Without A Trace

Sam couldn’t sit still. She headed to her room as soon as the news went into the final weather forecast. She didn’t know what she could do, but knew she needed to do something. Anything. Which, as far as she could tell, was more than the sheriff’s office was doing.

Book: Without a Trace (Samantha Sanderson) by Robin Caroll, Zonderkidz, 2016

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Mystery

Target Audience: Girls 11-15

Subjects: Family Relationships, Rumors, Truth, Friendship

Summary: Tam? Missing? That doesn’t even make sense to Sam. He’s the responsible student. He’s the last one she would have pegged as a runaway. So when the police treat his disappearance as exactly that, Sam knows they are wrong and begins her own investigation. Talking to some of Tam’s friends at school, listening to a conversation with the school officials and police, digging into his school reports and getting Makayla to hack into Tam’s facebook account all lead her to conclude that something has gone seriously wrong.

Notes: This is the fourth in a series about a middle-school girl with a passion for cheerleading and investigative writing. She is a strong Christian who takes her faith seriously. She encounters friends who are not Christians and makes a strong effort to not look down on them, but rather show them love and hope that they come to know the Savior she has found. This series is a part of the faithgirlz imprint – books for girls 5^th-8^th grade that specifically focus on helping their grow in their faith. In this book Samantha continues to wrestle with ethics in reporting. She does a few things she knows are disobedient or illegal – and gets in trouble for those. Her mom supports her when she pushes the boundaries but stays within the rules though. An interesting comment from her mom is when she says “Sam, you have to know that Dad’s always on your side. He’s just required to color a little more in the lines than I am.” There is kind of an implication that her dad, as a policeman, has to follow the rules more closely than her mom, an investigative reporter. It doesn’t actually say that her mom approves her breaking rules – as mentioned above, she is in trouble when she actually does. But sneaky things like spying or publishing an article with information thought by the adults to be confidential is allowed. The overall theme of the book is following your own instinct. Sam is convinced something happened to Tam and determined to find out what, even though the police don’t agree. The spiritual elements aren’t really a focus of this book. The others in the series have a much stronger focus. There is still the element of praying when they are concerned for Tam and thanking God when something good happens. Overall though, this particular book is more just a focus on the mystery.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 3/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Isaiah 30:21 – Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Dolphin Wish

Mia rolled her coin in her hand, and as they passed by the well, she tossed it in. Please, God, help me solve this mystery. She had no idea if God answered prayers like this one, but she had to at least try. It’s for me, kind of, because I want to solve a mystery of my own, like Maddie. But it’s also for the animals. I don’t want them to be in danger.

Book: A Dolphin Wish (Faithgirlz / Glimmer Girls) by Natalie Grant, Zonderkidz, 2016

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Adventure

Target Audience: Girls 9-13

Subjects: Identity, Obedience, Sibling Relationships, Parent Relationship

Summary: Something is just off. Mia has felt it ever since the trip to London when Maddie pulled her disobedience stunt to solve a mystery. She’s not quite sure who her sister is anymore. And she’s kind of jealous. Maddie got praised for solving the mystery and showing courage. Maybe it’s time for Mia to solve her own mystery. Maybe then things will get back to normal. What could be mysterious at an Adventure Park though? Well, perhaps animals randomly escaping their pens and walking free around the park! Who on earth would risk hurting the animals by letting them out? Don’t they know all the dangers the animals are going to face? Mia no longer wants to solve the mystery just for herself. She wants to help protect the animals too!

Notes: A Dolphin Wish is the second in the Glimmer Girls series – a series by music artist, Natalie Grant. She writes a story comparable to her own life – 3 daughters, the oldest two twins, a singer mom, a producer dad. The strength of the story is in the way the family lives out their faith, making it a party of everything they do. It shows young girls asking the kinds of questions girls do at that age and parents giving them the answers they need, directing them to the right source.

In this second book, the second of the twins is now trying to figure out who she is as she is growing up. She feels as though she and her twin are starting to separate a bit, there’s just this distance between them. Mia “felt like the world had turned upside down. It was the strangest feeling, as though someone had swapped her sister for a stranger”. She’s also, just like Maddie in book one, trying to figure out her role in the Glimmer family – what makes her sparkle and shine? She tries a couple of different things to get her answers or to put her world right again, but fails. The harder she tries to push her own agenda, the further away from her family she feels. Just as in the last book, a strength of the story comes with the character of the mom. When Mia talks with her about what she’s feeling, her mom explains that God did not make everything black and white and simple. She tells Mia that from God’s “perspective, right and wrong are simple to see. But from our limited perspective, it’s not simple at all”. She talks with her about how Jesus messed up the black and white system of the Pharisees and wouldn’t always explain Himself or answer all the questions asked of Him. She encourages Mia to take her concerns to God, to pray about them. Then she encourages Mia that it’s ok for her and Maddie to be carving out their own identity, that it doesn’t make either of them not Glimmer Girls.

