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The Odyssey: a Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds
This graphic-novel adaptation of The Odyssey has some beautiful panels and a few problems. The Odyssey: a Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds. Candlewick, 2010, 248 pages. Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 16-up Sing to me, O Muse, of that man of many troubles/ Odysseus . . . who wandered far after he helped sack the great city of Troy. The muse, however, takes us first to the Island of Ithaca, where Odysseus’s grown son Telemachus is trying to fend off his mother’s 100 arrogant suitors. The goddess Athene appears as an old man to tell Telemachus his father is still alive. Rather than just telling him where,…
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The Iliad: a Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds
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 Gareth Hinds. Candlewick, 2019, 256 pages. Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 12-up Rage!Sing to me, O Muse, of the rage of Achilles, fiercest of all the Achaean warriors who sailed to Troy . . . The story of The Iliad is all about rage and fury, chiefly from Achilles (who spends most of the narrative in his quarters), but also King Agamemnon, Prince Hector, and every warrior who ever screamed for vengeance in the heat of battle. Given that anger was one…
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A Painful Kind Of Holy: Experiencing God’s Tender Mercies And Faithful Presence Before, During And After Miscarriage by Holly Joy Clemente
Praise You In The Storm A Painful Kind Of Holy: Experiencing God’s Tender Mercies And Faithful Presence Before, During And After Miscarriage by Holly Joy Clemente is a powerful and heart breaking read surrounding her sixth pregnancy that ended in miscarriage. It is also about her faith in a God who never left her but […]
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The Pilgrim’s Regress by C. S. Lewis
The Pilgrim’s Regress by C. S. Lewis. Eerdmans, 2014, 256 pages. (Originally published 1933 UK, 1935 US) Reading Level: Teen/adult Recommended for: ages 18-up In his spiritual autobiography, Surprised by Joy, C. S. Lewis recalls one of his earliest memories: his older brother had filled the lid of a biscuit tin with moss and decorated it with twigs and tiny flowers to resemble a garden. “That was the first beauty I ever knew . . . It made me aware of nature—not, indeed, as a storehouse of forms and colors but as something cool, dewy, fresh, exuberant.” He didn’t realize it at the time, but that breath of pure beauty…
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Redemption Bay by RaeAnne Thayne
The Perfect Choice Redemption Bay by RaeAnne Thayne is the most delightful feel-good contemporary novel. It is about family and community. Small town living has its advantages. Welcome to Haven Point, the town that lives together and pulls together. A wonderful warm community atmosphere oozes from the pages. The town looks out for everyone from […]
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The Pilgrim Travels on: Literary References to The Pilgrim’s Progress
Few works of literature have had the cultural reach of John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. That’s pretty amazing—who would have thought an adventure story that pauses every few pages for long discussions of Christian theology would have such a grip on the Western world’s imagination? Clearly Bunyan tapped something deep in the human spirit. The idiom of life’s journey, with all the struggles and respites along the way, is common to all mankind. One doesn’t even have to be a Christian to experience them. When someone speaks of his “Slough of Despond” or mentions her “Celestial City,” he or she is hearkening back to one of the seminal quest stories…
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Shakespeare Fun and Frivolity
Shakespeare fans who have room on their shelves and a box of freshly sharpened colored pencils will find good application for both with three fun and frivolous titles to add to their collection. Pop-Up Shakespeare by The Reduced Shakespeare Company, Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor, illustrated by Jennie Maizels. Candlewick Press, 2017. 10 pages Now you can make more efficient use of your precious bookshelf space by using your fat Norton Shakespeare collection as a doorstop. Think how much time you’ll save by browsing this succinct pop-up version by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, which not only introduces the historical context of the plays, but also summarizes all the plots in…
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Crossing on Time by David Macaulay
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, Fast Ships, and a Journey to the New World by David Macaulay. Roaring Brook, 2019, 126 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-up Before David Macaulay developed a fascination with engineering and building and The Way Things Work, he was a little boy growing up in England. In 1957, his father accepted a job in America, which meant the whole family would be moving to New Jersey. “All I knew about America was cowboys on horseback . . . and the…
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The Start Of Us by T.K. Chapin
The Power of Love The Start Of Us by T.K. Chapin is a powerful contemporary Christian novel about love. Love comes in many different forms but we have only one word for it, ‘love.’ The best way to love is to love like Jesus – whether it’s our parents, friends, work colleagues or spouse. We […]
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Voices: the Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Eliot
Anachronistic values mar this otherwise compelling account of the short career of Joan of Arc. Voices: the Final Hours of Joan of Arc by David Elliot. HMH, 2019, 194 pages Reading Level: Teen, 12-15 Recommended for: ages 13-up She was tried as a heretic (and possible witch) by a French court under English supervision. In the “Trial of Condemnation” of 1433, she testified in her own defense. A later “Trial of Nullification” heard testimony from her village priest, her childhood acquaintances and family members, and declared her innocent. By then, of course, she was long dead, burned at the stake and passed into legend. The “voices” of her final hours…
