Books
Christian Books
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The Adventures Of Flora Bee: Bee School by Rhodri Davies
Delightful The Adventures Of Flora Bee: Bee School by Rhodri Davies is a delightful book for young children. It will bring a smile to the faces of those who are listening and to the adults reading it. It is a book you will never grow tired of. More experienced readers will be able to read […]
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Picture Books about Nature: Be Thankful for Trees, Yoshi and the Ocean, and The Whale Who Swam Through Time
The Blessing of a Tree Be Thankful for Trees by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald. Red Comet Press, 2022, 80 pages. Reading Level: Picture book, ages 0-4 Recommended for: ages 2-5 The subtitle is, “A tribute to the many and surprising ways trees relate to our lives.” So let’s count the ways: trees contribute to our food supply, our comfort, our music, our art, our recreation, our homes, and our lives in general. Without them, would we have any of these things? Once you’re finished with this book, you’ll realize . . . probably not. This isn’t a science book about photosynthesis or the oxygen exchange. In some ways,…
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New From Here by Kelly Yang
New from Here looks at the recent pandemic through the perspective of an Asian-American family hoping to escape the virus in California. New from Here by Kelly Yang. Simon & Shuster, 2022, 368 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-14 Safety first Knox Wei-Evans was named for Knox Beach, in northern California. It’s an unusual name in Hong Kong, where he lives with his family, but his is an unusual family: Asian mom raised in the US, white dad, two siblings (big brother Bowen and irrepressible little sister Lea). The family spends much of every summer in the States, but Knox never imagined living there. However,…
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Trapped in Terror Bay by Sigmund Brouwer
Trapped in Terror Bay takes readers into the mystery of the ill-fated Arctic voyage of the Franklin Expedition, 1845. Trapped in Terror Bay: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Franklin Expedition by Sigmund Brouwer. Kids Can Press, 2022, 155 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-15 The quest What nonfiction fan could resist a title like that? The Franklin Expedition, launched in 1845, was one of many attempts to find a “Northwest Passage” from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a quest that had consumed European nations ever since the discovery of North America. Speculators were not wrong about the existence of a northwest passage, but fatally…
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Love At The Garden Tomb by R F Whong
Speak Softly Love Love At The Garden Tomb by R F Whong is a powerful contemporary Christian novel set in the 1990’s and 2010. The novel has God at its centre. We see the importance of putting God first and trusting His plans for our lives even when life makes no sense. A character is […]
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Comment on Thought-Provoking YA Fantasy by Sharon Geraghty
Love the Dauntless Path series by Intisar Khanani! I just did an arc read and review of the conclusion, A Darkness at the Door. It is a great read which tackles difficult and even controversial concepts. A solid Christian worldview would be important for a teen to be able to read “Darkness” and not be swayed into thinking that ethics should be swayed by situations. Khanani does not necessarily promote situational ethics; the protagonist agonizes over certain decisions, but she does excuse it a bit too easily for me given the YA market the books are targeting. I love how The Theft of Sunlight and A Darkness as the Door…
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Note To Self by Anna Bell
Really Charming Note To Self by Anna Bell is the most charming contemporary novel that will swell your heart and make you smile. The premise is a wonderful idea – a thirty five year old character receives emails from her seventeen year old self. They are encouraging her to grab life and step out of […]
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Morning By Morning by Jennifer Rodewald
With Forgiveness And Love Morning By Morning by Jennifer Rodewald is a charming contemporary Christian novel. It is the eighth book in the Murphy Brothers series but can be read as a stand-alone. The book deals with the themes of loss, adjustment and new beginnings. We see two broken families, grieving what has gone before […]
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The Sycamore Stand Off by Stacey Weeks
Rooted The Sycamore Stand Off by Stacey Weeks is a contemporary Christian novel with a strong godly message. The story surrounds an ancient sycamore which is well-rooted and has withstood all that the elements have thrown it over the years. We can see parallels in our lives. We need to be deeply rooted in God […]
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Picture Book Round Up: Cora Cooks Pancit, Thoughtfull, Rice From Heaven, My Breakfast With Jesus
Four picture books encourage young listeners to notice the people around them, to serve with kindness, and to celebrate the diversity of God’s church. Some titles border on books-with-a-message, but all are worth looking into. Look for them at your local library (they were all at mine, even the overtly Christian titles). I learned about each of these from Wild Things and Castles in the Sky! Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore and illustrated by Kristi Valiant. Lee & Low, 2014. 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture books, all ages Recommended For: Ages 0-8, especially with their families Cora is frustrated that she only gets to do the little…
