God’s Attributes is an accessible, kid-friendly way to approach the greatness of God as we learn to trust Him. *God’s Attributes by Jill Nelson. P&R, 2022, 117 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 5-10 as a read-aloud, 8-12 independently God is . . . How would you describe God? The best way is by learning how God describes himself, and that’s what the Making Him Known series published by P&R seeks to accomplish. God’s Design and God’s Word are two of this series we’ve already reviewed, but God’s Attributes might be the most comprehensive. Each of the 25 chapters explores a different aspect of God: His…

Endlessly Ever After allows readers to mix and match traditional tales to the tune of catchy rhymes and lavish illustrations. Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings! by Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat. Chronicle, 2022, 85 pages. Reading Level: Family Read-Alouds, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 4-7 as a read-aloud, 7-10 independently Your mama shakes you out of bed. She says, “My darling dear,You need to run to Grandma’s, quick! She’s feeling ill, I fear . . .” Sound familiar? “You” are Rosie, of the red hood, and your first choice is whether to wear your famous cloak or your faux fur coat. Seems simple, but…

Three picture books remind young listeners to love people as Jesus loves, to show compassion for the sick, and provide an opportunity to see a familiar passage of Scripture in a new context. The Big Wide Welcome by Trillia Newbell and illustrated by Catalina Echeverri. The Good Book Company, 2022. 32 pages Reading level: Picture books, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 4-8 Having favorites is okay for food, toys, and activities, but not for people. Newbell uses the illustration in the book of James that describes favoritism to demonstrate how we are tempted to forget to love our neighbor when we judge by appearances. When the love of Christ in…

“How many bookshelf feet do you need?” This was my husband’s question after I requested some more bookshelves. My response: “I can fill whatever you give me.” Limits are useful, aren’t they? Unless they’re curtailing my book collection. I have books stacked on top of each other, books perched precariously on nightstands, books in my purse, library books piled in a milk crate (my local library has a special crate just for my hold requests), …. My family is about to move back across the country. Seven years ago, when we moved from Tennessee to Washington, I purged lots of books. Movers charge by the pound, and books are relatively…

Brilliant physicist Lise Meitner, overlooked by history, receives her due in this well-written and -illustrated biography. The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner by Marissa Moss. Abrams, 2022, 199 pages + timeline, glossary, bibliography, and index. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 10-15 “Women of science” was not a feature of late-century Vienna, but Lise Meitner was blessed by both parents, who encouraged her to follow her interests. Those interests were, almost exclusively, physics and math—she even slept with a math book under her pillow! Though Austria was not open to women seeking high education, Meitner’s outstanding gifts helped her become the first…