Book Reviews

Thinking Christianly–about Everything

By Janie Cheaney | May 7, 2014

Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition series, by various authors. Crossway, 2012-2016, 110-140 pages each. Age/interest level: 16-up. This fall, bright, committed Christian students will pack ...

Faithgirlz in Action: Two New Series

By Janie Cheaney | May 2, 2014

Zondervan’s “Faithgirlz!” books are series novels aimed at middle-grade girls. These two “girlz” series fall prey to some common weaknesses of Christian fiction, but show ...

Cress and The Lunar Chronicles

By Hayley Morell | May 1, 2014

When you came to my jail cell and dropped this whole princess thing on me . . . how was I supposed to react? All ...

Over the Moon and across the Pond

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 30, 2014

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Over the Moon, by Frank Cottrell Boyce. Candlewick, 2014, 240 pages. Age/interest level: 9-13 The magical car seems to be flying ...

Boys of Blur and Beowulf: Like Father, Like Son

By Betsy Farquhar | Apr 24, 2014

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 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 22, 2014

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, ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 22, 2014

Baseball Is . . . by Louise Borden, illustrated by Raul Colon. Simon and Shuster, 2014. 40 pages. Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8 Maturity ...

*The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 22, 2014

*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 ...

Divergent: Coffee and Conversation

By emily | Apr 19, 2014

A few weeks ago, Veronica Roth's book Divergent hit the big screen. In God's providence, that morning I also happened to be in the same town ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 17, 2014

The Family Reading Bible: a Joyful Discovery: Explore God's Word Together, NIV. Zondervan, 2010, 2336 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: all ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 17, 2014

The Story: Teen Edition. Zondervan, 2011, 498 pages (paperback). Reading Level: Middle Grades ages 10-13 Recommended for: ages 12-15 Bottom Line: This teen edition of ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 17, 2014

Big Picture Interactive Bible: Connecting Christ through God’s Story (HCSB)*. Broadman &Holman Kids, 2014, 1350 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 17, 2014

The NIV Jesus Bible, Zondervan, 2014, 1760 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-12 Bottom Line: This children's version of the NIV ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 17, 2014

NKJV Ignite: the Bible for Teens. Thomas Nelson, 2013, 1600 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12-15 Bottom Line: Ignite offers ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 17, 2014

ESV Journal Bible, Crossway, 2012 (latest edition), 1380 pages. Reading Level:Middle grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 12 and up Bottom Line: Though limited in ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 17, 2014

NKJV Extreme Teen Study Bible, Thomas Nelson, 2012, 1792 pages, for ages 13-18 Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12-15 Bottom Line: ...

Shakespeare: life, theater and historical context

By Megan Saben | Apr 16, 2014

Here are some resources that weave together the life of William Shakespeare with the world he lived in, how the plays were produced, and what ...

The Shakespeare Stealer–and an Interview with Author Gary Blackwood

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 11, 2014

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 ...

It’s Party Time! How to wish Will a happy 450th

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 4, 2014

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 ...

The Playmaker by (our very own) J. B. Cheaney

By Betsy Farquhar | Apr 3, 2014

When I first read this book, I did not know Janie personally. I knew of her from WORLD Magazine, but it took a flyer at ...

Adventuring with Wilder Good, Gannon & Wyatt, and a Giveaway!

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 25, 2014

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: ...

Easter devotional: Why Easter?

By Megan Saben | Mar 24, 2014

Compared to the proliferation of Christmas-themed titles, the availability of books about Easter is sparse. As we noted last year, many of them focus ...

America, the Future: Divided We Fall and Sylo

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 21, 2014

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 ...

The Lunar Chronicles, continued

By Hayley Morell | Mar 20, 2014

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. Feiwel and Friends, 2013. 452 pages. Age/interest level: 14-up. As a sequel, Scarlet picks up right where Cinder ended. Linh Cinder, now ...

Ukraine: Lessons in Liberty and Compassion, Pt. 2

By Hayley Morell | Mar 15, 2014

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 ...

Retro Reads: Lloyd Alexander’s Picture Books

By Megan Saben | Mar 14, 2014

In reading Lloyd Alexander’s picture books, I observe three things: 1) he is well-versed in a broad range of folklore traditions, 2) he loves cats, and 3) ...

