall and Sylo

This month we're looking at some YA and middle-grade titles that could be described as "high-interest": stories that grab you and don't let go.  But ...
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Ukraine: Lessons in Liberty and Compassion, Pt. 2

Last week, we began our Ukrainian series with a personal reflection from our executive assistant, Hayley.  Having recently visited orphans in Ukraine,  Hayley gave us insight ...
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Sequelville: in Which We Follow up on Some Old Favorites

Sometimes fans of a popular book DEMAND a sequel (see Origami Yoda, below), and sometimes the entire series is planned out from the beginning.  Whether ...
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Middle Grade Winners: Cheesie Mack and Jack Strong

We've written about "middle-grade losers" before--those feckless, clueless fifth-and-sixth grader boys (exhibit A being The Wimpy Kid) so popular with boy readers of that age ...
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Dragons and Time Fetches: More Middle-Grade Fantasy

Handbook for Dragon Slayers, by Merrie Haskell.  HarperCollins, 2013, 226 pages.  Age/interest level: 10-up. When our story begins, Tilda, age 13, has no interest in ...
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*Tommysaurus Rex by Doug TenNapel

Tommysaurus Rex by Doug TenNapel.  Scholastic (Graphix), ask 2013.  238 pages.  Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10 Maturity Level: 3 (ages 8-10) and up Bottom ...
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On the Court and in the Woods: Books for Teen Boys

Will in Scarlet, by Matthew Cody.  Knopf, 20134, 272 pages.  Age/interest level: 12-up. We’re introduced to William Shackley as a callow, nervous 14-year-old on his ...
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Second-Grade Perils: The Year of Billy Miller

The Year of Billy Miller, by Keven Henkes.  Greenwillow, 2013, 229 pages.  Age/interest level: 6-8. Kevin Henkes’ name on a book jacket automatically gets attention.  ...
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Newbery Buzz: The Truth of Me, plus one more

This is our last "buzz" post, but tomorrow Betsy and I are going to go out on a limb and make some predictions about the ...
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Twerps and Bullies: Middle Grade fun for boys

I'll admit it: I cracked up when I read Wimpy Kid. Clearly, my sense of humor is rather juvenile (or, maybe I've just spent a LOT of ...
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Tough Times: Two Middle-Grade Historical Novels for Boys

River Rats, by Leslie J. Wyatt.  Royal Fireworks Press, 2013, 212 pages.  Age/interest level: 10-14. Kenny Barton would be the first to admit he doesn’t ...
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Nurturing a young reader’s literary tastes

Parents with avid readers often find themselves with a dilemma: after my child has read all the age-appropriate books, where do we go from here? ...
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C. S. Lewis at War: Radio Theatre for Teens and Adults

C. S. Lewis at War: The Dramatic Story Behind Mere Christianity (Radio Theatre) by C.S. Lewis and Paul McCusker.  Tyndale Entertainment, 2013.  Ages 12 and ...
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Pilgrim’s Progress adapted by Anna Trimiew

Pilgrim’s Progress: John Bunyan’s Classic Story Adapted for Children, by Anna Trimiew, illustrated by Drew Rose.  Great Commissions Press, 2013, 109 pages, including glossary and ...
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Call of the Klondike: a True Gold Rush Adventure by David Meissner

This middle grade history uses original letters and contemporary news accounts to recreate the drama of the Alaska Gold Rush.  Call of the Klondike: a ...
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Truth in the Tinsel: A Family Advent Tradition

Truth in the Tinsel Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I suppose the Christmas race has officially begun now, and with that in mind, ...
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Classics in Comics

We round out Picture-book month at Redeemed Reader with a look at some recent comic-book adaptations of enduring literary works--even though graphic novels, technically speaking, ...
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Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon

Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon. Atheneum, 2013. 40 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8 Take Me Out to the Yakyu is a colorful, ...
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Sci-fi Contest Winner and Podcast: From Ender’s Game to Hunger Games

To listen to our a read along with real teens or find discussion questions about Ender's Game, please see our Ender's Game Read Along.  Also, ...
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Veterans Day: The Warrior’s Heart

The Warrior’s heart: Becoming a Man of Compassion and Courage, by Eric Greitens.  Houghton Mifflin, 2012, 263 pages.  Age/interest level: 15-up. You stand in freezing ...
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Middle-Grade Losers, or, What Hath Greg Heffley Wrought?

