Teen/YA

Church History for Everybody

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 15, 2013

This 12-volume set documents the church from its earliest days to 2001, with lavish illustration, original source material, and literate commentary. The Christians: Their First ...

Ender’s Game Read Along, Wk 3: The Science of the Story

By emily | Oct 12, 2013

Like sci-fi or dystopian stories? Check out our Sci-Fi Writing Contest for teens. You could win feedback from a sci-fi author and Thomas Nelson editor, ...

Ender’s Game Read Along, Wk 2: Ender vs. Peter

By emily | Oct 5, 2013

Like sci-fi or dystopian stories? Check out our Sci-Fi Writing Contest for teens. You could win feedback from a sci-fi author and Thomas Nelson editor, ...

Ender’s Game Read Along, Wk 1: Considering Sci-fi and Orson Scott Card

By emily | Sep 28, 2013

Like sci-fi or dystopian stories? Check out our Sci-Fi Writing Contest for teens. You could win feedback from a sci-fi author and Thomas Nelson editor, ...

God in Dystopia: Captives and Aquifer

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 27, 2013

Two weeks ago Hayley, Joseph, and Abby discussed two inaugural titles from Blink, Zondervan’s new YA title. Today they’re back with two more. Both these ...

Scientific Fiction or Fictional Science? Three Genre-Busting Reads

By Betsy Farquhar | Sep 26, 2013

Janie and Betsy team up once again to bring you reviews of three recent scientific fiction works! Janie does the first and Betsy the second ...

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 24, 2013

The Reluctant Assassin (W.A.R.P., #1), by Eoin Colfer. Hyperion, 2013, 352 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 10-12 Appropriate for: ages 15-up Bottom Line: ...

The Enemy Stone: An Interview with Robert Treskillard

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 18, 2013

Last Friday we had a fascinating discussion with our interns about some of the first titles of a brand new YA imprint from Zondervan. One ...

Ender’s Game Read Along: A Galactic Giveaway and Contest!

By emily | Sep 14, 2013

***THE GIVEAWAY PART OF THIS POST IS OVER. *** ENDER’S GAME POSTS: Introduction, Week 1: Sci-fi and Orson Scott Card, Week 2: Ender vs Peter, ...

Taking a Look at “Blink”–with Our Own YA Readers

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 13, 2013

This fall, Zondervan Publishers is introducing a new imprint called “Blink.” According to Zondervan marketing v-p Chrisynethia Floyd, “They are for anyone, regardless of faith ...

The Rithmatist, Bubble World, and A Corner of White: Science Fiction or Fantasy?

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 10, 2013

As Emily informed us yesterday, September is science and science-fiction month, featuring our read-along of Orson Scott Card's classic novel, Ender's Game. To celebrate, we're ...

City of Bones: Movie Review

By Hayley Morell | Aug 24, 2013

As the cinematic version of City of Bones hits theaters this week,

Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 20, 2013

There's a big movie release this week, based on a best-selling series of young-adult fantasy novels. Young-adult fantasy novels have proved enormously profitable for the ...

Beowulf: Legend, Worldview, and Contemporary Narratives

By Betsy Farquhar | Aug 19, 2013

When I used to teach high school British Literature back in the day, Beowulf was always our first big study. It's first chronologically, and it's ...

How to Skim a Book: The Lost Medallion by Bill Muir and Alex Kendrick

By emily | Aug 16, 2013

To Skim or Not to Skim It's seven o'clock, and you remember you have a book review due in the morning. But alas, you haven't ...

Rose Under Fire: Sequel/Companion to Code Name Verity

By Betsy Farquhar | Aug 8, 2013

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein. Disney, 2013. Age: 14 and up. Last year, I read one of the best books I've ever read: Code ...

Lemonade and Lit, Week 7: Klavan Discussion

By emily | Jul 27, 2013

Other Lemonade and Lit posts: Introduction, Week One: Booked, Week Two: Booked Discussion, Week Three: Beauty, Week Four: Sexuality in Booked, Week Five: Beauty Discussion, ...

Two Books about China

By emily | Jul 24, 2013

Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Na Liu, Illustrated by Andres Vera Martinez. Graphic Universe TM, 2013. 96 pgs. Grades 4-7. When I ...

