Ten Things I Must Know: Bible Stories

Ten Things I Must Know: Bible Stories, by Elizabeth Akinteye, is a book of 10 Bible stories based on the 10 Commandments. The stories are preceded by an explanation of each commandment.

Colorful illustrations by Kate Solenova, that each make up a two-page spread, are scattered throughout the book.  Each chapter includes a head-shot of a child, which alternates between a boy and a girl.

What I Like: Sometimes it doesn't make a lot of sense to a child when you just give them a rule, like "honor thy father and thy mother." What does that really mean? The author does a good job of presenting the concepts of the commandments, with not only an explanation, but also a story that illustrates the point further.

What I Dislike: The illustrations of the children, both on the cover and in the book, appear to be computer-generated and are not very realistic.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: Ages 7 and up.

Publisher Info: Grosvenor House Publishing, 2015; ISBN: 9781781489802; Paperback, 80, $13.99.

Buy now at Amazon $13.99!

Special Info: Visit the author’s website.

That's Not Hay in My Hair

That’s Not Hay in My Hair,  by Juliette Turner, is the story of soon-to-be sixth-grader Juliette (Jules) O'Connor. After her end-of-the-year school party, she and her mother are leaving New York City to live on a cattle ranch in Texas. Her mother was born and raised in Texas, but left the state to live in New York City to work on her career as a writer. She bought a ranch in Texas, but never lived there, only going back to visit. Now, she and Jules will live there full time.

Jule's mother is familiar with life in Texas and life on a 300 acre cattle ranch. But, Jules has no clue what things will be like. She is terrified by stories of snakes and scorpions and coyotes. When the two arrive at the ranch, fully expecting to be looked after by long-time caretaker Beau-Dee, they are surprised to learn he will be leaving the ranch for good the very next day. How will the two survive on the ranch by themselves?

What I Like: I appreciated all this little "factoids" that were thrown into the storyline. The author did a good job of adding useful and interesting tidbits to the narrative, increasing my knowledge of cattle and horses.

What I Dislike: It was difficult for me to get into the story. I thought from the opening chapters, when Jules is preparing to move out of New York City and into a cattle ranch in the heart of Texas, there would be lots of conflicts between the city life and the country life. There wasn't. There was barely any mention of it at all.

I thought there would be a lot of problems that they would have to deal with on their own that they would normally have relied on Beau-Dee's help to figure out. Although there were a lot of problems to deal with, they didn't exactly have to do things by themselves. There was always someone who was just a phone call away. Turns out they really didn't need Beau-Dee, although the opening of the story made it sound like they would.

The author included a lot of things in the text that left me with more questions than answers. Here are just some of them (Unfortunately, there were many more.): How could a dog drag mud into the house when it hadn't rained? If Texas was so hot, why did Jules wait so long to react to the heat? Who actually set off the fireworks at their 4th of July party? What kind of vine has thorns in it?  If Maggie's left foot was so sore, why was that the one that she stamped the ground with? How come Jule's mother was caught totally off guard when Jules mentioned her first day of school was the next day?

There was also overuse of the actions of eye rolling, smirking and shoulder and head patting.

Although the book was published by Zonderkidz, Christianity seemed to be just an after-thought. Jules does superstitious things like crossing her fingers and her toes. Her mom kept using the phrase "Holy Moses." Prayer was offered before only one meal, by Jule's grandmother, at the end of which she crossed herself, even though Jules stated she wasn't Catholic. Early parts of the book mentioned they went to church in NYC, but there is no mention of them going to church in Texas.

Overall Rating: Ho hum.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2016; ISBN 9780310732440; Paperback, 240 pages, $8.99.

Buy now at ChristianBook $7.19!

Or buy at Amazon $8.99.

TheKindle edition is available for $5.99.

Special Info: Just for girls.

That's Not Hay in My Hair

That’s Not Hay in My Hair,  by Juliette Turner, is the story of soon-to-be sixth-grader Juliette (Jules) O'Connor. After her end-of-the-year school party, she and her mother are leaving New York City to live on a cattle ranch in Texas. Her mother was born and raised in Texas, but left the state to live in New York City to work on her career as a writer. She bought a ranch in Texas, but never lived there, only going back to visit. Now, she and Jules will live there full time.

