Ages 16 and up

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

By Betsy Farquhar | Jun 18, 2018

The story that inspired the movie chain: Jurassic Park is more complex than the movie in every way--and not for kids. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. ...

*In the Land of the Blue Burqas by Kate McCord

By Hayley Morell | Jun 12, 2018

In a beautifully written memoir full of vignettes, McCord gives readers glimpses of the people and culture of Afghanistan through her eyes as a Christian NGO. ...

I Dared to Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheikh

By Betsy Farquhar | Jun 12, 2018

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" ...

Rapid Fire: Five Recent YA

By Hayley Morell | May 30, 2018

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 ...

Transgender Confusion

By Janie Cheaney | May 10, 2018

In the March 31 issue of World Magazine, reporter Emily Belz wrote at length about the slow incursion of books supporting transgenderism into school libraries ...

The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill

By Hayley Morell | Apr 28, 2018

Watch out Chicago, there’s a new amateur sleuth in town for this jazz age mystery! The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill. ...

Mega List of Bible Reviews!

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 11, 2018

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 ...

*Big Picture Bible Crafts by Gail Schoonmaker

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 2, 2018

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: ...

*God’s Timeline by Linda Finlayson

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 30, 2018

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: ...

The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie

By Megan Saben | Mar 27, 2018

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 ...

Learning to Lead: Another RedeemedReader Booklist!

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 22, 2018

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.” ...

*Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution by Natalie S. Bober

By Betsy Farquhar | Mar 1, 2018

Starred review for this young adult biography that showcases a thoughtful--and thought-provoking--Abigail Adams against the backdrop of tumultuous American history. *Abigail Adams: Witness to a ...

Invictus by Ryan Graudin

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 26, 2018

Invictus takes science-fiction to the max with a wild ride that involves time travel, doppelgangers, and parallel universes. Ages 15-up Invictus by Ryan Graudin. Little, ...

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 22, 2018

The Hate U Give, one of this year’s most acclaimed YA novels, offers a well-rounded, realistic picture of challenges faced by the black community (see ...

Those Love Stories We Loved

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 20, 2018

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 ...

Black History Month Nonfiction Book List

By Betsy Farquhar | Feb 15, 2018

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 ...

Here Be Dragons: Mega Fantasy and Sci-Fi Booklist! (All ages)

By Betsy Farquhar | Jan 24, 2018

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 ...

Welcome to Lizard Motel by Barbara Feinberg

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 20, 2018

Barbara Feinberg's memoir offers a fresh look at realistic children's fiction and how much literary suffering children should bear. Welcome to Lizard Motel: Children, Stories, ...

Interview with Keith Robinson, author of the Origins Series

By Pamela Palmer | Jan 15, 2018

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 ...

The Origins Trilogy by Keith Robinson

By Pamela Palmer | Jan 13, 2018

The Origins Trilogy: Christian science fiction that simultaneously delivers good adventure AND reasoned arguments for Creation and the flood? Read on! Ages 16-up The Origins ...

The River Doubt and the Amazing Amazon: 4 True Stories for All Ages

By Betsy Farquhar | Jan 8, 2018

Teddy Roosevelt travels the River Doubt, Percy Fawcett hunts for the City "Z," and a tiny fish is making headlines in conservation efforts for the ...

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 5, 2018

In Long Way Down, a grief-stricken and confused 15-year-old in "the projects" has a desperate choice to make after the death of his brother. Long ...

Landscape with Invisible Hand by M. T. Anderson

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 5, 2018

The always-interesting M. T. Anderson serves up another intriguing science-fiction concept that touches on economics, art, and religion. Landscape with Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson. ...

2018 Reading Challenge for Kids and Teens (with printable!)

By Betsy Farquhar | Dec 19, 2017

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 ...

Culture Making by Andy Crouch

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 16, 2017

Andy Crouch poses questions that should get Christians thinking about their role as “culture makers.” Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch. Intervarsity ...

