girls

Three 2024 YA Romantic Fantasy Novels

By Hayley Morell | Dec 19, 2024

Dragonfruit, What Monstrous Gods, and The Hedgewitch of Foxhall: three 2024 YA romantic fantasy novels by authors we have enjoyed in the past. Dragonfruit by ...

Quicksilver by R. J. Anderson

By Hayley Morell | Aug 29, 2023

In an engaging sci-fi thriller, one girl attempts to outrun her past while discovering her true identity. Quicksilver by R. J. Anderson. Carolrhoda Lab, 2013. 320 ...

Bookish Gifts for Girls

By Megan Saben | Dec 8, 2022

What makes good gifts for book lovers besides more books (and infinite bookshelf space)? Here are some lovely things we've recently discovered that would be ...

Thornwood by Leah Cypess

By Janie Cheaney | May 14, 2021

Thornwood recasts the tale of Sleeping Beauty as a castle-bound mystery, with twists and turns at every corner. Thornwood by Leah Cypress. Delacorte Press, 2021, ...

Bible Review: NLV Brave Boys and Courageous Girls

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 29, 2021

The Bible for Brave Boys and The Bible for Courageous Girls: New Life Version. Barbour, 2020, 944 pages (text size unavailable) Reading Level: Middle Grades, ...

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 6, 2020

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 ...

The Enduring Appeal of Little Women

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 21, 2019

With the eighth major film adaptation opening on Christmas Day, I thought I’d share a few thoughts on this classic. I read it at the ...

STEM Girls: a Roundup

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 13, 2019

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. ...

What Makes a “Strong Girl Character”? Thoughts and a Podcast

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 20, 2019

Does rejecting gender stereotypes mean there are no meaningful distinctions between strong girls and strong boys? Not so long ago, librarians and publishers were concerned ...

Eventown by Corey Ann Haydn

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 12, 2019

Eventown is a place of forgetting, but how much forgetting does that take before you forget yourself? Eventown by Corey Ann Haydn. HarperCollins, 2019, 326 ...

The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 12, 2019

Identical twins struggle to re-define themselves in The Lost Girl, a fantasy for middle-grade readers. The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu. HarperCollins (Walden Pond), 2019, ...

By Janie Cheaney | Oct 3, 2018

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. ...

Disenchanted by Megan Morrison

By Hayley Morell | May 31, 2018

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 ...

A School for Brides by Patrice Kindl

By Janie Cheaney | May 15, 2018

A fun romantic read for Jane Austen fans, A School for Brides is also very positive about marriage. Ages 12-18 A School for Brides by ...

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. ...

Roll by Darcy Miller

By Hayley Morell | Dec 8, 2017

In rural Minnesota, friendship and rolling pigeons combine in an enjoyable middle grade debut novel. Roll by Darcy Miller. HarperCollins, 2017, 224 pages Reading ...

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 ...

*A Little Taste of Poison by R. J. Anderson

By Hayley Morell | Feb 23, 2017

The stakes are higher than ever for Isaveth Breck, plucky heroine of A Pocketful of Murder, when the future of her city is threatened. ...

*A Pocket Full of Murder by R. J. Anderson

By Hayley Morell | Feb 23, 2017

A plucky girl sets out to prove her father's innocence —aided by a street boy— in this magical murder mystery. A Pocket Full of Murder (Uncommon ...

If the Magic Fits by Susan Maupin Schmid

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 22, 2017

This light-hearted fantasy mystery is perfect for girls who like spunky housemaids, personable princesses, and delightful dresses. If the Magic Fits (100 Dresses #1) by ...

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: ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 27, 2016

Hattie Big Sky draws upon the experience of the author's own grandmother to create this enthralling story of hard-won optimism and frontier grit. a review from ...

The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 13, 2016

In this series opener, four sixth-grade girls discover that reading the classics can change contemporary attitudes. The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick. Simon ...

The Mother-Daughter Book Camp by Heather Vogel Frederick

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 13, 2016

The Mother-Daughter Book Club series wraps up with all five members of the club serving as camp counselors together before launching their adult lives. The ...

