Media Matters

 Animated 2025 movie from Angel Studios. Animated musical story of the biblical David, starting with his childhood and ending with his becoming the king. Quite well done! There is some imagery that could be scary for younger viewers. Recommend for ages 7+?

 Book by Brigid Kemmerer. This was a compelling, don’t want to put it down, kind of book for me. It was not an easy read, as it deals with a lot of heavy issues (grief, abuse, etc), but it was worthwhile, illustrating important themes: the way we inaccurately view other people and situations, the importance of the way we talk to and about others, loyalty in family and friendship, using agency well, etc. Note: a few profanities, a passing question asking if a boy had sent her nude pictures of himself. Overall surprisingly clean for a YA contemporary novel. Recommended for high schoolers

 Book by Michiko Aoyama. This book was unusual, in that it consists of just five chapters, each about a completely different character whose interactions with the librarian improve their lives. It is a bit frustrating to be sucked into a person’s story, then have to switch gears without getting closure with the previous character’s story. That said, it was a really interesting and thought-provoking read.  Note: contains just a couple of swear words

 Book by Wendy Watson. I really appreciated the author’s approach outlined in the introduction:  “Rock-solid relationships are built upon the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ. His Power, Light, Love, Truth, and Spirit are their foundation. Relationships built on these “cannot fall.” “ “The scriptures are the very best “how to” books on relationships. The scriptures are the first and last word on how to be a better husband, father, wife, mother, parent, son, daughter, sibling, in-law, friend, neighbor, boss, employee, or any other relationship you can name.“ Each chapter was based on a scripture and a true principle taught by that scripture, which were then applied to examples of how that principle could strengthen a real-life relationship.  Although not every piece of advice may apply to every situation, I feel confident in recommending this book that every reader will find something that will prove helpful in improving one of their relationships. A few quotes: “We hav...

 Book by Katherine Reay. A charming modern retelling of Daddy-Long-Legs. Squeaky clean.

 Book series by Beth Brower. The series starts a bit slow, but it will hook you soon enough. Absolutely charming!

 Board books by Abbey Wedgeworth. This series (eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet) is great! It teaches truths and connects them back to Jesus.

 Book by Kelly Barnhill. The moral of the story is more on the nose than I generally prefer, but I honestly didn’t mind it in this book because it is so utterly charming! The story is a wonderful illustration of the Biblical question: Who is my neighbor?  The audiobook narration is fantastic! A great listen or read-aloud for the whole family!

 Book by Elizabeth Enright. A glimpse into another time and place for most modern kids (with a few spots that don’t age as well), but the essentials of this portrayal of a loving family are timeless. The siblings feel real and make mistakes, but are kind and generous and respectful. The idea for their independent Saturday outings reminds me of Jonathan Haidt’s current movement to allow children more freedom and responsibility in interacting within their neighborhoods. Other books in the series I recommend: The Four-Story Mistake And Then There Were Five

 Picture book by Trillia Newbell. A lovely message that when it comes to loving people, Jesus doesn’t play favorites, so neither should we. References parable in James.

 Picture book by Randall Goodgame. Could work as a Christmas or Easter book! Tells a parable from the NT, focuses on the surprising nature of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection, and encourages the reader to be ready for the second coming by loving God and loving others.

 Board book by Janet Moreno. This was an ingenious idea for a board book! On the first page spread, it references the story of Noah, and teaches children two ASL signs: flood and rainbow (which use the same hand shape). Each subsequent spread pairs a color of the rainbow with one of God’s promises (each pair uses the same hand shape). I love the way this combines the academic (colors) and kinesthetic (ASL) with scriptural promises in such a memorable context!

 Picture book by Jane Werner Watson. I was shocked at how beautiful both the prose and illustrations are in this book! Really lovely for ages 5-10!

 Picture book by Sherri Duskey Rinker. I was pleasantly surprised by this bedtime story. Each construction vehicle works hard during the day, but then it’s equally important to clean up and rest at the end of the day. It’s a great message for an active toddler to internalize. Also, the rhythm and rhyme work.

 Picture book by Olivier Dunrea. Adorable board book for toddlers and preschoolers learning to make friends and share.

 Picture book by Mem Fox. This board book sends the beautiful message that regardless of differences in appearance or housing or nationality, people all over the world are the same, because they all have 10 fingers and 10 toes. I recognize this is not an entirely perfect symbol of our common humanity, as not all people are born with perfectly formed bodies, but I do think the message behind it is still worthwhile.

 Board book by Susie Ghahremani. Believe it or not, this board book teaches math skills (counting, grouping, subtraction), and does so in an entertaining way. I now know that cats can only be stacked three high if I want them to remain stable.

 Picture book by Karma Wilson. A sweet story about friends coming together and offering to share what they have and expecting nothing in return. A charming addition to my Thanksgiving book collection.

 Board book by Rosie Greening. Good rhymes combine with interesting textures to feel, making this a baby favorite. The message and storyline are cohesive (unlike many in this series), so I recommend this one over other similar titles.

 Board book by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak. A message of unconditional love shines through this sweet board book. Would be great as a Valentine’s gift to a baby or toddler!

 Board book by B&H kids and Pamela Kennedy. This is a small board book with chunky flaps, perfect for babies and toddlers. It would be great anytime, but especially for Thanksgiving, as it is essentially a gratitude prayer. I was pleasantly surprised by its charm!

 Picture book by Aaron Reynolds. The illustrations and text create a spooky atmosphere to what might otherwise seem silly. There is a message about the satisfaction of doing something yourself, even if it’s not done perfectly, that I really liked. This would be a great read aloud for Halloween for ages 8-12.

