Ages 12-15

*Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins

Chiko and Tu Reh learn to face challenges and love their enemies in modern day, war-torn Burma in this realistic fiction novel for teens. Starred ...
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*Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary Schmidt

To "pay attention" to the world around you is rule #1 of a life well lived, as this winning middle-grade novel shows. *Pay Attention, Carter ...
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Graphic Novel Roundup: The Giver and A Wrinkle in Time

Two recent graphic-novel adaptations of classic stories have their strengths, but overall demonstrate the adage, "the book is better." A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine ...
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New Kid by Jerry Craft

New Kid offers a fresh and funny graphic-novel take on the middle-school blues. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-14 From Washington ...
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*You Who by Rachel Jankovic

You Who: Why You Matter and How to Deal with It is a refreshing take on the "find yourself" messages blaring from our culture for ...
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30+ Women in Church History: A Book List

Did you know that March is Women's History Month? Or that the theme for Women's History Month 2019 is "Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & ...
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*The Promise of Change by JoAnn Boyce

*The Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for School Equality by JoAnn Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy. Bloomsbury, 2019, 309 pages including ...
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Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden

Inventing Victoria by Tonya Bolden.  Bloomsbury, 2019, 257 pages. Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 14-up Judy 12, 1881, Savannah, Georgia: Essie Mirth ...
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6 Noteworthy Nonfiction Picture Books

Me: "That school must be named after Lise Meitner. Didn't she do something with uranium?" {the school in question was on a TV show and ...
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Roundup: Three Novels That Address Mental Illness

Three recent novels for middle-grade through YA feature characters with schizophrenia or depression. Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin.  HarperCollins, 2018, 245 pages. Reading ...
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*Monster Blood Tattoo Trilogy by D. M. Cornish

Foundling, Lamplighter, and Factotum by D. M. Cornish. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2006-2010. Ages 12 & up. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-14 Recommended for: ages 12 & ...
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It’s Up to You, Abe Lincoln by Tom and Leila Hirschfeld

This unusual biography of Abraham Lincoln frames his life as a series of ten decisions, in which the reader is invited to participate. It’s Up ...
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*The Young Man’s Guide to Awesomeness by Barrett Johnson

The Young Man's Guide to Awesomeness is a well-organized, humorous, straight-talking guide for young men as they mature into godly adults. *The Young Man's Guide to Awesomeness: How to Guard Your Heart, Get the Girl, and Save the World by Barrett Johnson. INFO For Families, 2017. 158 pages. Reading Level: Teen, ages 12 and up Recommended For: Upper middle grades and up (ages 10+) Growing up is never easy. There are physical changes, ...
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At the Well by Kristen Tiber

At the Well is a short book urging singles (teens and up) to wait on the Lord for marriage and for his timing. At the Well: Discovering God's Plan for Finding True Love by Kristen Tiber. Kristen Summers LLC, 2018. 146 pages. Reading Level: ...
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*Into the Jungle by Katherine Rundell

In these four tales inspired by Kipling's Jungle Book, Mowgli the man-cub learns the backstories of his fellow creatures. *Into the Jungle: Stories for Mowgli ...
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Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh

A teenage Syrian refugee is the “Nowhere Boy” whose fate falls into the hands of an American 13-year-old. Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh.  Roaring Brook, ...
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Jason Reynolds’s Track Series: A Winner for Middle Grades

Jason Reynolds is an author we've kept an eye on ever since his debut in 2015 with When I Was the Greatest. That novel, and ...
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The Susan Pevensie Problem

A new teen fantasy novel draws inspiration from Susan Pevensie's rejection of Narnia to spin a similar tale. In the almost 70 years since C. ...
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The Biggest Win by Joshua Cooley

In The Biggest Win, players from the 2018 Super Bowl championship team coach young athlete in winning the kingdom of God. The Biggest Win: Pro ...
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Birds of Pray by Rob Maaddi