Jule's mother is familiar with life in Texas and life on a 300 acre cattle ranch. But, Jules has no clue what things will be like. She is terrified by stories of snakes and scorpions and coyotes. When the two arrive at the ranch, fully expecting to be looked after by long-time caretaker Beau-Dee, they are surprised to learn he will be leaving the ranch for good the very next day. How will the two survive on the ranch by themselves?

What I Like: I appreciated all this little "factoids" that were thrown into the storyline. The author did a good job of adding useful and interesting tidbits to the narrative, increasing my knowledge of cattle and horses.

What I Dislike: It was difficult for me to get into the story. I thought from the opening chapters, when Jules is preparing to move out of New York City and into a cattle ranch in the heart of Texas, there would be lots of conflicts between the city life and the country life. There wasn't. There was barely any mention of it at all.

I thought there would be a lot of problems that they would have to deal with on their own that they would normally have relied on Beau-Dee's help to figure out. Although there were a lot of problems to deal with, they didn't exactly have to do things by themselves. There was always someone who was just a phone call away. Turns out they really didn't need Beau-Dee, although the opening of the story made it sound like they would.

The author included a lot of things in the text that left me with more questions than answers. Here are just some of them (Unfortunately, there were many more.): How could a dog drag mud into the house when it hadn't rained? If Texas was so hot, why did Jules wait so long to react to the heat? Who actually set off the fireworks at their 4th of July party? What kind of vine has thorns in it?  If Maggie's left foot was so sore, why was that the one that she stamped the ground with? How come Jule's mother was caught totally off guard when Jules mentioned her first day of school was the next day?

There was also overuse of the actions of eye rolling, smirking and shoulder and head patting.

Although the book was published by Zonderkidz, Christianity seemed to be just an after-thought. Jules does superstitious things like crossing her fingers and her toes. Her mom kept using the phrase "Holy Moses." Prayer was offered before only one meal, by Jule's grandmother, at the end of which she crossed herself, even though Jules stated she wasn't Catholic. Early parts of the book mentioned they went to church in NYC, but there is no mention of them going to church in Texas.

Overall Rating: Ho hum.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2016; ISBN 9780310732440; Paperback, 240 pages, $8.99.

Buy now at ChristianBook $7.19!

Or buy at Amazon $8.99.

TheKindle edition is available for $5.99.

Special Info: Just for girls.

God's Special Forces: A Manual for Becoming a Young Woman of Quality

Gods Special Forces: A Manual for Becoming a Young Woman of Quality by Darlene Laney is a workbook for teaching preteens the basics of hygiene, self care, and etiquette is a way that reminds them they have been created by God for a purpose.

Each chapter gives a brief Bible stud/ devotion and then dives into the specifics of practical advice. The chapters are titled:

• A New Look
• The Beginning
• Face Facts
• Value of a Woman
• Standing, Sitting & Walking
• Care of Self
• Skin Care
• Body Care
• Etiquette 101
• Accentuate the Positive
• Putting It All Together
• Last Word
• I'm Committed

At the end of the workbook, girls are encouraged to sign a commitment that they are going to apply the lessons and principles they have learned in this book.

What I Like: Growing up, I had a little book that I read and reread about character and beauty. This book has the possibility of being that for my daughter. It teaches girls how to beautiful from the inside out. After teaching girls that God has created them for a special purpose, it shows them what hairstyle suits their facial structure best, how to eat specific foods when in a group setting, and how to greet people they are meeting for the first time.

What I Dislike: I loved everything about this book.

Overall Rating: Excellent

Age Appeal: 8-14-year-olds

Publisher Info: Halo Publishing International, 2013; ISBN: 978-1-61244-126-9 ; paperback, 120 pgs., $16.95

Buy it at Amazon.com for $16.95!

The Story of An Ordinary Lion

In The Story of an Ordinary Lion, by Janet Doolaege, Leo is a lion living in the desert. One day, after suffering a thorn stuck in his paw, a winged lion comes to him in a vision and tells him to go to a nearby monastery. There he will be well cared for.

Leo limps his way to the monastery where he is met with fear and amazement by everyone except Father Jerome. Father Jerome removes the thorn and tells Leo he can stay as long as he likes.

Leo’s paw heals quickly. He decides he likes it at the monastery and has no real wish to leave. He is given the task of guarding Rebecca, the donkey, when she is out hauling firewood for the monks. When Rebecca comes up missing, Leo is accused of killing her and eating her. He is, after all, a lion. But he didn’t do it. How can he convince the monks that he’s innocent?

