Category: tween

children, Christian, tween

Cake

Bergers Book Reviews

Cake
Author: Joyce Magnin
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Middle-grade / Christian
ISBN: 978-0310733331
Pages: 224
Price: $14.99
Author’s website
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Wilma Sue has been shuffled around the foster care system ever since she was born, spending time with various families and at the Daylily Home for Children. Now that her most recent home is no longer available, she finds herself staying with Ruth and Naomi, two missionaries who have recently returned from Africa.

If she expected a hum-drum life at Gray House, as she calls it, Wilma Sue is very mistaken. She’s expected to take care of the chickens, be nice to Penny Pigsworthy, and attend church with Ruth and Naomi. And she also helps Naomi bake cakes – those mysterious cakes that do unusual things to the recipients. Wilma Sue is determined to learn the secret ingredient. Will she ever find out?

In Cake, kids are gently reminded of how important it is to love and forgive others. This cute story will enchant middle-grade readers with love, chickens and a taste of peculiar.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

cats, tween

Anton and Cecil: Cats at Sea

Bergers Book Reviews

Anton and Cecil Cats at Sea
Author: Lisa Martin & Valerie Martin
Illustrator: Kelly Murphy
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Genre: Middle-grade / Cats
ISBN: 978-161620-246-0
Pages: 256
Price: $16.99

Valerie Martin’s website
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Anton and Cecil are two cat brothers living near the docks in Nova Scotia. Cecil loves to visit the sailors on the ships, while Anton prefers remaining on shore. Cats are often captured and forced aboard the ships to rid them of rats, and Anton suddenly finds himself out at sea. Cecil, intent on rescuing his brother, boards the next ship out. But the sea is a wide-open place, and he has no idea how to find Anton.

Dolphins, whales, and a mouse, as well as another seafaring cat, all become companions of these two cats at sea. Is there also a kind and powerful force looking out for them all, and will they finally be reunited? Storms, pirates, rats, and menacing birds all threaten their safety, but legend has it that cats at sea are protected by a mysterious eye.

Unfortunately, this legend is presented in obscure quotations and eye sightings, and not fully explained. The disappearance of a ship’s entire crew is also not explained, and in researching, I discovered this had actually happened on the Mary Celeste, a real ship found abandoned near Gibraltar in 1872. A small reference to this might have made the incident feel more plausible.

Cats at Sea is full of adventure, as Anton and Cecil learn to live on the sea. Overall, it’s a fun read with a happy ending. Kids will enjoy the way these three cats and an unusual mouse relate to each other, and the strong friendships that develop.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

tween

Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child

Bergers Book Reviews

Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child
Author: Maria T. Lennon
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Young adult
ISBN: 978-0-06-212690-0
Pages: 288
Price: $16.99

Buy it at Amazon

Charlie Cooper is trying to start over in her new school. After a horrible incident she admits complete guilt for, she’s forced to go to counseling and reform her ways. But her shrink has given an impossible command. In order to stop seeing him, she must become friends with the most bullied girl in the school – Marta the Farta.

Charlie would much prefer hanging out with Trixie, the cool girl who shares some of her interests. But Trixie wants to join gymnastics, and would do anything to make the team – even sabotage Marta, who has the same goal. Trixie knows about Charlie’s past, and is not above using blackmail to achieve her ends.

In Confessions of a So-Called Middle Child, the reader comes face to face with twelve year-old mean girls. But Charlie isn’t really a bully at heart – she has a soft spot, and comes to really like Marta and want to help her out. Cruel actions come to light, and the good girls win in the end. I highly recommend this engaging and fun read.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

romance, tween

Heaven Is Paved With Oreos

Bergers Book Reviews

Heaven Is Paved With Oreos
Author: Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Genre: Tween / Romance
ISBN: 978-0-547-62538-6
Pages: 208
Price: $16.99

Author’s website
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Sarah Zorn and her best friend, Curtis Schwenk, plan to spend their summer with a still-born calf who is decomposing for a science project. Using their “Brilliant Outflanking Strategy,” they’ve managed to convince everyone they’re dating, even though they’re really not, just to avoid the teasing about all the time they spend together. But Curtis suddenly has other thoughts about this unusual arrangement.

