The Taming of Roberta Parsley

“Shut up, you ugly witch!” Roberta barked at her. Tiffany’s mouth opened in surprise. Then her eyes narrowed, and her mouth turned down at the corners. Tiffany was really really mad. And Tiffany doesn’t turn the other check very easily. I knew it then. This was going to be the worst project any of us had ever done.

Book: The Taming of Roberta Parsley (I Witness) by Carol Gorman, Concordia Publishing House, 1994

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 10-14

Subjects: Friendship, Showing love to others, Poverty

Summary: She’s horrid! They all knew it from the first moment she stepped into the classroom and sneered at all of them. The real trouble began when their teacher divided everyone into groups for a social studies project. Juliet and her friends wound up having Roberta in their group, stinky, thieving, insulting Roberta. The very first day trouble begins as Roberta insults Tiffany. Not even Brit’s kindness can solve this one. Juliet knows a disaster when she sees it and that’s exactly what this social studies project will be!

Notes: This is a story of a girl from a very under-privileged home – her mom doesn’t seem to care much about her and there isn’t a dad in the picture. She seems to only own one outfit until the day her mom helps her steal a second. She’s learned to cope with her struggles by determinedly attacking first so no one can hurt her. Some girls in her new class reach out in kindness and it makes a difference for her. Juliet and her classmates are encouraged to turn the other cheek and show God’s love to Roberta and when they do, they see the power His love has to change a person.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4.5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Matthew 5:43-48 – "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Redheaded Orphan

“Don’t you know God didn’t make ladybugs to live in a barn?” he said aloud. “And he didn’t make me to live in Bellfield, Minnesota or go back to Bron’s school, either.”

Book: The Redheaded Orphan (Ben and Zack, Bk 3) by L. Travis, Baker House Publishing, 1995

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Boys 10-14

Subjects: Civil War, Friendship, Change (moving), Loss

Summary: It’s just going to be the same here as it is everywhere else. No one likes a preacher who isn’t afraid to speak truth and that’s what his dad does. With Zack gone there’s nothing for him here anyway. Finding a new friend seems to help, but that new friend may not be all that loyal – course who would be when faced with the treat of the teacher’s whipping stick? It’s just one thing after another. All Ben wants is for everything to go back to the way it was before – before the trouble with the war, before the moves, before Zack left to join the army, before all the change!

Notes: Third in the Ben and Zack series, this book focuses exclusively on Ben outside of a couple letters providing updates on Zack. The Civil War continues as do the other trials and challenges of the time. The Orphan Train comes to town bringing more needy children. Teachers hold great power over the lives of their students as the smallest infraction results in a whipping. Epidemics can wipe out many in a small community. And the indentured servant system is alive and well as is slavery in certain parts of the country. Ben is having a hard time adjusting to the change – new home, new school, new friends. This book takes a look at what it means to be a good friend – a theme carried out in some of the others, but really focused on in this one. A misunderstanding leads to a broken relationship and it’s up to Ben to do what it takes to mend that brokenness. This book also deals with another change for Ben – loss of a loved one. He has to work through that some as well, although the adventure elements overshadow this element. As with others in the series, there is some level of spiritual element – Ben is a Christian and prays occasionally, but it’s not necessarily dominate in the story.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Thief From Five Points

“The day I left your aunt’s house I found a note from my old gang saying they had Nat, and if I wanted to see him alive again, I’d better come back where I belonged.”

Book: The Thief from Five Points (Ben and Zack Series, Bk. 2) by L. Travis, Baker House Publishing

  

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Boys 10-14

Subjects: Civil War, Friendship, Charity, Salvation

Summary: The trip to New York seems like a breath of fresh air to Ben who is tired of all the attacks by bullies just because his father preaches love for enemies instead of hate. That’s not exactly what the trip is for the boys though! Right away they’re assigned to help Ben’s aunt as she visits the slums of the city reaching out to the poor and hurting. Charity is all well and good but Ben and Zack didn’t have any intentions of getting personally involved until the mystery came up. Lettie, the young serving girl working for Ben’s Aunt and Uncle disappears without a trace. Then the boys see her stealing – exactly the sort of thing she had supposedly left behind when she became a Christian. Some opportunities to spy around and find out what’s going on put Ben and Zack right in the middle of a blizzard, rivaling gangs and secrets that could mean the difference between life and death for the holders of the secrets.

