book reviews
*By and By: Charles Albert Tindley by Carole Boston Weatherford
By Janie Cheaney |
Charles Albert Tindley rose from abject poverty to preach to thousands and write the anthem of the Civil Rights movement. *By and By: Charles Albert ...
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The Oldest Student by Rita Lorraine Hubbard
By Janie Cheaney |
"The Oldest Student" tells the inspiring story of a centenarian who finally found the time to learn. The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to ...
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*All in a Drop by Lori Alexander
By Janie Cheaney |
All in a Drop communicates the wonder and excitement of the Scientific Revolution in this engaging biography of the inventor of the microscope. *All in ...
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Girl Under a Red Moon by Da Chen
By Janie Cheaney |
Girl under a Red Moon depicts life under the worst totalitarian government in modern history. Girl under a Red Moon: Growing up During China’s Cultural ...
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It Rained Warm Bread by Moishe Moskowitz
By Janie Cheaney |
The recollections of a 13-year-old Holocaust survivor find poetic expression in It Rained Warm Bread. It rained Warm Bread: Moishe Moskowitz’s Story of Hope by ...
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All the Impossible Things by Lindsay Lackey
By Janie Cheaney |
A foster child with a troubled past dares to hope for "Impossible Things" to change her course. All the Impossible Things by Lindsay Lackey. Roaring ...
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Feed by M. T. Anderson
By Betsy Farquhar |
M. T. Anderson's Feed imagines what the world would look like if we all had "feeds" (like today's smart phones) implanted in our brains. Feed ...
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Allies by Alan Gratz
By Janie Cheaney |
Allies is a fast, riveting read that communicates the urgency, complexity, and drama of D-Day, the turning point of World War II. Allies by Alan ...
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Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams
By Janie Cheaney |
Genesis, a black girl, struggles with self-image, much of which is fostered by her own family. Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams. Caitlyn Dlough ...
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Someplace to Call Home by Sandra Dallas
By Janie Cheaney |
Three motherless siblings seek "someplace to call home" in Depression-era Kansas. Someplace to Call Home by Sandra Dallas. Sleeping Bear Press, 2019, 222 pages Reading ...
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Black History Month Picture Books for Tweens and Teens
By Betsy Farquhar |
Black history month picture books are for big kids, too! Picture books aren't just for young children. Middle grades and teens benefit, too. Sometimes, a ...
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2020 Newbery Buzz #5: Look Both Ways
By Janie Cheaney |
Since his first novel was published in 2014, Jason Reynolds has been on an upward trajectory—deservedly so, for the most part. He was just named ...
Read More Newbery Roundup #2: All the Greys, This Was Our Pact, A Good Kind of Trouble, To Night Owl from Dogfish
By Janie Cheaney |
Continuing our roundup of possible contender for the 2020 Newbery Medal All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker. Viking, 320 pages. Olympia’s artist ...
Read More 2020 Newbery Buzz #1: Beverly, Right Here and Coyote Sunrise
By Janie Cheaney |
Every year at this time, children's book websites brim with speculation about what books will win or place in the American Library Association's Youth Media ...
Read More Major Impossible by Nathan Hale
By Betsy Farquhar |
The true story of John Wesley Powell, "Major Impossible" who mapped the Grand Canyon, told in graphic novel format. Major Impossible (Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales ...
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Newbery Roundup #1: The Line Tender, Tristan Strong, and 1919
By Janie Cheaney |
Newbery season is upon us, culminating in the American Library Association Youth Media Awards on January 27. We've been keeping an eye on books that ...
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Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
By Janie Cheaney |
Song for a Whale takes us into the world of a Deaf girl on a life-defining mission. Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly. Delacorte, ...
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Torpedoed by Deborah Heligman
By Janie Cheaney |
Torpedoed is a gripping saga of disaster, heartbreak, and heroism on the open sea. Torpedoed: the True Story of the World War II Sinking of ...
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Follow Your Stuff by Kevin Sylvester and Michael Hinka
By Janie Cheaney |
Young consumers will find Follow Your Stuff a fascinating trek through the global production market. Follow Your Stuff: Who Makes It, Where Does It Come ...
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More to the Story by Hena Khan
By Janie Cheaney |
More to the Story closely follows Little Women, but with contemporary Muslim-American girls. More to the Story by Hena Khan. Simon and Shuster (Salaam Reads), ...