Retro Reads: Lloyd Alexander’s Vesper Holly Series

By Hayley Morell | Mar 13, 2014

Readers will have a hard time forgetting Lloyd Alexander's plucky heroine, Vesper Holly. Ginger-haired, green-eyed, and very determined, 16-year-old Vesper Holly is ready for anything, ...

Retro Reads: Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain

By Betsy Farquhar | Mar 12, 2014

It's Retro Reads week with Lloyd Alexander! Today, we take a look back to Lloyd Alexander's marvelous Chronicles of Prydain, the first of which was ...

Retro Reads: The Sword in the Stone

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 11, 2014

This week we begin a series of occasional posts called Retro Reads: those modern-day classics you may have missed in your teen years or before ...

Sequelville: in Which We Follow up on Some Old Favorites

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 10, 2014

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 ...

Librarians’ List: Easy/Leveled Readers, part 1

By Betsy Farquhar | Mar 8, 2014

Oh, those early (slow) reading sessions when your son or daughter labors to sound out each and every phoneme…. It seems to take forever to ...

Meet Lulu and Freddie: 2 Terrific Chapter Book Characters (+ a Giveaway)

By Betsy Farquhar | Mar 5, 2014

Ready to move on from Frog and Toad? Henry and Mudge getting too easy for your newly independent reader? Rest assured: Junie B. Jones, Judy ...

Middle Grade Winners: Cheesie Mack and Jack Strong

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 4, 2014

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 ...

Portrait of the Fantacist as a Young Man: Carpet People

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 28, 2014

The Carpet People, written and illustrated by Terry Pratchett. Clarion, 2013, 261 pages. Age/interest level: 11-up Sir Terry Pratchett, grand old man of fantasy/science fiction, ...

*The Man with the Violin

By Megan Saben | Feb 26, 2014

One ordinary Friday morning in January, a famous musician in disguise descended into the busy Metro station in Washington D.C.to share the glory of his music ...

Dragons and Time Fetches: More Middle-Grade Fantasy

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 21, 2014

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 ...

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

By Hayley Morell | Feb 20, 2014

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Square Fish, 2012. 387 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12 – 15 Recommended For: 6 (ages 15 – 18) and up Bottom ...

Cyborg Cinderella

By Hayley Morell | Feb 20, 2014

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Square Fish, 2012. 387 pages. Age/interest level: 14-up. Linh Cinder is a teenage mechanic, the best mechanic in New Beijing. ...

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

By Betsy Farquhar | Feb 18, 2014

This book is a "Best of the Best" pick from our Winter Book Fair. CLICK HERE to see more gift ideas! Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by ...

Presidents Day–What the Hayes?

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 17, 2014

There didn’t used to be a Presidents Day; instead, Americans observed Lincoln (Feb. 12) and Washington (Feb. 22) separately. But since those two had thoughtfully ...

Be My Valentine: The State of Teen Romance

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 14, 2014

If you go back as far as I do, you remember the YA novels before there was any such category as “YA.” These were mostly ...

Middle Grade Fantasy: Twistrose and Jinx

By Hayley Morell | Feb 13, 2014

Fantasy for middle grades (4th-8th/ages 9-12) is ever expanding. Hayley and Betsy look at two new additions to the field, both of which look light ...

*Tommysaurus Rex by Doug TenNapel

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 11, 2014

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 ...

Valentine’s Day

By Megan Saben | Feb 8, 2014

As Christians we are called to practice so many forms of love besides the romantic kind. Themes for Valentine's Day can be broadened to emphasize ...

Award-Winning Science Picture Books

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 7, 2014

The Animal Book: a Collection of the Fastest, Fiercest, Toughest, Cleverest, Shyest—and Most Surprising—Animals on Earth, by Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 208 pages. ...

A Quick Trip around the World

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 5, 2014

Maps, by Eleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski. Candlewick, 2013, 107 pages. Age/interest level: 4-up You like maps? We’ve got maps! After a view of the ...

Ghosts: Real or Make Believe?

By Betsy Farquhar | Feb 5, 2014

Ghost stories: most of us relish that slightly spooky feeling we get when an urban legend or hair-raising tall tale is well told around a ...

Walk Like an Egyptian–and a Roman

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 4, 2014

It’s nonfiction week at Redeemed Reader—or not entirely, but we’ve got a lot of nonfiction titles to review, including a quick trip around the world ...