Notes: Second in the Ben and Zack series, this book focuses more on reaching the lost and hurting than the war. The story gives at least a glimpse of five different kids trying to survive alone on the streets and an overall picture of the poverty and hurting in the slums. It also gives a picture of the power Christians have to make a difference as they reach out and love the broken. The strongest spiritual element in this story is the exchanges between Lettie and her brother as she seeks to share the Gospel with him.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

2 Samuel 22:3 – My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my Savior-- from violent men You save me.

Captured By A Spy

“If I had me way, you’d both be in the river and out of my way. Course, you might still fetch me a pretty penny,” he added, pushing his pistol against Zack’s shoulder. “Move along, now.”

Book: Captured by a Spy (Ben and Zack, Book 1) by L. Travis, Baker House Publishing Group 1995

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Boys 10-14

Subjects: Civil War, Friendship, Slavery, Mercy

Summary: They didn’t mean any harm! They just wanted a closer look at the war ship before it sailed out the next morning. So Ben & Zack took the raft out but got caught in a storm and tried to take shelter in an old cabin, not knowing some of the rebels were using it as a base! Now they’re in the hands of the enemy being made to work as slaves. Their only hope for escape lies in the hands of another prisoner, but one who is also their enemy!

Notes: First in the Ben and Zack series, this book focuses on the struggles between the North and the South and how hard it was to live among people who did not share your views. Ben is picked on because his dad preaches love rather than war. And when the boys make their escape they face a difficult choice: turn in the very one who saved their lives or break the law. The biggest spiritual element in this story is where to put your trust. Ben puts his trust in God whereas Zack puts his trust in a good luck charm until he finally prays and tells God that he’ll put his trust in Him if God gets them out of the danger they are in. So there are spiritual elements, but it’s not necessarily dominate in the story.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Psalm 56:3 – When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

Native Son

With black humor he reflected that it had been scant weeks since his rescue from a British scaffold. This was becoming a bad habit. At the thought, he grimaced, then rage rose in him. God had used Elizabeth to save him – for what? For this? To be captured and tortured to death like an animal? Or to live the degraded life of a slave? He found himself berating God for His indifferent cruelty. Why could he not have been allowed to die like a man and be spared this? How could this be God’s will?

Book: Native Son by J. M. Hochstetler, Sheaf House Publishers, 2005

Target Audience: Girls 17+

Subjects: American Revolution, Family Relationships, Dating Relationships, War, Forgiveness

Summary: The Oriole and the Patriot have been saved from the hangman’s noose, but their sacrifices aren’t done yet. They beg to be allowed to marry, but the Revolution still has need of them. The Oriole’s services are needed as a spy still and the Patriot is needed as a negotiator to the native peoples. They’re going to be separated by hundreds of miles and short of walking out on the cause they’ve pledged their allegiances to, there’s nothing they can do about it. Despite their concerns, they each embark on their quests, bravely fighting until news comes to Elizabeth that Carleton has been captured by one of the native tribes that is hostile to the white. So each one faces their personal battles – Carleton as he fights for survival against those who want to torture and kill him, and Elizabeth as she fights for word of where he is and what has happened to him as he seems to have simply vanished into thin air.

Notes: Set at the beginning of the American Revolution, Native Son is the second in The American Patriot Series. This one has the characters significantly more mature, particularly Elizabeth. It portrays her as truly a grown woman, young, but ready for an adult life. It intensifies the violence of the war as well. In this one Carleton faces some extremely violent challenges at the hands of his captors. The huge spiritual element covered in this one is the question of where is God when suffering comes. Elizabeth suffers not knowing the fate of the man she loves and going at the challenges of the war on her own with her family in Europe and her loved one gone. Carleton suffers in his captivity. Both have to turn to God for strength.

 It’s definitely an adventure book with action and suspense being the focus, but the spiritual elements that are there are well done.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4/5

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.

Roadside Assistance

“I feel like I’m an empty shell of the person I was before you died, Mom, stuck on some road I can’t seem to find my way off. I don’t know how I’ll ever feel whole again. If you can see this, Mom, would you somehow send me a sign? Can you tell me how to feel like myself again? Can you help me get Zander back? More importantly, can you tell me how to reconnect with you and with God? Can you show me how to pray?”

