I recently found myself reading I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. It’s a young adult historical novel about life in communist Romania as well as the revolution that upended it. One of the things this novel does so well is paint a picture of the regime of terror...
Another writer, K.A. Cummins, suggested we create a fractured tale for our main characters from our very-different family-friendly stories. She gave us the ground rules: a Victorian market, the dragon is transformed into a human for this encounter, and some plot...
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Dawn Ford leads the reader on a young adult fantasy journey spanning two worlds. Tambrynn hates her indentured servitude, basically slavery since there seems to be no end in sight. She’s been a kitchen helper/scrubber of things...
My book The Long Shadow, a time-travel tale for ages 13-14, has been chosen for a big giveaway. 20+ Christian authors offer books that appeal to homeschoolers, including S.D. Smith @sdsmithereens, @littlepilgrimbook, @wolfbanebooks, @tuttle_twins and @tuttletwinstv ....
Spark by J.M. Hackman tells the Christian fantasy tale of Brenna, a Pennsylvania schoolgirl just turning 16. Brenna discovers to her dismay that flames shoot from her fingertips when she’s angry. After she sets a school display on fire, causing the sprinkler system to...
In Mulan: Before the Sword, Grace Lin takes her turn as storyteller of the Chinese folk tale of Mulan, female warrior of old. In Lin’s story, Mulan is a young teenager, living with her parents and younger sister. When a magical spider bites her sister and sends...
His Gift by Joan C. Benson tells the inspirational story of a gifted teenage concert pianist. Molly has entered a competition sponsored by the Detroit Symphony in the fateful fall of 1929. Can she compete with all the other skilled young people? Might she even win?...
Sometimes I stray from my core mission of reviewing middle grade novels. This novel is almost a middle-grade novel. After all, its narrator is twelve, perfect for middle grade. But the real protagonist is thirteen or fourteen, a boy who’s already lived enough...
In this young-adult book, Kia, a shy biracial kid whose issues usually keep her hiding in the shadows, is just entering high school. When a cool new coach shows up, she decides to join the track team. Turns out she’s good at it, because she’s been working on the new...