On the Court and in the Woods: Books for Teen Boys

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 31, 2014

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 ...

Second-Grade Perils: The Year of Billy Miller

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 28, 2014

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. ...

Newbery Buzz: The Truth of Me, plus one more

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 24, 2014

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 ...

The Spiritual World of The Hobbit + Giveaway

By Hayley Morell | Jan 23, 2014

(Giveaway is now closed) The ever-increasing popularity of Middle Earth has brought a profusion of books written about both J. R.R. Tolkien and his created ...

Newbery Buzz: True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp

By Betsy Farquhar | Jan 21, 2014

We're coming down to the wire with our Newbery discussions. The ALA Youth Media Awards (which include the Newbery and Caldecott) will be announced Monday ...

Newbery Buzz: Counting by 7’s

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 17, 2014

(Janie and Betsy are continuing their chat about some of the outstanding children's literature being touted for the coveted Newbery award--yes, there are people who ...

Twerps and Bullies: Middle Grade fun for boys

By Betsy Farquhar | Jan 16, 2014

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 ...

Eyes of Lightning

By Hayley Morell | Jan 15, 2014

I have issues . . . more than I can count. I’m stubborn, prideful, a so-called religious fanatic, and a tomboy with freakish eyes. My family and upbringing ...

Tough Times: Two Middle-Grade Historical Novels for Boys

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 14, 2014

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 ...

Newbery Buzz: The Center of Everything

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 10, 2014

Betsy and I are back to dialogue about childrens' books that the American Library Association may delight to honor. This year's ALA Youth Media Awards ...

Nurturing a young reader’s literary tastes

By Megan Saben | Jan 9, 2014

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? ...

The Case for Christ for Kids: 90-Day Devotional

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 7, 2014

The Case for Christ for Kids 90-Day Devotional, by Lee Strobel and Jesse Florea. Zonderkidz, 2013, 199 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grade, ages 8-10 Recommended ...

The Doctrines of Grace by Shane Lems

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 7, 2014

The Doctrines of Grace, Student Edition, by Shane Lems. P&R Publishing, 2013, 143 pages, included appendices. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages ...

Who Do Men Say That I Am?

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 24, 2013

Christmas brings into focus the mystery of the incarnation, when God, in the person of Jesus Christ, took on human flesh in order to meet ...

C. S. Lewis at War: Radio Theatre for Teens and Adults

By emily | Dec 21, 2013

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 ...

Rounding Up Some Good YA Reads

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 20, 2013

As Hayley noted earlier this week, the much-heralded final volume of Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy was a disappointment. Much-heralded final volumes often disappoint, but what's ...

Newbery Buzz: Flora & Ulysses

By Betsy Farquhar | Dec 17, 2013

Newbery Award Janie and I are back to discuss another potential Newbery contender (see our discussion of The Real Boy). The prestigious Newbery and Caldecott ...

Nostalgic Christmas Picture Books

By Betsy Farquhar | Dec 12, 2013

Many of our cultural Christmas celebrations are just that--cultural, not biblical. That being said, we can be Christians and still enjoy many of our cultural ...

Far as the Curse is Found: Two Novels Dealing with Death

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 11, 2013

This seems like an odd time of year to talk about death, but the joy of the Christmas season wouldn’t be joyful at all if ...

Pilgrim’s Progress adapted by Anna Trimiew

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 9, 2013

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 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 9, 2013

Pilgrim’s Progress: a Retelling, by Gary Schmidt, illustrated by Barry Moser. Eerdmans, 1994, 96 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, Ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12 ...

Newbery Buzz: The Real Boy

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 5, 2013

If you have any interest in youth literature at all, you know that the Newbery Award, announced in January by the American Library Association, is ...

*Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Bryan Obed

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 3, 2013

Twelve Kinds of Ice, by Ellen Bryan Obed, illustrated by Barbara McClintock. Houghton Mifflin, 2012, 64 pages. Reading level: Middle Grades, Ages 10-12 Maturity Level: ...

Call of the Klondike: a True Gold Rush Adventure by David Meissner

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 3, 2013

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 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 3, 2013

The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Anderson, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. Harpers, 2013, 34 pages. Reading level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Maturity Level: All Bottom line: ...

Truth in the Tinsel: A Family Advent Tradition

By emily | Nov 29, 2013

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, ...

