Starred Reviews

A disgruntled boy gifted with "time sight" discovers a way back into his own family's history. *Time Sight by Lynne Jonell.  Henry Holt, 2019, 389 ...

Gareth Hinds' adaptation of The Iliad is an excellent introduction to Homer's classic for middle graders and teens. *The Iliad: a Graphic Novel Adaptation by ...

Nine Months shows the development of human life, from embryo to newborn, in gentle rhymes and beautiful paintings. Nine Months: before a Baby Is Born ...

David Macaulay again turns his drafting ability and clear prose on a massive engineering project, and this time it's personal. Crossing in Time: Steam Engines, ...

Meet Mercy Watson, the Porcine Wonder My kids and I first met Mercy Watson, the porcine wonder, in the pages of her first book: Mercy ...

Lovely War is a satisfying romance that will leave readers with much to think about. Lovely War by Julie Berry.  Viking, 2019, 451 pages. Reading ...

A beautiful, artistic representation of the story of Easter using rocks set against a black backdrop. Starred review for He is Risen. *He is Risen: ...

Mitali Perkins' latest novel takes two conflicted teens to India to confront human trafficking and challenges to their Christian faith. *Forward Me Back to You ...

Jack and Praiseworthy must use their wits and resourcefulness if they are to strike it rich in California's goldfields in this funny middle grades novel. ...

Holling Hoodhood comes to appreciate more than Shakespeare in this humorous historical fiction middle school novel. Starred review for The Wednesday Wars! *The Wednesday Wars ...

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 ...

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 ...

A beleaguered planet, flight school, and one young woman's quest to prove herself and clear her family honor combine in this excellent YA. Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. Delacorte Press, ...

*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 ...

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 ...

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 & ...

*Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Them: Schizophrenia Through a Mother's Eyes by Simonetta Carr.  Presbyterian & Reformed, 2019, 359 pages. Reading Level: Adult Recommended for: ...

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, ...

Moving and beautiful, this post-Holocaust novel offers hope after horror. *What the Night Sings by Vesper Stamper.  Knopf, 2018, 249 pages. Reading Level: Teen, ages ...

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 ...

Astrid, the thunderbolt of Glimmerdal, charms readers as easily as she charms those around her in this delightful middle grades novel. *Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr. Candlewick, 2018 (English language version). 320 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10Recommended For: Family read aloud, ages 6 and up "Blistering badgers!" She's managed to sled —with speed and self ...

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, ...

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, ...

*Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year selected by Fiona Waters, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon. Nosy Crow, 2018, ...

Picturing America is an appealing picture-book biography of one of the originators of distinctive American Art. *Picturing America: Thomas Cole and the Birth of American ...

Adrian insists that he has a horse, but Chloe argues the obvious facts until she learns to see through his eyes. *Campbell, Marcy. Adrian Simcox ...

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 ...

Celebrate the birth of Christ with stories, Scripture, and song in this Advent family devotional guide, perfect for busy families or used in a classroom ...

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: Cultivating ...

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 ...

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 ...

November is National Picture Book Month!  Here's a collection of new picture books for the whole family. We don't think you need an "excuse" to ...

Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree is a tough but vital read for thoughtful Christian teens. *Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani.  HarperCollins, ...

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 ...

How do the classic children's stories awaken a child's moral imagination? And how does that awakening contribute to their spiritual development and training in virtue? ...

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.  ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. ...

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. ...

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 ...

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, ...

How Sweet the Sound tells the story of "Amazing Grace" in rhyming couplets and dramatic illustrations.  Ages 6-10 *How Sweet the Sound: the Story of ...

A delightful journey into the jungle awaits Francis the Donkey on his quest to make new shoes for his favorite Calypso singer. *New Shoes by ...

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: ...

Exploring the Bible, a “DIY” guide for 8-12 year-olds, introduces a practical, workable way for kids to start studying the Bible for themselves. *Exploring the ...

For middle grades and up: a photographic, journalistic look at those famous twelve days in May when a group of whites and blacks bravely tried ...

A beautifully crafted middle grades biography of a girl who drew butterflies back in the 1600s, changing the study of natural history in the process. ...

For middle grades: A compelling look into the life of Betty before X (Malcolm X) and the influence of the black church in the racially charged 1940s. ...

The Book of Boy breathes life into the squalor and splendor of the late middle ages, with the tale of a parentless child and a ...

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 ...

75 years later, this Newbery-Award winning story about Johnny Tremain is still a great historical fiction read about the birth of America. *Johnny Tremain by Esther ...

Honey for a Teen’s Heart applies the wisdom of Gladys Hunt’s read-aloud approach to the adolescent years.  Adult *Honey for a Teen’s Heart: Using Books ...

If you want to read this hilarious and thoughtful poetry book, hide it from your kids or else you'll never get a turn. I'm Just ...

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 ...

The Vanderbeekers, a loving family with normal unloving moments, face a Christmas-eve challenge with humor and heart. *The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan ...

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

Bottom line: When the big trucks take over the streets of New York, the pushcarts push back. Support your local vendor. The Pushcart War by ...

Voices of Christmas is a beautiful and poetic exploration of the different characters in the Christmas story--perfect for middle grades kids! *Voices of Christmas by ...

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a modern classic with good reason: young Kit Tyler faces the questions all adolescents face as she tries to ...

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 ...

A middle grades mystery that has become a modern classic: The Westing Game is just as engaging as ever! *The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. ...

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 ...

In this appealing multicultural novel, three generations of a Bengali family find life and love in America. *You Bring the Distant Near  by Mitali Perkins.  ...

A middle-school bully gets a chance to start from scratch—if only he can escape who he was before. *Restart by Gordon Korman.  Scholastic, 2017, 256 ...

*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 ...

A light-hearted adventure for middle-graders combines humor and redemption. T*he Emperor’s Ostrich by Julie Berry.  Roaring Brook, 2017, 274 pages Reading Level: Middle grades, ages ...

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, ...

Eight-year-old Cody's enthusiasm for life is contagious in this sunny chapter-book series. Cody and the Fountain of Happiness (Cody series #1) by Tricia Springstubb, illustrated ...

Just in time for Father's Day, this picture-book collection of poems celebrates the daily presence of a loving dad in the household. *My Daddy Rules ...

In this winning historical fantasy, a bright lad (fluent in the cat language) chafes at his boring life until an unexpected adventure on the high ...

This is one of the retellings of Beauty and the Beast we are featuring as part of our Beauty and the Beast Adventure. We are exploring ...

An epic middle grades fantasy series full of adventure, toothy cows, heroes and heroines, and dragons. *The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson. Rabbit Room Press. ...

A delightfully diverse collection of "tales" written and illustrated by a group of authors and illustrators who are themselves fans of the Wingfeather Saga! *Wingfeather ...

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 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 ...

Henry discovers 100 cupboards that lead to other worlds in this complex middle grades fantasy series that mirrors the creation-fall-redemption narrative framework of Scripture. 100 ...

These brief biographies of 13 African Americans during the Revolutionary War demonstrate the power of self-determination as well as the power of faith. *Answering the ...

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, ...

Last Friday, Janie and Betsy gave their best guesses as to which books the ALA would delight to honor in their annual Youth Media Awards.  ...

[Reviews and recommendations from Pamela!] Four excellent new picture books to enjoy with the children in your life--worth seeking out as all are starred reviews! ...

An illustrated chapter book series set in contemporary Africa that celebrates large families, its childlike protagonist, and traditional values. Enjoy this review from the archives! Originally published ...

A modest, well-read boy detective solves crimes great and small in these classic mysteries. Enjoy this post from the archives! (originally published July 8, 2015) ...

More than simply a "Christian version" of the popular Magic Treehouse books, the Imagination Station books are a solid chapter book time travel series. Enjoy this post from ...

Zita the Spacegirl and her intrepid friends battle the forces of evil in extra terrestrial dimensions in this lively graphic novel series. a review from ...

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 ...

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 ...

A magic watch, a family secret, a mysterious city dictator, and one brave boy make for a great read in this clever, inventive mystery. One ...

The first book in the top-notch Queen's Thief series about an extraordinary thief and the intertwining of three kingdoms is amazingly well done. *The Thief by ...

This update of Macaulay's classic reference guide to technology embraces the digital revolution with wit and (mostly) clarity. The Way Things Work Now by David ...

A wonderfully engaging biography of E. B. White for children: full of photographs, collage-style art, and interesting details. *Some Writer! The Story of E. B. ...

A kid from “the projects” learns to put speed in service of character building and achievement. *Ghost by Jason Reynold.  Atheneum, 2016, 180 pages Reading ...

The power of stories is front and center in this beautiful, imaginative companion to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Starred review. A 2016 Christmas ...

The Green Ember saga continues with desperate battles, unexpected heroism, and enough dangling plot threads to make readers eager for the next volume. *Ember Falls ...

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 ...

This fun and friendly compendium of Bible facts, everyday knowledge, history, how-to, wise counsel, apologetics, and doctrine is a terrific resource for every Christian kid. ...

Church history anthologies of men and women from all over the world in story format for middle grades and up! Trial and Triumph: Stories from ...

This comprehensive, accessible guide to the history of the Bible in graphic-novel format will have young readers referring to it again and again. *The Book ...