Ages 10-12

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Eerdmans, 2008. 34 pages. Reading Level: Picture ...
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Space Case by Stuart Gibbs

Space Case by Stuart Gibbs. Simon & Schuster, 2014. 337 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10. Maturity Level: 4 (ages 11-12) Moon Base Alpha ...
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Junk Drawer Physics by Bobby Mercer

Junk Drawer Physics: 50 Awesome Experiments That Don’t Cost a Thing by Bobby Mercer. Chicago Review Press, 2014. 187 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages ...
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Corrie Ten Boom by Kaylena Radcliff

The Torchlighters Biography Series: Corrie Ten Boom by Kaylena Radcliff. Christian History Institute, 2014. 93 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10, ages 10-12 Maturity Level: 3, 4  ...
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Explore Gravity!: With 25 Great Projects by Cindy Blobaum and illustrated by Bryan Stone

Explore Gravity!: With 25 Great Projects by Cindy Blobaum and illustrated by Bryan Stone. Nomad Press, 2013. 96 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades (ages 8-12)Recommended for: ...
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cover of eye benders

Eye Benders: The Science of Seeing and Believing by Clive Gifford

Eye Benders: The Science of Seeing and Believing by Clive Gifford. Ivy Press, 2013 (U.K.) and 2014 (U.S.A.). 64 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, 8-12 ...
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Centerburg Tales by Robert McCloskey

Centerburg Tales by Robert McCloskey. Viking, 1979, 191 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, 8-10Maturity Level: 2 (ages 4-8) and up Centerburg Tales is set in ...
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Listen to the Birds: An Introduction to Classical Music by Ana Garhard

Listen to the Birds, by Ana Garhard. The Secret Mountain, 2013, 48 pages each (CD included). Reading level: Picture Books, ages 9-12 Maturity Level: 3 ...
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*Somebody on This Bus is Going to Be Famous by (our very own) J. B. Cheaney

*Somebody on This Bus Is Going to Be Famous by J. B. Cheaney. Sourcebooks, 2014. 304 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades (8-12)Recommended For: Ages 10-12 Bottom ...
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The Night Gardener

The Night Gardener, by Jonathan Auxier. Amulet, 2014, 350 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Maturity Level: 4 (age 10 and up) Teenage Mollie ...
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The Castle Behind Thorns

The Castle Behind Thorns, by Merrie Haskell. HarperCollins, 2014, 341 pages. Reading level: Middle Grades, ages 11-12 Maturity level: 5 (ages 11 and up) Sand ...
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I Kill the Mockingbird

I Kill the Mockingbird, by Paul Acampora. Roaring Brook Press, 2014, 177 pages. Reading level: Middle grades, ages 11-12 Maturity level: 4 (ages 11-12) and ...
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Almost Super by Marion Jensen

Almost Super, by Marion Jensen. Harper, 2014, 251 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, Ages 8-12 Maturity Level: 3 (ages 8-10) Every four years, on February ...
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*The Warden and the Wolf King

An epic finale to an epic fantasy series. *The Warden and the Wolf King,by Andrew Peterson. Rabbit Room Press, 2014, 519 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages ...
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*The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya by Jane Kelley

*The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya, by Jane Kelley. Feiwel & Friends, 2013, 201 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, Ages 8-10 Maturity Level: 3 ...
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On the Blue Comet

On the Blue Comet, by Rosemary Wells. Candlewick, 2010, 329 pages. I looked out the diner car window. We were just careening past a station ...
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SRC, Week 5: A Wrinkle in Time

Other Summer Reading Challenge posts: Introduction, Week One: 1) Kids, 2) Teens, 3) Devotional.  Week Two: 1) Kids, 2) Teens, 3) Devotional.  Week Three: off Week ...
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Spy Catchers of Maple Hill

Spy Catchers of Maple Hill by Megan Frazer Blakemore. Bloomsbury, 2014. 320 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12Recommended for: ages 10-12 One-Sentence Summary: Young Hazel Kaplansky, ...
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Faithgirlz in Action: Two New Series

Zondervan’s “Faithgirlz!” books are series novels aimed at middle-grade girls. These two “girlz” series fall prey to some common weaknesses of Christian fiction, but show ...
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Over the Moon and across the Pond

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Over the Moon, by Frank Cottrell Boyce. Candlewick, 2014, 240 pages. Age/interest level: 9-13 The magical car seems to be flying ...
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Boys of Blur and Beowulf: Like Father, Like Son

It's not often that we are privileged to read literary gems from both father AND son. But that is indeed the case here; to make ...
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Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge

Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge. Candlewick, 2003, 116 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Maturity Level: 5 (Ages 12-15) One-line Summary: Kevin, age 15, ...
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*The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

*The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. Harcourt Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. 237 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grade, ages 10-12 Maturity Level: 4 (ages 10-12) and up Bottom ...
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Bible Review: The Family Reading Bible

The Family Reading Bible: a Joyful Discovery: Explore God's Word Together, NIV. Zondervan, 2010, 2336 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: all ...
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Bible Review: The Story Teen Edition

The Story: Teen Edition. Zondervan, 2011, 498 pages (paperback). Reading Level: Middle Grades ages 10-13 Recommended for: ages 12-15 Bottom Line: This teen edition of ...
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Bible Review: The Jesus Bible (NIV)

The NIV Jesus Bible, Zondervan, 2014, 1760 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-12 Bottom Line: This children's version of the NIV ...
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Bible Review: ESV Journal Bible

ESV Journal Bible, Crossway, 2012 (latest edition), 1380 pages. Reading Level:Middle grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 12 and up Bottom Line: Though limited in ...
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Adventuring with Wilder Good, Gannon & Wyatt, and a Giveaway!

The Adventures of Wilder Good: Elk Hunt, by S. J. Dahlstron.  Paul Dry Books, 2013, 101 pages.  Age/interest level: 9-13. The title says it all: ...
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Ukraine: Lessons in Liberty and Compassion, Pt. 2

Last week, we began our Ukrainian series with a personal reflection from our executive assistant, Hayley.  Having recently visited orphans in Ukraine,  Hayley gave us insight ...
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Retro Reads: Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain

It's Retro Reads week with Lloyd Alexander! Today, we take a look back to Lloyd Alexander's marvelous Chronicles of Prydain, the first of which was ...
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Retro Reads: The Sword in the Stone

This week we begin a series of occasional posts called Retro Reads: those modern-day classics you may have missed in your teen years or before ...
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Dragons and Time Fetches: More Middle-Grade Fantasy

Handbook for Dragon Slayers, by Merrie Haskell.  HarperCollins, 2013, 226 pages.  Age/interest level: 10-up. When our story begins, Tilda, age 13, has no interest in ...
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Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

This book is a "Best of the Best" pick from our Winter Book Fair. CLICK HERE to see more gift ideas! Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by ...
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Who Do Men Say That I Am?

Christmas brings into focus the mystery of the incarnation, when God, in the person of Jesus Christ, took on human flesh in order to meet ...
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Pilgrim’s Progress adapted by Anna Trimiew

Pilgrim’s Progress: John Bunyan’s Classic Story Adapted for Children, by Anna Trimiew, illustrated by Drew Rose.  Great Commissions Press, 2013, 109 pages, including glossary and ...
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*Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Bryan Obed

Twelve Kinds of Ice, by Ellen Bryan Obed, illustrated by Barbara McClintock.  Houghton Mifflin, 2012, 64 pages.  Reading level: Middle Grades, Ages 10-12 Maturity Level: ...
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Call of the Klondike: a True Gold Rush Adventure by David Meissner

This middle grade history uses original letters and contemporary news accounts to recreate the drama of the Alaska Gold Rush.  Call of the Klondike: a ...
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*Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Anderson, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline.  Harpers, 2013, 34 pages.  Reading level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Maturity Level: All Bottom line: ...
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Classics in Comics

We round out Picture-book month at Redeemed Reader with a look at some recent comic-book adaptations of enduring literary works--even though graphic novels, technically speaking, ...
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November 22, 1963

Fifty years ago a president was violently assassinated.  John F. Kennedy’s place in history is mostly emblematic: baby-boomers remember his ease and charm and clever ...
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*Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt

Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt and Isobelle Arsenault (translated from the original French).  Groundwood, 2014, 101 pages.   Reading Level: Middle Grades, ...
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Middle-Grade Losers, or, What Hath Greg Heffley Wrought?

