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 Meghan Cox Gurdon. She chats with us about reading with her family, her new book, and more! Interview conducted by Betsy. Note: this interview was first published, in part, for our print magazine, The Redeemed Reader Quarterly. Generally, our print content does not also appear on the website, but we had two delightful interviews we just had to share with our web readers. Enjoy, and know that this is a taste of what comes in the Quarterly! Getting to Know…

Help! I have too many books! Is this a familiar concern? Of course you wouldn’t want to blame the books. An abundant home library is a good thing…isn’t it? Isn’t the problem really not having enough shelves? Like yours, my beloved bookshelves are painfully overflowing, and when our home library outgrows its boundaries, the shelves no longer invite browsing. Our family does not gratefully appreciate what the Lord has blessed us with, and I cannot maintain order in the midst of excess, even when the abundance is good books. Libraries regularly “weed” the books that no longer fit their collection in order to make room for the ones that do.…

The Visible Hand introduces teens to basic free-market economics in a way that’s accessible and entertaining. The Visible Hand: A Wealth of Notions on the Miracle of the Market by Matthew Hennesey. Encounter Books, 2022, 220 pages. Reading Level: Teen, ages 16-18 Recommended for: ages 15-up Who says we can’t have everything? What’s the problem with a minimum wage? Why can’t we afford a vacation this year? If gas prices go too high, isn’t there something the government can do to fix it? These are legitimate questions that even teenagers may be starting to ask. Mark Hennessey is a journalist, not an economist—in fact he never even thought much about…

Brand New Boy explores the “humanity” of manufactured humans through the eyes of curious middle-school students. Brand New Boy by David Almond, with pictures by Marta Altés. Candlewick, 2022, 304 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 What to make of the New Kid? Daniel and his mates at Darwin Avenue Primary Academy are intrigued when the headmistress, Mrs. Hoolihan, announces a new boy at school. Her excitement indicates more than an ordinary transfer student, and indeed, George is peculiar. He doesn’t have a last name, doesn’t appear to have a family, and doesn’t respond to normal kid interaction. But on the second day his ear…

High octane, fast-paced adventure books for teens, the Maze Runner books raise interesting questions if readers can stop long enough to ponder. The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner. Delacorte. The Maze Runner. 2009. 375 pages.The Scorch Trials. 2010. 394 pages.The Death Cure. 2011. 368 pages.(The Kill Order; a prequel. 2012. Not covered in this review.)(The Fever Code; another prequel. 2016. Not covered in this review.) Reading Level: Teens, ages 12-15 Recommended For: Teens, ages 14 and up When Thomas arrives in the Glade, in a box, he is utterly bewildered. All he remembers is his first name. No other memories: no last name, no parents or family, no idea…