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

By Hayley Morell | Jun 24, 2016

In Under a Painted Sky, the events of one day change Sammy from a moody teenage girl to a fugitive striking out into the west. ...

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 29, 2016

Three 10-year-old girls cope with life’s ups and downs by learning to rely on each other, in a story with "magical" elements. Raymie Nightingale by ...

*Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace

By Hayley Morell | Nov 20, 2015

Coming-of-age, romance, and historical fiction is combined in a little-known novel, Emily of Deep Valley, by a classic American author. *Emily of Deep Valley by Maud ...

By Alysha | Nov 6, 2015

As a teacher, I’ve had various conversations with parents about how to get their children engaged in reading. The flip side of that conversation comes ...

By Alysha | Sep 30, 2015

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2009. 352 pages Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 16-up ...

Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

By Hayley Morell | Aug 24, 2015

Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. Puffin, 1985, 288 pages Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-14 Recommended for: Ages 12-up Bottom Line: Ancient ...

Just Jump! (Double Dutch Series #1) by Mabel Elizabeth Singletary

By Betsy Farquhar | Jul 16, 2015

Just Jump! (Double Dutch Series #1) by Mabel Elizabeth Singletary. Lift Every Voice Books (a Moody Imprint), 2007. 160 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages ...

By Megan Saben | Jul 15, 2015

The Golden Plate is a picture book about Isobel, who struggles to hide her sin, and the relief of confession in restoring her friendship with ...

By Hayley Morell | Jun 16, 2015

This review is brought to us by Malachi Stade, who just finished a semester internship with Redeemed Reader. Thank you, Malachi! Salamandastron (Redwall series, Book ...

By Hayley Morell | Jun 16, 2015

Goblins by Philip Reeve. Scholastic Press, 2012. 340 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12 and up Bottom Line: The Hobbit meets Septimus Heap, with a ...

By Janie Cheaney | May 26, 2015

The Cottage in the Woods by Katherine Coville. Knopf,2015. 389 pages Reading Level: Young adult,ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12 and up (especially girls) Bottom ...

By Janie Cheaney | May 5, 2015

*Red Butterfly by A. L. Sonnischen. Simon & Shuster, 2015, 392 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 12-15 Bottom line: In ...

By Janie Cheaney | May 5, 2015

Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson. Candlewick, 2015, 376 pages Reading Level: Middle grades ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 (especially girls) Bottom Line: The ...

Queen of the Diamond by Emily Arnold McCully

By Betsy Farquhar | Apr 30, 2015

Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story by Emily Arnold McCully. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2015. 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 8-10Recommended for: ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 10, 2015

Audacity by Melanie Crowder. Philomel, 2015. 389 pages, including historical notes. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Young Adults, ages 15-18 Bottom Line: ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 7, 2015

10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know by Kari Kampakis. Thomas Nelson, 2014. 197 pages. Reading Level: 12-15 Recommended for: 15-18 Bottom Line: Blogger Kari Kampakis ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 7, 2015

Big Book of Quizzes: Fun, Quirky Questions for You and Your Friends (Faithgirlz!) Zonderkidz, 2014. 127 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages: ...

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 31, 2015

God Girl Bible ESV and God Guy Bible ESV edited by Michael and Hayley DiMarco. Crossway, 2014 (latest edition). 1488 pages. Reading Level: ages 12-14 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 27, 2015

God’s Word for Boys and God’s Word for Girls. Larry Richards, general editor. Baker, 2014 (latest edition), 1713 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 24, 2015

God’s Little Princess Holy Bible, NKJV. Sheila Walsh, ed. Thomas Nelson, 2014. 1216 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, 8-10 (study material), Middle Grades, 10-12 (text) ...

By Hayley Morell | Mar 21, 2015

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman. Random House, 2015. 610 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 15-18 Bottom Line: Seraphina, a half-dragon, half-human ityasaari, is desperately trying to rally ...

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 16, 2015

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, by Jeanne Birdsall. Knopf, 2005. 262 pages. Reading Level: Middle ...

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 16, 2015

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall. Knopf, 2008. 302 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-12 Recommended For: ages 8-10 and up Bottom ...

By Hayley Morell | Mar 6, 2015

An Uncertain Choice by Jody Hedlund. Zondervan, 2015. 249 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 15 – 18 Maturity Level: 6 (ages 15 – 18) and up Bottom Line: A ...

*Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

By Betsy Farquhar | Feb 23, 2015

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink. Aladdin, 2006 (reprint; originally published 1935). 288 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-12Recommended for: ages 8-12, especially girls Bottom ...

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 20, 2015

Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick. Simon & Shuster, cheap 2014. 354 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ed ages 10-12 Recommended For: ages 10-12 and ...

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 13, 2015

Running Lean by Diana Sharples. Zondervan/Blink, 2013. 400 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 15-18 Recommended For: ages 16 and up Bottom Line: Running Lean ...

By Janie Cheaney | Feb 10, 2015

The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Pope. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001. 272 pages Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Maturity Level: 5 (ages 12-14) and up ...

By Hayley Morell | Feb 6, 2015

Fairest by Marissa Meyer. Feiwel and Friends, 2015. 220 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 15-18 Maturity Level: 6 (ages 15-18) and up Bottom Line: In an originally unplanned prequel, readers are given ...

By emily | Feb 2, 2015

The Green Ember is animal fantasy at its best, filled with gripping action and heartwarming rabbits, all deeply informed by the Christian worldview of its ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jan 15, 2015

First Date (Dating Games #1) by Melody Carlson. Revell, 2013. 212 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Maturity Level: 6 (ages 15-18) Bottom Line: ...

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 30, 2014

Pack of Dorks by Beth Vrabel. Sky Pony Press, 2014. 213 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Maturity Level: 3 (ages 8-10) One-line Summary: ...

By Hayley Morell | Dec 5, 2014

Pathfinder by Angie Sage. Katherine Tegen Books, 2014. 460 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Maturity Level: 4 (age 10 and up) Pathfinder brings ...

cover of Lulu and the Hedgehog in the Rain

Lulu and the Hedgehog in the Rain by Hilary McKay and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 10, 2014

Lulu and the Hedgehog in the Rain by Hilary McKay and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. Albert Whitman and Company, 2014. 112 pages. Reading Level: Chapter Books, ...

Lulu and the Cat in the Bag by Hilary McKay and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 10, 2014

Lulu and the Cat in the Bag by Hilary McKay and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. Albert Whitman and Company, 2013. 112 pages. Reading Level: Chapter ...

Lulu and the Dog from the Sea by Hilary McKay and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 10, 2014

Lulu and the Dog from the Sea by Hilary McKay and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. Albert Whitman and Company, 2014. 112 pages. (originally published in ...

Lulu and the Duck in the Park by Hilary McKay and illustrated by Priscilla Lamont

By Betsy Farquhar | Nov 10, 2014

This book is a "Best of the Best" pick from our Winter Book Fair. CLICK HERE to see more gift ideas! Lulu and the Duck in the ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 6, 2014

Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen. Dutton, 2014. 259 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 11-12 Maturity Level: 5 (ages 12-14) ...

El Deafo by Cece Bell

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 4, 2014

El Deafo by Cece Bell. Amulet, 2014. 241 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Maturity Level: 3 (ages 8-10) Bottom Line: Author/illustrator Cece Bell ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 4, 2014

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. Penguin, 2014. 320 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Maturity Level: 5 (ages 12-14) Bottom line: Award-winning author ...

By Hayley Morell | Oct 31, 2014

Storm Siren by Mary Weber. Thomas Nelson, 2014. 333 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Maturity Level: 6 (ages 15-18) and up Nymia ("Nym" for short) ...

*Carry on Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham. Audiobook read by Jim Weiss.

By Megan Saben | Oct 24, 2014

*Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham. Audiobook read by Jim Weiss, Greathall Productions, 2009. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-12 Maturity Level: Levels 3-5 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 27, 2014

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 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 8, 2014

*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 ...

Cyborg Cinderella

By Hayley Morell | Feb 20, 2014

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Square Fish, 2012. 387 pages. Age/interest level: 14-up. Linh Cinder is a teenage mechanic, the best mechanic in New Beijing. ...

*Twelve Kinds of Ice by Ellen Bryan Obed

By Janie Cheaney | Dec 3, 2013

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: ...

By Janie Cheaney | Nov 19, 2013

Jane, the Fox, and Me by Fanny Britt and Isobelle Arsenault (translated from the original French). Groundwood, 2014, 101 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ...

Christian Romance: part of a well-balanced “book diet”?

By Betsy Farquhar | May 20, 2013

A Balanced "Book Diet" Reading is like eating: you need a variety of wholesome ingredients, a little sugar, and a little moderation across the board. ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 12, 2013

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 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 3, 2013

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 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 5, 2013

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 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 17, 2012

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 ...

American Girls: Meet Rebecca

By emily | May 17, 2012

Meet Rebecca (American Girls Collection: Rebecca 1914). by Jacqueline Green. American Girl, 2009. 96 pgs. Ages 8-up. Candlelight for Rebecca (American Girl) by Jacqueline Green. ...

Podcast 14: American Girls, Dangers and Delights

By emily | Apr 20, 2012

What are the dangers and delights of the American Girls series of books? I gave you guys an intro to this subject in an American ...

May B by Caroline Starr Rose

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 13, 2012

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: ...

American Girls

By emily | Apr 12, 2012

The American Girls books are in some ways the premier girls' reading series for girls who are emerging readers. Among conservative families, at least, they ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 12, 2011

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 ...

By Janie Cheaney | Aug 12, 2011

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 ...

In Front of God and Everybody by K. D. McCrite

By Janie Cheaney | Jul 22, 2011

The Confessions of April Grace: In Front of God and Everybody, by K. D. McCrite. Thomas Nelson, 2011, 390 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages ...

*Entwined by Heather Dixon

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 24, 2011

*Entwined, by Heather Dixon. Greenwillow, 2011, 472 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-15 Bottom Line: Entwined is a fairy-tale romance ...

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 7, 2011

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: ...

Enthusiasm by Polly Schulman

By Janie Cheaney | Jun 7, 2011

Enthusiasm, by Polly Schulman. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2006, 198 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-14 Bottom Line: Enthusiasm, a ...

By emily | May 6, 2011

“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, ...

Love Will Keep Us Together by Anne Dayton

By Janie Cheaney | May 5, 2011

Love Will Keep Us Together, by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt. Hatchett: 2010, 287 pages. (Miracle Girls series #4) Reading Level: Young adult, ages 12-15 ...

Becoming Me by Melody Carlson

By Janie Cheaney | May 5, 2011

Becoming Me, by Melody Carlson. Multnomah, 2010. (Diary of a Teenage Girl series #1.) Reading Level: Young Adults, Ages 12-15 Recommended for: Ages 12-14 and up ...

Motorcycles, Sushi, and One Strange Book by Nancy Rue

By Janie Cheaney | May 5, 2011

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: ...

By emily | May 4, 2011

I know I'm in murky water here. Early in my daughter's infancy, my husband and I began the argument: is our daughter a princess? Now ...

A Dog’s Way Home by Bobbie Pyron

By Janie Cheaney | Apr 22, 2011

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 ...

*The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 21, 2011

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: ...

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 10, 2011

Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool. Delacorte, 2010, 342 pages plus historical notes. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: Ages 10-12 Bottom line: ...

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 10, 2011

Turtle in Paradise, by Jennifer Holm. Random House, 2010, 177 pages plus historical notes. Reading level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: Ages 10-12 Bottom ...

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

By Janie Cheaney | Mar 3, 2011

One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia. HarperCollins, 2010, 215 pages. Reading level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Recommended for: Ages 10-12 Bottom line: One Crazy Summer is ...

By emily | Dec 16, 2010

You’re a new parent. You’ve got the baby crib with a fancy name, the swing, the bouncer, the burping pads. Now it’s time to choose ...