Spotlight On The Runway

Forcing Paige to share the limelight with me could come with its own set of challenges. Which brings to mind Joseph… and how his own brothers sold him to strangers. Okay, I’m pretty sure my sister wouldn’t sink quite that low. But it does give me pause to wonder.

Book: Spotlight On The Runway by Melody Carlson, Zondervan Publishers, 2010

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 16-20

Subjects: Fashion, Relationship with siblings, teen pregnancy, dating relationships

Summary: Trouble is brewing for On The Runway. The directors want to see Erin step up more and actually share the star role with Paige. Sharing the limelight has never gone over well with Paige though and sure enough, she fights hard to make sure she is the one in the center of attention. Her decisions have costly stakes though when the paparzzi starts exaggerating and twisting the truth in order to give Paige the attention she’s asked for.

Notes: Just like the other books in the On The Runway series, much more is taught about fashion than faith. The boy Erin is most interested in – Blake is a solid Christian who encourages Erin towards prayer and trusting God when Erin talks to him, but those are about the only times. The issues covered are looked at from a moral or logical negative consequences aspect, not spiritual.

Recommendation Scale: 2/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Philippians 2:3-5 – Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus

The Battle

“You have fought your own battles during this war, Thomas”, Papa said. “Right there in your own soul. I think you’ve come through it all feeling God’s hand.”

Book: The Battle (Christian Heritage Series: The Williamsburg Years #12) by Nancy Rue, Focus on the Family Publishing, 1997

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Boys 11-15

Subjects: Revolutionary War, Politics, Friendship, Reputation, Anger, Relationships with family, Secrets

Summary: The war is building up to a climax and more and more of Thomas’ loved ones are being torn away. It’s getting far too dangerous for him and Caroline to play together as the patriots hatred toward the loyalists reaches new and dangerous levels. Both of his brothers are gone. And now even Dr. Quincy – who doesn’t believe in fighting at all – is going off willingly in order to doctor the soldiers! By the time this war is over, will there be anything good left?

Notes: This story focuses on the life of a young boy growing up as a patriot during the time of the Revolutionary War. His best friend and teacher are loyalists – some of the only ones in town, so he finds himself in the midst of much tension there. Then there’s tension within his own home as his father tends towards a more peaceful approach and his brother is determined to run off and join the army. It’s a story of growing up, and a story of growing in knowledge of and relationship with God. In this book, the war comes to it’s conclusion but with it comes the death of a loved one and the loss due to a move, of another. Thomas has to deal with the worst blows yet. But he also has the opportunity to grow that much stronger spiritually as he turns to God with his hurts and struggles.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

The Invasion

All he could think about was the gun pointed at Caroline’s head. It was steaming hot there on the stairs. What if the captain’s hand grew sweaty and his finger slipped on the trigger? What is somebody moves suddenly and he jerks and accidentally shoots her? What if Caroline… gets killed? What should I do?

Book:The Invasion (Christian Heritage Series: The Williamsburg Years #5)by Nancy Rue, Focus on the Family Publishing, 1997

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Boys 11-15

Subjects: Revolutionary War, Politics, Friendship, Reputation, Anger, Relationships with family, Secrets

Summary: Home again! Thomas and his family are spending a bit of time back at their plantation after seeing Clayton off to England to become ordained. Better still, Caroline and Malcom and Patsy are with him! Soon though, they learn that they are actually in danger even here. The new overseer on the plantation is cruel to the servants – including Malcom and even worse, the British soldiers are coming to terrorize the plantation with the intent of stealing anything they can get their hands on. Worse still is that the captain of this group of soldiers appears to be a bit mentally unstable and captures Caroline!

Notes: This story focuses on the life of a young boy growing up as a patriot during the time of the Revolutionary War. His best friend and teacher are loyalists – some of the only ones in town, so he finds himself in the midst of much tension there. Then there’s tension within his own home as his father tends towards a more peaceful approach and his brother is determined to run off and join the army. It’s a story of growing up, and a story of growing in knowledge of and relationship with God. In this book, Thomas and his friends have to find a way to stand up against the evil men who are intent on harming them and Thomas himself has to grow up and truly be the man of the house while his father is gone. He has to stand up to the overseer in order to protect Malcom and the other servants.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Timothy 4:12 – Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

The Thief

Just before he passed out, he realized it wasn’t Francis’ voice he heard in his head, but someone else’s right beside him. It was that someone else who caught him in his arms before he went limp.

