character values
Flight School
By Megan Saben |
Flight School by Lita Judge. Atheneum, 2014, 32 pages. Reading Level: picture books, Ages 0-4, Ages 4-8Recommended for: Ages 0-4, Ages 4-8 An ambitious penguin ...
Read More *The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya by Jane Kelley
By Janie Cheaney |
*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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Summer Tales
By Janie Cheaney |
Two middle-grade summertime stories, both by Newberry-winning authors: Half a Chance, by Cynthia Lord. Scholastic, 2014, 218 pages. Age/interest level: 10-14 Lucy is used to ...
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*The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
By Janie Cheaney |
*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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Ukraine: Lessons in Liberty and Compassion, Pt. 2
By Hayley Morell |
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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Cinder by Marissa Meyer
By Hayley Morell |
Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Square Fish, 2012. 387 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12 – 15 Recommended For: 6 (ages 15 – 18) and up Bottom ...
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*Tommysaurus Rex by Doug TenNapel
By Janie Cheaney |
Tommysaurus Rex by Doug TenNapel. Scholastic (Graphix), ask 2013. 238 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10 Maturity Level: 3 (ages 8-10) and up Bottom ...
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Valentine’s Day
By Megan Saben |
As Christians we are called to practice so many forms of love besides the romantic kind. Themes for Valentine's Day can be broadened to emphasize ...
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Pilgrim’s Progress adapted by Anna Trimiew
By Janie Cheaney |
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 ...
Read More *Pilgrim’s Progress: a Retelling by Gary Schmidt
By Janie Cheaney |
Pilgrim’s Progress: a Retelling, by Gary Schmidt, illustrated by Barry Moser. Eerdmans, 1994, 96 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, Ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12 ...
Read More *Hans Christian Anderson’s The Snow Queen illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
By Janie Cheaney |
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: ...
Read More Bluebird by Bob Staake
By Janie Cheaney |
Bluebird, by Bob Staake. Schwartz & Wade, 2013, 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 4-8 and up Bottom Line: This ...
Read More *Hank Finds an Egg by Rebecca Dudley
By Janie Cheaney |
*Hank Finds an Egg, by Rebecca Dudley. Peter Pauper, 2013, 36 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 0-4 Recommended for: ages 0-4 and up ...
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The Dogs of History
By Janie Cheaney |
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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*A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet
By Betsy Farquhar |
*A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Knopf, 2013. 32 pages. Reading Level: ...
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*Little Britches by Ralph Moody
By Megan Saben |
*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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Laboring and Resting: Books about Both!
By Betsy Farquhar |
In this digital world of ours, I can post this blog entry "on" Labor Day without having to do any work on Labor Day: I'm ...
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Three Tea Picture Books
By Megan Saben |
Tea Rex, A Visitor for Bear, and The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig are lively variations on the traditional tea party. My ...
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White Fur Flying by Patricia MacLachlan
By Betsy Farquhar |
A gentle chapter book that explores family emotional issues with a big dose of furry love on the side. White Fur Flying by Patricia MacLachlan. ...
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*Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
By Megan Saben |
Tops and Bottoms is a clever folktale that illustrates the wisdom of diligence and warning against laziness in the book of Proverbs. *Tops and Bottoms ...
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Proverbs, Tricksters and Fools
By Megan Saben |
The book of Proverbs is full of instructions for the simple to obtain wisdom and avoid disaster. Stories about tricksters demonstrate common-grace examples of using ...
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*The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and David Small
By Betsy Farquhar |
Lydia shares her efforts to bring beauty to the world around her in this epistolary picture book. *The Gardener by Sarah Stewart and David Small. ...
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Unstoppable by Tim Green
By Janie Cheaney |
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, ...
Read More The Drowned Vault by N. D. Wilson
By Janie Cheaney |
The Drowned Vault (Ashtown Burials #2) by N. D. Wilson. Random House, 2012, 447 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12 and ...
Read More Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
By Janie Cheaney |
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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American Originals
By Janie Cheaney |
Those delegates to the Second Continental Convention probably had no idea what they were creating when they signed a certain document back in July of ...
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Mother’s Day: Our Interview with Susan Hunt
By emily |
Last Thanksgiving, Janie and I had the privilege of speaking with Susan Hunt on the subject of encouraging thankfulness in kids...and in ourselves! We thought ...
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Bible Reading Challenge, Week 14
By emily |
THE NATION: Sacrifice How can an unholy people approach a holy God? Leviticus helped God's people answer that question many years ago, and even though ...
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May B by Caroline Starr Rose
By Janie Cheaney |
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: ...
Read More Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
By Janie Cheaney |
Gary Paulsen's classic survival novel Hatchet offers a realistic--as opposed to romantic-- view of nature and what it takes to survive in the wild. Hatchet ...