The Wimpy Kid phenomenon keeps on going, and so far has outlasted the dystopia phenomenon, the vampire phenomenon, and the zombie phenomenon.  Volume 8 in ...
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Ghost Stories

Do you believe in ghosts?  I discount many of the ghost stories I hear, but can’t quit discount the whole phenomenon.  That is, there is ...
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The Dogs of History

Duke, by Kirby Larson.  Scholastic, 2013, 229 pages.  Reading Level: Middle Grades, 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-12 Boy loves dog; boy loses dog.  That’s what ...
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Lara’s Gift by Annemarie O’Brien

Lara’s Gift, by Annemarie O’Brien.  Knopf, 2013, 193pages, including appendix Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12, Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 10-15 Bottom ...
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How God Used a Thunderstorm by Joel R. Beeke and Diana Kleyn

*How God Used a Thunderstorm and Other Devotional Stories  by Joel R. Beeke and Diana Kleyn, illustrated by Jeff Anderson (Building on the Rock Series). ...
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Anselm: An Interview with Simonetta Carr

Anselm of Canterbury (Christian Biographies for Young Readers) by Simonetta Carr.  Reformation Heritage Books, 2013.  64 pgs.  Ages 8-up. Simonetta Carr recently published Anselm of ...
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Scientific Fiction or Fictional Science? Three Genre-Busting Reads

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 ...
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More Favorite Science Books

Welcome back to Science September at Redeemedreader!  Last week, we heard from Janie on Science Biographies, as well as Betsy on some of her favorite ...
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Solving Mysteries with Science (and a disappointing collective biography)

One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! by Eric Yoder and Natalie Yoder. Science Naturally, 2013. When I was growing up, ...
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*Little Britches by Ralph Moody

*Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody. Bison Books, 1991. 260 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10, ages 10-12 and upRecommended ...
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How to Skim a Book: The Lost Medallion by Bill Muir and Alex Kendrick

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 ...
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Two Books about China

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 ...
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*Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard by Annette Cate

*Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard, by Annette le Blank Cate.  Candlewick, 2013, 54 pages.   Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ...
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It’s Greek to Me!

This week in our Summer Reading Challenge, we're visiting Greece.  So, thanks to our newest addition to the Redeemedreader family, Hayley Schoeppler, for leading us today ...
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Summer Reading Challenge, Week 6: The Lightning Thief

Welcome to Week 6 of our Summer Reading Challenge!  If you’d like to see other posts in this series,
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One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson

A lonely boy and a lonely girl team up to rescue their dog friends and end up each finding a true home in this feel-good ...
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Interesting Picture Book Biographies (Librarians’ List)

Many people think picture books should be left behind in the preschool years. Megan and I heartily disagree with that sentiment, and we invite you ...
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Mission Work for Kids: Sewing School and Crafts for Hope

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 ...
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Summer Reading Challenge, Wk 3: Nate Saint: Operation Auca

Have you seen our new tab for the Summer Reading Challenge?  In it, you'll find all the links to our Summer Reading Challenge--both the main ...
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Summer Reading Challenge, Week 2: The Middle of Somewhere by (our very own) J. B. Cheaney

If you're new to our Summer Reading Challenge, welcome! If you started our Around the World adventure last week with us, congratulations and let's continue ...
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Summer Reading Challenge, Week 1: Around the World by Matt Phelan

***To find out more about this challenge, see  our Summer Reading Challenge introduction.  Other posts related to Matt Phelan's books include our Interview with John ...
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cover of We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson

We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson. Jump at the Sun, 2008. 96 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages ...
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No Battlefield Like Home

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 ...
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Good Old Fashioned Adventure

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 ...
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Destiny, Rewritten by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

Destiny, Rewritten, by Kathryn Fitzmaurice.  HarperCollins, 2013, 335 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-12 (especially girls) Bottom Line: Destiny, Rewritten ...
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A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff

A Tangle of Knots, by Lisa Graff.  Philomel, 2013, 233 pages.  Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-12 and up Bottom Line: ...
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Poetry Anthologies

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 ...
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The Real Sherlock Holmes

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, ...
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*Bible Review: NKJV Early Readers Bible

*NKJV Early Readers Bible. Thomas Nelson, 2006, 1664 pages.  Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-14 and up Bottom Line: This New ...
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Bible Review: NIV Faithgirlz! Bible