Lemonade and Lit, Week 6: The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan

By emily | Jul 20, 2013

Other Lemonade and Lit posts: Introduction, Week One: Booked, Week Two: Booked Discussion, Week Three: Beauty, Week Four: Sexuality in Booked, Week Five: Beauty Discussion, ...

Summer Reading Challenge, Week 6: The Lightning Thief

By Hayley Morell | Jul 15, 2013

Welcome to Week 6 of our Summer Reading Challenge! If you’d like to see other posts in this series,

Boy + Dog = Good Read

By Betsy Farquhar | Jul 11, 2013

Boy + dog is a solid formula that's been in play in the literary world for decades. How many of you read Old Yeller in ...

Three Days in July

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 2, 2013

One hundred and fifty years ago, two great armies collided in a small Pennsylvania town. The actual site of the battle was not planned, but ...

Lemonade and Lit, Week 3: Beauty by Robin McKinley

By emily | Jun 30, 2013

Other Lemonade and Lit posts: Introduction, Week One: Booked, Week Two: Booked Discussion, Week Three: Beauty, Week Four: Sexuality in Booked, Week Five: Beauty Discussion, ...

Mission Work for Kids: Sewing School and Crafts for Hope

By emily | Jun 27, 2013

In our Summer Reading Challenge, we've just read the story of Nate Saint, one of the men who entered glory alongside Jim Elliot trying to ...

Lemonade and Lit Read Along, Week 2: Booked Discussion

By emily | Jun 22, 2013

Other Lemonade and Lit posts: Introduction, Week One: Booked, Week Two: Booked Discussion, Week Three: Beauty, Week Four: Sexuality in Booked, Week Five: Beauty Discussion, ...

Lemonade and Lit Read Along, Week 1: Booked by Karen Swallow Prior

By emily | Jun 15, 2013

Other Lemonade and Lit posts: Introduction, Week One: Booked, Week Two: Booked Discussion, Week Three: Beauty, Week Four: Sexuality in Booked, Week Five: Beauty Discussion, ...

Whalesong: A Review by Nathan Huffstutler

By emily | May 30, 2013

Earlier this year, when I first heard the name Robert Siegel doing research for these book reviews last April at World Magazine, I learned Siegel ...

Throwing Strikes with R. A. Dickey

By Janie Cheaney | May 28, 2013

Throwing Strikes: My Quest for Truth and the Perfect Knuckleball, by R. A. Dickey. Dial, 2013, 296 pages. Age/interest level: 12-16. Last year Dickey’s autobiography, ...

Christian Romance: part of a well-balanced “book diet”?

By Betsy Farquhar | May 20, 2013

A Balanced "Book Diet" Reading is like eating: you need a variety of wholesome ingredients, a little sugar, and a little moderation across the board. ...

Hattie Ever After: A Review

By emily | May 16, 2013

Today, I'm happy to welcome our current intern,Hayley Schoeppler, again. You guys may recall that she did a review of Mara, Daughter of the Nile ...

Gifts for Grads: Our Picks

By Janie Cheaney | May 9, 2013

For a parent, there’s nothing scarier than sending a high school graduate out into the world—and in fact, the world looks pretty scary these days. ...

Words for Life: Bibles for Teens and Graduates

By Janie Cheaney | May 7, 2013

In an earlier post I wrote about beginners “Bibles” and Bible storybooks. That was followed up by a post on the methods and merits of ...

No Battlefield Like Home

By Janie Cheaney | May 3, 2013

Chasing Jupiter, by Rachel Coker. Zondervan, 2012, 221 pages. Age/interest level: 12-up. Our story begins in small-town Georgia, 1969—but 16-year-old Scarlett’s world seems even smaller ...

Interview with Judah Ben: Kai’Ro, Christian Rap and the Progress of Urban Pilgrims

By emily | May 2, 2013

Introduction There are very few modern books that I see as really significant. But I see the Kai' Ro series--an urban interpretation of Pilgrim's Progress--by ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 28, 2013

Rock Solid Faith introduces teens to the principles and characters of the Bible in a generally helpful way. Rock Solid Faith Study Bible for Teens. ...

