Book Reviews

National Poem in My Pocket Day

By emily | Aug 17, 2011

Yesterday as I was emptying the contents of my husbands' pockets and my own, preparing our clothes for the Great Machinated Flume Ride that is ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 16, 2011

Previous posts: Introduction, Part One: Setup, Part Two: Development. Climax? Isn’t it a little early for that? Most of us have the idea that the ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 12, 2011

Close to Famous, by Joan Bauer. Viking, 2011, 250 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Recommended for: ages 11-13 Bottom Line: In this feel-good middle ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 12, 2011

Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer. Speak, 2005. 208 pages Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12-16 Bottom Line: Good-hearted Jenna ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 9, 2011

Previous Posts: Introduction Part One: Setup Almost all the main characters have been introduced and the potential conflicts are in place. Now development: that phase ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 5, 2011

*The Dragon’s Tooth (Ashtown Burials, Book One), by N. D. Wilson. Random House, 2011, 482 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 3, 2011

Beginning our first-ever Readalong: here's the Introduction. The action takes place at three fictional locations: Edgetow, a university town similar to Cambridge, but smaller; St. ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 2, 2011

In the summer of 1945, George Orwell wrote a review for the Manchester Evening News, beginning, "On the whole, novels are better when there are ...

On Eagle’s Wings

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 29, 2011

Book 2 of the epic adventures of the three children who are heirs to a kingdom, sought by the Fangs of Dang, and as normal ...

By emily | Jul 27, 2011

Shakespeare and Story Bibles As I was searching recently for Shakespeare resources for my kids--who are 3 and 5--I harbored a nagging, undefined feeling that ...

Shakespeare R Us

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 26, 2011

Dallas, 1970: Storm clouds gather over the Texas prairie, where the students of a small junior college are presenting A Midsummer Night's Dream in an ...

In Front of God and Everybody by K. D. McCrite

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 22, 2011

The Confessions of April Grace: In Front of God and Everybody, by K. D. McCrite. Thomas Nelson, 2011, 390 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 22, 2011

The Luck of the Buttons, by Anne Ylvisaker. Candlewick, 2011, 224 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-12 Bottom Line: The ...

By emily | Jul 20, 2011

Last week, Janie had the privilege of sharing radio waves with Chris Fabry on his national radio show. You can find out more about the ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 19, 2011

The death of God has been announced since the beginning of time (see Ps. 14:1), but God doesn't seem to stay dead--not even with Darwinism and nihilism ...

By emily | Jul 14, 2011

Or for you parents, will your kids be going to see the final Harry Potter movie released to theaters this week? If so, for what ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 8, 2011

Around the World in 100 Days, by Gary Blackwood. Dutton, 2010, 358 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 Bottom Line: ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 5, 2011

We end our extended history week with what some consider to be the purest form of history: biography. The old argument of whether great events, ...

By emily | Jul 4, 2011

Boy Humor, and How I Came to Terms With It One of my earliest realizations of the strange, otherness of boy humor is embodied in ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 1, 2011

Short answer: no, but it's showing signs of dementia. Historical fiction has one of the longest roots of any literary form. You might say that ...

By emily | Jun 29, 2011

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Overdrive software in relation to online library rentals of audiobooks. Today Sync Audiobooks, a website that offers free ...

Covenanters: Then and Now

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 28, 2011

Duncan's War, by Douglas Bond (Crown and Covenant #1). P&R Publishing, 2002. 270 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-12 and up ...

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 28, 2011

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair, by Elizabeth Laird. Houghton Mifflin, 2011, 420 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, Ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 14 and up ...

By emily | Jun 27, 2011

Here it is: my 4th of July round-up! Books about the Revolutionary War era recommended for ages 4-12, arranged from youngest to oldest. Saving the ...

*Entwined by Heather Dixon

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 24, 2011

*Entwined, by Heather Dixon. Greenwillow, 2011, 472 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-15 Bottom Line: Entwined is a fairy-tale romance ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 24, 2011

Heartless, by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Bethany House, 2010. Age/interest level: 14-up (first in a series) Princess Una is a romantic sort, indulged by her father and ...

Rebel by R. J. Anderson

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 24, 2011

Rebel by R. J. Anderson. Enclave Publishing, Reprint edition, 2015. 308 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, 12-15. Recommended for: Ages 12-15 Bottom Line: Rebel, a story ...

By emily | Jun 22, 2011

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Illustrated by Christopher Bing. Ages 4-8. 40 pgs. Roughly 150 years ago, a poem entitled ...

Reflection in a Dragon’s Eye

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 21, 2011

The main problem with Christian fantasy may be, what do you do with Christ? Honestly: can it be "Christian" without him? But it's not easy to ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 18, 2011

The Brave Young Knight, by Karen Kingsbury, illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard. Zonderkidz, 2011. Age/interest level, 4-7 In the spirit of Will, God's Mighty Warrior, here's ...

By emily | Jun 16, 2011

Will, God's Mighty Warrior by Sheila Walsh, Ages 4-7, 32pgs. “This book is a favorite with my boys, 2 and 5. They really like ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 11, 2011

At least twice a year, it seems, there's a controversy blowing up in the Young-Adult book trade. The latest brouhaha began with an article in ...

*The Charlatan’s Boy by Jonathan Rogers

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 9, 2011

*The Charlatan's Boy, by Jonathan Rogers. WaterBrook Press, 2010, 305 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: Ages 10-12 and up Bottom Line: ...

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 7, 2011

Prom and Prejudice, by Elizabeth Eulberg. Point (Scholastic), 2011, 227 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-14 and up Bottom Line: ...

Enthusiasm by Polly Schulman

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 7, 2011

Enthusiasm, by Polly Schulman. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2006, 198 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-14 Bottom Line: Enthusiasm, a ...

By emily | Jun 6, 2011

SUMMER CAMP We are eventually going to do our first summer camp next month. But in the meantime, I have been looking for ways to ...

*The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 5, 2011

*The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg. Clarion, 2011, 241 pages with author note. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages ...

*Press Here by Herve Tullet

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 4, 2011

*Press Here by Herve Tullet. Chronicle Books, 2011. 56 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 0-4 Recommended for: Ages 0-4 and up Those of you ...

Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 3, 2011

Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg. Houghton Mifflin, 2011, 37 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 9-12 Recommended for: Ages 4-8 On the ...

By Janie Cheaney | May 19, 2011

In anticipation of our interview with Dr. Veith next week (see Emily's anticipatory post), I intended to write some thoughts on life after homeschooling to ...

Divergent by Veronica Roth

By Janie Cheaney | May 17, 2011

Divergent, by Veronica Roth. Katherine Tegan Books (HarperCollins), 2011, 487 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 15-18 and up Bottom Line: ...

*Hereville by Barry Deutsch

By Janie Cheaney | May 13, 2011

*Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword (graphic novel), by Barry Deutsch. Abrams (Amulet), 2010, 139 pp. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: Ages 8-10 ...

By emily | May 12, 2011

Today's Article is a Guest Post by Libby Minor. See more about her below. "The morality of the stories was clear and Christian: misbehaviour led ...

Beautiful by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma

By Janie Cheaney | May 10, 2011

Beautiful: Truth's Found When Beauty's Lost, by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma. Thomas Nelson, 2009, 272 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-14 and ...