Only a few colored pictures by Paolo Santoro are scattered through the text, but they are all nicely done.

What I Like: I really like the illustrations. I also like the main theme of the story, that no one and nobody is really ordinary.

What I Dislike: However, having said that, I must point out that the author tries to cover many themes in the story. He mentions the importance of accuracy when translating scriptures, forgiveness, and friendship. He also throws in the idea of logic, winged lions and angels. While all of these are good topics and themes, they just seem like too much to deal with in the same book, especially for children.

Also, the author uses the word “caravanserai” in the text, but that word is never defined. I don’t know what it means. Do you?

And, she uses the phrase “…we ran hell for leather…” which doesn’t seem very appropriate for a book of this nature.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 6-12.

Publisher Info: New Generation Publishing, 2014; ISBN: 9781785070242; Paperback, 112 pages, $11.99.

Buy now at Amazon $11.99!

The Kindle version is also available for $2.99.

101 Things Every Girl Should Know: Expert Advice on Stuff Big and Small

The editors of Faithgirlz and Girls’ Life magazine do it again with another installment in the hit Faithgirlz series. 101 Things Every Girl Should Know is chock full of advice for girls in their tweens. It offers a collection of suggestions on everything from success in the classroom (how to write an essay, ace a test, handle stress, remember anything, read aloud in class) to relationships (how to keep a secret, talk to any guy, be the star at the party) to health issues (busting a bad habit, curing acne, tasty recipes, boosting energy) and more!

The book has a magazine layout and appeal—tons of brightly colored photographs, concise “articles” ranging in length from a single paragraph to two pages, and relevant topics.  There is variety in the entries too. Some are quizzes, recipes, or even directions for how to do something. It is completely readable in small chunks or huge blocks of time! This book would make a great gift for any young teen/tween in your life.

If you like this book, you might want to check out other books in the Faithgirlz series, including Faithgirlz Handbook, Updated and Expanded: How to Let Your Faith Shine Through, Best Hair Book Ever!: Cute Cuts, Sweet Styles and Tons of Tress Tips (Faithgirlz), and Big Book of Quizzes: Fun, Quirky Questions for You and Your Friends (Faithgirlz).

What I Like: Everything. I wish I had a book like this when I was growing up. The tips are helpful and easy to use. I can see how reading this would help boost a girl’s confidence about handling the challenges they face daily. This book would even be appreciated by mainstream readers.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 8-12 (Although I think it could go a bit older).

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2015; ISBN: 978-0310746195; Paperback, 128 pgs., $14.99.

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $10.49.
 
OR Buy it at Amazon.com for $10.37.

When No One Is Watching

When No One is Watching by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by David A. Johnson is a sweet book depicting the inner mind of the shy child.

The little girl on the cover of this beautifully illustrated picture book has all of the spunk and imagination in the world.... when no one is watching. The prose takes the reader through different scenarios in the little girl's day. She is fun, happy, expressive, and in everything until she is around others. Then she becomes quiet and hangs back.

As the mother of a shy boy, this book was a perfect look into his personality. This a definite must for any parent of a shy child.

What I Like: I love the illustrations in this book. They are spunky and full of life and yet so beautifully show the withdraw of the shy child in a larger setting. Children will definitely be able to relate to the illustrations, which will hopefully encourage the shy child to dialogue with their parents.

I especially love that at the end of the story, it is revealed that this shy girl is not shy around everyone. She has one special friend who she can be herself with in complete safety. It is so true to life since shy children do have that small handful of people they feel safe with to be themselves.

What I Dislike: I really liked this book.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4-8 years.

Publisher Info: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2013; ISBN: 978-0802853035; hardcover, 26 pgs., $16.00

Buy it Now at Christianbook.com for $14.40
OR Buy it at Amazon.com for $15.41

Pete & His Gigantic Feet

Carrie Talbott tells the story of Pete & His Gigantic Feet. As you may have guessed from the title, Pete gets bullied at school because he has really big feet. The teasing bothers him. On his way home from school, he walks through the forest. The animals want to know why he is so sad. He tells them that the kids in his school think his feet are too big.