Book: The Thief (Christian Heritage Series: The Williamsburg Years #2) by Nancy Rue, Focus on the Family Publishing, 1996

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Boys 11-15

Subjects: Revolutionary War, Politics, Friendship, Reputation, Anger, Relationships with family, Secrets

Summary: There’s a new kid in the household and Thomas is NOT happy about it! Malcolm is older than he is and it isn’t long before it seems as though he’s more popular too. Caroline seems quite fond of him. Thomas can’t stand him but getting into a fight will just make his father disappointed in him again. But it’s so hard to resist when so many things in life are such a mess. There’s a thief in town and the townspeople are blaming his Caroline’s family – her father, and brother, Thomas’ respected teacher, since they are the only Loyalist family left in town.

Notes: This story focuses on the life of a young boy growing up as a patriot during the time of the Revolutionary War. His best friend and teacher are loyalists – some of the only ones in town, so he finds himself in the midst of much tension there. Then there’s tension within his own home as his father tends towards a more peaceful approach and his brother is determined to run off and join the army. It’s a story of growing up, and a story of growing in knowledge of and relationship with God. In this book, Thomas has to struggle with his anger again and once more things around him change. There are new people in his life that he is supposed to respect. The trouble between Caroline’s family and the rest of the town continues to mount and the war looms closer and closer to home.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

2 Timothy 2:23 – Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.

From Darkness Won

Achan winced at a throb in his head. “But how can I stand against such power? Such evil? “You can’t. But Arman can and will.” Achan swallowed an angry report. People threw that phrase around as if it were nothing more than a greeting. Arman will do this. Arman will do that. Trust Arman. But Achan was the one prophesied to push back Darkness. He did not doubt Arman would help him, but he still felt overwhelmed, insignificant, and clueless as to what he would need to do.

Book: From Darkness Won by Jill Williamson, Marcher Lord Press, 2011

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

Target Audience: Boys and Girls 16+

Subjects: Faith in God, Trust in His plan, Love, friendship

Summary: Achan has accepted Arman fully and is putting his trust in Arman and His plans, but the evil is so strong, so prevalent. Darkness isn’t getting pushed back, but rather, it’s growing. Vrell has fled, relying on her pride and trusting her fears rather than Arman or Achan and his love. Now she’s in danger and Achan doesn’t even know where she is. The truth about his parents’ death is being revealed and Achan is facing an enemy more evil and more powerful than he realized.

Notes: This, the 3^rd in the Blood of the Kings series focuses on Achan and the followers of Arman preparing for the battle and the battle itself. Achan has come to accept that He has to put his trust in Arman, but now has to take action on that faith. It’s the same with Vrell. She recognizes the wrong in her actions and has to repent and turn from them and start pursuing right choices. The first part of the book is her continuing to make the wrong choices that nearly lead to her demise. The second part of the book is her attempting to make right choices despite her stubborn nature. This book, like the last one, focuses a lot on the action, but the moments focusing on spiritual content are very well done, even challenging me as I read it.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

2 Peter 1:5-8 – For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To Darkness Fled

He wanted to look on Arman’s face. “I trusted You!” he yelled to the tall window. “I listened to Sir Gavin. I listened to Sir Caleb. I’ve done what everyone said. I’m trying to do what You want for Er’Rets. I serve despite my own desires. So why do you betray me?”

Book: To Darkness Fled by Jill Williamson, Marcher Lord Press, 201

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure

Target Audience: Boys and Girls 16+

Subjects: Faith in God, Trust in His plan, Love, friendship

Summary: Achan is accepting more and more that his destiny is to be king of Er’Rets. He’s doing all that Sir Gavin and Sir Caleb teach him as they travel through the darkness in hopes of building an army to combat the darkness and overthrow the evil that rules their land. And Achan is learning more about Arman as he faces situation after situation that threaten his life and the lives of those he cares for, and perhaps, even loves. Vrell is getting closer and closer to home and longing all the more for the comfort of her mother and the opportunity to throw off this disguise and become herself again. But how will she ever tell Achan the truth? Will they even live that long?