NIV Faithgirlz! Bible.  Zonderkidz, 2012, 1504 page.  Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-12 (especially girls!) Bottom Line: The Faithgirlz! Bible, geared ...
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Bible Review: NIV Boys Bible

NIV Boys' Bible.  Zonderkidz, 2012, 1504 pages.  For ages 9-13. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-12 (obviously, boys) Bottom Line: The ...
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*Bible Review: ESV Children’s Bible

*ESV Children’s Bible.  Crossway, 2008, 1648 pages.   Reading level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10. Recommended for: ages 6-10 Bottom Line: The ESV contains excellent study helps, ...
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*Bible Review: The HCSB Illustrated Study Bible

*The HCSB Illustrated Study Bible for Kids.  Boardman and Holman, 2007, 1104 pages.  Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 Bottom Line: ...
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New Nonfiction: Titanic, Moonbird, and Bodyguards

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 ...
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The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus 3) by Rick Riordan

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3), by Rick Riordan.  Hyperion, 2012, 608 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Maturity Level: 4 (ages ...
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Zeus, King of the Gods by George O’Connor

Zeus, King of the Gods, (#1 in The Olympians graphic-novel series) by George O’Connor.  First Second, 2012, 80 pages. Reading Level: Picture books (graphic novel), ...
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The Adventures of Achilles by Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden

The Adventures of Achilles, by Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden, illustrated by Carole Henaff.  Barefoot Books, 2012, 96 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages10-12 Maturity ...
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The Hard Work of Growing Up

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 ...
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Cake: Love, Chickens, and a Taste of Peculiar by Joyce Magnin

Cake: Love, Chickens and a Taste of Peculiar, by Joyce Magnin.  Zonderkidz, 2013, 221 pages.  Age/interest level: 8-14. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10 Recommended ...
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Bliss by Katherine Littlewood

Bliss, by Kathryn Littlewood.  HarperCollins, 2012, 374 pages.  Age/interest level: 10-14. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 Bottom Line: Bliss mixes ...
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*Greek Myths by Marcia Williams

*Greek Myths by Marcia Williams.  Candlewick, 2011.  Ages 4-up.  Reading Level: Picture Books, Ages 4-8, Ages 8-10, Ages 10-12 Marcia Williams' Greek Myths is a ...
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The Real George Washington

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 ...
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Unstoppable by Tim Green

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, ...
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On All Fronts: New Nonfiction of World War II

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 ...
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Kids–Try This at Home

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, ...
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16th Century Travels: Jepp and Will Sparrow

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 ...
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O Come, Emmanuel

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 ...
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Spunky Siblings

Brother-Sister duos are a staple in children’s publishing ever since the Bobbsey Twins—a way of stretching the appeal, I suppose.  These new series try to ...
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The History of Faith: Wiliam Boekestein’s and Simonetta Carr’s New Books for Kids

This week in our library month theme, Janie took us back to the 8th century in a review of  Hand of Vengeance by Douglas Bond.  ...
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Hand of Vengeance

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 ...
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Christian Books for Burgeoning Readers

This summer I've been on a mission to find books with specifically Christian content for my kids.  We get plenty of great literature from the ...
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The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, by Christopher Healy (drawings by Todd Harris).  HarperCollins, 2012, 436 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 10-12 Recommended ...
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Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

Tuesdays at the Castle, by Jessica Day George.  Bloomsbury, 2012, 225 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 10-12. Recommended for: Ages 8-14 Whenever Castle Glower ...
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Dystopia, Junior

Dystopian fiction for middle-grades isn't new: Lois Lowry's The Giver is a classic of the genre.  The success of The Hunger Games means similar titles ...
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Hard Science

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 ...
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Mr. and Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extraordinaire! by Mrs. Bunny, translated from the Rabbit by Polly Horvath

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extraordinaire! by Mrs. Bunny, translated from the Rabbit by Polly Horvath, illustrated by Sophie Blackall.  Schwartz & Wade, 2012, 248 ...
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May B by Caroline Starr Rose

May B., by Caroline Starr Rose, Schwartz & Wade, 2012, 225 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, Ages 10-12 Recommended for: Ages 10-12 and up Bottom Line: ...
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Wonder

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 ...
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The Poetry of Nature

Contest: Do you have a favorite kids' poem?  Would you or your kids like to write your own?  Post your new or favorite poems in ...
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