Classics in Comics

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 26, 2013

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, ...

The Thing About Luck: National Book Award Winner

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 25, 2013

The National Book Award Finalists were announced earlier this fall, and this past week, the winners were announced. This year's winner for Young People's Literature ...

Librarians’ List: Favorite Picture Books of 2013

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 23, 2013

It's time for another Librarians' List! Since it's picture book month, we're indulging our list-making hobbies and bringing you yet another list of our favorites. ...

November 22, 1963

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 22, 2013

Fifty years ago a president was violently assassinated. John F. Kennedy’s place in history is mostly emblematic: baby-boomers remember his ease and charm and clever ...

Reading Rapunzel

By Megan Saben | Nov 21, 2013

Today I'm going to demonstrate a close reading of one version of a classic fairy tale. My favorite book to use in demonstrating the illustrative ...

Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 20, 2013

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, ...

Sci-fi Contest Winner and Podcast: From Ender’s Game to Hunger Games

By emily | Nov 20, 2013

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, ...

Character in the Midst of Diversity: 8 Titles to Note

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 20, 2013

2013 has given us lots of excellent diverse picture book titles: books about minority cultures, folktale retellings, and books by (or illustrated by) people of ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 19, 2013

Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt and Isobelle Arsenault (translated from the original French). Groundwood, 2014, 101 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 18, 2013

Flood, by Alvaro F. Villa. Capstone, 2013, 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture books, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 8-10 It’s hard to imagine rain doing ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 18, 2013

Mr. Wuffles! by David Weisner. Clarion, 2013, 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture books, Ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 4-8 and up Bottom Line: Mr. Wuffles, ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 18, 2013

Bluebird, by Bob Staake. Schwartz & Wade, 2013, 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 4-8 and up Bottom Line: This ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 18, 2013

Journey, by Aaron Becker. Candlewick, 2013, 26 pages. Reading Level: Picture books, 4-8 Recommended for: ages 4-8 and up Bottom Line: Journey uses luminous illustrations--and ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 18, 2013

*Hank Finds an Egg, by Rebecca Dudley. Peter Pauper, 2013, 36 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 0-4 Recommended for: ages 0-4 and up ...

By emily | Nov 16, 2013

New to Redeemedreader? Sign up for our biweekly newsletter on our homepage! You can also like us on Facebook or follow along on Twitter to keep up with ...

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 15, 2013

For our purposes, wordless books are either entirely wordless or have very little text. A classic example is Peter Spier's Noah's Ark which begins with ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 13, 2013

*Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad, by Henry Cole. Scholastic, 2012, 40 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, Ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-10 and ...

Looking Forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 12, 2013

Every holiday season brings forth a crop of shiny new picture books, and we're on the beat. Today, two for Thanksgiving and two for Christmas--the ...

Veterans Day: The Warrior’s Heart

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 11, 2013

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 ...

How NOT to Read a Picture Book

By Megan Saben | Nov 7, 2013

Ten guaranteed ways to destroy a good picture book (without a Sharpie or a bonfire) Always read in the same tone of voice, without expression or ...

The Power of a Picture

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 5, 2013

It’s picture book month! And boy, do we have a lot of picture books to talk about. I keep hearing that the pb market is ...

Middle-Grade Losers, or, What Hath Greg Heffley Wrought?

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 1, 2013

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 ...

History in Graphic Format

By Betsy Farquhar | Oct 31, 2013

As we conclude our History Month here at RedeemedReader, I hope you've enjoyed learning about historical fiction, church history, picture book biographies, general history, and ...

Ghost Stories

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 29, 2013

Do you believe in ghosts? I discount many of the ghost stories I hear, but can’t quit discount the whole phenomenon. That is, there is ...

Teen Sci-Fi Writing Contest & Discussion: From Ender’s Game to Hunger Games

By emily | Oct 26, 2013

***NOTE: AN ANONYMOUS DONOR HAS JUST UPPED THE 2nd AND 3rd PLACE PRIZES IN THIS CONTEST TO A $30 AMAZON GIFT CARD!*** Introduction It's been ...

Hear That Lonesome Whistle: Locomotive and Train

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 26, 2013

Every year children’s publishing offers at least one major picture book related to trains, but this year we’ve been blessed with three. One of them, ...

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