I highly recommend this book to young girls at the age of asking questions about their faith and their identity.  It does a great job showing realistic characters they could relate to while giving firm answers to the questions they have.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Matthew 5:23-24 - “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest option. I greatly enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to many friends!

London Art Chase

Maybe Mia was the one who’d usually lead a charge, but Maddie wasn’t going to let this criminal get away. Not only had she been waiting all day to see “Sun-Splattered Afternoon,” but it was wrong to take a painting, something that had been made so long ago and which could never be replaced. Maddie made up her mind. Even if it was against the rules to run in a museum, this situation was obviously the exception. “He’s getting away!” she called to her sisters. Maddie sprinted for the stairs.

Book: London Art Chase (Faithgirlz / Glimmer Girls) by Natalie Grant, Zonderkidz, 2016

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Adventure

Target Audience: Girls 9-12

Subjects: Identity, Courage, Obedience, Sibling Relationships, Parent Relationship

Summary: A trip to London with Mom’s tour sounds great! A fancy hotel, a beautiful art museum, famous landmarks – what could be better? Well, six year old Lulu can think of something, but neither of her ten year old sisters agree, at least not until Maddie spies a man sneakily removing a painting from the wall of the museum and disappearing with it! Now Maddie is fully convinced of the value of solving a mystery! The trouble is that no one wants to take her seriously. The museum workers certainly don’t. And her twin doesn’t. And Miss Julia, her nanny doesn’t. Maddie knows what she saw and heard though. And she recognizes that maybe everyone’s doubts are ok – it gives Maddie a chance to prove her worth. Maybe she can figure out what her role as a Glimmer sister is this way.

Notes: London Art Chase is the first in the Glimmer Girls series – a series by music artist, Natalie Grant. She writes a story comparable to her own life – 3 daughters, the oldest two twins, a singer mom, a producer dad. The strength of the story is in the way the family lives out their faith, making it a party of everything they do. It shows young girls asking the kinds of questions girls do at that age and parents giving them the answers they need, directing them to the right source. In this first book, one of the ten year old twins is trying to figure out her role in the family. Their family motto is “Glimmer girls glitter and shine, but most of all be kind”. Maddie can’t figure out how she glitters or shines. She’s shy, non-confrontational and terrified of being on stage. When she fixates on solving a mystery everyone doubts exists, she finally finds the courage to take a stand on something and finds her place in the family. The spiritual emphasis elements in this book are everywhere. As mentioned above, the family is portrayed as a godly family trying to let their faith determine all of their actions. The mom reacts to situations in a normal mode, then forces herself to calm down and patiently listen to her daughter, imparting wisdom and understanding, intentionally guiding her daughter to what is right. For me personally, that’s where the highlight of the book is – in a couple conversations the mom has with Maddie, patiently listening, showing her that someone will take her seriously, and then teaching her to respond to fears and worries with prayer – turning them over to God to let Him deal with them. She uses Philippians 4:6-7 to show Maddie how to respond correctly to the situation.  The mom and the dad encourage the girls to pray about anything, just openly telling God what they are thinking and feeling. There is some discussion about God’s will – in kid terms of course. Maddie tries to convince herself that God wants her to stop the thief – herself, and that it’s ok to break her parents’ rules for it, then recognizes that it’s not true at all. She finally learns that God made her with her own way to “glimmer” and she doesn’t need to break rules to solve mysteries to do it. I highly recommend this book to young girls at the age of asking questions about their faith and their identity.  It does a great job showing realistic characters they could relate to while giving firm answers to the questions they have.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 John 2:5-6 – But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Treasure Of The Battersea Bluffs

Em started forward again at a fast pace. Josh followed lost in thought. Why did Em say they were no longer in the twenty-first century? Even his girlfriend was delusional. He had heard of mass hysteria. Was there such a thing as mass hallucinations? Was he the only sane person in the area?

Josh put a comforting arm around Em as they skirted a large elm tree. “Em, I think you’re experiencing some kind of hallucination along with Ezra who thinks he’s a slave, and Blackburn who thinks… well, it doesn’t matter what he thinks, he’s just plain crazy and needs to be locked up.

Book: Treasure of the Battersea Bluffs by Sarah Norkus, Living Ink Books, 2014

Genre: Historical Fiction/Adventure

Target Audience: Girls 13-18

Subjects: Civil War, Time Travel, Trials, Trust in God

Summary: Not again! When Emily Grace feels that same nausea and then loss of feeling as she collapses to the floor, she knows what is happening and begs God to stop it. Instead, Josh rushes over to see what’s wrong and the next thing they know, they are both waking up in 1770! This time, a man is determined to rape a young girl and when Em and Josh intervene with the help of a nearby slave, they find themselves on the run from the man. Unfortunately though, they are not merely witnesses of his attempted crime, but are the obstacles stopping him from recovering a lost treasure that will make him wealthy. The greed that controls the man consumes him and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