Each animal, in turn, tells Pete they have something unusual/unique about them, but they have turned their uniqueness into something special. For instance, Mr. Beaver points out his great big teeth but he says he needs them to cut down big branches. Mr. Snail says he may be really slow, but he can always find his way back home because he leaves a slimy trail behind him. Spoiler alert: Pete no longer lets his big feet bother him because they help him run faster. They other kids realize that, too, and they no longer tease him about his feet.

The author includes a few Funny Feet Facts in the end of the book.

The illustrations by James W. Elston are bright, colorful and expressive.

What I Like: The lesson is a good one. Pete is able to turn his negative aspect – big feet – into a positive attribute because his big feet help him run faster.

What I Dislike: This book is written in rhyme, and as you probably know, I’m not a big fan of picture book texts in rhyme. Why? Because it’s so difficult to do and do it well. Although the ending words in the text in this book rhyme, the rhythm is off.

Also, although I’m sure the author did it to make a point about different animals having their own unique features, raccoons, skunks, kangaroos, and monkeys wouldn’t all be in the same forest. I know I’m nit-picking, but I thought I’d just point that out to you.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 5-10.

Publisher Info: Westbow Press, 2014; ISBN: 9781490854793; Paperback, $10.95.

Buy now at Amazon $9.94!

Special Info: Visit the illustrator’s website.

Ella Mae: The Courageous Cheerleader

In Ella Mae: The Courageous Cheerleader, Ella Mae is bullied by some of the other cheerleaders in her school. Rather than striking back at them – being mean in return – she chooses to turn the other cheek and repay hurt with kindness. Before long things turn around at her school and the kids no longer think it’s cool to be mean. They even elect her queen for the day at her school.

Author Stephanie Cameron uses Galatians 6:9 as the reference for the story. She also includes a list of three discussion questions at the end of the book (each with its own Bible reference), as well as a suggested prayer and another list of scriptures that can be used for references to the story.

The illustrations are cartoon-like, but they are colorful and work well with the text.

What I Like: Bullying is, unfortunately, something many kids have to face on a daily basis. It’s good to have stories that related to the subject. I also like that the text is based on a true story. And, I like the numerous Bible references used for the text and the study questions.

What I Dislike: The story is written in rhyme, and as you probably know, I am generally not a fan of rhyming text. This is because it is very difficult to write in rhyme and to do it well. Unfortunately, although most of the text does actually rhyme, the rhyme is often forced, making the sentences sound unnatural and throwing off they rhythm of the text.

Also, although the story is about bullying, the reason for the bullying is never mentioned. Why is Ella being bullied?

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: It’s tough to say what the age group is because the story is about cheerleaders. You usually don’t have cheerleaders in elementary school, but the text is written for that age group. So, I’d  have to say ages 8-12 would be appropriate.

Publisher Info: Tate Publishing, 2012; ISBN: 9781628546002; Paperback, $8.99.

Buy the hardcover edition now at Amazon $18.99!

Special Info: A link to an audio download for the story is included with the book.

The Fight for Kidsboro (Adventures in Odyssey)

If your family loves Adventures in Odyssey's radio dramas, your kids are sure to find The Fight for Kidsboro exciting. Because if there's anything better than an Adventures in Odyssey show, it's an Adventures in Odyssey book!

Based on the radio drama of the same name, Kidsboro is written by Marshal Younger and follows the original script closely, though it's not exactly the same: In the woods behind Whit's End, there's a whole little town where no one over 14 years old is allowed. But this means the kids have a lot of struggles to experience: Who's in charge? What to do about the lawsuit against them? And what about the alternate town some other kids created? There's a huge learning curve for the kids - and a way to make Kidsboro a ghost town - or a united kids' town.

What I Like: My children love the audio drama version of Kidsboro and were thrilled when they learned there was a book version they could read. I love the story - because I think it has so much to teach about real life situations, especially conflict and relying upon God. It's also got plenty of action to satisfy young readers.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: The publisher says 8 - 12, but I think kids as young as 6 will enjoy this book as a read aloud.

Publishing Info: Focus on the Family, 2012; ISBN 978-1-58997-675-7 paperback, 321 pgs., $14.99

Buy at Amazon for $13.43; or buy the Kindle version for $10.49.

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The Lion Classic Wisdom Stories

The Lion Classic Wisdom Stories (Lion Classic Series) by Mary Joslin is a collection of beautiful, short stories from around the world, each with a grain of wisdom meant to leave a lasting impression.