The Wimpy Kid phenomenon keeps on going, and so far has outlasted the dystopia phenomenon, the vampire phenomenon, and the zombie phenomenon.  Volume 8 in ...
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Empire of Bones (Ashtown Burials, #3)

Empire of Bones (Ashtown Burials #3) by N. D. Wilson. Random House, 2013. 448 pages. Reading Level: Middle gradesRecommended For: age 10 and up. We've ...
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The Dogs of History

Duke, by Kirby Larson.  Scholastic, 2013, 229 pages.  Reading Level: Middle Grades, 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-12 Boy loves dog; boy loses dog.  That’s what ...
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Anselm: An Interview with Simonetta Carr

Anselm of Canterbury (Christian Biographies for Young Readers) by Simonetta Carr.  Reformation Heritage Books, 2013.  64 pgs.  Ages 8-up. Simonetta Carr recently published Anselm of ...
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Three delightful picture books based on historical events

Candace Fleming is blessed with a wonderful combination of skills as a writer. Since she enjoys both writing and research, as a result she writes fun ...
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Fun But Not Fantastic: Mr. Lemoncello and the Family Whipple

The American tradition of the “tall tale,” which you may think died with Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill, is  alive and well in a genre ...
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Ender’s Game Read Along, Wk 1: Considering Sci-fi and Orson Scott Card

Like sci-fi or dystopian stories?  Check out our Sci-Fi Writing Contest for teens.  You could win feedback from a sci-fi author and Thomas Nelson editor, ...
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More Favorite Science Books

Welcome back to Science September at Redeemedreader!  Last week, we heard from Janie on Science Biographies, as well as Betsy on some of her favorite ...
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Solving Mysteries with Science (and a disappointing collective biography)

One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! by Eric Yoder and Natalie Yoder. Science Naturally, 2013. When I was growing up, ...
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The Secret Lives of Scientists

On a Beam of Light: a Story of Albert Einstein, by Jennifer Berre, illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky.  Chronicle, 2013, 50 pages.  Age/interest level: 6-9 Despite ...
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New Worlds, Spirit Animals, and Frog Warriors: New Middle-Grade Fantasy

Betsy and Janie, the middle-grade readers, are joining forces today to tell you about three brand-new fantasy series for middle-graders.  Betsy reviews the first two, ...
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Space Odyssey for Little Ones: An Interview with Kevin Luthardt

THE BOOK REVIEW When Edgar Met Cecil.  Peachtree Publishers, 2013.  32 pgs.  Ages 4-8. Kevin Luthardt is an author-illustrator who has had a pretty big ...
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*Little Britches by Ralph Moody

*Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody. Bison Books, 1991. 260 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10, ages 10-12 and upRecommended ...
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Boy Overcoming

Paperboy, by Vince Vawter.   Delacorte, 2013m 224 pages.  Age/interest level: 10-14 "I'm typing about the stabbing for a good reason.  I can't talk."  Life is ...
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Tea Rex cover

Three Tea Picture Books

Tea Rex, A Visitor for Bear, and The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig are lively variations on the traditional tea party. My ...
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Beowulf: 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 ...
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How to Skim a Book: The Lost Medallion by Bill Muir and Alex Kendrick

To Skim or Not to Skim It's seven o'clock, and you remember you have a book review due in the morning.  But alas, you haven't ...
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Kids at War

If we were picking favorite periods of history, World War II would be near the top of the list.  Though it's fast fading from living ...
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Lemonade and Lit, Week 7: Klavan Discussion

Other Lemonade and Lit posts:  Introduction, Week One: Booked, Week Two: Booked Discussion, Week Three: Beauty, Week Four: Sexuality in Booked, Week Five: Beauty Discussion, ...
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Two Books about China

Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Na Liu, Illustrated by Andres Vera Martinez.  Graphic Universe TM, 2013.  96 pgs.  Grades 4-7.  When I ...
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Lemonade and Lit, Week 6: The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan

Other Lemonade and Lit posts:  Introduction, Week One: Booked, Week Two: Booked Discussion, Week Three: Beauty, Week Four: Sexuality in Booked, Week Five: Beauty Discussion, ...
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*The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins

*The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012, 40 pages Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 4-8 and up (especially ...
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It’s Greek to Me!