Hail and Farewell: Maurice Sendak

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 23, 2013

I first encountered the Latin phrase Ave Atque Vale in a historical novel whose appeal (the novel’s, that is) was almost entirely nostalgic. It means ...

Shark Girl: Drama in Real Life (and in fiction)

By Betsy Farquhar | Apr 22, 2013

This post has been planned for a couple of weeks, but I wanted to acknowledge a potentially sensitive connection with the victims of the recent ...

Good Old Fashioned Adventure

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 18, 2013

The False Prince (2012) and The Runaway King (2013), by Jennifer A. Nielson. Scholastic, about 350 pages each. Age/interest level: 10-up. When we first encounter ...

Poetry Anthologies

By Megan Saben | Apr 10, 2013

A good poetry anthology is like going to a friend's house with a basket, and being told, "Oh, you must read this one, and this one, and ...

The Real Sherlock Holmes

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 9, 2013

Arthur Conan Doyle published the first Sherlock Holmes story in a British periodical in 1887, to moderate interest. Three novels and fifty-odd short stories later, ...

New Nonfiction: Titanic, Moonbird, and Bodyguards

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 12, 2013

These three books have nothing in common except their general category and the fact that the first two won honors in the ALA Youth Media ...

The Hard Work of Growing Up

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 5, 2013

It’s what every child has to do, and they accomplish it with varying degrees of success. In a sense, "growing up" is the theme of ...

Ancient History: Mara, Daughter of the Nile

By emily | Mar 4, 2013

This week, we'll be looking at several books that deal with ancient history--including Greek and Roman culture. Toward that end, I asked our intern, Hayley ...

The Real George Washington

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 21, 2013

When did history get so complicated? Not too long ago, “The father of his country” was a monumental figure deserving nothing but praise. Now, depending ...

Looking for Love . . . in All the Weird Places

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 15, 2013

Since I first wrote about teen paranormal romance--the spark that became a blaze with the Twilight series and all its imitators--we’ve seen the entire Bella-Edward ...

What is Virtuous Romance? A Discussion with Gina Dalfonzo and Rea Berg

By emily | Feb 13, 2013

What is Virtuous Romance? Tonight at dinner, my husband, two daughters and I had our first conversation about...boys. They had curled up with daddy on ...

Wholehearted Romance: Living Book Library Picks

By emily | Feb 7, 2013

Many of you may remember our interview last fall with Liz and Emily, proprietors of the Living Books Library website. They were kind enough to ...

Love in the Age of Roe

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 1, 2013

In our posts over the last two weeks, Emily and I have suggested that Roe v. Wade has changed America profoundly in the ways we ...

Unstoppable by Tim Green

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 31, 2013

A middle-grade boy's football ambitions crash against a cancer diagnosis in this frank tale by NFL star Tim Green. Unstoppable, by Tim Green. HarperCollins, 2012, ...

Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

By emily | Jan 24, 2013

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. Crown and Covenant, 2012. 154 pgs. An Anomaly In the 1990's, Rosaria Butterfield was ...

The Roe Effect

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 22, 2013

On Friday I wrote about the treatment of homosexuality in youth literature, a topic I’m not quite done with. We notice more novels that normalize ...

Identity and Revolution, part 1

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 18, 2013

“We will triumph with our tongues. We own our lips—who is our master?” Psalm 12:4 We live in an age where reality can be easily ...

Gabrielle Douglas: Grace, Gold, and (God’s) Glory

By emily | Jan 17, 2013

Into the Spotlight Sixteen-year-old Gabrielle Douglas's jaw-dropping performance in the women's all-around gymnastics competition, just edging out her closest Russian competitor to win gold, was ...

On All Fronts: New Nonfiction of World War II

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 15, 2013

My sister, who serves at a docent at a prisoner-of-war museum in Texas, says that her most eager listeners are pre-teen and teenage boys. When ...

Kids–Try This at Home

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 4, 2013

Got a novel idea? It’s easier than ever to get published, but if the imprint on the spine of your masterwork is Xlibris or iUniverse, ...

