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So Your Kid is Reading Harry Potter…. A Christian Family’s Response
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 about how to handle books your kids want to read that have potential issues, not a discussion of the merits or demerits of the Harry Potter books in particular. As soon as my daughter turned 11, she began asking when she could start the Harry Potter books. Why 11? That’s the age Harry is when he first attends Hogwarts in the first book of the series. We’d long stipulated that she’d have to be at least 11 before starting the books. Our Family Rules for Harry…
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In God’s Time
In God’s Time: Keeping Faith Amidst Life’s Uncertainties Time is precious at any given point in our lives. This film takes us to four people dealing with difficult phases in their separate lives. A watchmaker narrates that God intervenes in the workings of his creation. In a twist of fate, a wristwatch showed each character the moments that affected them most. Sleeping on a friend’s couch and without a job, young Rorry worries about her pregnancy. It doesn’t even help that her uncle Dr. Phillips suggested considering abortion as an option. He showed insensitivity to Rorry despite hurting over losing his wife to cancer. He tried to numb his pain by…
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As Luck Would Have It by Zoe May
Absolutely Delightful As Luck Would Have It by Zoe May is the most delightful contemporary novel that celebrates love and friendship. It is a light-hearted and extremely amusing read that literally had me laughing out loud. Zoe May writes stories that warm your heart and leave you smiling and feeling good about life. Her characters […]
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Your Everyday Wisdom Pocket Book by Timothy O
Bitesize Chunks Your Everyday Wisdom Pocket Book by Timothy O is a perfect little book to start the day with. There are one hundred and twenty nuggets of wisdom coupled with three Biblical references to look up for each individual reading. The Biblical references are against a serene grey shaded background of mountains, trees and […]
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The Library Of Lost And Found by Phaedra Patrick
The Library Of Lost And Found by Phaedra Patrick is the most beautifully written novel that will make you smile and ignite your heart. The book is mainly set in the present day with a few forages into the 1970’s. It is a story about relationships and family. Family dynamics may be complicated but there are unbreakable bonds formed. A relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter is truly beautiful. Under love and care, a new life blossoms. They bring out the best in each other as they are united by their love of stories. Within the tale there are references to books as well as beautifully written unique tales that…
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*O Captain, My Captain by Robert Burleigh
O Captain, My Captain encapsulates the Civil War through the eyes of its most famous poet. *O Captain, My Captain: Walt Whitman, Abraham Lincoln, and the Civil War by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Sterling Hundley. Abraham, 2019, 54 pages + notes, bibliography, and index Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 8-12 Recommended for: ages 8-up There is no more dramatic, emblematic, and poignant period in American history than the civil War. And no period features more compelling characters, foremost among them President Abraham Lincoln. Lesser known but no less interesting is the main character of this outstanding picture-book history: Walt Whitman. Already known as a poet and something of an eccentric,…
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Last of the Name by Roseanne Parry
The New York City draft riots of 1863 form a dramatic background to this engaging tale of two young Irish immigrants. Last of the Name by Roseanne Parry. Carolrhoda, 2019, 322 pages. Reading Level: Teen, 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12-16 For the Irish, 1963 is not the best time to immigrate to America. But the O’Carolans have no other option, with Da exiled to Australia, Ma dead, and all their siblings lost to starvation or English oppression. Only Danny, age 12, and his teenage sister Kathleen actually make it to New York City. Their only material asset is a mysterious family heirloom passed on by their grandmother. Kate won’t reveal…
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Five Feet Apart
Five Feet Apart: Love Beyond Measure The heart knows no boundaries and the soul knows no time, as they say. This inspirational film presents a teenage love story that’s hindered not by the people around them but their own medical condition called Cystic Fibrosis. The story opened with a narration about human touch as our first form of communication. Touch connects us to other people and we need that touch from the one we love almost as much as we needed air to breathe. Main characters Stella, Will and Poe were teenagers who considered the hospital as their second home. All three of them have Cystic Fibrosis, a lung disease…
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Patriotic Book List for Independence Day
It’s Independence Day this week, and, naturally, we’ve got you covered with a book list! Every few years or so, we compile a patriotic book list for the 4th of July or Veterans Day or Memorial Day or…. Today’s list is full of classic patriotic children’s literature plus some newer gems. Snag a few from your local library before you head to the lake or beach this week! Previous Patriotic Book Lists include: “We the People…” Book List (for Election Day, but includes lots of resources about the founding of our country)“We Hold These Truths” Book List (all about the Declaration of Independence and related issues)Fourth of July Round-Up (one…
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Don Roberto’s Daughter: Natasha by Connor Royce
Faithful God Don Roberto’s Daughter: Natasha by Connor Royce is a Christian romance that will delight the reader. It is set in Mexico and America with a real cosmopolitan feel to it. The novel is about awakenings in God and prodigals returning. “She wanted to pray like she had as a child, when God was […]