A sports reporter who was with the Eagles as their dream team came together tells the story of their amazing Super Bowl Win. Birds of ...
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Prognosticating the Newberys, 2019 Edition

updated 1/28 with actual results/how we did. It's the time of year when librarians and other kidlit nerds like ourselves get antsy. The ALA will announce this year's Youth Media Awards ...
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2019 Newbery Buzz #7: The Girl Who Drew Butterflies by Joyce Sidman

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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The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

“The Disappearing Spoon” is one mystery solved by the periodic table, in this entertaining grab-bag of historical oddities from chemistry. The Disappearing Spoon (Young Readers ...
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2019 Newbery Buzz #5: The Parker Inheritance

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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2019 Newbery Buzz #4: The Faithful Spy

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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2019 Newbery Buzz #3: Sweep by Jonathan Auxier

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

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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Newbery Roundup – The Books We Didn’t Love (Part Two)

Continuing our series from last Friday about children's books seen as contenders for the ALA's coveted Newbery medal. The Truth As Told by Mason Buttle ...
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10 Favorite Christian Biographies

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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Newbery Roundup – The Books We Didn’t Love (Part One)

Then end of the year is the beginning of buildup to the annual American Library Association (ALA) “Youth Media Awards,” culminating in the announcement of ...
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2019 Newbery Buzz #1: The Season of Styx Malone

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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Reading Aloud to Tweens and Teens: A Guest Post about Kate Seredy’s books

Dawn Garrett joins us today to discuss reading Kate Seredy's books aloud to her tweens and teens. For more about Dawn, see her bio below ...
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The 2018 Reading Challenge: Interview with a Teen

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

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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Inkling by Kenneth Oppel

Imagination literally runs wild in Inkling, the latest middle-grade novel from popular novelist Kenneth Oppel. Inkling by Kenneth Oppel, with illustrations by Sydney Smith.  Knopf, ...
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The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street: the Love Your Neighbor Book Club Edition

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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Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict

This historical novel for teens speculates on a maid who influenced steel magnate Andrew Carnegie to become a philanthropist. Carnegie’s Maid: a Novel by Marie ...
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One-Size-Fits-All: Read Aloud Gift Books for the Whole Family!

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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The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matt Landis

Oliver realizes he doesn't yet know everything about the Civil War in this engaging middle grades novel.  The Not-so-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matt ...
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*Tales of Wonder edited by Phillips, Bianco, and Kern

Tales of Wonder provides parents and teachers a wonderful resource to use as they enjoy fairy tales with their students and children. *Tales of Wonder, ...
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Books for the Whole Year

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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Christmas Books for All Ages: A Booklist

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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The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

In Brangwain Spurge, two idiosyncratic writers team up to tell a story of mutual misunderstanding from distinct perspectives. The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M. ...
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The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon

An instant friendship leads to potential trouble in this engaging, character-driven story for middle grades and early teens. The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla ...
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The Atlas Obscura Explorers Guide by Dylan Thuras

The juvenile version of the Atlas Obscura travel guide may spark a taste for travel in middle graders. The Atlas Obscura Explorers Guide for the ...
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*Wild Bells: A Literary Advent by Missy Andrews

Wild Bells: A Literary Advent offers a beautiful Christian literary work, such as a poem, along with a reflection for each day of the Advent ...
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*Hallelujah: A Journey Through Advent with Handel’s Messiah by Cindy Rollins

Enjoy both Handel's Messiah and the season of Advent with this succinct-yet rich-guide to both. A good Advent family devotional option for busy families! *Hallelujah: A ...
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Tangerine: Love Your Neighbor Book Club Edition

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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The Grand Escape by Neal Bascomb.