Worthy YA: the Best Teen Reads of 2017

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 15, 2017

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 ...

*Disappeared by Francisco X. Stork

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 12, 2017

Disappeared offers teens a complex look at making moral choices amid drug crime and kidnapping along the Mexican border. *Disappeared by Francis X. Stork. Scholastic, ...

Poe: Stories and Poems: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Gareth Hinds

By Betsy Farquhar | Dec 11, 2017

Poe: Stories and Poems is just as gripping, psychological, and scary in this well done graphic novel format as it is in the original prose. ...

*Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt

By Betsy Farquhar | Dec 8, 2017

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 ...

*Comforting, Training, and Teaching Minds: Catechism Devotionals by Starr Meade

By Betsy Farquhar | Dec 4, 2017

Family devotionals centered around the Heidelberg and Shorter catechism are based on Scripture and are designed to help families memorize the catechisms. *Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds: ...

*Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

By Betsy Farquhar | Dec 2, 2017

Same Kind of Different As Me is an emotional and spiritual memoir of two men who became friends despite their backgrounds, races, and preconceptions. *Same Kind ...

Giant Christmas and Advent Book List for All Ages

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 24, 2017

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 ...

2017 Winter Book Fair List: Books for Everyone!

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 18, 2017

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 ...

Come Let Us Adore Him by Paul David Tripp

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 16, 2017

This new book of Advent readings takes us deep into the theological and spiritual meaning of Christ's Incarnation. Come Let Us Adore Him by Paul ...

*Echoes of Eden by Jerram Barrs

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 11, 2017

Starred review for Echoes of Eden, in which Barrs offers guidelines for evaluating art and literature from a Christian review. *Echoes of Eden: Reflections on ...

Dame Agatha: Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 6, 2017

A Scene of Terror Sitting alone in the dark house, I gripped the book tightly, desperate to finish and petrified at the same time. Was ...

*The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch

By Betsy Farquhar | Oct 28, 2017

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 ...

Luther in Love by Douglas Bond

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 26, 2017

Luther in Love takes us through the life of the great Reformer through imagined vignettes and actual dialogues. Luther in Love by Douglas Bond. P&R, ...

The Sweet Taste of Providence by Christine Farenhorst

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 24, 2017

This unique devotional book uses Christian history as a springboard for relevant perspectives on the Christian life. The Sweet Taste of Providence: 74 Devotional Episodes ...

The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein

By Betsy Farquhar | Oct 23, 2017

The Pearl Thief is a prequel to the award-winning Code Name Verity, but it lacks the same sophistication and character development. The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein. ...

Reading Diana Wynne Jones: an Author Portrait

By Hayley Morell | Oct 19, 2017

You just finished a good book. Now what? Many book lovers can relate to this sad, unsatisfied feeling. But what if you banished that feeling, ...

Reformation Church History Book List

By Betsy Farquhar | Oct 9, 2017

Happy 500th birthday to the Protestant Reformation! 500 years ago this month, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door in Wittenburg. Of course, the ...

Reformers, Puritans, and Covenanters: Biography Anthologies by Hannula

By Betsy Farquhar | Oct 9, 2017

*For Christ's Crown: Sketches of Puritans and Covenanters By Richard Hannula. Canon Press, 2014. 223 pages. Just as the title implies, this volume is all ...

Bird Boy Project: Discussion Forum 4 (and an exciting giveaway!)

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 29, 2017

Okay readers, this is it: yesterday I sent out the three final chapters and those of you who have been clamoring for "one more chapter, ...

God and the Transgender Debate by Andrew T. Walker

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 23, 2017

God and the Transgender Debate: What Does the Bible Actually Say about Gender Identity? by Andrew T Walker. The Good Book Company, 2017, 171 pages. ...

Refugee by Alan Gratz

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 21, 2017

Refugee weaves the stories of three children fleeing intolerable situations in their home countries, from 1939 to the present. Refugee by Alan Gratz. Scholastic, 2017, ...

