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Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
Jacqueline Woodson’s poignant verse novel explores the cost of professional athletics to some families. Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson. Penguin Random House (Nancy Paulsen Books), 2020, 161 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 10-15 Zachariah Johnson Jr. loves football. Not just because his daddy loves it. His daddy plays it, big time: two SuperBowl rings, one of the best tight ends on the field—maybe in history. ZJ has loving parents, a big house with an indoor basketball court, four reliable friends in Darry, Ollie, and Daniel, and a front-row seat to the world’s greatest game every fall. And the Day after the game/ after…
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The Runaways by Ulf Stark
A boy and his crotchety grandfather hatch an elaborate escape plan to enjoy one last day together. The Runaways by Ulf Stark, illustrated by Kitty Crowther. Gecko Press, 2020, 129 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages 7-11 Grandpa was difficult. He always had been but now he was worse than ever. He got angry and shouted. He spat out the pills that would make him nice and calm. And he yelled at the nurses. Grandpa and Dad don’t get along because their personalities are polar opposite. But Gottfried Jr. (our narrator) “liked it when Grandpa got angry. It made life more exciting.” An 11-year-old boy may…
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Jordan Feliz New Album ‘Say It’ Is Set To Release Dec. 18th
Gold-selling, Dove Award-winning pop recording artist and songwriter Jordan Feliz not only releases today (Oct. 16) his song “Next To Me” that Parade says is an “inspiring pop piece” that “you’ll feel like dancing along to,” but also reveals that his full-length album Say It is set to release Dec. 18 from Centricity Music. Available to pre-buy pre-save now, the album includes immediate downloads streams of “Next To Me,” the Billboard hit song “Glorify” and confessional “Wounds.” Topping the Billboard Christian Albums chart when his sophomore LP, FUTURE, released in 2018, Feliz’s trajectory for the new album was fraught with personal trials after success began to feel less like a…
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4x Grammy Award Winning Duo FOR KING & COUNTRY Releases Christmas Track
Nashville, TENN. Four-time GRAMMY® Award-winning duo and Curb Word Entertainment recording artist for KING & COUNTRY today released “Heavenly Hosts,” the latest track and lyric video from the duo’s forthcoming Christmas album A Drummer Boy Christmas, out October 30th. “Heavenly Hosts” is one of two original songs written by for KING & COUNTRY for their new album. Listen to the song HERE. Fresh off their win last night at the Billboard Music Awards for Top Christian Song, Joel and Luke Smallbone, the brothers who make up for KING & COUNTRY, share in a statement “Writing an original Christmas song is a bit of a daunting task, but we were always…
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Faith Is…
Knowing God Is Able God is able to do whatever He promises. — Romans 4:21 NLT Faith means knowing God is able to do all that He has promised. You may not understand how. You may not know where or when. It may seem utterly, completely impossible. But for all the things you do not… The post Faith Is… appeared first on FaithGateway.
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Pursued with Love
When I was a little girl I loved the story of Cinderella. She was the most unlikely candidate, yet chosen. She was raised from a low-standing to a royal position. She was pursued by one and she found love. Stories like this capture us, don’t they? We love to see the one who is down and out, lifted up. The unlovable, loved. The unlikely, redeemed. I wonder if you feel like Cinderella before she went to the palace? If you feel unloved? Down and out? Unseen? Unwanted? Perhaps, your marriage feels dead and you feel left behind. May I encourage you for a moment? The Cinderella story is yours… “By the purpose and…
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Rock Legends Disciple Announce Third Livestream Concert
Legendary Christian rock band Disciple has announced their third livestream-based concert, titled “Anniversary X”. This show will be an anniversary-style event for their iconic, ten-year-old, eighth studio album, Horseshoes and Handgrenades streams on November 21, 2020. Tickets have three tiers of special, exclusive content, starting at $20 for a basic ticket including a recording of the show. Tickets go all the way up to $80 for the “Anniversary” tier. Content will range throughout 7 B-side songs, Q&A, rereleased merch from 2010, and more. The show itself will include a complete playthrough of every song including B-sides, as well as “Enemy” and “Darkness Dies” from their latest deluxe release of the…
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Calm and Powerful
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. — Proverbs 15:1 Often I can remember the turning point of a conversation when it went from good to bad or from bad to good. At times, I could hear the Holy Spirit warn me: “Stay calm, lower your voice, answer gently…. The post Calm and Powerful appeared first on FaithGateway.
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Meet Me In London by Georgia Toffolo
Believe In Me Meet Me In London by Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo is a delightful contemporary debut novel that will warm your heart and leave you smiling. The novel has the themes of family, friendship and dreams. We all have dreams. Sometimes we pursue them. Sometimes we have to pursue the dreams of others at the […]
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Brother’s Keeper by Julie Lee
Tense and dramatic, this story of escape from North Korea in the early days of the Korean War is based on actual characters and true events. Brother’s Keeper by Julie Lee. Holiday House, 2020, 295 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12 Recommended for: ages 12-15 North Korea, 1950: only five years after the Japanese occupation ended, Koreans above the 38th parallel are feeling the claws of another oppressor. Kim Il Sung, backed by the Soviet Union, is cracking down on Christian churches and western influences. War clouds are gathering also, and when North Korean forces invade the South in June, South Korea fights back with the help and backing…