Read More Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
By Janie Cheaney |
Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys. Penguin/Philomel, 2011, 338 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Maturity Level: 6 (ages 15-18) and up June ...
Read More A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole
By Janie Cheaney |
A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home by Henry Cole. HarperCollins, 2010, 336 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ...
Read More Ways to Be Grateful
By Janie Cheaney |
I'm sitting in an upstairs bedroom as the smell of pumpkin pie wafts up the stairwell. Tomorrow the family will arrive, starting around noon: not ...
Read More RR Podcast 9: Susan Hunt on Raising Thankful Kids
By emily |
Last week, Janie and I had the privilege of speaking with Susan Hunt...and happily for you, we managed to tape our conversation! For those of ...
Read More Close to Famous by Joan Bauer
By Janie Cheaney |
Close to Famous, by Joan Bauer. Viking, 2011, 250 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Recommended for: ages 11-13 Bottom Line: In this feel-good middle ...
Read More Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer
By Janie Cheaney |
Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer. Speak, 2005. 208 pages Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12-16 Bottom Line: Good-hearted Jenna ...
Read More *The Dragon’s Tooth by N. D. Wilson
By Janie Cheaney |
*The Dragon’s Tooth (Ashtown Burials, Book One), by N. D. Wilson. Random House, 2011, 482 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages ...
Read More Small Town Summers
By Janie Cheaney |
The Luck of the Buttons, by Anne Ylvisaker. Candlewick, 2011, 224 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 8-12 Bottom Line: The ...
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*The Charlatan’s Boy by Jonathan Rogers
By Janie Cheaney |
The Charlatan's Boy uses creative vocabulary and evocative swampy setting to walk the thin line between truth and lies. *The Charlatan's Boy, by Jonathan Rogers. ...
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Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
By Janie Cheaney |
Prom and Prejudice, by Elizabeth Eulberg. Point (Scholastic), 2011, 227 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-14 and up Bottom Line: ...
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*The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg
By Janie Cheaney |
*The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg. Clarion, 2011, 241 pages with author note. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages ...
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Divergent by Veronica Roth
By Janie Cheaney |
Divergent, by Veronica Roth. Katherine Tegan Books (HarperCollins), 2011, 487 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 15-18 and up Bottom Line: ...
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*Hereville by Barry Deutsch
By Janie Cheaney |
*Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword (graphic novel), by Barry Deutsch. Abrams (Amulet), 2010, 139 pp. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: Ages 8-10 ...
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Beautiful by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma
By Janie Cheaney |
Beautiful: Truth's Found When Beauty's Lost, by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma. Thomas Nelson, 2009, 272 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-14 and ...
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Motorcycles, Sushi, and One Strange Book by Nancy Rue
By Janie Cheaney |
Motorcycles, Sushi, and One Strange Book, by Nancy Rue. Zondervan, 2010, 211 pages. (Real Life series #1) Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ...
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A Dog’s Way Home by Bobbie Pyron
By Janie Cheaney |
A Dog's Way Home, by Bobbie Pyron. HarperCollins, 2011. 321 pp. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: Ages 10-12 Bottom line: When Abby ...
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Peak by Roland Smith
By Janie Cheaney |
Peak by Roland Smith. Harcourt: 2007, 246 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: Ages 10-12 and up One-line summary: Fourteen-year-old Peak Marcello's ...
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90 Miles to Havana by Enrique Flores-Galbis
By Janie Cheaney |
An 11-year-old boy flees revolutionary Cuba with his brothers and learns American enterprise in this vivid, fast-paced middle-grade historical novel. 90 Miles to Havana, by ...
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*The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
By Janie Cheaney |
The Perilous Gard, by Elizabeth Marie Pope. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001, 288. Age/interest level 12-up. Reading Level: Teens/Young Adults Recommended for: Ages 15-18 Bottom line: ...
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One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
By Janie Cheaney |
One Crazy Summer is a good way to introduce middle-grade readers to the Black Power movement and the civil rights revolution of the 1960s. One ...
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*The Year Money Grew on Trees by Aaron Hawkins
By Janie Cheaney |
The Year Money Grew on Trees by Aaron Hawkins. HMH, 2010. 301 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Recommended for: Ages 10-12 Bottom Line: Middle-grade ...
Read More *Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen
By Janie Cheaney |
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen. Random House (Wendy Lamb Books), 2007. 88 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Maturity Level: 4 (Ages 10-12) Bottom ...
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The King of Mulberry Street by Donna Jo Napoli
By Janie Cheaney |
In The King of Mulberry Street a 9-year-old Italian immigrant realizes the American dream in 1890s New York through a combination of luck, ingenuity, and ...
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*Sneaky Sheep by Chris Moore
By Janie Cheaney |
Sneaky Sheep is a light-hearted book about two silly sheep who go astray. The illustrations are worth the price of the book. *Sneaky Sheep by Chris ...
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