The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 19, 2017

A town where qualities disappear every seven years is the setting for The Disappearances, a clean, thought-provoking teen mystery. The Disappearances by Emily Bain Murphy. ...

Bird Boy Project: Discussion Forum 2 (and another great giveaway!)

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 15, 2017

By chapters 8-13, we’re well into the development part of the novel, which (you may recall) I mentioned is the often the most difficult part ...

The Bird Boy Project: Discussion Forum 1 (and book giveaway!)

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 8, 2017

At last count, thirty families and individuals (and a few classes) have signed up to receive daily chapters of my latest in-progress novel. (If you ...

Magellan: over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen

By Janie Cheaney | Sep 5, 2017

This young reader edition of an adult nonfiction book explores the glory and agony (mostly the latter) of Magellan's epic voyage. Magellan: Over the Edge ...

In the Shadow of the Sun by Anne Sibley O’Brien

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 29, 2017

This excellent character-driven adventure saga sheds light on the darkness of North Korea while exploring family and cultural relationships. In the Shadow of the Sun ...

10 True Stories for Teens

By Betsy Farquhar | Aug 28, 2017

10 True Stories for Teens It's hard to beat a good, true story. Something about the it really happened aspect just makes it better, don't you ...

Irresistible by Adam Alter

By Betsy Farquhar | Aug 26, 2017

Irresistible is a fascinating look at technology's impact on humanity, particularly in the light of behavioral addiction. Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the ...

*12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 26, 2017

Tony Reinke sounds a timely warning about our society’s growing addiction to electronic devices. *12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by Tony Reinke. Crossway, ...

No Good Deed by Goldy Moldavsky

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 24, 2017

In spite of language and sexuality issues, this satiric YA novel skewers Political Correctness and provides some welcome perspective on “Social Justice Warriors.” No Good ...

Back-to-School Booklist, 2017 edition (+ Giveaway!)

By Betsy Farquhar | Aug 21, 2017

Have your kids already started school? Or perhaps that's still to come in the next couple of weeks. No matter what stage of back-to-school season you're ...

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

By Hayley Morell | Aug 17, 2017

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray. Little, Brown and Company, 2017. 512 pages. Noemi Vidal will die for her country, but an abandoned spaceship and a ...

Get Ready for the Eclipse! Space and Sci-Fi Booklist

By Betsy Farquhar | Aug 16, 2017

Ready for the Eclipse? Have you tested out your eclipse glasses? Do you know where you're going to be on August 21 when the eclipse ...

American Eclipse by David Baron

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 5, 2017

This summer a full solar eclipse will cross the United States. This captivating history examines the last time that happened, and its effect on American ...

Vincent and Theo: the Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 4, 2017

A fascinating dual biography captures the triumph and eventual tragedy of brothers who loved and fought fiercely. Vincent and Theo: the Van Gogh Brothers by ...

Wisdom & Wonder Week 6 Booklist

By Betsy Farquhar | Jul 24, 2017

Our last Wisdom & Wonder Booklist to help you wrap up your summer! You'll see a couple of repeats from earlier in the summer as ...

Week 6 : God So Loved, He Gave

By Hayley Morell | Jul 24, 2017

Introduction This summer reading challenge has flown by! Can you believe it’s Week 6 already? (Granted, we did take a week off for the Fourth ...

Wisdom & Wonder, Week 5: Work and Words

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 17, 2017

Introduction: Our two Wise Up chapters for this week are “Looking to the Ants” (Week 8, p. 87) and “Honesty is the Best Policy” (Week ...

Wisdom & Wonder Week 4 Booklist

By Hayley Morell | Jul 11, 2017

Week 4 Theme: Which Path and With Whom Additional Proverbs to Read and Think About 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a ...

Wisdom & Wonder Week 4: Which Path and With Whom?

By Hayley Morell | Jul 10, 2017

Welcome to Week 4 of Wisdom and Wonder! We hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July. Now, back to the reading challenge! For a ...

