Book Reviews

This Plus That by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

By Betsy Farquhar | Aug 25, 2014

This Plus That: Life's Little Equations by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Jen Corace. Harper, 2011. 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, Ages 4-8 Recommended ...

One Smart Cookie by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

By Betsy Farquhar | Aug 25, 2014

One Smart Cookie: Bite-Size Lessons for the School Years and Beyond by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Jane Dyer and Brooke Dyer. Harper, 2010. ...

Flight School

By Megan Saben | Aug 20, 2014

Flight School by Lita Judge. Atheneum, 2014, 32 pages. Reading Level: picture books, Ages 0-4, Ages 4-8Recommended for: Ages 0-4, Ages 4-8 An ambitious penguin ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 19, 2014

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: ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 19, 2014

Grandmaster, by David Klass. Farrar Strauss and Giroux, 2014, 226 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, Ages 15-18 Maturity Level: 6 (15-18) What if you discovered ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 15, 2014

Seven Stories Up, by Laurel Snyder. Random House, 2014, 229 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, Ages 8-10 Maturity Level: 3 (ages 8-10) Annie and her ...

By Hayley Morell | Aug 15, 2014

The Garden Gate, by Christa Kinde. Zondervan, 2014, 301 pages. Age level: 10-up Prissie Pomeroy can see angels. In fact, most of her friends ...

Hickory Dickory Dog by Alison Murray

By Betsy Farquhar | Aug 13, 2014

Hickory Dickory Dog by Alison Murray. Candlewick, 2014 (first published in U.K. in 2012), 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture BookRecommended for: All ages Murray applies her ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 12, 2014

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 ...

*The Warden and the Wolf King

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 11, 2014

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 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 8, 2014

*The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya, by Jane Kelley. Feiwel & Friends, 2013, 201 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, Ages 8-10 Maturity Level: 3 ...

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey by Alex Milway

By Betsy Farquhar | Aug 7, 2014

Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey by Alex Milway. Candlewick, 2014. Reading Level: Early Chapter Book, Ages 4-8Recommended for: All ages Charmingly illustrated with ...

By emily | Aug 6, 2014

Reviewing School Book Lists: Part One. Part Two. Part Three.Part Four. This post by Emily Whitten, co-founder of Redeemed Reader, is part of a series ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 5, 2014

*National Wildlife Federation World of Birds: a Beginners Guide, by Kim Kirki. Black Dog & Levanthal, 2014, 80 pages including glossary and index. Reading Level: ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 5, 2014

Feathers: Not Just for Flying, by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen. Charlesbridge, 2014, 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, Ages 4-8 Maturity Level: ...

By Hayley Morell | Aug 2, 2014

During the Summer Reading Challenge, Redeemed Reader interns Amos Peck and Grace Olson, Valen Caldwell, intern at Breakpoint.org, and I --Hayley Schoeppler, Redeemed Reader's executive assistant-- ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 1, 2014

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 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 29, 2014

Two real-life memoirs of girls living in a turbulent time and place: Hidden Girl: the True Story of a Modern-Day Child Slave, by Shyima Hall, ...

Genesis in Space and Time by Francis Schaeffer

By Hayley Morell | Jul 26, 2014

This review was originally written by Valen Caldwell as part of the 2014 Summer Reading Challenge. Genesis in Space and Time by Francis ...

By emily | Jul 26, 2014

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 ...

On the Blue Comet

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 23, 2014

On the Blue Comet, by Rosemary Wells. Candlewick, 2010, 329 pages. I looked out the diner car window. We were just careening past a station ...

SRC, Week 6: Spy for the Night Riders

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 21, 2014

Welcome to Week 6! Time doth fly . . . We started out with The Blue Comet as our book for this week, but due ...

By emily | Jul 19, 2014

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 ...

*The House of Arden by E. Nesbit

By Hayley Morell | Jul 14, 2014

The House of Arden by E. Nesbit. NYR Children’s Collection, 2006 reprint. 260 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8 - 10 Bottom Line: Two children, ...

SRC, Week 5: A Wrinkle in Time

By Megan Saben | Jul 14, 2014

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 ...

SRC Week 4, Teen List: Out of the Silent Planet

By Hayley Morell | Jul 12, 2014

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 ...

SRC, Week 4: The House of Arden

By Hayley Morell | Jul 7, 2014

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 ...

The Story of Owen: Review and Discussion

By emily | Jul 5, 2014

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: ...

By emily | Jun 28, 2014

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 ...

SRC, Week 2: Rush Revere and the First Patriots

By emily | Jun 24, 2014

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 ...

SRC, Week 1 (Teen list): The Dragon’s Tooth by N. D. Wilson

By emily | Jun 21, 2014

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 ...

By Betsy Farquhar | Jun 19, 2014

This post originally appeared in a different format as part of our 2014 Summer Reading Challenge. The content has been adapted slightly to fit our new ...

SRC, Week 1: Chitty Chitty And The Race Against Time

By Betsy Farquhar | Jun 16, 2014

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 ...

Summer Tales

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 14, 2014

Two middle-grade summertime stories, both by Newberry-winning authors: Half a Chance, by Cynthia Lord. Scholastic, 2014, 218 pages. Age/interest level: 10-14 Lucy is used to ...

Ice and Jungle–New Middle-Grade Adventure

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 10, 2014

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 ...

The Fault in Our Stars: Coffee and Conversations

By emily | Jun 9, 2014

Introduction This Friday, The Fault in Our Stars hit movie screens across America. It was a big book (Time Magazine's #1 fiction book of 2012), ...

It’s Summertime! Let’s Learn Something!

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 3, 2014

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 ...

The Year of the … Books by Andrea Cheng

By Betsy Farquhar | May 29, 2014

One of the most common questions I get when people learn of my profession is a variation of the following, My child is a precocious ...

The Winner’s Curse

By Hayley Morell | May 23, 2014

It began with a simple conversation, Marie Rutkoski explains: . . . while sitting with my friend Vasiliki Skreta on a dark blue gym mat ...

Raising “Wild” Readers

By Megan Saben | May 21, 2014

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 ...

Digging in the Dirt

By Janie Cheaney | May 13, 2014

Due to the loooong winter experienced by those of us in the Midwest and eastern United States, we’ve been slow to get our garden in. ...

Gifts for Grads, 3rd Edition

By Janie Cheaney | May 9, 2014

If you have a high school or college graduate, you’re thinking about how fast time flies and how bittersweet the occasion of this very special ...

Spy Catchers of Maple Hill

By Betsy Farquhar | May 8, 2014

Spy Catchers of Maple Hill by Megan Frazer Blakemore. Bloomsbury, 2014. 320 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12Recommended for: ages 10-12 One-Sentence Summary: Young Hazel Kaplansky, ...

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 ...

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