Although this book does not fall under the category of "Christian Children's Book", it is still a great book. The stories are pulled from many of our world's cultures which, for me, is always fascinating.

I personally preferred to read this book aloud with my children. Because the stories in it are not inherently "Christian" stories, I wanted to be there to explain, discuss, give a biblical basis for the morals taught, and answer questions about the stories.

What I Like: I really like that Mary Joslin has found 28 intriguing and fascinating stories with great moral lessons and made them easy for children to appreciate. Many of the stories were new to me. The stories are told in such a way that a child's interest is kept and captivated throughout the reading. I also love the illustrations. They really lend to the cultural setting of the book.

What I Dislike: I liked this book very much.

Overall Rating: Very good (only because this book is not a specifically Christian book, just a great  moral book.)

Age Appeal: 5-12 years old

Publisher Info: Lion Hudson, 2013; ISBN: 978-0745963693; hardcover, 128 pgs., $19.99

Buy it from Amazon for $16.08

Fast Freddy

In Fast Freddy by Lee Ann Mancini, it's back to school time in the ocean and all the young fish are excited to see their friends again. But when Miss Mermaid introduces a new student named Freddy, the little fish aren't very kind. Freddy has the head of a shark and the body of an octopus. He looks weird to the kid-fish, and they let him know it by refusing to hang out with him. Miss Mermaid scolds the children: "Making fun of someone just because he's different isn't nice...I'm half human and half fish. Don't you like me?" 

The fish-kids say they love her, and Freddy mentions he swims fast like a shark and is strong like an octypus. "In my old school I was the fastest swimmer and the strongest wrestler." That gives the fish-kids an idea; maybe Freddy could race on the swim team and win the championships for the school. The fish-kids organize pep rallies and begin cheering Freddy on.

When the day of the races arrives, Freddy wins by a landslide. The kids all cheer for him and Freddy says, "Getting an award will be great, but having friends is ever better! I love my new school and all my new friends!" That night, Freddy thanks Jesus for making him "different and special."

The last page of the book is a reminder for children to say their prayers and "always have Jesus in your heart." It also tells children to look for the hidden ichthys (Christian fish symbols) hidden throughout the book.

What I Like: Dan Sharp's illustrations are wonderful. His characters have strong appeal with fun expressions and bright colors. His imaginings of a world under the sea are engaging and sometimes creative. I also like the hidden ichthys, which turn the book into a puzzle, as well as a story.

What I Dislike: I have a fundamental problem with this book. The fish-kids learn to like a "different" kid because he can do something for them: Win the championship - something their school has never done. It would have been so much better if they had learned to treat him like any other "kid" just because, well, he's just like another other kid.

Overall Rating: Ho-hum.

Age Appeal: About preschool - 1st grade

Publishing Info: GLM Publishing, 2015; ISBN 978-0578140766; paperback, 30 pgs., $6.99

Buy at Amazon for $6.99

The Nature Girl, A Guide to Going Green: A Guide to Caring for God's Creation

How green are you? Authors Karen Whitling and Rebecca White encourage everyone to go green. Their book, The Nature Girl, A Guide to Going Green: A Guide to Caring for God’s Creation, is packed with information about what it means to be green and how to do the best you can to help save our planet.

The 10 chapters in the book cover such topics as food, recycling, and being good to the earth, among others. Each chapter has applicable Bible verses sprinkled throughout the text, suggested activities and/or recipes relating to the chapter topic, a list of Eco-Careers that relate to the chapter topic, as well as a short quiz about the chapter. The end matter of the books contains an extensive list of resources the authors used when writing the book.

What I Like: Everything.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 8-teens.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2014; ISBN: 9780310725008; paperback, 170 pages, $7.99.

  

Buy now at ChristianBook $6.29!

Or buy at Amazon $7.11. 

The Kindle edition is available for $4.99.

Special Info: Read our reviews of other books illustrated by Rebecca White .

FaithGirlz Big Book of Quizzes: Fun, Quirky Questions for You and Your Friends

If you’re a teenage girl and you like to take those quizzes you often find in teen magazines, then this is just the book for you. The editors of FaithGirlz have created FaithGirlz Big Book of Quizzes: Fun, Quirky Questions for You and Your Friends.