The Great Good Thing by Andrew Klavan

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 1, 2017

Andrew Klavan's spiritual journey from atheism to Christ takes a particularly literary character, but ends where all good journeys do. The Great Good Thing: a ...

Building a Shakespeare Home Library Collection

By Megan Saben | Jun 27, 2017

When you want to enjoy Shakespeare with your children, you can either focus on one play at a time or spread a Shakespeare feast so ...

Wisdom & Wonder Week 3 Booklist

By Megan Saben | Jun 24, 2017

Wisdom & Wonder Week 3 Booklist Weekly Theme: Responding to Correction (Wise-Up #6, 7) Additional Proverbs to Read and Think About 14:12 There is a ...

Wisdom & Wonder Week 3: Responding to Correction

By Megan Saben | Jun 24, 2017

Welcome to week 3 of our Wisdom & Wonder Summer Reading Challenge! In Week 1, we learned about turning to God and away from sin. ...

Wisdom & Wonder Week 2 Booklist

By Betsy Farquhar | Jun 19, 2017

Wisdom & Wonder Week 2 Booklist Weekly Theme: God’s Word is a Treasure Additional Proverbs to Read and Think About 4:23 Keep your heart with ...

Wisdom and Wonder: Week 1 – Turning Towards God and Away from Sin

By Alysha | Jun 12, 2017

Welcome to week 1 of our Wisdom & Wonder Summer Reading Challenge! Wisdom and Wonder Week 1: Turning to God and Away from Sin! This ...

Wisdom and Wonder Booklist – Week 1

By Alysha | Jun 12, 2017

Wisdom & Wonder Week [1] Booklist: Weekly Theme: Turning towards God and Away from Sin Wise-Up #1 (Real Wise Man) and #2 (Heart of the ...

Wisdom & Wonder Activities and Giveaway!

By Betsy Farquhar | Jun 5, 2017

Wisdom & Wonder is Just Around the Corner! Are you excited about joining us for our Wisdom & Wonder summer reading challenge? Don't forget to get ...

2017 Summer Reading Challenge is Coming…

By Betsy Farquhar | May 17, 2017

Join us for our 2017 Summer Reading Challenge: Wisdom & Wonder Get ready to dive into the book of Proverbs, read great literature, examine it from ...

The New City Catechism Devotional

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 15, 2017

The devotional guide to the Gospel Coalition's New City Catechism is a helpful resource for re-discovering the lost practice of oral instruction and memorization. The ...

Easter List Round-Up, 2017 Edition

By Betsy Farquhar | Apr 10, 2017

Need a last minute gift idea for Easter morning? Want to have some books around that remind your children of the real reason for Easter? ...

Musical Mondays and Theology Thursdays: How to Use Christian Resources with Kids

By Betsy Farquhar | Apr 10, 2017

We love to track down solid biblical resources for you to use with your families, Sunday School classrooms, and Christian school classrooms. Not only do ...

Don’t Take Yourself (or Your Reading) Too Seriously!

By Betsy Farquhar | Apr 1, 2017

Today, in my leisure reading, I came across some good "fifty cent" words: pandemonium, benefactors, stratosphere, maligned, facilitate, photons,... I also noticed some terrific literary ...

Cruel Beauty: a Redeemed Reader Discussion

By Alysha | Mar 30, 2017

Some of the staff here at Redeemed Reader decided to discuss Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge as it relates to the story of Beauty and ...

Till We Have Faces: a Redeemed Reader Discussion

By Megan Saben | Mar 29, 2017

Before you read Till We Have Faces, you must first know the myth. You can either read a picture book version or the one by ...

To See or Not To See: The RR Team Reflects on the New Beauty and the Beast

By Betsy Farquhar | Mar 22, 2017

This discussion is part of our Beauty and the Beast Adventure this month. The text below reflects several ongoing discussions the Redeemed Reader team has had via ...