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The Fowl Twins by Eoin Colfer
By Janie Cheaney |
While Artemis Fowl speeds toward Mars, the Fowl Twins step to starring roles in their own adventures in this page-turning series opener. The Fowl Twins ...
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*John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J. R. R. Tolkien by Caroline McAlister
By Hayley Morell |
Lovely illustrations and beautiful narrative prose tell the story of Tolkien, from boyhood to The Hobbit. *John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J. R. R. ...
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Migration: Incredible Animal Journeys by Mike Unwin
By Janie Cheaney |
Migration: Incredible Animal Journeys features well-known migration patterns as well as surprising facts, in a readable picture-book format. Migration: Incredible Animal Journeys by Mike Unwin, ...
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Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island by Jennifer Thermes
By Janie Cheaney |
This oversize, intricately-illustrated picture book relates the story of Manhattan in a series of maps. Manhattan: Mapping the Story of an Island by Jennifer Thermes. ...
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*Long Ago, on a Silent Night by Julie Berry
By Janie Cheaney |
What happened "Long Ago on a Silent Night" resonates down the ages, in this lovely, evocative picture book. *Long Ago, on a Silent Night by ...
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One Christmas Wish by Katherine Rundell
By Janie Cheaney |
A lonely boy on Christmas Eve learns the power of giving through "One Christmas Wish." One Christmas Wish by Katherine Rundell, illustrated by Emily Sutton. ...
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The Night of His Birth
By Megan Saben |
"Sing out, my soul, the wonder..." How marvelous the mystery of giving birth to the Son of God! What might have been the musings of ...
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How to Raise a Reader by Pamela Paul and Maria Russo
By Janie Cheaney |
How to Raise a Reader focuses less on the “Why” and more on the “How” of fostering a love of literature in your own children. ...
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Mighty Reader and the Big Freeze by Will Hillenbrand
By Janie Cheaney |
Mighty Reader saves the day in this loveable picture book about learning to love books. Mighty Reader and the Big Freeze by Will Hillenbrand. Holiday ...
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*Love Came Down At Christmas by Sinclair Ferguson
By Betsy Farquhar |
Love Came Down at Christmas is an excellent devotional for Advent for teens and up: meditations on 1 Corinthians 13 by Sinclair Ferguson. *Love Came ...
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*Unwrapping the Names of Jesus by Asheritah Ciuciu
By Betsy Farquhar |
Mediate on the names of Jesus during Advent with this helpful, inspiring family devotional. *Unwrapping the Names of Jesus: An Advent Devotional by Asheritah Ciuciu. ...
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*Her Own Two Feet by Meredith Davis
By Janie Cheaney |
Her Own Two Feet is the true story of a severely disabled Rwandan girl who finds hope and healing through a Christian aid organization. *Her ...
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Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick
By Janie Cheaney |
Wildfire is a fast read that will take even reluctant readers into the heart of a fast-moving catastrophe. Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick. Blue Sky (Scholastic), ...
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Skyjacked by Paul Griffin
By Janie Cheaney |
Five high school students and one air-traffic intern will be severely tested as their private plane is Skyjacked. Skyjacked by Paul Griffin. Scholastic, 2019, 227 ...
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The Light Princess by George MacDonald {Rabbit Room edition}
By Betsy Farquhar |
A beautiful new edition of The Light Princess complete with foreword by Jennifer Trafton, afterword by Andrew Peterson, and illustrated by Ned Bustard. The Light ...
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The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
By Janie Cheaney |
The Downstairs Girl explores the social mores and prejudices of late-19th-century Atlanta through the eyes of a resourceful and gifted Chinese teen. The Downstairs Girl ...
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Games of Deception by Andrew Maraniss
By Betsy Farquhar |
Games of Deception: The True Story of the First U. S. Olympic Basketball Team at the 1936 Olympics in Hitler's Germany by Andrew Maraniss. Philomel, ...
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*Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
By Janie Cheaney |
The “insignificant events” befalling a girl without arms throw the rough transitions of middle school into sharp, yet humorous, relief. *Insignificant Events in the Life ...
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Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
By Janie Cheaney |
The “momentous event" of transitioning to high school presents Aven Green, the armless girl-wonder, with new challenges. Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus ...