The book contains more than twenty quizzes divided into four categories: All About You; School Sitches and Stuff; Besties, Boys and Other Bafflers; and Faith and Family. You can explore how you feel about all these topics. Take the quizzes by yourself or do them with your friends.

In addition to the quizzes, there are some topics of interest with good advice for girls such as 7 Ways to Succeed in School and 6 Great Ways to Stay Cool in the Pressure Cooker. This is a great interactive book for girls ages eight to twelve.

What I Like: Everything.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 8-12.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2014; ISBN: 9780310746041; paperback, 128 pages, $12.99.

Buy now at ChristianBook $9.99!

Or buy at Amazon $11.07.

 

Special Info: Read our reviews of other books in the FaithGirlz series. This book is intended for girls.

The Berenstain Bears and the Biggest Brag

In The Berenstain Bears and the Biggest Brag, Brother and Sister bear always seem to one-up each other. If Brother brags he got an A on his math paper, Sister brags she got an A+. If Sister brags she scored a goal in soccer, Brother brags he scored the winning goal. Mama and Papa are pretty tired of it, but reminding the cubs that it's not a loving thing for siblings to do ("You know what the Bible says about love - 'It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud'") doesn't seem to help.

One day Brother and Sister are relaxing, looking at the clouds in the sky. Pretty soon, they start mentioning the shapes they see in them. And, true to form, they begin trying to outdo each other. Their cloud claims grow pretty outrageous, as they claim to see complicated designs such as knights fighting fire breathing dragons with castles and princesses nearby. Pretty soon, their voices are raised, and all they can think about it making the greatest claim.

Then Grizzle Gramps happens by. He says he sees two heads in the clouds. Brother and Sister struggle to see them until Gramps finally says, "Right there...They look like the faces of two of the biggest, bragging-est fools I ever saw." Now the cubs feel foolish and Gramps reminds them, "Remember what the Bible says...'Where there is strife, there is pride.'"

As the siblings walk away, one says, "I bet I win at checkers!" And the other replies, "No, I'm going to win!" But they check themselves, remembering Gramps' wise words.

The book ends with suggested activities and discussion questions.

What I Like: Berenstain Bears books are often a great way to introduce a topic with young children, and this book is no exception. I love that several quotes from the Bible are used. I even like the fact that there's no pat ending; we can see the subs will still struggle with this sin. But we also see that now they want to change their ways.

What I Dislike: Nothing, particularly, although I don't think this is the strongest Berenstain Bear book I've read.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: About 4 - 8.

Publishing Info: Zonderkidz, 2014; ISBN 978-0310734796; paperback, 24 pgs., $3.99

Buy at Amazon for just $3.59

Or buy it for the Kindle for $2.99

Or buy it from ChristianBook.com for $3.49

Undaunted: Daring to Do What God Calls You to Do - Student Edition

Have you ever felt that God has called you to do something special?  Have you answered the call? Or have

you held yourself back because you don’t feel you’re qualified to do the job? You can answer God’s call, whether you feel like you can do it or not. Author Christine Caine says, “God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.”

In Undaunted: Daring to Do What God Calls You to Do – Student Edition, Caine uses the incredible events in her life to illustrate her belief that God has called everyone to live an “undaunted” life. She was abused and abandoned, unnamed and unwanted, but God showed her how be undaunted, even in the face of great adversity. You may not be called to be a missionary in some foreign land, but God can give you the courage to face whatever He wants you to do, so you can be “undaunted,” too.

The book is divided into four sections, each with multiple chapters. Each section ends with a list of discussion questions.

This is a great book for teenagers to read on their own. I think it would also be a good book to be or used for study and discussion with youth groups.

Christine Caine is the director of Equip & Empower Ministries and co-founder of the anti-human trafficking organization, The A21 Campaign.

What I Like: Almost everything.

What I Dislike: The one thing that I didn’t like were the typos I found in the text. There were several of them.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: Teens and up.

Publisher Info: Zondervan, 2013; ISBN: 9780310743101; Paperback, 202 pages, $9.99.

Buy now at ChristianBook $8.19!

Or buy at Amazon.com $9.99.

Special Info: Visit the author’s website.

