Book Reviews

What’s Lefse?

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 23, 2011

The Invention of Lefse: a Christmas Story, by Larry Woiwode. Crossway, 2011, 63 pages. Age/interest level: 8 and up. “Lefse? What’s lefse?” is the epigraph ...

By emily | Dec 22, 2011

Ah, winter...Christmas parties, New Years resolutions, dashing through the snow to Grandma's house with a minivan full of sugar-crazed kids. What better time for a ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 20, 2011

War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo. Scholastic, 2011 (originally published 1982), 192 pages. Age/interest level: 8 and up. Michael Morpurgo was already established in the UK ...

The Word of God for Kids

By emily | Dec 19, 2011

ESV Seek and Find Bible. Crossway Bibles, 2010. 1, 888 pps. Ages 5-up. The Action Bible. David C. Cook, New edition 2010. Illustrated by Sergio ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 16, 2011

The December 21 opening of The Adventures of Tintin: the Secret of the Unicorn, should focus attention not only on the boy from Belgium ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 14, 2011

The Voice Bible proposes to do something new: present God’s word narratively rather than propositionally. That may be an overstatement, as the Bible is propositional ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 9, 2011

As reported by the L.A. Times only a week ago, “Young adult continues to be the literary world’s fastest-growing genre.” There are a lot of ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 8, 2011

Picture books are traditional, and YA is new and glamorous, but the area of literature I consider to be “classic children’s” is that big glorious ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 6, 2011

Late last year an article in the New York Times caused the book world to shiver and shake and ask itself, "Is the picture book ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 5, 2011

On Friday we looked at some very popular picture books that you just might find under your tree. Some of them are better than others, ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 2, 2011

Any bookstore manager can tell you that one of the most reliable customer types is the older woman with no children in the household (either ...

He’s Coming!

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 29, 2011

In the fundamentalist church where I grew up, we never did advent. I never even understood what the word meant until well into my twenties, ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 25, 2011

Million-Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica. Penguin, 2009, 244 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 Bottom Line: Mike Lupika's young hero ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 25, 2011

Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow and Nathan Whitaker. Harper, 2011, 272 pps. Ages 9 and up. Review by Emily Whitten. Tim Tebow is one ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 25, 2011

Home Field Advantage by Justin Tuck, illustrated by Leonardo Rodriguiez. Simon & Shuster, 2011, 22 pages. Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 18, 2011

Food occupies our minds a lot this time of year—to gather around, to give away, to serve to strangers at the Salvation Army, to stuff ...

By emily | Nov 17, 2011

Readers, this is an older post that was affected in our hack. We have not recovered all the resources yet. Our apologies! While we're on the subject of crafts and ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 15, 2011

The Adventurous Life of Myles Standish, by Cheryl Harness. National Geographic, 2006, 143 pages. Age/interest level: 8 and up. Thanksgiving means a raid on the ...

By emily | Nov 14, 2011

Books To Consider Buying We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below earn us ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 11, 2011

Veterans’ Day is one of those holidays that sneak up on me. I intend to write a note to a veteran, wear red, pray a ...

By emily | Nov 10, 2011

*The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, written by Barbara Kerley and illustrated by Brian Selznick. Scholastic Press, 2001. 48 pps. Recommended for ages 7-up. When I ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 4, 2011

Wicked Girls, by Stephanie Hemphill. HarperCollins, 2010, 389 pages. Young Adult Father of Lies, by Ann Turner. HarperTeen, 2011, 326 pages. Young Adult There are ...

The Story Behind the Confessions

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 28, 2011

Faithfulness Under Fire: The Story of Guido de Bres (2010) and The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism (2011), by William Boekestein. ...

By emily | Oct 26, 2011

Today Janie and I have the opportunity to introduce you to two delightful resources: first, fellow Christian and kids' book blogger Shanna Gonzalez, whose own ...

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 20, 2011

Reformation Heroes, by Diana Kleyn with Joel R. Beeke. Reformation Heritage Books, 2009, 250 pages. Age/interest level: 11-up. October 31, 2017 (only six years from ...

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 14, 2011

Saint Training, by Elizabeth Fixmer. Zondervan, 2010, 233 pages. Age/interest level, 10-14. Mary Claire, sixth grader at St. Maria Goretti School in Wisconsin, has lofty ...

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 10, 2011

John Bunyan was a dissenting pastor of the mid-17th century: “dissenting” meaning that some of his biblical interpretations differed from those of the established (state-supported) ...

By emily | Oct 10, 2011

COLUMBUS The first time I browsed through Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire's biography, Columbus, I purchased it for my kids on the spot based largely ...

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 7, 2011

Marcelo in the Real World, by Francisco X Stork. Scholastic, 2009, 312 pages. Age/interest level: 14-up. Dancing With Max, by Emily Colson. Zondervan, 2010, 200 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 4, 2011

Nobody knows yet exactly what causes it, or why it occurs more in certain income levels, or even quite what defines it, but autism becomes ...

Author Interview: Simonetta Carr on Athanasius

By emily | Sep 28, 2011

Athanasius. By Simonetta Carr. Reformation Heritage Press, sale 2011. 66 pp. Ages 9-12. What makes a good children's book? We've talked a lot the past ...

The Use and Abuse of Youth Literature

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 26, 2011

Much of our coverage of “Banned Books Week” has centered on the territory known as YA, or Young Adult, which has for the last ten ...

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 23, 2011

In my post on Tuesday, I included a brief survey of the ALA’s “Top Ten Banned Books for 2010.” Let’s take a closer look at ...

The Lord Saves

By emily | Sep 22, 2011

The Lord Saves: A Reflection on "YA Saves" Francis Schaeffer's Insight Francis Schaeffer once wrote that in his generation, serious art required someone standing on ...

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 21, 2011

Early last June, the YA publishing world was rocked by a column in the Wall Street Journal by Meg Cox Gurdon, who reviews children’s books ...

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 16, 2011

They had guessed before that this was an island: clambering among the pink rocks, with the sea on either side, and the crystal heights of ...

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 13, 2011

Where Things Come Back, by John Corey Whaley. Atheneum, 2011, 240 pages. Age-interest level: 16-up. UPDATE: Where Things Come Back has won a gold medal ...

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 9, 2011

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, by Tom Angleberger. Abrams, 2010, 141 pages. Age/interest level: 9-12. Sixth grade is the witching time for authors of ...

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 6, 2011

Images of God for Young Children, by Marie-Helene Delval (illustrated by Barbara Nascimbeni) Eerdmans, 2011. Brother Sun, Sister Moon, by Katherine Paterson, illustrated by Pamela ...

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 2, 2011

The Brixton Brothers, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex, published by Simon & Schuster. The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity (2009), 179 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 30, 2011

In our continuing tradition of slopping over themes to the following week, I wanted to weigh in one more time on our book/movie emphasis. Partly ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 19, 2011

Homelanders, by Andrew Klavan. Published by Thomas Nelson in four parts: The Last Thing I Remember (2009), The Long Way Home (2010), The Truth of ...

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 ...