Grace and Law and Two Silver Candlesticks

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 21, 2012

I love musicals—always have, ever since my sister and I sang along to original cast recordings and movie soundtracks for Rogers & Hammerstein and Lerner ...

16th Century Travels: Jepp and Will Sparrow

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 14, 2012

Jepp, Who Defied the Stars, by Katharine Marsh. Hyperion, 2012, 369 pages plus author note. Age/interest level: 12-up. Jepp’s diminutive size has always been a ...

Other Lives: Reading and Watching Anna Karenina

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 7, 2012

The latest movie version of Anna Karenina is not for family viewing, because it deals with "adult" themes more graphically than it needs to. The ...

O Come, Emmanuel

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 30, 2012

Every year advent takes me by surprise--otherwise I would have posted this last week! Family advent readers come down from the shelves this time of ...

The Giver Concludes

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 27, 2012

Son, by Lois Lowry. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012, 393 pages. Age/interest level: 12-up. Lois Lowry’s The Giver, published in 1993, has become an iconic title ...

Hobbit Read Along, Week 4: How to Make Hobbit Feet and More!

By emily | Nov 26, 2012

Now that the turkey feathers have settled, it's time to get back to The Hobbit! In case you're running behind, here's a recap: 1) Introduction, ...

Dragon Tale: Seraphina

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 9, 2012

There’s a grand slam (plus one) among children’s book reviewers: Booklist, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 6, 2012

The Drowned Vault (Ashtown Burials #2) by N. D. Wilson. Random House, 2012, 447 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12 and ...

Origin by Jessica Khoury

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 6, 2012

Origin, by Jessica Khoury. Penguin, 2012, 393 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 16-up (please note: the recommended age is not ...

Solomon Kane, Puritan Avenger

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 2, 2012

We're closing out Halloween week with something a little different. About two years ago, I began hearing of a new movie called Solomon Kane, based ...

Hand of Vengeance

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 23, 2012

Tomorrow we have a real treat for you: two Christian dads, one a pastor and one a teacher, who both happen to write books for ...

Burdens of the Past

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 9, 2012

Seventy-three years ago, on September 1, German tanks rolled across the border of Poland and the conflict that soon became known as World War II ...

Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 17, 2012

Keeping the Castle: a Tale of Romance, Riches, and Real Estate, by Patrice Kindl. Viking, 2012, 261 pages. Age/interest level: 13-up. Althea Crawley, age 17, ...

Crying Hard: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 14, 2012

Another popular YA novel is soon to be a "Major Motion Picture," opening next weekend. It's not likely to be a blockbuster like Twilight or ...

Survival and Rescue

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 4, 2012

Rescue from certain destruction is the great theme of the Bible. When it happens in real life, it should remind us of how blessed we ...

The Invasion of Fairyland

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 31, 2012

Tuesday’s post about “Twisting Mother Goose” was headed down an alley I didn’t have room to address. So today’s post springs off YA lit-blogger Georgia ...

By emily | Aug 30, 2012

A Few Recommendations Last year Janie and I put together a post on football books for kids and young adults, Tim Tebow to Justin Tuck: ...

By emily | Aug 16, 2012

We've already covered a lot of ground on the Fifty Shades trilogy by E. L. James. We interviewed Tim Challies on the theology of pornography, ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 10, 2012

Our 50 Shades of Gray discussion this week demonstrates how our sin nature turns God's gifts into perversions. But sex is still a gift, and ...

Swash and Buckle: the Chronicles of Egg

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 3, 2012

Deadweather and Sunrise, by Geoff Rodkey. Putnam, 2012, 296 pages. Age/interest level: 10-up. Thirteen-year-old Egbert Masterson, or Egg as he will soon be called, is ...

By emily | Jul 30, 2012

Hayley Schoeppler is a 20 year old college student, the oldest in a family of seven kids, and an astute Christian book reviewer at her ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 27, 2012

Readers of this blog may not believe me when I say I’m not a big fantasy fan. Then why so many fantasy reviews? Because that’s ...

Hoping Against Hope: Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 20, 2012

Doug Swietek finds a new life in his new town, despite his boorish father. Perfect for fans of The Wednesday Wars. Okay for Now, by ...