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Noodleheads Find Something Fishy by Tedd Arnold
By Janie Cheaney |
The Noodleheads series, by the author of Fly Guy, draws from classic simpleton stories to give early readers a chuckle. Noodleheads Find Something Fishy (Noodleheads, ...
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The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundel
By Janie Cheaney |
The Good Thieves combines compelling action and an irresistible “heist” tale with striking prose. The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundel. Simon & Schuster, 2019, 272 ...
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White Bird by R. J. Palacio
By Janie Cheaney |
In White Bird, a graphic novel, the best-selling author of Wonder traces the holocaust history of a Wonder character's grandmother. White Bird (a Wonder Story) ...
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Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen
By Janie Cheaney |
Words on Fire explores a little-known chapter of European history to make a case for the necessity of words, literature, and language to a culture. ...
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Martin Luther and the Reformation by Lou Hunley
By Betsy Farquhar |
A great middle grades-level look at both Martin Luther in particular and the Protestant Reformation in general. Martin Luther and the Reformation by Lou Hunley. ...
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Picture Books on Art and Music
By Janie Cheaney |
Three acclaimed picture books offer young readers a fun introduction to The Magic Flute, the Giacometti Brothers, and an introduction to art styles through dinosaurs ...
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Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
By Janie Cheaney |
A displaced Muslim girl adjusts to America as a second, "Other Home" in this well-written verse novel. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga. Balzer ...
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Fenway and Hattie by Victoria Coe
By Janie Cheaney |
The Fenway and Hattie series pits an excitable Jack Russell terrier against delivery men and treacherous flooring. Fenway and Hattie by Victoria J. Coe. Putnam, ...
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A Wolf Called Wander by Roseanne Parry
By Janie Cheaney |
A Wolf Called Wander sensitively traces the journey of a young wolf in his quest for a new home and pack. A Wolf Called Wander ...
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Song of the Abyss by Makiia Lucier
By Hayley Morell |
Song of the Abyss is a sequel that does not disappoint and yet succeeds in its own right as a standalone novel. In our Redeemed ...
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“The Reading Life,” junior edition
By Janie Cheaney |
Two picture books by much-awarded authors and illustrators celebrate the joys of books and reading—sometimes extravagantly. This Book of Mine by Sarah Stewart, Illustrated by ...
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Robin Hood: Twice Told
By Hayley Morell |
There’s something appealing about Robin Hood. —Maybe even more-so to American sensibilities. Granted, we didn’t rob from the rich for the sake of the poor. ...
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The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation) by Daniel James Brown
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Boys in the Boat is a gripping nonfiction story for middle grades about teamwork, perseverance, and triumph at the Olympics. The Boys in the ...
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*Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai
By Janie Cheaney |
An unlikely romance tinged by tragedy makes Butterfly Yellow a winning read for mature teens. Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai. Harper, 2019, 284 pages. Reading ...
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Titan and the Wild Boars by Susan Hood and Pathana Sorhiran
By Janie Cheaney |
The true story of the daring rescue of the Thai Soccer team will bring its tension and drama home to young readers. Titan and the ...
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Breakthrough! by Jim Murphy
By Betsy Farquhar |
Three unlikely people team up to perform a dangerous new surgery in Depression-era times in this gripping nonfiction story. Breakthrough!: How Three People Saved "Blue ...
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Some Places More than Others by Renee Watson
By Janie Cheaney |
In Some Places More than Others, a pre-teen girl tries to fill the gaps in her sense of place and family. Some Places More than ...
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For Black Girls Like Me
By Janie Cheaney |
A black girl adopted into a white family struggles with her own disability and her mother's instability. For Black Girls like Me by Mariama J. ...
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The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods
By Janie Cheaney |
This engaging historical novel reflects on the plight of Unsung Heroes—black service men in the years immediately following World War II. The Unsung Hero of ...
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Go Build Something! Engineering Books for Boys (and Girls)
By Janie Cheaney |
STEM is big in schools and publishing today, and many educators add an A to make STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Engineering ties ...
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*Bolivar by Sean Rubin
By Betsy Farquhar |
This large-format graphic novel brings to life a new, lovable dinosaur while simultaneously nudging readers to be more perceptive. *Bolivar by Sean Rubin. Archaia, 2017. ...