The Queen of Attolia: A Beauty and the Beast Discussion

By Hayley Morell | Mar 21, 2017

As part of our Beauty and the Beast Adventure, Megan, Betsy, and Hayley are discussing The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. Redeemed Reader's ...

Movie Night: One Night with the King

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 18, 2017

The Bible has always provided material for the big screen, with the 1950s and early 60s being the golden age, perhaps of scripture cinema. I ...

The Martian: Classroom Edition by Andy Weir

By Betsy Farquhar | Mar 16, 2017

A snarky, totally believable science fiction narrative for teens. The Martian: Classroom Edition by Andy Weir. Broadway Books, 2016. 400 pages. Reading Level: Teens, ages 15-18Recommended ...

The Queen of Katwe: Book and Movie Review

By Betsy Farquhar | Mar 14, 2017

This is a featured title in our Beauty and the Beast Adventure. Redeemed Reader is not affiliated with or endorsing the new Disney Beauty and the ...

Beauty and the Beast – Devotional #2: the Beast

By Betsy Farquhar | Mar 10, 2017

See our first Beauty and the Beast Devotional if you missed it! This is part of our Beauty and the Beast Adventure which is focusing ...

Movie Night: Penelope

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 8, 2017

What’s a girl to do if she’s born with a pig’s nose? If her family has money, that’s some consolation, but Penelope’s family is also ...

Beauty and the Beast – Devotional #1

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 3, 2017

Me and My Mirror Is there anyone reading this who has never, in their lives, spent time staring into a mirror seeking out all the ...

Devotion by Adam Makos

By Hayley Morell | Feb 25, 2017

It is Korea, 1950, and Jesse Brown, first African American carrier pilot in the Navy, has just crashed over enemy territory . . . ...

March, Books One and Three by John Lewis

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 17, 2017

John Lewis recounts his role in the Civil Rights struggle in this series of graphic nonfiction histories that vividly portray the difficulty, agony, and ultimate ...

*Under Our Skin by Benjamin Watson

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 3, 2017

For Christians of all colors who are concerned about racial tension, Benjamin Watson shows the way to reconciliation. *Under Our Skin by Benjamin Watson. Tyndale, ...

By Hayley Morell | Feb 2, 2017

New England mill girls, fairies, suffragettes, and a curse reaching across the years blend together in this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Spindle by Shonna Slayton. Entangled: ...

Teaching Discernment: Bad Words in Books

By Betsy Farquhar | Jan 30, 2017

True Story: We're getting in the car after a park date with our homeschool friends, and one of my 9-year-old sons says: Mom! We learned some ...

Farewell to Richard Adams

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 13, 2017

The last week of the year was an unusually intense news cycle, with a presidential transition, annual wrap-ups, and two prominent celebrity deaths back to ...

*The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 28, 2016

The Passion of Dolssa is a frank and honest portrait of religious devotion that is true both to religion and to history. a review from ...

*Visual Theology by Tim Challies

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 30, 2016

Visual Theology presents the primary disciplines of the Christian life in a highly accessible form with attractive graphics. *Visual Theology: Seeing and Understanding the Truth ...

2016 Winter Book Fair: Books For Everyone!

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 18, 2016

2016 Winter Book Fair Books for Everyone On Your Christmas List! We have chosen the best of the best, our personal favorites, and plenty of great ...

*Ugly: a Memoir by Robert Hoge

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 15, 2016

In this true story, a boy born with a hideous face learns to not only accept himself, but help others see him for what he ...

*The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 1, 2016

This one-of-a-kind novel blends medieval history, fantasy, humor, adventure, and philosophical questions that have vexed the ages. *The Inquisitor’s Tale, or, Three Magical Children and ...

Pastor, Blogger, Author, Editor: More Church History Recommendations for the Whole Family!

By Betsy Farquhar | Oct 31, 2016

We've spent all month reading and learning about church history. It's been such a rich study with interviews and book reviews, but we are not ...