Notes: This is the 2^nd in the Blood of the Kings series. This particular book feels a lot like an adventure story as the characters journey through the darkness, stopping at various places along their way. Each place they stop holds a new adventure and challenge for them to face – from conniving females with magic love potions to warriors with the ability to duplicate themselves. It’s the story of Achan’s spiritual journey as well. When he finally loses what he cares about the most, he calls desperately on God (Arman) who shows up and finally claims Achan’s whole being. The book is thick and filled with many action scenes but those scenes that focus on Achan or Vrell’s interactions with Arman are nothing short of beautiful and powerful.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Isaiah 55:9 - “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The Burden

“Whose burden do I bear now?” he said out loud. If it’s Sam, he could get hurt or even killed! And if it’s Caroline’s – if I don’t tell what she heard Alexander say – Sam could get hurt or even killed!

Book: The Burden (Christian Heritage Series: The Williamsburg Years #9) by Nancy Rue, Focus on the Family Publishers, 1997

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Boys 11-15

Subjects: Revolutionary War, Politics, Friendship, Reputation, Anger, Relationships with family, Secrets

Summary: The Fearsome Trio are not much of a trio these days. Secrets are doing them in. Each of them know something that could hurt a loved one if the word got out, so when the pastor preaches that they are to bear one another’s burdens, they keep quiet and do their best to bear up under the weight of these burdens. But these secrets are heavy burdens - life or death matters and that’s proven when Thomas finds himself at the wrong end of a gun being held by a man who is mentally ill.

Notes: This story focuses on the life of a young boy growing up as a patriot during the time of the Revolutionary War. His best friend and teacher are loyalists – some of the only ones in town, so he finds himself in the midst of much tension there. Then there’s tension within his own home as his father tends towards a more peaceful approach and his brother is determined to run off and join the army. It’s a story of growing up, and a story of growing in knowledge of and relationship with God. In this book, Thomas and his friends all three learn what it means to carry one another’s burdens and how that relates to trusting the adults in your life with the secrets you’re holding. At the end, Thomas’ father calls all three of the children before him and explains that God gives us crosses to bear, but wants us to be free from burdens weighing us down, keeping us from drawing near to Him.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

The Rebel

”My mind is made up. You will not mar the Hutchinson name, nor will you waste the life the Lord has given you being stubborn and selfish. Not if I have anything to do with it – and I promise you, son, I do.

Book: The Rebel (Christian Heritage Series: The Williamsburg Years #1) by Nancy Rue, Focus on the Family/Bethany House Publishers, 1996

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Boys 11-15

Subjects: Revolutionary War, Politics, Friendship, Reputation, Anger, Relationships with family

Summary: Thomas feels angry at everything these days. He’s angry that his father is never around and when he is, he takes little interest in Thomas. He’s angry at the tensions in the air due to the differing political views during this time of the revolutionary war. He’s angry at being forced out of boyhood and into manhood and more responsibilities are placed on him. He’s angry at having his older brother take on the role of both father and teacher in his life. And he’s just plain angry at life. When his father takes him and his family to Williamsburg, Thomas is confident everything will get worse, but instead, he finds a friend, begins to learn neat things from his teacher and thrive in his apprentice to an apothecary. Just when things start going good though, the war tears him away from all of it. His family has different political views than some of those he cares about and those views seem to require a distance between them. Is it even possible to keep a friend in these challenging times?

Notes: This story focuses on the life of a young boy growing up as a patriot during the time of the Revolutionary War. His best friend and teacher are loyalists – some of the only ones in town, so he finds himself in the midst of much tension there. Then there’s tension within his own home as his father tends towards a more peaceful approach and his brother is determined to run off and join the army. It’s a story of growing up, and a story of growing in knowledge of and relationship with God. In this book, Thomas just begins to recognize God as Someone who is actually there and could actually be talked to and who could actually help him with his struggles.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Colossians 4:2 –Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

The Reluctant prophet

My life had been snatched away and replaced with someone else’s – some other Allison who took in prostitutes and fatherless boys with half-mothers and rode a Harley into the ‘hood.