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Time Twisters Series by Steve Sheinkin
By Janie Cheaney |
In the “Time Twisters” series, Steve Sheinkin has fun with a discipline he usually takes seriously, starting with Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln, Pro Wrestler (Time ...
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A Squirrelly Situation by Jacqueline Kelly
By Janie Cheaney |
A series of charmingly old-fashioned chapter books set in the early 20th century features Newbery protagonist Calpurnia Tate. A Squirrelly Situation (Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet ...
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4 Books About the Reading Life: a Literary Nightstand Round-Up
By Betsy Farquhar |
Book lovers love books about other book lovers. After all, we share the reading life in common: its challenges, its delights, its unique common language. ...
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The Friendship War by Andrew Clements
By Janie Cheaney |
The Friendship War puts a unique spin on a timeless theme for middle-grade fiction. The Friendship War by Andrew Clements. Random House, 2019, 208 pages ...
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World Atlas: Essential Student Reference
By Betsy Farquhar |
Does your student have a world atlas at home to reference? Is your classroom or school library stocked with several? Do we even need a ...
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Explorer Academy: Code-Breaking Activity Adventure
By Betsy Farquhar |
Learn to break codes like a professional sleuth in Explorer Academy: Code-Breaking Activity Adventure for middle grades. Explorer Academy: Code-Breaking Activity Adventure by Dr. Gareth ...
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Stay by Bobbie Pyron
By Janie Cheaney |
Stay, a heart-tugging dog story. also introduces young readers (in a limited way) to the plight of the homeless. Stay by Bobbie Pyron, Katherine Tegan/Harper ...
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*The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue by Karina Yan Glaser
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue continues the Vanderbeeker fun as the kids try to rescue their mom's cookie baking business. *The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue ...
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Cookbooks for Kids and Teens: A Book List
By Betsy Farquhar |
Have you ever wanted to go beyond cookie baking and decorating with your kids? Did you know there are some great cookbooks for kids and ...
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Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis
By Janie Cheaney |
An alternate version of English history drives Queen of the Sea, a lively graphic novel of political intrigue and warm personal relationships. Queen of the ...
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Last in a Long Line of Rebels by Lisa Lewis Tyre
By Janie Cheaney |
In this light-hearted middle-grade novel, a southern "Rebel" digs into her heritage with surprising and enlightening results. Last in a Long Line of Rebels by ...
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Captured by Alvin Townley
By Janie Cheaney |
The ordeal of Jeremiah Denton in the “Hanoi Hilton” is not for the squeamish, but stands as a witness to courage and faith. Captured: an ...
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The Lady Is a Spy by Don Mitchell
By Janie Cheaney |
This biography of Virginia Hall for young people tells the little-known story of a daring World War II spy. The Lady is a Spy: Virginia ...
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FBI Files: the Unabomber
By Janie Cheaney |
A new nonfiction series features puzzling and deadly cases cracked by the FBI. FBI Files: the Unabomber by Bryan Denson. Roaring Brook, 2019, 140 pages ...
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*We are (Not) Friends by Anna Kang and illustrated by Christopher Weyant
By Betsy Farquhar |
The latest in the You are Not Small series, We Are (Not) Friends is a perfect read for new readers heading back to school. *We ...
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The Invention Hunters Series by Korwin Briggs
By Janie Cheaney |
By their wacky misunderstandings, the "Invention Hunters" help kids understand basic principles of applied science. The Invention Hunters Discover How Machines Work by Korwin Briggs. ...
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Look! I Wrote a Book! by Sally Lloyd Jones
By Janie Cheaney |
Sally Lloyd Jones shares the basics of book-writing with simple advice that works for any age. Look! I Wrote a Book (and You Can Too) ...
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The Delights of Childcraft, part 2
By Megan Saben |
Yesterday I introduced a set of books that impressed me as a child, and I appreciate them more now as a parent and home educator. ...
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The Delights of Childcraft, part 1
By Megan Saben |
I remember the first book that taught me to love poetry as a child. "Antonio, Antonio," by Laura E. Richards, was in the second volume ...
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When We Were Lost by Kevin Wignall
By Janie Cheaney |
This tense survival tale illustrates contrasting forms of leadership as teens struggle to find their way out of the Brazilian jungle. When We Were Lost ...