Notes: This is the second in the time travel series about a girl in her mid-teens who finds a diary hidden in an old house and travels through time to learn more about the character of God and grow in her faith. In this book the girl has to learn to trust God when she has a fear of the future. In the last adventure she had a memory loss for most of it and knew what was coming for the rest of it. In this book, she can not figure out what is she supposed to do and why God has not sent her back yet. She’s uncomfortable, in danger, and afraid. A slave also gets a chance to increase his trust in God due to Josh’s sharing his faith with him. The characters turn to God for help, asking Him for strength or guidance when in trouble and recognize that they are in this time period to accomplish some purpose of God’s rather than some kind of accident or chance happening. The spiritual focus of the book is not quite as prevalent as the first book in the series, but still very good.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Psalm 82:3 – Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Secret Diary of Sarah Chamberlain

The moment she saw the small brown book, a loud roar filled Em’s ears, accompanied by a sharp pain to her head, followed by dizziness. She emitted a soft groan.

Book: The Secret Diary of Sarah Chamberlain by Sarah Norkus, Living Ink Books, 2012

Genre: Historical Fiction/Adventure

Target Audience: Girls 13-18

Subjects: Civil War, Time Travel, Trials, Trust in God

Summary: Cancer for her, loss of home for her aunt, loss of husband for Sarah. If God really exists He must not care much for His people. That’s Emily Grace’s conclusion. After some of the struggles she has faced she starts to doubt God and His love, but when she finds an old diary and reads about the murder of an innocent man right at the end of the civil war she makes her decision. God just simply doesn’t exist. As soon as she makes her decision, her life completely changes, but not in the way she thought. She finds herself unconscious, wakes up and she is back 150 years ago and a loss of memory. The family she falls in with is very godly, openly professing a faith she had denied 150 years in the future. As the days go by, she faces choices that will affect not only her and her time, but the past as well.

Notes: This is the first in the time travel series about a girl in her mid-teens who finds a diary hidden in an old house and travels through time to learn more about the character of God and grow in her faith. In this book the girl has to learn trust God even when bad things happen. The book does a good job covering the spiritual elements. The spiritual focus of the book is the theme running through the entire book. And (spoiler’s warning) the ending is not as tragic as I expected it to be!

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 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.

Curio

The group halted. One solider – an exact replica of the man next to him and the man
next to him and so on – stepped forward and bowed at the waist. A mechanical
hum accompanied the opening of his mouth, and a monotone voice spoke.

“Do you require assistance, Mistress Porcelain?”

Grey gasped.

The flat voice continued, “Are you fully animated, Miss?”

Book:Curio (Blink) by Evangeline Denmark, Blink, 2015

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Target Audience: Boys and Girls 16-19

Subjects: Revolution, Politics, Genetic Modifications

Summary: Fighting bad guys in her world one moment thrust into a world of animated
porcelain figures the next, Grey is totally confused. When she left her world,
it was controlled by a select group of people who had set themselves up as
better than everyone else. The population was controlled by giving a daily
potion that would keep them alive. Anyone caught violating the rules was
subject to horrific punishments. Her father and grandfather were rebels with
ancient blood in them, giving them strength to live without the daily potions.
Just as she leaves her world, Grey learns she has the same blood in her. When
she reaches the strange new world, she learns it is run in a similar fashion.
One group who believe themselves to be better than all the others, have set
themselves up, lording it over the rest and leaving those outside of their
group in suffering and poverty. Unfortunately for Grey, their ruler has taken
an interest in her and her different body and way of functioning. And once he
sets his sight on something, he refuses to let it go. If Grey wants to be
anything more than a body to be experimented on, she will have to do the
impossible – escape back to her own world – which is a slight problem since she
isn’t quite sure how she got here in the first place! In the meantime, she is
caught up in a revolution that some have undertaken to help the poor class.

Notes: This is a book with a very detailed, complex storyline, focused on two different worlds where one people group declares themselves to be better than
all the rest and therefore rulers to lord it over the rest. There aren’t any spiritual elements that I can find in the story. There is a hint in the second world of an Ultimate Being in the form of a “Designer” but nothing is expressed in the story about the Designer. It’s almost a deist worldview – obviously a creator sat the world in motion but isn’t actually involved in the creation
now. There are some hints of sexual content – nothing too blatant, just hints. The first world bans any touch at all between a man and a woman unless officially approved by the ruling class. So when they finally encounter touch,
they tend to go a little nuts. At first two characters act totally in love with each other. When Grey enters the other world, she instantly goes nuts over another guy who has apparently been having sex with someone else. There is also
plenty of violence as people fight and kill each other. There is one hint of
drugs as well as a “potion” makes one character feel extra strong and powerful
and he wants more of it. There is also an interesting element of “modifications”. Injured characters in the second world, the world where the “people” seem to be some sort of living dolls and wooden toys are repaired and have parts replaced or new parts put on. Some completely reject those who have been modified and a set of parents refuses to even claim their child once the child is modified – back to the idea that only one group of people is perfect and can lord it over the others.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 1/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Romans 3:28-30 – For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles
too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and
the uncircumcised through that same faith.