Book: Roadside Assistance by Amy Clipston, Zondervan Publishers, 2013

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-19

Subjects: Loss of loved one, family relationships, dating relationships, prayer

Summary: Chevys are the only thing she understands anymore. Or rather, the time spent working on them is the only time she feels like she understands herself. Ever since her mom died, everything else has continued to go wrong. Her dad lost his car repair business, they lost their house, they had to move in with wealthy relatives who clearly look down on her for preferring engine grease to make up, her boyfriend broke up with her and most of all, it seems God has left her too as her cries for help are getting her nowhere. Will life ever be ok again?

Notes: A powerful story of a teen girl struggling to find her identity, Roadside Assistance journeys Whitney’s road to find hope again after her mom dies. After moving in with her relatives she starts to find hope in a relationship with the boy next door but after that relationship ends too, along with it, the only opportunity she has to work on cars, she sinks even further into desperation. An accident that puts her dad in the hospital brings her to breaking point and she finally reconciles with God and realizes that He never left her and was there in all the little details of things that went right. Another issue in the story is her relationship with her cousin. The aunt and grandma are always comparing Whitney to her cousin and Whitney is coming up far short. But throughout the story, she slowly realizes that her cousin is actually defending her to them and offering a friendship. She also struggles with her relationship with dad as he refuses to talk about her mom anymore or listen to what she says her needs are. She comes to realize that he is grieving in a different way than she and accepts that even as he recognizes he needs to acknowledge her needs as well. Overall the story does a good job illustrating the spiritual lessons taught and weaves a powerful story through the midst of it.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

James 1:16-17 – Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Reckless Heart

With a sigh, Lydia closed her eyes and swallowed a lump in her throat. The pressure her family had placed on her was almost too much to bear. And she’d never felt more alone in her life.

Book: Reckless Heart by Amy Clipston, Zondervan Publishers, 2013

Genre: Amish Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-19

Subjects: Amish lifestyle and faith, family relationships, friendship, dating relationships, serious illness, alcohol

Summary: All it takes is one mistake. Just giving in to the overwhelming pressure one time. As if she wasn’t weighed down enough already, now she has to live with the guilt and fear that someone will find out what she did. If only things weren’t so hard! All she wants is to be a normal sixteen year old again! She wants to attend youth events with her friends, she wants the boy she likes to pay attention to her. She wants to take time to just relax instead of working two jobs, taking care of the household and playing mother to her younger siblings. But with her mom sitting at the hospital caring for her sister who has cancer, all sense of normality is gone. Everyone just assumes she’ll step up and take care of everything without complaint. No one seems to care what she thinks or how much she’s hurting inside.

Notes: Set in an Amish culture, this is the story of a girl who has to grow up fast when her sister is diagnosed with cancer and sent to the hospital for treatments. She takes on the job of helping in her grandmother’s bakery, cooking and caring for the house, and mothering her other two siblings in addition to her normal responsibilities which include being an assistant teacher at the schoolhouse every day. It isn’t even all the responsibilities that overwhelm her though, it’s the feeling of being alone, of having no support from her friends or family as she takes these things on. When she dares to speak her feelings, she gets yelled at and grounded. This book really emphasizes the legalism some Amish groups live by. She is chewed out for daring to even speak to a non-Amish boy and told it could ruin her reputation and opportunities to be a teacher some day. The fact that this boy is encouraging her in her faith and is the only one reminding her that she’s not alone, that God is with her, doesn’t matter to anyone. It’s a book that makes you really feel and hurt for the character. It does end with some hope, but mostly because the little sister is getting better and the boy the main character likes admits to liking her as well and starts actively pursuing her. As it is set in a culture where the focus is rule following rather than relationship with God, it’s hard to find a lot of strong spiritual elements but the neighbor boy does give some encouragement to turn to God when times are hard.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 3/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Hebrews 13:5-6 – Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

The Captive Maiden

No. This couldn’t happen. She couldn’t let this happen! “You will be found out. If you let me out now, I won’t tell them what you were planning.”

Nothing. Then footsteps, getting farther and farther away as Evfemia descended the stairs.

Gisela started at the door, too horrified to cry, too numb to think. “God,” she whispered. “God, please, please, please… help me.”