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Series Fiction for Tweens and Teens: A Book Series List!
By Betsy Farquhar |
Got a reluctant reader? A voracious reader? A reader with pronounced genre preferences? There's a book series (or four) for that! Book series are extremely ...
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The Ranger’s Apprentice Series by John Flanagan
By Betsy Farquhar |
A best-selling series for young teens set in a Medieval-esque, pseudo European world that combines adventure, heroism, villains, danger, and a touch of love. The ...
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Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
By Janie Cheaney |
Fast-paced and far-out, this series opener mixes theoretical science with human joys and sorrows. Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez. Disney (Rick ...
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The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix
By Janie Cheaney |
Popular children's author Margaret Peterson Haddix begins another sci-fi/adventure series for middle-graders. The Strangers (Greystone Secrets #1) by Margaret Peterson Haddix. HarperCollins, 2019, 416 pages ...
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Max & the Midknights by Lincoln Pierce
By Janie Cheaney |
A goofy plot and sword-and-sorcery setting make Max and the Midknights a fun series opener. Max and the Midknights by Lincoln Pierce. Crown, 2019, 279 ...
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STEM Girls: a Roundup
By Janie Cheaney |
The range of fields encompassed by Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) are the new educational Holy Grail, replacing history, social science, and the humanities. ...
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The Mysterious Benedict Society Series by Trenton Lee Stewart
By Betsy Farquhar |
The Mysterious Benedict Society is a clever middle grades mystery series perfect for puzzle-loving tween and young teen readers. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton ...
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*Super Jake and the King of Chaos by Naomi Milliner
By Janie Cheaney |
An aspiring magician discovers the real magic in "Super Jake," his special-needs little brother. *Super Jake and the King of Chaos by Naomi Milliner. Running ...
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*Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin
By Hayley Morell |
Rebecca McLaughlin confronts some of the hardest questions faced by Christians today with thoughtful, engaging responses rooted in Scripture. *Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for ...
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Growing in Godliness by Lindsey Carlson
By Janie Cheaney |
Compact and practical, Growing in Godliness offers wise advice to girls entering high school or college. Growing in Godliness: A Teen Girl’s Guide to Maturing ...
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*Transformed by Truth by Katherine Forster
By Janie Cheaney |
Transformed by Truth offers a lifelong approach to Bible study with practical helps for teens and adults. *Transformed by Truth: Why and How to Study ...
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*Urchin of the Riding Stars (Mistmantle Chronicles, book 1)
By Megan Saben |
A conniving traitor who plots to overthrow the throne by dispatching one family member after another is threatened by a heroic young squirrel who drops ...
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Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai
By Janie Cheaney |
With humor and heart, Pie in the Sky explores the experience of a young Asian immigrant with much more than assimilation on his mind. Pie ...
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Wild Bird by Wendelin Van Draanen
By Betsy Farquhar |
Wren Clemmons learns much about herself, the desert, and true friendship during wilderness therapy camp in this engaging teen read about drug use. Wild Bird ...
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Swing and Solo by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess
By Betsy Farquhar |
Swing and Solo: two novels-in-verse for teens that grapple with music (jazz and rock and roll), baseball, young love, and what's really important in life. ...
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Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan Vaught
By Janie Cheaney |
An autistic girl and socially-awkward boy team up to solve a crime and absolve an innocent man. Me and Sam-Sam Handle the Apocalypse by Susan ...
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Rocket to the Moon! by Don Brown
By Janie Cheaney |
Graphic artist Don Brown give us a comprehensive visual account of the Apollo space program. Rocket to the Moon! (Big Ideas that Changed the World ...
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So Your Kid is Reading Harry Potter…. A Christian Family’s Response
By Betsy Farquhar |
Please note: this is a personal account of one family's actual experience, NOT a Redeemed Reader staff-wide recommendation that you read Harry Potter. This post is ...
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*Sparky & Spike by Barbara Lowell
By Janie Cheaney |
Sparky & Spike is about a boy and his dog and the genesis of the world's best-loved comic strip. *Sparky & Spike: Charles Schulz and ...
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Don’t Blame the Mud by Marty Machowski
By Janie Cheaney |
Don't Blame the Mud introduces children to the concept of indwelling sin in a way that they can relate to and grasp. Don’t Blame the ...
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