This week in our Summer Reading Challenge, we're visiting Greece.  So, thanks to our newest addition to the Redeemedreader family, Hayley Schoeppler, for leading us today ...
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Summer Reading Challenge, Week 6: The Lightning Thief

Welcome to Week 6 of our Summer Reading Challenge!  If you’d like to see other posts in this series,
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One 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 ...
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Boy + 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 ...
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Three Days in July

One hundred and fifty years ago, two great armies collided in a small Pennsylvania town.  The actual site of the battle was not planned, but ...
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Summer Reading Challenge, Wk 3: Nate Saint: Operation Auca

Have you seen our new tab for the Summer Reading Challenge?  In it, you'll find all the links to our Summer Reading Challenge--both the main ...
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Two Ways to See the World

Geography, like Grammar (and God), is a neglected subject in today’s public school system. Too bad—I well recall my sixth grade teacher Mrs. Nelson, a ...
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Summer Reading Challenge, Week 3: Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Introduction We've added a Summer Reading Challenge tab at the top of our website, to help you keep up with the posts as the summer ...
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Summer 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 ...
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Summer Reading Challenge, Wk 1: Interview with John Branyan

It's Thursday, and that means it's time for our Summer Reading Challenge (SRC) extras!  In case you missed it, here is the Introduction, our list of ...
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Whalesong: A Review by Nathan Huffstutler

Earlier this year, when I first heard the name Robert Siegel doing research for these book reviews last April at World Magazine, I learned Siegel ...
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Throwing Strikes with R. A. Dickey

Throwing Strikes: My Quest for Truth and the Perfect Knuckleball, by R. A. Dickey.  Dial, 2013, 296 pages.  Age/interest level: 12-16. Last year Dickey’s autobiography, ...
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Interview with Judah Ben: Kai’Ro, Christian Rap and the Progress of Urban Pilgrims

Introduction There are very few modern books that I see as really significant.  But I see the Kai' Ro series--an urban interpretation of Pilgrim's Progress--by ...
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A Novel in Verse and Verse in a Novel

We're rounding out our Poetry Month coverage with three books for middle-graders: Gone Fishing: a Novel in Verse, by Tamera Will Wissinger, illustrated by Matthew ...
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Inspiring (very) young artists

God is a God of words and pictures. He has revealed Himself to us through words in Scripture and visually in creation, and made us in ...
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Good Old Fashioned Adventure

The False Prince (2012) and The Runaway King (2013), by Jennifer A. Nielson.  Scholastic, about 350 pages each.  Age/interest level: 10-up. When we first encounter ...
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Poetry Anthologies

A good poetry anthology is like going to a friend's house with a basket, and being told, "Oh, you must read this one, and this one, and ...
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The Real Sherlock Holmes

Arthur Conan Doyle published the first Sherlock Holmes story in a British periodical in 1887, to moderate interest.  Three novels and fifty-odd short stories later, ...
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Final Four (Plus One)

This post should have gone up during March Madness, but even if the NCAA tournament is over this weekend, the NBA has few months to ...
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Proverbs, Tricksters and Fools

The book of Proverbs is full of instructions for the simple to obtain wisdom and avoid disaster. Stories about tricksters demonstrate common-grace examples of using ...
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Easter Picks from the New Crew

We thought we'd kick off our new partnership with Megan and Betsy with a few Easter book recommendations.  (If you missed their introduction, read about ...
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New Nonfiction: Titanic, Moonbird, and Bodyguards

These three books have nothing in common except their general category and the fact that the first two won honors in the ALA Youth Media ...
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The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus 3) by Rick Riordan

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3), by Rick Riordan.  Hyperion, 2012, 608 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Maturity Level: 4 (ages ...
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Zeus, King of the Gods by George O’Connor

Zeus, King of the Gods, (#1 in The Olympians graphic-novel series) by George O’Connor.  First Second, 2012, 80 pages. Reading Level: Picture books (graphic novel), ...
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Classics for Kids: The Greek and Romans

Introduction With the popularity of Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series , kids' books containing themes and allusions to Greek and Roman mythology and culture ...
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Three for Black History Month

I know—Black History month just ended.  I’m not a fan of segregated “histories”: in case you haven’t noticed, this is the first day of Women’s ...
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