Book: The Reluctant Prophet: A Novel (The Reluctant Prophet Series) by Nancy Rue, David C. Cook Publishing, 2010

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Women 16 and up

Subjects: Showing love to others, drugs, prostitutes, Church

Summary: Allison has longed for God to tell her what to do for 7 years, but she certainly never expected Him to tell her to go buy a motorcycle and take it to the first part of town! So when she first hears His voice, she denies it, confident she is wrong. But she finally has to admit that He is speaking to her, or “nudging” her and He really does have an unbelievable plan for her! Next thing she knows, she has a house full of prostitutes on withdrawal from drugs and a juvenile delinquent and neighbors complaining about motorcycles driving into the neighborhood at all hours of the day and night! Her life has just undergone a radical change and all because she dared to listen to that nudge!

Notes: This is a beautiful story of someone  choosing to follow God and do extreme things for Him! Allison is a prophet, someone who speaks the words of God and challenges others to follow Him as well. Her Church  Bible study group does not look at all with favor on what she is doing and gets the most challenge. She challenges them to stop making converts that can contribute to the Church offering plate and add to their tallies of people saved, but rather to go out and love people and treat them the way Christ would. They dare to say the government has programs for people like this but it doesn’t stop Allison from following Christ herself instead of dumping that job on the government. Allison faces life-threatening and heart breaking situations and keeps doing what it takes to follow Christ. I highly recommend this book to anyone who dares open themselves up to what following Christ really means.
 

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Matthew 25:40 – The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

False Friends and True Strangers

They have this process for getting what they want. First, they just expect to get what they want, so usually they do. If that doesn’t automatically work, then they have enough nerve to just go to the person who has what they want and tell that person to give it back to them. Or they just take whatever it is. And if that doesn’t get them there or if somebody gets suspicious, they issue a warning – like a nasty warning.

Book: False Friends and True Strangers by Nancy Rue, Zondervan Publishers, 2003

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-19

Subjects: Shoplifting, bullying, truth

Summary: For a teenager with an active social life, the need to get a job because of running into a popular kid’s car is nothing less than a tragedy. When Duffy catches a fellow employee helping her friends shoplift though, it gets even worse. The popular crowd at school now has multiple reasons to be out to get here, including her unwillingness to surrender her role in the musical to one of them. And it seems they will stop at absolutely nothing to get what they want. If they don’t automatically get it because of their popularity, they will demand it, just take it or hurt someone in an attempt to get it. Laura wants to do what’s right, but telling the truth could put her in even greater danger and she has certainly been warned, both by friends and enemies to not mess with this crowd.

Notes: This story is about truth and boldness. Laura Duffy knows things that could hurt her and has to decide whether or not to speak the truth about these things. Her friends warn her that it could come with a very high cost, but she is determined to do it. As she wrestles with her decision, her counselor has her looking up verses that help her figure out what the right decision is. She is continuing, in this 2^nd book in the ‘Nama Beach High series to search for keys of power. In this book, she discovers the key of obedience. The cost was high, but when her friends ask her if it was worth it, she sees all the treasure that came from her paying the price of obedience and assures them that it was.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Matthew 16:19 – I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 6:19 –Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

New Girl In Town

“I’m not done exploding,” I said. “’Cause you know what, I’m not gonna be this wimp anymore. I’m going to take some control.” 
“How do you plan to do that?” Joy Beth said. 
I looked at her and felt my face collapsing. “I have no idea.” I said.

Book: New Girl in Town ('Nama Beach High) by Nancy Rue, Zondervan Publishers, 2003

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-19

Subjects: Trust in God, friendship, dating relationships, relationships with parents, suicide

Summary: Control. Laura Duffy has very little of it and is very sick of not having it. Her parents up and move her to this new town, stick her in a new school, keep up a perfect 4.0 GPA, be a free babysitter for her little sister every single day, and be completely ok with all of this. When she finds herself in the counselor’s office for hitting a girl with a backpack when she accidentally found herself in the middle of a fight, she makes a choice to start fighting for some more control of her life. But that’s not gonna be an easy thing, and when circumstances spiral even more out of control, she’s not sure it’s even possible and isn’t entirely sure she even wants to live anymore.

