Book Reviews

Though more of a devotional Bible than a study Bible, this edition offers thought-provoking questions and application features. CSB Study Bible for Girls.  Baker, 2018, ...

Three recent editions of the NIV from Zondervan target adventurous kids and fantasy lovers. NIV God’s Treasure Holy Bible.  Zonderkidz, 2018, 1216 pages (font size ...

A beautiful, artistic representation of the story of Easter using rocks set against a black backdrop. Starred review for He is Risen. *He is Risen: ...

A coloring Bible may make a lovely gift for the right recipient, but is it the best choice for reading and studying? The appearance of ...

Eventown is a place of forgetting, but how much forgetting does that take before you forget yourself? Eventown by Corey Ann Haydn.  HarperCollins, 2019, 326 ...

Identical twins struggle to re-define themselves in The Lost Girl, a fantasy for middle-grade readers. The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu. HarperCollins (Walden Pond), 2019, ...

Someday We Will Fly explores a little-known chapter of the Holocaust: the Jewish refuge of Shanghai. Someday We Will Fly by Rachel DeWoskin.  Viking, 2019, ...

Sweeter Than Honey offers readers a clear, step-by-step approach to studying the Bible. Sweeter Than Honey: Cultivating an Appetite for the Word of God by ...

Mitali Perkins' latest novel takes two conflicted teens to India to confront human trafficking and challenges to their Christian faith. *Forward Me Back to You ...

Jack and Praiseworthy must use their wits and resourcefulness if they are to strike it rich in California's goldfields in this funny middle grades novel. ...

With Explorer Academy, National Geographic launches an action sci-fi series taking readers to the world's natural wonders. The Nebula Secret (Explorer Academy #1) by Trudi ...

A days-long power outage is the premise for Zap, a STEM-based, character-driven novel for middle graders. Zap by Martha Freeman.  Simon & Schuster, 2018, 288 ...

Holling Hoodhood comes to appreciate more than Shakespeare in this humorous historical fiction middle school novel. Starred review for The Wednesday Wars! *The Wednesday Wars ...

In Checked, one family's deep involvement in hockey provides the background for life questions. Checked by Cynthis Kadohata.  Atheneum, 2019, 404 pages. Reading Level: Middle ...

A dauntless 11-year-old boy confronts a possible Russian spy in this Cold-War-era thriller. Spy Runner by Eugene Yelchin.  Henry Holt (Godwin Books), 2019, 343 pages ...

Naima loves to draw, but how can she use that gift to help her poor Bangladeshi family earn some much needed income? Rickshaw Girl by ...

Chiko and Tu Reh learn to face challenges and love their enemies in modern day, war-torn Burma in this realistic fiction novel for teens. Starred ...

To "pay attention" to the world around you is rule #1 of a life well lived, as this winning middle-grade novel shows. *Pay Attention, Carter ...

Two recent graphic-novel adaptations of classic stories have their strengths, but overall demonstrate the adage, "the book is better." A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine ...

New Kid offers a fresh and funny graphic-novel take on the middle-school blues. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-14 From Washington ...

Krosoczka, author of the Lunch Lady graphic novels, tells his own story in Hey Kiddo, a graphic novel memoir that is by turns harsh and tender. ...

In The Enchanted Hour, Meghan Cox Gurdon makes the intellectual, social, and emotional case for reading aloud, at any age, to any age. The Enchanted ...

A beleaguered planet, flight school, and one young woman's quest to prove herself and clear her family honor combine in this excellent YA. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. Delacorte Press, ...

You Who: Why You Matter and How to Deal with It is a refreshing take on the "find yourself" messages blaring from our culture for ...

Did you know that March is Women's History Month? Or that the theme for Women's History Month 2019 is "Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & ...

*The Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for School Equality by JoAnn Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy. Bloomsbury, 2019, 309 pages including ...

Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden.  Bloomsbury, 2019, 257 pages. Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 14-up Judy 12, 1881, Savannah, Georgia: Essie Mirth ...

Literaritea is a fresh series in which Megan offers a taste of her experiences reading picture books and poetry aloud to her five boys, ages 2-12. Ideally we have teatime with our literature, but not always. These are the books that resonate with all of us and if I don't own these titles yet, I ...

Me: "That school must be named after Lise Meitner. Didn't she do something with uranium?" {the school in question was on a TV show and ...

Three recent novels for middle-grade through YA feature characters with schizophrenia or depression. Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin.  HarperCollins, 2018, 245 pages. Reading ...

Foundling, Lamplighter, and Factotum by D. M. Cornish. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2006-2010. Ages 12 & up. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-14 Recommended for: ages 12 & ...

Several of these picture books recently won awards (or honors) in the ALA YMA in January. And one of them is brand new, hot-off-the-press in ...

*Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Them: Schizophrenia Through a Mother's Eyes by Simonetta Carr.  Presbyterian & Reformed, 2019, 359 pages. Reading Level: Adult Recommended for: ...

It's Valentine's Day. So, of course, we're going to talk about Jane Austen! Nothing can compare to the original, but Hayley and Betsy have been ...

This unusual biography of Abraham Lincoln frames his life as a series of ten decisions, in which the reader is invited to participate. It’s Up ...

The Young Man's Guide to Awesomeness is a well-organized, humorous, straight-talking guide for young men as they mature into godly adults. *The Young Man's Guide to Awesomeness: How to Guard Your Heart, Get the Girl, and Save the World by Barrett Johnson. INFO For Families, 2017. 158 pages. Reading Level: Teen, ages 12 and up Recommended For: Upper middle grades and up (ages 10+) Growing up is never easy. There are physical changes, ...

At the Well is a short book urging singles (teens and up) to wait on the Lord for marriage and for his timing. At the Well: Discovering God's Plan for Finding True Love by Kristen Tiber. Kristen Summers LLC, 2018. 146 pages. Reading Level: ...

Moving and beautiful, this post-Holocaust novel offers hope after horror. *What the Night Sings by Vesper Stamper.  Knopf, 2018, 249 pages. Reading Level: Teen, ages ...

In these four tales inspired by Kipling's Jungle Book, Mowgli the man-cub learns the backstories of his fellow creatures. *Into the Jungle: Stories for Mowgli ...

It's time to reclaim "Women's History Month" (March). How about "Women in the Church Month," complete with deep conversation about our shared faith, discussion about ...

A teenage Syrian refugee is the “Nowhere Boy” whose fate falls into the hands of an American 13-year-old. Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh.  Roaring Brook, ...

image from ALA website According to the ALA, "the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the ...

Astrid, the thunderbolt of Glimmerdal, charms readers as easily as she charms those around her in this delightful middle grades novel. *Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr. Candlewick, 2018 (English language version). 320 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10Recommended For: Family read aloud, ages 6 and up "Blistering badgers!" She's managed to sled —with speed and self ...

Jason Reynolds is an author we've kept an eye on ever since his debut in 2015 with When I Was the Greatest. That novel, and ...

A new teen fantasy novel draws inspiration from Susan Pevensie's rejection of Narnia to spin a similar tale. In the almost 70 years since C. ...

In The Biggest Win, players from the 2018 Super Bowl championship team coach young athlete in winning the kingdom of God. The Biggest Win: Pro ...

A sports reporter who was with the Eagles as their dream team came together tells the story of their amazing Super Bowl Win. Birds of ...

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies is a truly beautiful work of art, isn’t it, Megan? For readers who haven’t seen this gem yet, the book chronicles ...

Nobody said “No” to Cyrus Field once he got his brain around a big idea that transformed the history of communication—and history itself. Cyrus Field’s ...

“The Disappearing Spoon” is one mystery solved by the periodic table, in this entertaining grab-bag of historical oddities from chemistry. The Disappearing Spoon (Young Readers ...

Cardboard Kingdom (Knopf, 2018) bounced to the top of the book-review radar the moment it was released, and soon after tallied an impressive 5 starred ...

The Parker Inheritance, the latest by Varian Johnson, is a different sort of book from his light-hearted, fun middle grades heist novels (see The Great ...

Not every teen is hanging out in the YA section of the library, wallowing in teen angst.* Plenty of teens are ready for meaty, engaging ...

Vera König must decide if she can trust the enemy in this moving, true Holocaust story of a Christian in Hitler's camps. Courage in the ...

Janie and Megan talk over one of the most impressive books we read this year: The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoffer and the Plot to Kill ...

  The Biographies and Discussion Questions To start our year off for the Love Your Neighbor Book Club, everyone read a missionary biography of their ...

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 ...

Janie, Hayley, and Betsy team up to (virtually) discuss Sweep by Jonathan Auxier: does it have what it takes to win a Newbery? We discuss themes, ...

Janie: The Book of Boy is one of the more unusual middle-grade novels to appear this year.  The main character is (not surprisingly) Boy, a ...

Continuing our series from last Friday about children's books seen as contenders for the ALA's coveted Newbery medal. The Truth As Told by Mason Buttle ...

Heaven: A Family Reunion? I don't know what heaven will be like, but I imagine it as one big family reunion at a feast table. ...

Then end of the year is the beginning of buildup to the annual American Library Association (ALA) “Youth Media Awards,” culminating in the announcement of ...

It’s that time again!  Children’s book titles are pouring into every librarians’ website as the kidlit community speculates on who will win Newbery gold this ...

Dawn Garrett joins us today to discuss reading Kate Seredy's books aloud to her tweens and teens. For more about Dawn, see her bio below ...