The Cottage in the Woods

Before I started reading The Cottage in the Woods, I thought it would just be a fluffed up story about what happened to Goldilocks after she was found in Baby Bear’s bed. Of course, that topic was covered, but according to author Katherine Coville, there was more to the story. It is the back story for a fairy tale, but it’s so much more than that, much more than you would expect.

Not only does the reader learn the “real” story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears (in this version they are called the Vaughns and Goldilocks is not the little blond-headed girl’s name), the reader is taught lessons about love, jealousy, prejudice, justice and faith. I was quite surprised by this story as though I believe it was written for a mainstream audience, there is a definite Christian storyline as well.

Every once in a while you read a book that leaves a lasting impression on you for one reason or another. This is one such book. Coville tells a familiar tale with a lot of unexpected twists. She includes characters from other well-known fairy tales and nursery rhymes, all who live in the Enchanted Forest with the Vaughns. She writes with witty humor and a healthy dose of truth. As the blurb on the book says, “Filled with bold twists and turns, this is a beautiful coming-of-age story wrapped in a tale both well-loved and wholly unexpected.”

What I Like: Everything.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 8-12, although I think almost everyone would enjoy it.

Publisher Info: Knopf Books for Young Readers; ISBN: 9780385755733; Hardcover, 400 pages, $12.74.

Buy at Amazon.com $12.74!

Buy the Kindle edition at Amazon $9.78.

On the Scene

On the Scene, written by Robin Caroll, is the second book of the Samantha Sanderson series. Samantha’s (Sam’s) curious nature leads her to search for the truth behind who is bullying her fellow classmate, Nikki. Sam learns from her police officer father that bullying is a serious crime. She suggests writing a series of articles for her middle school newspaper and she gets assigned the job.

Nikki and Sam are not really friends, as Nikki is known as a “mean girl.” But Sam feels bad for Nikki when she finds out Nikki is being bullied. Nikki has a lot on her plate already, as her father has moved out of the house and her parents are threatening to divorce. Sam wouldn’t want her parents to go through a divorce and she doesn’t want to see Nikki’s do that either.

Sam does a lot of digging to get to the bottom of the mystery of who the bully really is. In the process of doing so, she learns a lot about the issue of bullying, discovers the meaning of friendship, and learns how to judge people for herself regardless of popular opinion.

The author has included some discussion questions at the end of the book about events that take place in the text. There is also a blank page for notes for each of the twenty chapters in the book.

What I Like: Bullying is a serious issue. It’s something school administrators no longer take lightly. There is a lot of good information in the story about bullying.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: Middle school students.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2014; ISBN: 9780310742470; Paperback, 264 pages, $8.99.

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Amazon Kindle Edition - $5.12.

 

Special Info: This book is part of the publisher’s FaithGirlz series. Read our reviews of other books in the series. Visit the author’s website.

At the Movies

Sam is an ambitious reporter on her middle school newspaper, hoping to someday become the editor. She then wants to go on to become a journalist for her career, like her mom. Her dad is a cop.

One night, when she is At the Movies with her dad, she accidentally finds a bomb hidden in the movie theater. She stumbles upon it when she makes a trip to the ladies’ room.

Now she has the inside scoop on a story, one that looks to be really big and really important. Her school newspaper publishes news not only about the school and the students in it, but also about things that happen in the community. Sam wants to write a lead story about the bomb for the school newspaper. She gets assigned the story, but the school editor doesn’t like her and looks for ways to take the story away from her. Her dad doesn’t want her working on the story since he is assigned to the case and he thinks it’s a conflict of interest. Her mother stays neutral on the subject, but she always encourages her daughter to pursue her dreams and do the right thing.

Sam can’t resist the temptation of writing a really juicy story. Although she tries to stay within the parameters of both the legal and moral issues, she finds herself in a tough spot when she crosses over the line.

What I Like: Author Robin Caroll has written a compelling story that illustrates the close ties between what’s legal and what’s moral. That’s an issue many people deal with on a daily basis. I think she does a good job of making the story believable for middle school kids.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Age Appeal: Middle school readers.

Publisher Info: Zonderkidz, 2014; ISBN: 9780310742456; Paperback, 272 pages, $8.99.

  

Buy now at ChristianBook $7.19!

Or buy at Amazon.com $8.09.

Amazon Kindle Edition - $5.99.

Special Info: This book is part of the publisher’s FaithGirlz series. Read our reviews of other books in the series. Visit the author’s website.