Notes: This story is all about control and surrender. Laura Duffy gets so fed up with her life she willingly starts talking to the school counselor in an attempt to get some control. The counselor is a Christian, who, when she discovers Laura is as well, offers Biblical suggestions to her and teaches her to listen for God’s voice and learn how to surrender control to Him. At first, this advice only frustrates her all the more. She even tries the boyfriend route at the advice of a new friend. But her desperation for control even messes that up. She attempts to do the listening thing like her counselor suggests, but can’t even do that and until she reaches complete breaking point, she isn’t willing to surrender control to God. When she does her counselor says she has learned one of the “keys of her secret power”. This is the first in a beautiful, amazing four book series and Duffy learns more “keys” to power, all focused on following God wholeheartedly.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

John 15:5 – “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

The Janis Project

Long after she’s taken off on her ten-speed, I was still sitting there, trying to put new locks on my Janis doors. “Who asked for her opinion?” I tried that one. “He doesn’t really like me. He’s just being nice because his father’s a preacher”. I gave that one a go, too. Neither one of them worked. In fact, I had the slightly scary feeling that none of my doors had locks on them anymore.

Book: The Janis Project by Nancy Rue, Crossway books, 1988

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-19

Subjects: Friendship, dating relationships, bullying, Faith in God

Summary: Janis has always been shy, painfully she. Some think she’s mute. When she and her dad move to a new town though, she gets discovered. The coach and some kids in her class find out that she’s a great runner and recruit her for the track team before she can say no. Soon she finds multiple people determined to break through her barriers and become her friend. One boy in particular is so successful that Janis is developing a serious crush on him. But when she opens her heart, he rejects it. She of course feels devastated that this was the result of her finally opening up to someone and let down by God as well! It takes a track accident and a serious illness to make her rethink her decisions.

Notes: This is an old book but a good one. It’s the story of a girl who as she describes it has doors “locked” inside of her and the story of what happens when people break through those locks and knock the whole door down. It’s also a look about having faith in God even when trials come. One of her new friends is convinced that if you are walking with Christ nothing bad can happen to you. So when trouble strikes, he sees It as God rejecting him and abandoning him. Janis has to reevaluate her own beliefs about God and her decisions to distance herself from others. It’s a very good look at two highschoolers wrestling with faith in the midst of ordinary trials such as illness, dating relationships gone bad and bullying.

Recommendation Scale: 4.5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

James 1:2-4 –Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Sophie's Secret

”What do you want most in the world right now, right his very second?” “I want my father to stand up for me, just once,” she said. “Instead of always saying everything that happens is my fault and telling me what I should have done different.” Dr. Peter nodded as he handed her the paper. “It’s time to dig in with God, then, Loodle. I think this is going to help you meet the challenge.”

Book: Sophie’s Secret by Nancy Rue, Zondervan Publishers, 2004

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 11-15

Subjects: Relationship with parents, bullying, growing up

Summary: Sophie’s grades are improving in school and she’s focusing her daydreaming on filming instead of getting in trouble. But nothing has changed in her relationship with her dad. He still just wants her to be a clone of her athletic sister. He still goes out of his way for her and only finds fault with Sophie. While excavating the attic Sophie discovers some information that may reveal why. When the Corn Pops start their bullying at school again, and Sophie’s dad is called in, everything comes to a head and Sophie risks losing everything she has been working for.

Notes: The 2^nd in the Faithgirlz Sophie series, this book deals with the relationship between a young girl and her father. Sophie has never felt loved by her dad and when she finds hints that she may have been adopted she realizes that’s likely the reason for his lack of love for her. Throughout the story, the counselor she sees encourages her to stay “in God space” and “dig” for answers in the Bible as he gives her passages to study and challenges her to think deeply about them. Sophie finds that when she’s mad, it’s easy to get into “no God space” and realizes that she doesn’t enjoy it there and has to actively work to keep out of that.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

2 Corinthians 4:18 - So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

I Only Binge On Holy Hungers

Why isn’t God answering any of my prayers then? I was thinking. It took me all about two seconds to figure that one out. Because you messed up so bad, I answered myself. You can’t go around swiping stuff and then expect God to come to your rescue.