Book: The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson, Zondervan Publishers, 2013

 

Genre: Fairy Tale

Target Audience: Girls13+

Subjects: Trust in God, Romance, Family Relationships       

Summary: No matter what they say, she IS going to attend the tournament! Thankfully, she has a good friend who will loan her the right clothes and help her get there. She never imagined that she would be chosen by the prince as queen of the tournament though! Imagined or not, it’s happening! She’s the one who caught his eye. She, who is nothing more than a slave to her step-mother and step-sisters. There’s a lot of danger in this privilege though. Dangerous people will stop at nothing to get rid of the one the prince chooses.

Notes: One of the fairy tale knock-offs from Melanie Dickerson, this is a Cinderella story. In this one, the prince struggles with putting his trust in God. He’s always been able to do everything himself. He’s succeeded at nearly everything he’s ever attempted and yet his attempts to save the girl keep failing. Every time he rescues her, the bad guy just snatches her right back! He finally has to humble himself and trust God to take care of the one he loves. One note about the target audience – I said it’s for girls but if a boy could get past the beautiful cover of a girl in a gorgeous dress there’s some good content for boys too – good perspective from the male character. Unlike the other books in her fairy tales series, this one is actually a sequel to the last one – Fairest Beauty. In Fairest Beauty, the girl that the boy got was supposed to be for the main character in this story, but she fell in love with his younger brother. So this one tells the story of the older brother and the girl who falls in love with him.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

2 Corinthians 12:9 – But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

The Broken Window

Stubbornly, she curled her fingers into a fist, unwilling to let go, not when everything inside her was begging her to heed God’s message – trust, listen, remember. “I can’t remember,” she whispered. “I tried, but I just can’t remember. If it’s so important…help?”

Book: The Broken Window (Threshold Series) by Christa Kinde, Zondervan Publishers, 2013

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Target Audience: Girls and Boys 11-15

Subjects: Angels, Family Relationships, Friendship, Spiritual Warfare, Trust in God

Summary: Christmas is coming! There is every reason to be excited, but Prissie finds reasons to not be overly excited. The angels she has come to care about are involved in some serious battles. An angel has been taken by the evil ones and the search for what is hidden is heating up. A powerful fallen angel is in the area and is creating all kinds of trouble. In the midst of it, Prissie is being challenged on all fronts to view the people around her the way God does, including those she dislikes. When the battle culminates on Christmas Prissie has an important role to play.

Notes: The Broken Window is the third in a kid-friendly series dealing with serious issues such as spiritual warfare. In this third book, Prissy, a fourteen year old girl is beginning to understand a bit more of what it means to follow God and live His way and see others the way He does. It’s also a picture of friendship and what it means to truly be a good friend. Like other speculative fiction, it speculates “what if”, in this case, “what if someone could see all the angels around them and could interact with them”. But it does a good job carefully not doing anything to contradict Scripture in its speculations, but rather teaches and enforces Biblical concepts. I highly recommend this to upper elementary and young teens.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Romans 8:38-40 – For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Hidden Deep

Prissie watched until there was no light left, then slipped the manna into her mouth and blinked back tears as its sweetness spread over her tongue. “I did the right thing. Right?” she asked tremulously. It was a very good question but no one answered. Prissie couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so alone.

Book: The Hidden Deep (Threshold Series) by Christa Kinde, Zondervan Publishers, 2013

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Target Audience: Girls and Boys 11-15

Subjects: Angels, Family Relationships, Friendship, Spiritual Warfare, Trust in God

Summary: Prissie is starting to learn to adjust to angels being everywhere, including in her home as Kojak is staying with her family in a role of a sort of foreign-exchange student. It’s just that no one except Prissie knows that the foreign place he is from is not of this world! The problem is that the angels of God are not the only ones starting to take an interest in Prissie. The enemy has begun to target her as well and they aren’t too interested in identifying themselves. Things come to a head during a school field trip to an underground tunnel where Prissie gets into more danger than she is even aware of.

