Books
Christian Books
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The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke
He Makes A Way The Medallion by Cathy Gohlke is a powerful Christian historical novel set in Nazi occupied Warsaw during WWII. Cathy Gohlke has woven a fictional tale around factual events. Real figures such as Dr Korczak and Irena Sendler put in an appearance in this heart wrenching tale. The fact that we know […]
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Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke
Choose Life Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke is a marvellous Christian historical novel that will consume your thoughts and your every waking moment. At the heart of the novel are secrets and choice. We all must choose when we stand at crossroads in life. We always have the choice to do the right thing. […]
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PB Roundup: Your Place in the Universe, If You Came to Earth, and I Talk Like a River
Three critically-acclaimed picture books tackle big subjects like the size of the universe, the scope of humanity, and the power of words. Your Place in the Universe by Jason Chin. Holiday House (Neal Porter Books), 2020, 38 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 6-12 How big is BIG? Well, in comparison with this book, the average eight-year-old is five times taller. But then, an ostrich, the tallest bird in the world, is twice as tall as an eight-year-old. And a giraffe is twice as tall as an ostrich, but dwarfs in comparison with a redwood tree, which in turn can’t hold a candle to the world’s…
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Dogwood Plantation by Carrie Fancett Pagels
Trust And Hope Dogwood Plantation by Carrie Fancett Pagels is a fascinating Christian historical novel set in the South in 1814. There are factual details around which the author has woven her tale. America was at war with the British. A character has been invalid out of the navy, retaining a bad leg. He reminds […]
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Pieces Of Granite by Brenda Anderson
In God’s Arms Pieces Of Granite by Brenda Anderson is a most delightful Christian contemporary novel about families. It is part of the Coming Home and the Mosaic Collection series. I originally read Pieces Of Granite in 2014 and was blown away by it. Reading it again in 2020 I found it equally powerful. God […]
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Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar
Are you brave enough to rescue a bully from a hazardous substance, at your own risk? A thought-provoking middle grades read from the author of Holes. Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar. Delacorte, 2015. 208 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended For: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 “Fuzzy mud” is a mud that gets, well, fuzzy as potentially deadly microbes multiply exponentially. If the mud remains uncontained, the results will be catastrophic. And it’s been doing its little multiplying act unnoticed by the neighboring town…. Until two middle school kids flee into the woods in a desperate attempt to escape a big-time bully. When anyone is fleeing into uncharted wilderness…
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The Mutant Mushroom Takeover by Summer Rachel Short
Bioluminescent fungi, a strange death, and zombie-like side effects threaten Maggie and Nate’s small town. Can they solve the mystery in time to save the town? The Mutant Mushroom Takeover (A Maggie and Nate Mystery**) by Summer Rachel Short. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2020. 256 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 10-12 Recommended For: Middle grades, ages 10-12 Magnolia Stone is going to win the Vitaccino Junior Naturalist Merit Award. She has to; she’ll do anything to get her dad back from his far away job in Yellowstone National Park. But her definite-award-winning-potential photograph of a mutant insect leads her and Nate, rising YouTube star and detector…
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The Cedar Key by Stephenia H McGee
New Beginnings The Cedar Key by Stephenia H McGee is a most charming Christian contemporary novel that will warm your heart, leaving you smiling and hopeful. The novel deals with loss, belonging and roots. Loss cuts us to our core. We see the pain but there is hope too as a character made provision for […]
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*Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
In this one-of-a-kind, richly evocative memoir, “Everything Sad” disguises an otherworldly joy. *Everything Sad Is Untrue (a true story) by Daniel Nayeri. Levine Querido, 2020, 351 pages. Reading Level: Teen, 12-15 Recommended for: ages 13-up All Persians are liars and lying is a sin. . . My mom says it’s true, but only because everyone has sinned and needs God to save them. My dad says it isn’t. Persians aren’t liars. They’re poets, which is worse. As for Daniel (whose original, Persian name is Khosrou), he speaks truth through story, like Scheherazade of the 1,001 Arabian nights. She told stories to save her life, and perhaps Daniel’s motivation isn’t much…
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The Stolen Sisters by Louise Jensen
Damaged Goods The Stolen Sisters by Louise Jensen is a fabulous compulsive contemporary psychological thriller that I just could not put down. Louise Jensen lures the reader into the story from the start as we immediately feel sympathy for the characters. We begin asking questions as to what has happened to damage these young adults […]