This fascinating true account of a prison escape during World War I will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The Grand Escape: the ...
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*Sweep by Jonathan Auxier

Sweep combines historical fact with mythical elements to create a compelling story filled with sharp edges and surprising graces. *Sweep: The Story of a Girl ...
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We the People … A U.S. Government Booklist

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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Heroes of WWII: A Book List for Tweens and Teens

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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Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen

A teenage girl enlists in the Jewish resistance in Poland during World War II. Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen.  Scholastic, 2018, 385 pages. Reading Level: ...
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*The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix

*The Faithful Spy is an outstanding biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer—and one of the best biographies for kids ever. The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the ...
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Amal Unbound by Alisha Saeed

Amal, a Pakistani girl with dreams of an education, finds her dreams derailed in this engaging story for middle graders. Amal Unbound by Alisha Saeed.  ...
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John McCain: An American Hero by John Perritano

John McCain had more guts and more patriotism than most of his American contemporaries--read all about him in this detailed young adult biography. John McCain: ...
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Black Rock Brothers by S. J. Dahlstrom

Wilder Good, now thirteen, continues his outdoor adventures with his biggest challenge yet. Black Rock Brothers (Wilder Good #5) by S. J. Dahlstrom.  Paul Dry ...
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The Dollar Kids by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

How a sensitive boy handles death and guilt is the subject of The Dollar Kids: one of our “discussion starter” titles.  Ages 10-15 The Dollar ...
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*Spooked! by Gail Jarrow

The Mercury Theater broadcast of "War of the Worlds," a fascinating footnote from American history, has interesting implications for today.  Ages 10-15 *Spooked! How a ...
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The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie

A girl struggles to reconcile her needs with her mother's severe mental illness, in this winsome story with some unforgettable characters. Ages 10-15 The Unforgettable ...
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A Stitch in Time by Dalphne Kalmer

A Stitch in time, a quiet story about death, grieving, and change, takes place in the Vermont countryside of 1920.  Ages 10-15 A Stitch in ...
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Five Favorites: Old and New

With leaves changing and school beginning, our Redeemed Reader intern, Zoe Watters, shares five books that can be enjoyed any time of year.  As she ...
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Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin

Illegal, a graphic novel, puts readers into the perils of a refugee from Africa while stimulating important questions about refugees worldwide. Ages 12-15 Illegal by ...
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The Lost Books: The Scroll of Kings by Sarah Prineas

An entertaining middle grades fantasy in which the books are alive, the librarian is a snarky but smart kid, and the queen isn't sure what ...
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*The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden by Karina van Glaser

The five Vanderbeeker children are back, with irrepressible high spirits, good intentions and miscalculations intact. *The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden by Karina van Glaser.  ...
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Can You Identify the Five Nonfiction Categories?

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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*A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

This popular middle grades story poignantly recounts the stories of a young boy and a young girl in Africa as one flees civil war and ...
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Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai

Inside Out and Back Again is a beautiful, timely middle grades verse novel about a young Vietnamese girl's refugee experience. Inside Out and Back Again ...
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Boy Bites Bug by Rebecca Petruck

In Boy Bites Bug, a single incident develops into a school-wide situation and an insightful look at fading friendship.  Ages 10-15 Boy Bites Bug by ...
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Back to School with Babymouse and Og the Frog

Two back-to-school series for different ages tickle the funny bone, satirize social conventions, and even stimulate sympathy for others.  Ages 6-12 Life According to Og ...
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Al Capone Throws Me a Curve by Gennifer Choldenko

The latest installment in the "Tales from Alcatraz" series deals with mature themes in a sympathetic, engaging way.  Ages 12-15 Al Capone Throws Me a ...
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The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr

Pensive and quiet, The Language of Spells casts its own spell for thoughtful readers—who like dragons.  Ages 10-15 The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr, ...
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The Legend of Greg by Chris Rylander

A humorous and action-packed take on the updated-legend genre (a la Percy Jackson) also offers interesting characters and conflict dynamics.  Ages 12-15. The Legend of ...
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Pass Go and Collect $200 by Tanya Lee Stone

Pass Go and Collect $200 is fun, relatable social history for Monopoly fans and anyone who ever had a great idea.  Ages 6-up Pass Go ...
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Sid Fleischman Biographies

Near the end of his prolific career, Newbery medalist Sid Fleischman published remarkable biographies of three remarkable men. Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain, 1835-1910), Ehrich ...
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*The Sky at Our Feet by Nadia Hashimi

