A boy and his crotchety grandfather hatch an elaborate escape plan to enjoy one last day together. The Runaways by Ulf Stark, illustrated by Kitty Crowther. Gecko Press, 2020, 129 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 7-11 Grandpa was difficult. He always had been but now he was worse than ever. He got angry and shouted. He spat out the pills that would make him nice and calm. And he yelled at the nurses. Grandpa and Dad don’t get along because their personalities are polar opposite. But Gottfried Jr. (our narrator) “liked it when Grandpa got angry. It made life more exciting.” An 11-year-old boy may…

Tense and dramatic, this story of escape from North Korea in the early days of the Korean War is based on actual characters and true events. Brother’s Keeper by Julie Lee. Holiday House, 2020, 295 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 12-15 North Korea, 1950: only five years after the Japanese occupation ended, Koreans above the 38th parallel are feeling the claws of another oppressor. Kim Il Sung, backed by the Soviet Union, is cracking down on Christian churches and western influences. War clouds are gathering also, and when North Korean forces invade the South in June, South Korea fights back with the help and backing…

Good books are even better when people discuss them. In fact, we label books “discussion starters” when they offer much food for thought. A Wrinkle in Time is one such book. Unfortunately, kids often read this book at far too young an age and think they don’t like it. Even if your child reads at an “advanced reading level,” he or she is probably not going to “get” this book until around age 12 or even older. Don’t despair if you tried to read this book aloud to a 4th grader; just hand the book over as a book club pick once a few years have passed. Note: We’ve covered…

The Tripods: classic science fiction from the 1960s that’s still enjoyable for today’s young teens. The Tripods Series by John Christopher: The White Mountains, The City of Gold and Lead, The Pool of Fire, When the Tripods Came. Aladdin, 2014. (boxed set; the first book was originally published in 1967) Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Recommended For: Young Adult, ages 12-15 Retro dystopian sci-fi: Metalic aliens called Tripods rule over the land. At great risk just before he transitions from boyhood to manhood, a boy named Will escapes the Tripods’ control and joins a resistance group hiding out in the mountains. The rest of the series chronicles their desperate…

This morning, doing devotions, I was reflecting on the resurrection. The phrase Deeper magic, before the dawn of time drifted unbidden into my reflections. I smiled as other images and words rushed after it. A great emperor beyond the sea. Dawn. A cracked stone. Mice. Two joyful British girls playing tag with a mighty golden lion. They say Aslan is on the move, perhaps has already landed. Image Credit:  Marion E. Wade Center How fitting to be thinking of Narnia, today, 70 years to the day since it was published. Thank you, C. S. Lewis. Thank you for helping me understand the wonder of the resurrection, through the wonder of…