Book: I Only Binge on Holy Hungers (Raise the Flag) by Nancy Rue, Waterbrook Press, 1998

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-19

Subjects: Stealing, Foster Care, Relationships with family, friendship, prayer

Summary: It’s Brianna’s birthday! Cheyenne wants so bad to be able to give her a gift, something special, something that shows how much she appreciates the girls lettings her be a part of their prayer group and being her friend. But she has no money. So she makes a choice, an impulsive choice, and one that she deeply regrets but doesn’t know how to undo. She steals some beads to make jewelry for Brianna. But that’s just the start of the problems! One thing leads to another and soon she’s in so deep, she sees no hope for ever getting out. To make things worse, her alcoholic birth mom is contacting her asking to see her again just when she’s gotten settled in a foster family where she is truly loved and cared about.

Notes: This is the 3^rd in the six book series; Raise The Flag. In the first book six girls show up for See You At The Pole and begin to form a friendship and prayer group. In this book, Cheyenne learns about hungering for God. She had drawn away, assuming He didn’t want her because of her mistakes. She recognizes His great love for her and desire to have her draw near with her problems. I highly recommend this book as well as the others in this series.

Matthew 5:6 – Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Lucy's Perfect Summer

Dear God: Why my life is just about perfect:

Book: Lucy's Perfect Summer (Faithgirlz! / A Lucy Novel) by Nancy Rue, Zonderkidz

Genre: Realistic fiction

Target Audience: Girls 12 and up

Subjects: Family relationships,, obedience, blindness, friendship

Summary: As much time to practice soccer as she wants. That's only one of the reasons it's going to be a perfect summer! But when a flash flood starts off the summer leading to Lucy & J.J. being in actual danger, her dad's supervisors doubting his abilities and their soccer field destroyed, the perfect summer doesn't seem so perfect after all. When Mr. Auggy enrolls them all in a soccer camp things are looking up... until a bully threatens to ruin everything. Lucy is called to make some tough choices. She knows what God wants her to do, but doing it is NOT going to be easy. Just like Esther, the latest Bible story Inez is telling Lucy & Mora, Lucy seems to have been placed here for such a time as this.

Notes: Meet Lucy, an 11 year old tomboy who wants to be a soccer star, doesn't comprehend the whole "boyfriend" thing, desperately wants to avoid being put into a bra by her aunt, and who doesn't fit in at school because she's not Hispanic and almost everyone else is and she's in the "dumb" class even though she's smart, because soccer is much more worth pursuing than spelling.
In Lucy's Perfect Summer Lucy learns about Queen Esther and how she used her position of influence to make a difference. She risked her dreams to stand up for someone else. That's exactly what Lucy has to do. Just like Esther, it doesn't come easy.

Esther 4:14 – For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

Lily’s Ultimate Party

"I bet it takes a lot to make a party perfect," Lily said. "I certainly wouldn't know." There was more twitching. "But I do know you're going to find out everything there is to know and then some."

Book: Lily’s Ultimate Party by Nancy Rue, Zondervan, 2001

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 12-14

Subjects: Growing up, identity, friendship

Summary: The ultimate party and the first ever boy-girl party! That's what Lily is planning! And it's gonna be awesome, absolutely, incredibly, awesome! At least... it would be if Art's new dog would stop destroying things, her visiting grandma would stop forcing Lily to waste all her time learning how to be a perfect young lady, and her friends would actually have time to help her... oh and if Zooey would stop freaking out and saying she doesn't want to come! The date of the party gets closer and closer and closer but things just seem to keep falling apart!

Notes: Lily is planning a party for the sole purpose of impressing the other kids. She is so determined to follow the plan of a party she saw in a 1970's magazine that she doesn't care if it leaves someone out. Zooey is worried about how fat she looks in a swimsuit and knows the kids will tease her like the do at swim lessons. Yet Lily continues trying to plan a pool party that will cause her to feel left out. When Mudda has a heart attack and realizes she needs to slow down and stop working so hard to be perfect and impress others, Lily realizes she needs to do the same. Having a party is great, but doing it for the purpose of impressing others? Not so great.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Psalm 145:4-7 – One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.