The Sky at Our Feet treats the immigration issue fairly and compassionately, through the perspective of an Afghan-American boy on the run.  Ages 10-15 *The ...
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Cleopatra and Ancient Egypt for Kids by Simonetta Carr

Christian biographer Simonetta Carr explores the life of Cleopatra, one of the most fascinating and mysterious women in history.  Ages 10-16 Cleopatra and Ancient Egypt ...
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The Flood of Noah by Bodie Hodge & Laura Welch

Was there a worldwide flood?  The various legends of such a phenomenon are explored and compared in this interactive history book.  All ages The Flood ...
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Retro Reads: *The Book of the Ancient World by Dorothy Mills

The Book of the Ancient World is just what it sounds like: an interesting book about the ancient world, including Ancient Egypt, Israel, Persia, and ...
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The Hyena Scientist by Sy Montgomery

The Hyena Scientist takes readers on safari to observe a misunderstood species.  Ages 8-14 The Hyena Scientist by Sy Montgomery, photography by Nic Bishop.  Houghton ...
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Fighting the Patriarchy, One Review at a Time

Float is a fun summer read about boys being boys, but some of the reviewers had a problem with that. The protagonist of Float, by ...
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The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The Princess Bride is just as delightful in book form as it is in movie form (or vice versa, depending on which you've already experienced!). ...
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*Hope in the Holler by Lisa Lewis Tyre

In this lively novel, a recently-orphaned girl finds "hope and a future" in the midst of poverty and bereavement.  Ages 10-14. *Hope in the Holler ...
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The American Revolution by Ben Thompson

The latest addition to the "Guts and Glory" series is a readable and engaging history of the American Revolution for middle graders.  Ages 10-15 The ...
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Diversity in Mini-Biographies: Refugees, African Americans, and More!

Diversity is a siren call these days, and, in regards to standard history book treatment of ethnic minorities and women, it's often needed. Check Your ...
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Calling All Minds by Temple Grandin

A well-known scientist and autism advocate challenges middle-graders to put down their phones and make something.  Ages 10-15 Calling all Minds: How o Think and ...
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Rick Riordan Presents: A Pagan State of Mind

Three new series bearing the Rick Riordan name share an interest in pagan deities and a neo-pagan worldview. When Rick Riordan introduced his signature character, ...
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Retro Reads: The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's adventure classic, The Lost World, a book that has clear links to Jurassic Park! The Lost World by Sir Arthur ...
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Dinosaur Book List for All Ages

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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*Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry

A well-written, engaging middle grades biography of Harriet Tubman, conductor on the Underground Railroad, that tells young readers about her life from birth to death. ...
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Fairy Tales (and More!) for Summer: A Booklist for Family Read Alouds

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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I Dared to Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh

A Pakistani Muslim woman recounts how God spoke to her, calling her out of her Muslim background, and how she dared to call him "Father" ...
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The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

A lightning strike turns a 13-year-old girl into a math genius, but she has a lot to learn about human relationships and living in the ...
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The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne Nesbet

Three "orphans" find their place in their community through music, forgiveness, and doing the right thing. Ages 10-15 The Orphan Band of Springdale by Anne ...
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*Sunny by Jason Reynolds

Sunny takes us into the interior life of a track runner who doesn't want to run--so how can he stay on the team?  Ages 10-14 ...
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Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Liam, a super tall 12-year-old, goes on a cosmic adventure in this light-hearted British science fiction story that includes subtle emotional weight. Cosmic by Frank ...
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*Tangerine by Edward Bloor

A realistic sports story that is so much more than a sports story, Tangerine blends soccer, environmentalism, bullying, racism, and physical disability into a well-written, ...
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Disenchanted by Megan Morrison

Readers eager for more tales from Tyme will be disappointed by a story that is for more political than its precursor.   Disenchanted: The Trials of ...
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Rapid Fire: Five Recent YA

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!

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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