Media Matters

 Book by Amanda Dykes Beautifully written, dual-timeline, Christian mystery. I loved both storylines (one with nods to the prodigal son, and the other with nods to Moses) and the themes of redemption, identity, worth, being found, and being loved. The language is rich and might be difficult to parse for younger readers, but there is no objectionable content, so I would recommend this for age 12+. Some quotes: “Courage keep, and hope beget; The story is not finished yet . . .” “And isn’t that the way of miracles? Something extraordinary because of the faithful ordinary.” “It was the brokenness that caught the light.” “A person never knows how far their life might reach.” “Who are you? You are loved. You are you. You are full of good purpose. You were made for this, your time, and this, your life. There is none like you, and I see the fingerprints of a mighty and good, kind, loving God in your good, kind, loving soul. You are full of honor and goodness. There is no one in this world ...

This is a movie that tells the true story of the 1980 underdog US Olympic men’s hockey team beating the Russian team, who were huge favorites. Great messages about putting in effort, teamwork, unity, and believing in yourself.

Short middle grade novel by Lesa Cline-Ransome. This was a fantastic historical fiction about a boy who moved from Alabama to Chicago during the Great Migration. He finds solace from his loneliness and homesickness when he discovers a library and the poems of Langston Hughes. I really enjoyed this one!  There are two companion novels to this book that are also excellent: “Leaving Lymon”  and “Being Clem” tell the stories of two of the side characters in “Finding Langston”. They work as stand-alone stories, but are even better when read together.