Hard Science

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 10, 2012

God particle, Higgs boson—it's been news since Independence Day (no relation to said holiday) and most of us scratch our heads. It’s too hot to ...

The Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 26, 2012

The Glorious Fourth, as they used to call it, celebrates the birth of a nation whose independence was only declared with the signing of a ...

Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 12, 2012

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Coming up on Friday, an interview with Andrew Klavan himself! And we have a copy of Crazy Dangerous to give away!! Read on ...

Thriving at College: An Interview with Alex Chediak

By emily | May 23, 2012

A handbook of practical wisdom for the would-be college student. Essential summer read for every incoming freshman.--Dr. Gene Veith, provost of Patrick Henry College About ...

Bad Trips

By Janie Cheaney | May 1, 2012

Summer is the traditional time for road trips, and road-trip novels traditionally roll out in the spring. A title from this year and one from ...

To The Avengers…and Beyond!

By emily | Apr 30, 2012

COMICS: Guy Kryptonite? Why do guys like comics so much? Especially the super-hero variety? It's an enigma I spent quite a lot of energy trying ...

Graduation Gifts for Teens

By emily | Apr 16, 2012

We're fast approaching graduation day at many schools, so I thought it might be worth tossing out a few books to brighten your celebrations. 1. ...

Wonder

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 10, 2012

Wonder, by R. J. Palacio. Knopf, 2012, 320 pages. Ages 8-up August (Augie) Pullman obviously doesn’t remember the day he was born, but in the ...

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 3, 2012

As Jesus takes us to the cross this week, I’d like to spend some time looking at recent and classic children’s literature that addresses the ...

Blue Like Jazz

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 30, 2012

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts On Christian Spirituality, was published in 2003 by Thomas Nelson. Since then it has become a staple of Christian college ...

Kingstone Part 2: Interview and Babylon

By emily | Mar 29, 2012

By Redeemed Reader intern Jack Mertens Today I continue my series on Kingstone Comics, begun on Monday with reviews of two of Marvin Olasky's graphic ...

Kingstone Part 1: 2048 and Echoes of Eden

By emily | Mar 26, 2012

Today's reviewer, Jack Mertens, is a 17 year old high school student living in Louisiana where he is, among other things, an avid reader and ...

Real or Not Real? The Hunger Games Movie is Good For Teens….

By emily | Mar 23, 2012

***SPOILER ALERT: SOME PARTS OF THE END OF THE STORY REVEALED BELOW To read Janie's review of the book, see Hungry. Today, the much anticipated ...

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 19, 2012

The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary E. Pearson. Holt, 2008, 265 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, 15-18 Recommended for: ages 15-18 and up Bottom ...

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 19, 2012

Unwind by Neal Shusterman. Simon & Shuster, 2007, 352 pages Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 15-18 Bottom Line: Unwind presents a ...

Talking Over the Hunger Games, Part One

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 16, 2012

Since Susanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy (reviewed here) has sparked so much discussion in school cafeterias and dorm rooms (not to mention break rooms and ...

Hungry

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 13, 2012

Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games, Scholastic, 2008, 374 pages. Catching Fire, Scholastic, 2009, 391 pages. Mockingjay, 2010, 387 pages. Age/interest level: 14-up. READER ADVISORY: This ...

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 2, 2012

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George. Harper Collins, 1972 (paperback reissue 2003). 208 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Recommended for: Young adult, ...

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 2, 2012

Gary Paulsen's classic survival novel Hatchet offers a realistic--as opposed to romantic-- view of nature and what it takes to survive in the wild. Hatchet ...

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 24, 2012

The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy. Putnam/Penguin, 2011, 353 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Maturity Level: 5 (ages 12-14) Bottom Line: The Apothecary is ...

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 21, 2012

Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys. Penguin/Philomel, 2011, 338 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Maturity Level: 6 (ages 15-18) and up June ...

Africa: A Literary Adventure and Podcast!

By emily | Feb 16, 2012

This month my local public library is offering a marionette show of African folktales starring Anansi the spider. It's a unique way to celebrate Black ...

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