I (Betsy) interviewed my teen daughter about her experience with the 2018 Reading Challenge. She's a 13-year-old voracious reader who has clear genre preferences, but ...

I know, I know, there's so little time left before the Day of Much Rejoicing and Celebration, but I've got two strong recommendations for Christmas ...

This picture book gives a neglected holiday its due, celebrating “New Year” around the world with brilliant collage illustrations. Every Month is a New Year: ...

This post really happened.  It was written at the library with a stack of books and without coffee. It has been left close to its ...

Imagination literally runs wild in Inkling, the latest middle-grade novel from popular novelist Kenneth Oppel. Inkling by Kenneth Oppel, with illustrations by Sydney Smith.  Knopf, ...

December is such a wildly busy month: Christmas concerts and recitals and school performances and parties. Travel plans and/or welcoming extended family into your home. ...

  The movie version of Mortal Engines opens this weekend.  Here's our original review of the series, originally published in January 2011. The Hungry Cities ...

More than a simple counting book, God Counts sets out to teach numerically inclined kids what God is like—through numbers. *God Counts: Numbers in His ...

Special God sets out to explain biblical theological concepts to young children and those with special needs. Special God by Julie Mililli, design by Matt ...

It's time for the annual reporting of what books I, as the Redeemed Reader Managing Editor, buy for those on my gift list! I do ...

This historical novel for teens speculates on a maid who influenced steel magnate Andrew Carnegie to become a philanthropist. Carnegie’s Maid: a Novel by Marie ...

Need a book idea you can give as a “whole family” gift? Perhaps you want to take along a little “happy” to the friend and ...

Oliver realizes he doesn't yet know everything about the Civil War in this engaging middle grades novel.  The Not-so-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matt ...

Three boastful knights bite off more than they can chew in this legendary tale by a popular graphic novelist. Knights vs. Dinosaurs by Matt Phelan.  ...

Wicked Nix, “foulest of the fairies,” encounters a magic that resists all the standard fairy spells: the power of human love. *Wicked Nix by Lena ...

Tales of Wonder provides parents and teachers a wonderful resource to use as they enjoy fairy tales with their students and children. *Tales of Wonder, ...

*Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year selected by Fiona Waters, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon. Nosy Crow, 2018, ...

Fresh, colorful illustrations decorate this reprint of The Jesse Tree as told by master storyteller Geraldine McCaughrean. The Jesse Tree by Geraldine McCaughrean and illustrated by Bee ...

Picturing America is an appealing picture-book biography of one of the originators of distinctive American Art. *Picturing America: Thomas Cole and the Birth of American ...

Adrian insists that he has a horse, but Chloe argues the obvious facts until she learns to see through his eyes. *Campbell, Marcy. Adrian Simcox ...

Three new picture books in the Good News for Little Hearts series help us coach children through difficulties and point them to Christ. Zoe's Hiding ...

In Brangwain Spurge, two idiosyncratic writers team up to tell a story of mutual misunderstanding from distinct perspectives. The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M. ...

An instant friendship leads to potential trouble in this engaging, character-driven story for middle grades and early teens. The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla ...

The juvenile version of the Atlas Obscura travel guide may spark a taste for travel in middle graders. The Atlas Obscura Explorers Guide for the ...

Kids banding together to help one another, particularly if the grown-ups are somehow unavailable = the biggest common denominator in middle grade fiction. Not every ...

Preparing for Jesus is a fresh, imaginative Advent devotional that looks at each of the biblical characters in the Christmas story, trying to learn from them ...

Wild Bells: A Literary Advent offers a beautiful Christian literary work, such as a poem, along with a reflection for each day of the Advent ...

Celebrate the birth of Christ with stories, Scripture, and song in this Advent family devotional guide, perfect for busy families or used in a classroom ...

Enjoy both Handel's Messiah and the season of Advent with this succinct-yet rich-guide to both. A good Advent family devotional option for busy families! *Hallelujah: A ...

To date this school year, our Love Your Neighbor Book Club has read Save Me a Seat and A Long Walk to Water, both of ...

What if God took the very instrument that caused your suffering and turned it into a tool of blessing for many? Six Dots: A Story ...

This fascinating true account of a prison escape during World War I will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The Grand Escape: the ...

In this sequel to an earlier book, Louisiana Elephante, all of ten years old, finds herself abandoned in a small Georgia town. Lousiana’s Way Home ...

Sweep combines historical fact with mythical elements to create a compelling story filled with sharp edges and surprising graces. *Sweep: The Story of a Girl ...

It's National Picture Book Month, so we're celebrating picture books--both fiction and nonfiction! Nonfiction picture books are a truly exceptional--and often overlooked--way to introduce a ...

November is National Picture Book Month!  Here's a collection of new picture books for the whole family. We don't think you need an "excuse" to ...