With text that is both simple and detailed, and with beautiful illustrations, Behold the Octopus introduces a fascinating ocean creature. Behold the Octopus! by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez. Peachtree, 2023. 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8 Recommended For: Ages 4-8 An extraordinary invertebrate like the octopus takes effort to visit if you don’t live close to an aquarium, but there is certainly much to admire. Most of the narrative in this book consists of one word such as “hunting,” “building,” “gliding,” etc., accompanied by dramatic double-page spreads, with further explanation is provided on the opposite page. Read it once with the simple descriptions, then slow down…

Back Porch Book Chat: A casual, virtual conversation about books. Join us as we chat with book lovers like ourselves about a topic we all love! Our guest today is Josiah DeGraaf, director of the Young Writers Workshop. He chats with us about reading, running a writing program, publishing trends and more! Books are linked to RR reviews, where applicable. Those of you with young authors at home will be especially interested in this interview. Interview conducted by Betsy. Note: this interview was first published in our November (2023) Redeemed Reader Quarterly. We are re-publishing it here in honor of a very fun (and free) “Crazy Writing Week” that Josiah…

Evergreen is the story of a fearful young squirrel who learns bravery on her quest to obey her mother and deliver soup to ailing Granny Oak. Evergreen by Matthew Cordell. Feiwel and Friends, 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture books, ages 4-8 Recommended For: Ages 4-8 Evergreen is a very fearful squirrel. When her mother asks her to take an acorn of healing soup to Granny Oak, Evergreen is dreadfully afraid. But, bolstered by her mother’s confidence, Evergreen dons her red shawl and goes on her way. By facing one threat after another, Evergreen makes her way across Buckthorn Forest. Sometimes her efforts to help others go unappreciated, and other times…

Wouldn’t it make sense that a house built in the style of a home in England would work just as well in America? *William’s House by Ginger Howard, illustrated by Larry Day. Millbrook Press, 2001. 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture books, Ages 4-8 Recommended For: Ages 4-8 Wouldn’t it make sense to think that a house built in the style of a home in England would work just as well in America? This is a fascinating look at how one family had to adjust their expectations. In 1637, William plans to build a house in New England for his family like the one his father built in England. But over…

A heart-pounding mystery series, with hidden twists and turns at every corner and a powerful message. Note: this is a guest review. See below for more information! Code of Silence Series by Tim Shoemaker. Zonderkidz. Code of Silence: Living a Lie comes with a Price. 2013 (reprint). 348 pages. Back Before Dark: Sometimes Rescuing a Friend From the Darkness Means Going in After Him. 2014 (reprint). 384 pages. Reading Level: Teens, ages 12-15 Recommended For: Ages 12 and up; note considerations below. The Code of Silence series, written by Tim Shoemaker, has been recognized for its suspenseful plots and genuine characters. Shoemaker uses his writing to display the power of truth and love in…

Impossible Christianity is a breath of fresh air for those Christians feeling weighed down by false guilt over unbiblical expectations. Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoung. Crossway, 2023. 160 pages. Reading Level: Adults, ages 16 and up Recommended For: ages 16 and up When I was a brand new college graduate, I read Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges with a friend. And it transformed my life. Impossible Christianity reminded me of that book, and I have no doubt it will be a breath of fresh air to many Christians who are weighed down by false guilt over unbiblical expectations. DeYoung loves a good subtitle, and this book has a significant one:…

A sweet story about a mother duck whose unusual nesting spot provided a welcome diversion from from the war, both in local news and beyond. Gertie: The Darling Duck of WWII by Shari Swanson, illustrated by Renee Graef. Sleeping Bear Press, 2023, 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8 Recommended For: Ages 4-8 In 1945, just a few years after another duck family was immortalized in literature by Robert McCloskey, a mother duck built her nest in the center of a wide post in the Milwaukee River. People noticed and admired her, wondering if the babies would be safe when her eggs hatched. A newspaper reporter started running articles…

Impossible Escape tells the story of one determined teenager who survived Auschwitz and became one of the first to reveal details of the Holocaust. Impossible Escape: The True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe by Steve Sheinkin. Roaring Brook, 2023, 219 pages plus Author Note, bibliography, and index. Reading Level: Teen, ages 12-15 Recommended for: ages 15-up When war reached Slovakia in 1942, 17-year-old Rudi Vrba knew he was certain to be rounded up with other Jewish boys and sent to Germany as slave labor. With his mother’s blessing, he said good-bye to his friends (including pretty Gerta Sidonová) and headed to safer territory. He made a good…

The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall series imagines the mysterious education of a classic mystery writer. The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall by Ali Standish. Harper, 2023, 310 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-15 A poor boy makes good–or will he? Young Arthur didn’t think it through on that street in Edinburgh, when he picked up that rock and hit the old gentleman on the head. It was just the quickest way to raise an alarm so the man would notice the baby’s pram rolling toward the galloping horses and avert a near-certain tragedy. In his brief conversation with Arthur’s afterward, the gentleman showed an…