 Book by Kate Stradling. This was a delightful fantasy, very loosely based on Beowulf, and it is full of magic, mystery, and romance. It was completely clean, great for teens as well as adults. (Mature content Note: There is an odious character who owns a brothel and threatens to force the girls into his service.)

 Picture book by Rebecca Gunderson Thornley. Adorable lift the flap book that teaches you can know someone is there, even if you don’t see them.

 Picture book by Trace Moroney. Written for children but still accurate to the meaning. Illustrations are cute.

 Book with pictures, by Tomie dePaola. This is probably the first beginning chapter book autobiography I have come across, and it is delightful. Perfect for 5-6 year olds to read or be read aloud. I listened to the audiobook of the first 4 books in the series (there are 8 total) and it was great, but I’m sad to have missed out on the illustrations!

 Picture book by Sally Lloyd-Jones. A little bird wishes she had the gifts of other animals (fishing, climbing, swimming, strength, etc) until she learns she has her own gift: singing. The story itself is non-religious, but could easily prompt a discussion about gifts.

 Board book by Sally Lloyd-Jones. This is essentially a gratitude prayer and would be lovely to read for Thanksgiving

 Board book by Sally Lloyd-Jones. This is psalm 23 retold in accessible language for a young child to understand. It’s true to the message of the psalm and really done well.

 Board book by Sally Lloyd-Jones. The message: God is always near me, no matter where I go, because I am His child and He loves me. There’s no plot or storyline (Psalms are like that!), but the illustrations are engaging and the message sound. Also recommend Known: Psalm 139 by the same author.

 Picture book by Brian Won. With simple text, this book tells the story of animals being aware of each other’s feelings and spreading kindness by sharing what they have. Charming!

Book by Sharon Creech.  A series of free verse poems written by a boy to his teacher while learning about poetry. This would definitely be a good book to read while teaching a poetry unit. 

 Book by Sheri Dew. These biographical snippets paint a picture of a man who was truly remarkable in countless ways. His optimism, intelligence, kindness, curiosity, discipline, sincerity, faith, leadership, and so on are unmatched.

 Book by Pam Muñoz Ryan. This was an excellent historical biographical fiction story about the life of Charlotte “Charlie” Parkhurst, famed stagecoach driver who masqueraded as a man for much of her life, and also became the first woman to vote (years before it became legal to do so). The novel is short and geared toward younger audiences, but that didn’t diminish my enjoyment of it at all.

 Picture book by Gary Schmidt.  A charming beginning chapter book that reminded me a lot of Mercy Watson.

 Picture book by Steph Williams. This was a pretty fun retelling and explanation of the Christmas story. I could see kids enjoying saying an incredulous “Whaaat??” as it is repeated on many of the pages.

Board book by Pantone.  This is a surprisingly great board book! High contrast single color picture on one side of the page, with squares of various shades of that color on the opposing page.

 Picture book by Carl Laferton. Relates the story of Elijah and the priests of Baal to the story of the resurrection. A great book for Easter!

 Picture book by Tim Thornborough. This retelling of the story of Jonah is faithful to the story, while also told in a very kid-friendly, appealing way. The use of synonyms within the text is a charming addition, and the illustrations are adorable.

 Picture book by Neil Sharpson. I could see kids really enjoying the absurdity of this nature-guide-gone-wrong! Plus, it would be a great introduction to a discussion of logical fallacies, biases, etc.

 Board book by Danielle Hitchen.  I liked the concept of seeing shapes in every day objects that are symbolic of God (rock, light, bread, fortress, etc)

 Picture book by Cherry Mo. Adorable, nearly wordless picture book about a girl who moves from Hong Kong to America. She doesn’t know any English and is struggling to know how to make friends at school with that language barrier. The highlight of each day is when she eats the lunch her mother has made for her; it helps her feel loved and less alone. One day, some of the kids approach the girl at lunchtime and they all end up sharing food items from their various lunches with each other.

 Book by Daniel James Brown. This was a fabulous book, chronicling the stories of Japanese Americans during WW2: some in internment camps, some as soldiers, some as political protesters, and one living in Japan at the start of the war. Both heartbreaking and inspiring, their stories will stay with me. My only complaint was that for me personally, the war chapters dragged a bit, going into more details about strategy, maneuvering, weaponry, etc than I cared about. Note: definitely depicts the horrors of war, but not gratuitously. Highly recommended for high schoolers and adults.

 Book by Amanda Dykes. This is my 4th Amanda Dykes book, and I have to say she is so consistent in her storytelling. Another beautiful historical mystery with a hint of slow building romance, this time with the added bonus of fictional letters, screenplays, interview transcripts, etc to help tell the story. My only complaint with this author is the slow pacing and overly wordy moments. It could have been edited tighter. Some quotes: “The papers ask when I’ll settle down and marry, as if everything before marriage is just . . . biding time. But . . . Didn’t God make this time, too? Isn’t there just as much purpose here? If He made it, how could it have less purpose than whatever’s on the other side of marriage? Or on the other side of anything, for that matter. A career, or children, or some measure of success or other. How could the ‘now’ have any less purpose than whatever’s on the other side?” She shook her head. “I think God made each moment and each moment matters.” Getting to ...

 Book by Katherine Reay. This is the type of book I could easily see being made into a Hallmark movie. But that’s not a bad thing. I enjoyed the characters and their growth, the dash of romance, and the literary references. Now excuse me as I dream of someone bequeathing me a bookshop…

 This 2022 movie is charming! It explores themes of grief, courage, and sacrifice in an engaging plot with endearing characters. Recommended age 8+ for scary situations. “The purpose of a lighthouse is not to keep ships safe. If we wanted to keep them safe, we wouldn’t let them leave the harbor. The purpose of a lighthouse is to guide them on their journey.” “We don’t always give you what you want. But we always give you what you need.”