Resources
2019 Sibert Medal Winners are, well, Winners!
By Betsy Farquhar |
image from ALA website According to the ALA, "the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the ...
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Meet the Team: Betsy
By Hayley Morell |
As we head into 2019, we're going to take some time and give you a behind-the-scenes look at the Redeemed Reader team. So, with Hayley ...
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2019 Newbery Buzz #7: The Girl Who Drew Butterflies by Joyce Sidman
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies is a truly beautiful work of art, isn’t it, Megan? For readers who haven’t seen this gem yet, the book chronicles ...
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2019 Newbery Buzz #6: Cardboard Kingdom
By Janie Cheaney |
Cardboard Kingdom (Knopf, 2018) bounced to the top of the book-review radar the moment it was released, and soon after tallied an impressive 5 starred ...
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2019 Newbery Buzz #5: The Parker Inheritance
By Janie Cheaney |
The Parker Inheritance, the latest by Varian Johnson, is a different sort of book from his light-hearted, fun middle grades heist novels (see The Great ...
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Did I Read That? Tracking Books with Notecards
By Janie Cheaney |
Even before we started Redeemed Reader, I read a lot of books. Sometimes I reviewed them for my own blog and sometimes I just wanted ...
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7 Books for Thoughtful Teens
By Betsy Farquhar |
Not every teen is hanging out in the YA section of the library, wallowing in teen angst.* Plenty of teens are ready for meaty, engaging ...
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2019 Newbery Buzz #4: The Faithful Spy
By Janie Cheaney |
Janie and Megan talk over one of the most impressive books we read this year: The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoffer and the Plot to Kill ...
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Missionary Biographies and Prayer: Love Your Neighbor Book Club Edition
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Biographies and Discussion Questions To start our year off for the Love Your Neighbor Book Club, everyone read a missionary biography of their ...
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2019 Newbery Buzz #3: Sweep by Jonathan Auxier
By Betsy Farquhar |
Janie, Hayley, and Betsy team up to (virtually) discuss Sweep by Jonathan Auxier: does it have what it takes to win a Newbery? We discuss themes, ...
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2019 Newbery Buzz #2: The Book of Boy
By Janie Cheaney |
Janie: The Book of Boy is one of the more unusual middle-grade novels to appear this year. The main character is (not surprisingly) Boy, a ...
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10 Favorite Christian Biographies
By Betsy Farquhar |
Heaven: A Family Reunion? I don't know what heaven will be like, but I imagine it as one big family reunion at a feast table. ...
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2019 Newbery Buzz #1: The Season of Styx Malone
By Janie Cheaney |
It’s that time again! Children’s book titles are pouring into every librarians’ website as the kidlit community speculates on who will win Newbery gold this ...
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2019 Reading Challenge for Kids and Teens
By Betsy Farquhar |
updated 10/21/19 READERS: Find info about the 2020 Reading Challenge here! The 2019 Reading Challenge for Kids and Teens Our 2019 Reading Challenge for Kids ...
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The 2018 Reading Challenge: Interview with a Teen
By Betsy Farquhar |
I (Betsy) interviewed my teen daughter about her experience with the 2018 Reading Challenge. She's a 13-year-old voracious reader who has clear genre preferences, but ...
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The Books Worth a Library Fine
By Hayley Morell |
This post really happened. It was written at the library with a stack of books and without coffee. It has been left close to its ...
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The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street: the Love Your Neighbor Book Club Edition
By Betsy Farquhar |
December is such a wildly busy month: Christmas concerts and recitals and school performances and parties. Travel plans and/or welcoming extended family into your home. ...
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The Year in Books – RR Staff Reflections
By Janie Cheaney |
Are you the kind of person who asks, "What have you been reading lately?" Betsy, Megan, Janie, and Hayley took some time to reflect about ...
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Miss Betsy’s Book Nook, 2018 edition
By Betsy Farquhar |
It's time for the annual reporting of what books I, as the Redeemed Reader Managing Editor, buy for those on my gift list! I do ...
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One-Size-Fits-All: Read Aloud Gift Books for the Whole Family!
By Betsy Farquhar |
Need a book idea you can give as a “whole family” gift? Perhaps you want to take along a little “happy” to the friend and ...
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Books for the Whole Year
By Megan Saben |
The new year is a great time to begin something fresh, whether it is a new Bible-reading plan or a commitment to read a book ...
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*Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
By Megan Saben |
*Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year selected by Fiona Waters, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon. Nosy Crow, 2018, ...
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Bookish Christmas Gifts for the Whole Family
By Betsy Farquhar |
Sometimes, it's hard to pick out a book for a book-lover. What if she already bought herself that book? What if he has already read ...
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Christmas Books for All Ages: A Booklist
By Betsy Farquhar |
Readers, we are thankful for YOU! And, in honor of our appreciation for you, your faithful support of Redeemed Reader and encouragement to us, we're ...
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Tangerine: Love Your Neighbor Book Club Edition
By Betsy Farquhar |
To date this school year, our Love Your Neighbor Book Club has read Save Me a Seat and A Long Walk to Water, both of ...
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New Picture Books Round-Up (Fall, 2018 edition)
By Betsy Farquhar |
November is National Picture Book Month! Here's a collection of new picture books for the whole family. We don't think you need an "excuse" to ...
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We the People … A U.S. Government Booklist
By Betsy Farquhar |
Election Day is just around the corner, and our national media outlets love nothing more than a juicy political story. Gossip and slander aside, though, ...
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"Hurray for Re-Issues!" by Gladys Hunt
By Janie Cheaney |
A tribute to classic picture books, recently re-issued. In the last few years publishers have been reissuing picture books that are delightful offerings from some ...
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"Never Underestimate a Gift Book" by Gladys Hunt
By Betsy Farquhar |
We're nearing the end of this fantastic series by Gladys Hunt. If you're just checking in, please do check out The Hive for a list ...
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“Look for Illustrators” by Gladys Hunt
By Janie Cheaney |
We're up to the sixteenth in our series of posts by Gladys Hunt, author of Honey for a Child's Heart. In this one, she shares ...
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Heroes of WWII: A Book List for Tweens and Teens
By Betsy Farquhar |
World War II is perennially interesting and not just to history buffs! We've focused on church history the past couple of years during October, first ...
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“Sarah, Plain and Tall Series” by Gladys Hunt
By Betsy Farquhar |
We've got another post from Gladys Hunt for you today about a series beloved to many. For the other posts in this series, please check ...
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“On Your Next Trip to the Library” by Gladys Hunt
By Janie Cheaney |
In the fourteenth of our series of previously-unpublished posts, Gladys Hunt makes a list of her most-favorite recent picture books to check out at the ...
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"Words That Build People" by Gladys Hunt
By Betsy Farquhar |
Gladys Hunt gently reminds us that our words make a big impact on our children; let us use words that build up instead of tear down. This ...
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“Watch Your Expletives!” by Gladys Hunt
By Janie Cheaney |
In the twelfth in our series of previously-unpublished posts, Gladys Hunt cautions about "those words" our kids pick up at school, at play--and increasingly in ...
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Gladys Hunt: Grammar Does Matter
By Betsy Farquhar |
Gladys Hunt reflects on the importance of grammar, plain and simple, in this essay. It's not as hard as you might think! This is the next ...
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“Second Guessing the Message” by Gladys Hunt
By Janie Cheaney |
In the tenth of our previously-unpublished posts by Gladys Hunt, she begins a series on the value of language by reflecting on nonverbal communication. Years ...
Read More Gladys Hunt: Early Literacy with Preschoolers
By Betsy Farquhar |
Gladys Hunt shares some tips for encouraging early literacy in young children in this latest post. For more in our Gladys Hunt series, see The Hive. ...
Read More Save Me A Seat: Book Club Tips and Questions
By Betsy Farquhar |
Readers, it's almost October! Let me pour myself some Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea. (You can have your pumpkin spice lattes!) Are you ...
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The ABCs of Building Your Picture Book Collection
By Megan Saben |
What, you thought you could just walk into a bookstore and buy a book? How do you determine whether or not a picture book is ...
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“Boys and Books” by Gladys Hunt
By Betsy Farquhar |
This latest in our Gladys Hunt series, which we affectionately call The Hive, looks at the types of books boys enjoy and muses over why so ...
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“Born to Read” by Gladys Hunt
By Janie Cheaney |
Gladys Hunt reflects on the importance of reading in a child's life and shares some of her favorite books for encouraging kids to read. This is ...
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Lively Lists: a Key Part of the New Redeemed Reader Companion!
By Betsy Farquhar |
Readers, we've been hinting at our upcoming Redeemed Reader Companion on social media, our newsletter, and, finally, an official post here on the website.... Wait. ...
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“Reading Intentionally” by Gladys Hunt
By Janie Cheaney |
Gladys Hunt recommends reading aloud not just a a way of bonding with family but as a way of making and keeping friends. This is ...
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“A Good Book is a Magic Gateway” by Gladys Hunt
By Betsy Farquhar |
This latest in our Gladys Hunt series, which we affectionately call The Hive, looks at the possibilities inherent in book discussions and how books can ...
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Redeemed Readers, Rejoice!
By Janie Cheaney |
Announcing a valuable resource for our fellow "Redeemed Readers," and anyone with an interest in quality children's literature. Hard as it is to believe, this ...
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“Building a Child’s Personal Library” by Gladys Hunt
By Janie Cheaney |
How do you know which books you just have to own? In her fourth post of our series, Gladys Hunt offers tips on recognizing "the ...
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Books and Stories: Reflections by Gladys Hunt
By Betsy Farquhar |
Readers, we are beyond thrilled to bring you some of Gladys Hunt's last writing on books! See The Hive for more information on this opportunity. ...
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“Make Your Own Life Bigger” by Gladys Hunt
By Janie Cheaney |
According to Gladys Hunt, developing an appreciation for the public library in your child begins with YOU. This is the second in our series of ...
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“The Mystery of the Library” by Gladys Hunt
By Betsy Farquhar |
Readers, we are beyond thrilled to bring you some of Gladys Hunt's last writing on books! See The Hive for more information on this opportunity. ...
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The Hive: A List of Resources from Gladys Hunt
By Betsy Farquhar |
Readers, if you haven't seen the "why" and "how" behind this amazing list of resources, be sure to check out The Continuing Legacy of Gladys ...
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The Continuing Legacy of Gladys Hunt
By Janie Cheaney |
Announcing a series of NEW posts from Gladys Hunt, author of Honey for a Child's Heart and Honey for a Teen's Heart. Several months ago, ...
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The Love Your Neighbor Book Club: Its Beginnings
By Betsy Farquhar |
Love God. Love your neighbor. Those, in brief, are the two greatest commandments, the commandments that sum up all the Law and the Prophets. And one ...
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Great History Authors for Kids
By Betsy Farquhar |
With school back in session, let's talk history books for kids! No matter who or what your kids or students are studying this year in ...
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Can You Identify the Five Nonfiction Categories?
By Janie Cheaney |
The Juvenile nonfiction designation has exploded, especially since the push for Common Core standards was supposed to increase factual reading. Common Core seems to be ...
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Picture Book Round-Up: Back to School Picture Books!
By Betsy Farquhar |
Back-to-School time means new pencils, new lunchboxes, new classrooms (or a new look for the dining room table!), and... new emotions. Scared and excited students, ...
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Book Party Idea: Swallows and Amazons Forever!
By Betsy Farquhar |
I'm always on the alert for good book party possibilities; we throw one about once a quarter. This past Friday, we threw a lovely Swallows and ...
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How to Make a Brown Paper Bag Book Cover in 10 Simple Steps
By Betsy Farquhar |
The school year is just around the corner, and you know what that means: new (to you) books! (Of course, we here at Redeemed Reader ...
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Dinosaur Book List for All Ages
By Betsy Farquhar |
Is your child keenly aware that a new Jurassic Park movie is hitting the big screen this week? As if kids needed more motivation to be interested ...
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Fairy Tales (and More!) for Summer: A Booklist for Family Read Alouds
By Betsy Farquhar |
Lovely, Literary, and Light-hearted: Fairy Tales are a Perfect Match for Summer Fun Looking for some fun, low commitment reading for this summer? Perhaps you ...
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Summer Books for Refugees
By Betsy Farquhar |
One of our co-founders, Emily Whitten, has a great opportunity for you, readers, to help support a book-based ministry this summer! Read on for her ...
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Rapid Fire: Five Recent YA
By Hayley Morell |
Reading YA takes time. Books often stretch to 400 plus pages, and sometimes at the end of the day, those 400 pages aren't worth an ...
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Summer Fun Booklist: Full of Activities and Things to Do!
By Betsy Farquhar |
Summer Days Ahead The glorious weeks of summer are upon us (if you live in the Southeast) or soon to be (if you live in ...
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Rethinking School by Susan Wise Bauer
By Janie Cheaney |
In Rethinking School, Susan Wise Bauer offers practical suggestions and background information for crafting the best education for your unique child. Rethinking School: How to ...
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Marvelous Math for Middle Grades
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Language of the Universe The language of the universe is math. Little else in the natural world reflects such a unique combination of truth, ...
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It’s National Poetry Month – Let’s Write a Poem! (Free Download)
By Janie Cheaney |
In honor of National poetry month, here's a sample lesson from Wordsmith Apprentice to help reluctant writers produce original verse. "Poetry" is a scary word ...
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Mega List of Bible Reviews!
By Janie Cheaney |
Here in one handy post are all the children's Bibles reviewed over the last six years by RedeemedReader, with links. I (Janie) started reviewing children’s ...
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*Big Picture Bible Crafts by Gail Schoonmaker
By Janie Cheaney |
A great resource for Sunday school or art class, these Bible crafts will help kids learn while they create. All ages *Big Picture Bible Crafts: ...
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*God’s Timeline by Linda Finlayson
By Janie Cheaney |
God’s Timeline is a valuable resource that pulls together the entire sweep of church history from the Resurrection to the early twenty-first century. *God’s Timeline: ...
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Picture Book Biographies Booklist!
By Betsy Farquhar |
Picture Book Biographies = Fantastic, Diverse Resources Picture book biographies are one of the best ways to introduce a person from history. Why? They bring ...
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The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
By Megan Saben |
Sarah Mackenzie offers a welcome and updated look at making connections with your family through books in The Read-Aloud Family. The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and ...
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8 Great Smarts by Kathy Koch
By Janie Cheaney |
8 Great Smarts shows parents how to recognize, encourage, and build on their child’s particular kinds of “smart.” 8 Great Smarts: Discover and Nurture Your ...
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Learning to Lead: Another RedeemedReader Booklist!
By Janie Cheaney |
In his Confessions, Augustine wrote this on the subject of "time": “I understand well enough what time is, so long as no one asks me.” ...
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Pie-Themed Picture Books for Pi/Pie Day!
By Betsy Farquhar |
"Pi/Pie Day" is coming up on March 14th! Check out one of the pie-themed picture books below from your local library to enjoy with your ...
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The Vanishing American Adult by Ben Sasse
By Janie Cheaney |
U.S. Senator Ben Sasse diagnoses a serious problem with today’s young adults and writes a prescription for restoring the American spirit. The Vanishing American Adult: ...
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Nonfiction Picture Books Round-up: Biographies, Science, and Words
By Betsy Farquhar |
A round-up of 2018 nonfiction picture books on all sorts of subjects and for all sorts of ages! The Great Dictionary Caper by Judy Sierra and ...
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Picture Book Round-Up: 6 Multicultural Youth Media Award Winners
By Betsy Farquhar |
The 2018 ALA Youth Media Awards were announced last week, and children's lit fans around the country live-streamed the event (unless they were privileged to ...
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Those Love Stories We Loved
By Janie Cheaney |
The RedeemedReader ladies recall our favorite "love stories" as teens, and rejoice that we grew out of them! But what do we like now? You ...
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*Honey for a Teen’s Heart by Gladys Hunt
By Janie Cheaney |
Honey for a Teen’s Heart applies the wisdom of Gladys Hunt’s read-aloud approach to the adolescent years. Adult *Honey for a Teen’s Heart: Using Books ...
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Five Red Flags to Watch for in YA Christian Romance Fiction
By Janie Cheaney |
Christian romance fiction feels "safe," but it's not always without pitfalls . . . and it's not always Christian, either. I remember when Jeanette Oke ...
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Black History Month Nonfiction Book List
By Betsy Farquhar |
Black History Month Nonfiction Book List It's a month full of book lists here at Redeemed Reader! We hope you enjoyed our Love and Laughter ...
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2018 Newbery Buzz #5: Real Friends and All’s Faire in Middle School
By Betsy Farquhar |
It's our final Newbery Buzz of the 2018 season. Betsy and Alysha discuss two graphic novels for this last round. Graphic Novels as Newbery Winners? ...
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Getting to Know Beatrix Potter (1866 – 1943)
By Hayley Morell |
"My dear Eric, Once upon a time there was a frog called Mr. Jeremy Fisher . . ." A day earlier, Beatrix Potter had written ...
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2018 Reading Challenge Check-In: January
By Betsy Farquhar |
Reading Challenge Check-In: January Well, readers, we're a month into year 2018. A month!?! It seems like a good time to take the pulse of ...
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2018 Newbery Buzz #3: Refugee
By Janie Cheaney |
Janie and Pamela continue our Newbery discussions with Refugee, a novel that carries political significance as well as literary value. Ages 12-15. Janie: Alan Gratz ...
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Portrait of a Reader: The Nurturer
By Betsy Farquhar |
Portrait of a Reader is a new feature in which we try to "unpack" a particular kind of reader. The portraits will overlap; most people will ...
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Here Be Dragons: Mega Fantasy and Sci-Fi Booklist! (All ages)
By Betsy Farquhar |
A mega fantasy and sci-fi booklist with books for all ages and all types of fantasy lovers (even those who don't think they ARE fantasy ...
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2018 Newbery Buzz #2: Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder
By Betsy Farquhar |
We're back for our second Newbery Buzz discussion of 2019. Last week, Hayley and Janie discussed Tumble and Blue. This week, Hayley and I (Betsy) discuss Orphan ...
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Interview with Keith Robinson, author of the Origins Series
By Pamela Palmer |
Pamela interviews Keith Robinson, author of the Origins trilogy and other Christian sci-fi works. Read on for more information about Robinson, his work, and his many ...
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2018 Newbery Buzz #1: Tumble & Blue by Cassie Beasley
By Janie Cheaney |
It’s that time of year again! The American Library Association Youth Media Awards will be announced on Monday, Feb. 12, including the coveted Newbery Medal. ...
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2018 Reading Challenge for Kids and Teens (with printable!)
By Betsy Farquhar |
The 2018 Reading Challenge for Kids and Teens Our 2018 Reading Challenge for Kids and Teens is back and better than ever! We’ve changed it ...
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Redeemed Reader Christmas Vacation
By Janie Cheaney |
This year has been a whirlwind for us, with a record number of book reviews, rising readership, website updates, and two special reading challenges built ...
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Worthy YA: the Best Teen Reads of 2017
By Janie Cheaney |
The world of Young-Adult publishing can be dicey territory for Christian readers. Nowhere are the latest cultural trends more vigorously promoted than in books marketed ...
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*Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt
By Betsy Farquhar |
Honey for a Child's Heart was one of the first books advocating for building a Christian family culture around books. *Honey for a Child's Heart by ...
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The Literary Nightstand
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Literary Nightstand: Our Professional Reading The Literary Nightstand is a peek into what's on our professional nightstands. Most of us here at Redeemed Reader ...
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The Wonder of the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Wonder of the Greatest Gift offers a complete Jesse Tree experience with devotional and ornaments for the whole family to enjoy. The Wonder of ...
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Giant Christmas and Advent Book List for All Ages
By Betsy Farquhar |
We love Christmas and Advent at Redeemed Reader, and we've reviewed lots of related resources over the years. Advent begins on December 1, and the ...
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2017 Winter Book Fair List: Books for Everyone!
By Betsy Farquhar |
2017 Winter Book Fair Books for Everyone on Your Christmas List! It's that time of the year again: Christmas is coming, and all the special ...
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Mystery Book List for Elementary, Tweens, and Teens!
By Betsy Farquhar |
Calling all mystery lovers! Mystery book list for all ages! Whether or not you're planning to see Murder on the Orient Express this month, you likely have ...
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*The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch
By Betsy Farquhar |
Starred review for this book about a tech-wise family that is characterized by 10 commitments reflecting the proper pace of technology in a family's life ...
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