by Carolyn | Adventure, Character Training, Cultural Diversity, Fantasy, Highschool, Recommendations, Young Adult
The Sunlit Lands Series by Matt Mikalatos is my top pick for kids who have grown up reading The Chronicles of Narnia, The Wingfeather Saga, and The Green Ember Series and are now ready to dive into young adult. These books contain the same kind of deeply true and...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Chapter Books, Early Readers, Fantasy, For fun, Imagination, Older Elementary, Recommendations
When a favorite author like Jonathan Auxier breaks into a new genre or age group, I’m happy to follow. The Fabled Stables: Willa the Wisp introduces chapter book readers to Auxier’s imaginative worlds in an easier to read, beautifully illustrated format....
by Carolyn | Adventure, Boys, Education, For fun, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School, Middle-grade, Mystery, Recommendations
Readers have asked me for more adventurous books that boys would like, and I think the Lost Art Mysteries series by Deron R. Hicks fits the bill. Boys and girls alike will be pulled into these fast-paced novels that read like a spy thrillers. They’ll be so...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Highschool, Spiritual Allegory, Young Adult
Young Adult fiction can be a hard category to navigate as a parent. YA often contains dark themes and content that young teens especially may not be ready to read. That’s why I’m so pleased when I find books like The Winter King that both my teens and I...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Animal books, Chapter Books, Cultural Diversity, Juvenile Fiction, Nature, Recommendations
Noah Green Junior Zookeeper fans, I’ve found a new book I think you’ll love! The Strange New Dog by James D. Witmer features mystery-solving pets. Need I say more? Animal-loving chapter book readers will be hooked after this first installment of Allen Family...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Biography, Book Lists, Fantasy, For fun, Imagination, Nonfiction, Parenting, Picture Books, Preschool, Read Alouds, Recommendations
Balloons are happy, right? They just make you smile, especially if you are a kid. So you might be surprised to learn that many of these picture books about balloons deal with hard topics like negative thoughts, Alzheimer’s, or depression. But don’t worry....
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Highschool, Magical Realism, Mystery, Young Adult
When I found out a friend I had met at Hutchmoot–a conference about faith in the arts–had written a book, I was curious to read it. I didn’t expect to get swept away in a compelling, beautiful written story. But that’s exactly what happened...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Bible, Biography, Biography, Boys, Character Training, Education, Historical Fiction, Middle-grade, Nonfiction
I’ve been anticipating this illustrated juvenile biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer for over a year! The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix is a work of art. Hendrix challenges readers in their own view of responsibility,...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Classics, Fantasy, Girls, Imagination, Read Alouds
I was enchanted by this lovely fairy tale. Snow and Rose by Emily Winfield Martin is a retelling of the story of Snow White and Rose Red. (Which, apparently, isn’t at all the same story as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves). The Story Snow and Rose grow up in a...
by Carolyn | Adventure, Fantasy, Girls, Imagination, Juvenile Fiction, Middle School
I wrote this review a while back, but this year’s Newbery awards reminded me that I never posted this review of last year’s winner, The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill. The Story The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill is the story of Luna,...