Notes: The Blue Door is the second in a kid-friendly series dealing with serious issues such as spiritual warfare. In this second book, Prissy, a fourteen year old girl is becoming more comfortable with the angels, but is still struggling with the big picture of how God wants to be involved in her life and decision makings. She’s even less comfortable with the idea that the enemy is around and involved than she was with the realization that the angels are! Like other speculative fiction, it speculates “what if”, in this case, “what if someone could see all the angels around them and could interact with them”. But it does a good job carefully not doing anything to contradict Scripture in its speculations, but rather teaches and enforces Biblical concepts. I highly recommend this to upper elementary and young teens.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Ephesians 6:10-12 – Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The Blue Door

If what Pastor Bert had said was true, she had nothing to fear from angels. On top of that, she’d already received a rare and precious message. The only problem was it didn’t make any sense.

Book: The Blue Door (Threshold Series) by Christa Kinde, Zondervan Publishers, 2012

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Target Audience: Girls and Boys 11-15

Subjects: Angels, Family Relationships, Friendship, Spiritual Warfare, Trust in God

Summary: She’s just an ordinary girl going about her every day business when she sees the boy in the tree. The odd thing is that the boy seems baffled that she can see him. A friend she admires seems to know this new boy and encourages the boy to tell Prissy who he is. The answer is not what she expected. He’s an angel! In fact, her friend is too! Prissy is the one who is baffled now! Why on earth are angels visiting her and her small community? Everything she thought she knew is now turned upside down and she’s not happy about it!

Notes: The Blue Door is the first in a kid-friendly series dealing with serious issues such as spiritual warfare. In this first book, Prissy, a fourteen year old girl becomes introduced to the concept of angels’ involvement in daily life. She’s confused, baffled and upset when she learns that people she has known and respected for years are something more than what they appear to be. The angels begin the process of teaching her to put her trust in God and have His mindset towards those around her. Like other speculative fiction, it speculates “what if”, in this case, “what if someone could see all the angels around them and could interact with them”. But it does a good job carefully not doing anything to contradict Scripture in its speculations, but rather teaches and enforces Biblical concepts. I highly recommend this to upper elementary and young teens.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Hebrews 13:2 – Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

The Merciful Scar

I groped in my pocket for the scissors and for an anxious moment I thought I’d lost them. When my fingers hit metal deep in the pouch I pulled them out into the light. The sky was a study in grays but still the blades took on a gleam, begging me to press them against my skin. I sat on the rocky ground, back against the stone tower, and pushed up my sleeve. Gooseflesh spread in the chill air, forcing the hairs to attention. I turned my arm over and studied the red-yarn scar on my wrist. Got on relief from that one, did ya? Pain sizzled through me. That couldn’t be. Something had to let the hopelessness out. It had to.

Book: The Merciful Scar by Rebecca St. James and Nancy Rue, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2013

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 17+

Subjects: Cutting, Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, Repressed Memories, Therapy, Family Relationships, Hope

Summary: The night she expects him to propose she sees him with her best friend. Embracing her. Instead of a proposal she gets a betrayal. As if she hasn’t faced enough in her life already, the two she is closest two betray her. So she resorts to her usual method of letting the pain out – cutting. She doesn’t intend to do anything different than normal, but when he breaks in, the cut goes deep and she’s rushed off to the emergency room and then to a mental hospital with everyone declaring her suicidal. Her absentee mom appears on the scene and threatens to tell her father unless she gets help. So she blindly agrees to pursue the contact the chaplain recommends, having no idea that she just agreed to go work on a sheep farm! Sister Frankie is not into stereotypical ideas of therapy, she’s into healing, letting God work on a heart and giving someone opportunities to remember and deal with their hurts.

Notes: Merciful scars is the story of three people dealing with deep pain and their journeys to healing. One young woman has dealt with a lot of dysfunctional family issues including a sister who is mentally handicapped and parents who don’t seem to love her or her sister. One woman served a tour in Iraq and had a best friend get killed and deals with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome as a result. One boy watched a horrid crime against his own mother when he was a young child and has forgotten what happened, and only has a vague sense of needing to avoid the one who loves him most. Each of these three have to learn to put their trust in God, recognizing that only He can heal the hurt and pain they are dealing with on a daily basis. The spiritual emphasis is the focus of the whole book. It’s not a focus on the despair the characters have faced, it’s a focus on the hope and healing that can come from a relationship with Jesus. I highly recommend this book as well as all authors by this author.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Malachi 4:2 – But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.

Psalm 95:7-8 – For he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts