Take the Survey, Enter the Giveaway!

By Betsy Farquhar | September 30, 2016

Survey is now closed. Thanks to those who participated! We want to offer a big CONGRATULATIONS! to our prize winners. The winners will each receive free books, all of which were reviewed and highlighted this past month during our Church History October event. (These three names were drawn at random from the survey responses.) First…

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Newbery Buzz Discussion Series

By Betsy Farquhar | September 17, 2016

We love discussing books here at Redeemed Reader! We also love “prognosticating the awards”: discussing potential Newbery Medal candidates (these are potentials to us; the actual awards discussions are always super secret) and weighing their pros and cons. While the annual Newbery awards have already been awarded for most of the years referenced below, we…

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The Virtual Nightstand

By Betsy Farquhar | September 16, 2016

In lieu of our former “Book Bits” and “Web Newbery” posts, we’re going to share a bit more of our personal reading lives with you, dear reader. Please note: these are books an individual is currently reading, not a “review” or “recommendation.” Today’s author: Betsy. The Virtual Nightstand: “Telling My Story: the Limits of Personal…

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Our 9/11 Book List

By Janie Cheaney | September 9, 2016

If you’ve been with us for the last few months you doubtless saw Betsy’s reviews of two recent, highly-regarded middle-grade novels about the worst foreign attack on American soil ever.  But if you’re looking for good books to introduce children of all ages to what happened on September 11, 2001, we’ve been reviewing them all along.…

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Back-to-School Backpack List (2016)

By The Redeemed Shall Read | August 17, 2016

Just in time for the start of a new school year with new pencils, new protractors, new textbooks: our Back-to-School Backpack Booklist! As is our custom, the Back-to-School Backpack list features a few additions to the usual fiction lineup. This year, we have a short section on science books that covers a wide variety of…

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Talking about Books That Talk about Race

By Janie Cheaney | July 23, 2016

Not a “Newbery Buzz” post because these titles were published before 2016 and are already award winners! But, for similar posts in which Janie and Betsy discuss books, check out our Newbery Buzz series. Janie: Earlier this week, we reviewed two novels about what might be called “the black experience.”  One of them, When I Was…

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Cooking Up Fun: ‘Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes’

By emily | July 7, 2016

  Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. Puffin, 1997. 32 pages. Reading Level: Ages 8-10 Recommended For: all ages Bottom Line: Illustrated by Quentin Blake, this extraordinary cookbook includes outlandish food from Dahl’s books, fleshed out into real recipes you can be revolted by in your own kitchen! Roald Dahl…

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Book Bits (Friday, July 1, 2016)

By Betsy Farquhar | July 1, 2016

Book Bits is a monthly feature in which we share assorted book-related links and links to news pieces that reflect Redeemed Reader’s purpose. Books on Bikes! Instead of a Bookmobile, these librarians take books on bikes (plus freezy pops) to kids in their community in the summer. Nabeel Qureshi We’ve included Qureshi’s book Seeking Allah, Finding…

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Ask a Librarian: Peter Pan

By Megan Saben | June 27, 2016

We love hearing from our readers! Ask-a-Librarian is an occasional feature in which we answer a reader’s email query. There are plenty of books we have read but not managed to review here, so I’m glad Tamra submitted this question: “I am looking for your review on J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan book. We’ve started it…

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Shakespeare Summer: Some General Principles (applied to a difficult play)

By Megan Saben | June 13, 2016

Last year we covered A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is readily available in numerous retellings, picture books, and even coloring pages. We chose this play because there was a local performance available, so we had plenty of resources to try to understand the story ahead of time. This summer, our best option was Henry V.…

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