When Sarah’s grandmother arranges for a trip to Rome to visit the seven pilgrimage churches, Sarah is hesitant, but finally accepts when things with Curtis get too weird. But her grandmother isn’t being completely honest about the reasons for the trip, and Sarah has to unexpectedly face some of her family’s buried secrets head-on.

Heaven Is Paved With Oreos is a sweet middle-grade romance, told through Sarah’s eyes in the form of a journal. Sarah is a smart, funny, girl who is struggling to make sense of everything happening around her, and it’s easy to like her. I enjoyed reading her thoughts, and wanted things to work out for her. D.J. Schwenk, the heroine from Dairy Queen, makes a cameo appearance in this book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, tween

Brilliant Hues (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

Bergers Book Reviews

Brilliant Hues
Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72668-5
Pages: 224
Price: $7.99

Author’s Website
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Sadie is finally returning to California, now that her father’s job has ended in Michigan. Although a year ago she would have been thrilled, now she has mixed emotions. While she is eager to join her best friend back home, leaving her new friends behind will hurt.

But if Sadie thought her father’s work would get easier now, she is very wrong. His newest case has strong controversy, and she suddenly finds herself threatened by one of the parties involved. And when she lets her heart control her, she’s really in a predicament.

Sadie is a likeable girl with a heart of gold. She cares deeply for people and compassionately shares their hurts. But in this book, I thought the bounds of believability were pushed a little too far. I struggled with understanding how her parents gave in to her when she made her requests at the end of this story. And I really feel that twelve is much too young to be seriously thinking about a boyfriend.

Brilliant Hues is the fourth book in the From Sadie’s Sketchbook series. [See also Waves of Light, Flickering Hope and Shades of Truth.] Combining challenging situations with growing faith lessons, this series shows real life handled from a Christian perspective. Girls will love reading about Sadie and her friends, while also seeing a great role model.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

tween

SPI: The Case of the Dark Shadow

Bergers Book Reviews

SPI- The Case of the Dark Shadow
Author: T.J. Bonham
Publisher: Schiffer Books
Genre: Tween
ISBN: 978-0-7643-4132-8
Pages: 112
Price: $12.99

Schiffer Books
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After losing her mother to cancer and moving, Ellie Hunter is new in town, and just wants to settle down and fit in. So when her new neighbor asks her to join the Shadow Paranormal Investigators group, Ellie reluctantly agrees. But Ellie has had her own dealings with the paranormal, and they weren’t very nice.

Ellie is a natural, and soon finds herself busy helping the group unravel mysteries. The dark shadow that has haunted her since she was a young child has followed her to California, and now the group also sees it. But Ellie’s biggest challenge will be finding her father in Afghanistan and bringing him home safely, using only her ability to see remotely. Can she find him in time?

These four teenaged investigators don’t have the fancy gadgets TAPS uses in Ghost Hunters but they have the fearlessness and inquisitiveness to search for shadows. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Ellie finds one of the boys especially nice. The ending of this book implied that there will be follow-up mysteries, in what may turn out to be a series. This is a fun read for any wannabe ghost hunter.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, tween

Waves of Light (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

Bergers Book Reviews

Waves of Light
Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72666-1
Pages: 224
Price: $7.99

Author’s website
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Sadie finally feels comfortable living in Michigan. Although she has made peace with the girl who was once determined to make her life miserable, she still has issues of her own to deal with. Her mom’s illness isn’t getting any better, and her dad’s job may soon end, forcing them to leave the town she’s come to call home. But when her art teacher’s house is destroyed by a flood, Sadie falls apart.

When Sadie can’t take much more of what life throws at her, she is forced to turn to her art and her fledgling faith for comfort. At times she acts poorly toward others, and she has to face up to her own actions. But she tries her best to do the right thing.

Waves of Light is the third book in the From Sadie’s Sketchbook series. [See also Flickering Hope and Shades of Truth.] As in the first two books, Sadie is a very emotional girl, and often responds in tears when her happiness feels threatened. Combining challenging situations with growing faith lessons, this series shows real life handled from a Christian perspective. Girls will love reading about Sadie and her friends, while also seeing a great role model. I highly recommend this series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

boys, health, tween

Bork Reveals the Real Deal About the Facts of Life

Bergers Book Reviews

Bork Reveals the Real Deal
Author: Terri Shearer Trenchard
Illustrator: Tracy Councill
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Boys / Health
ISBN: 9781466427846
Pages: 74
Price: $12.99

Author’s website
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Having a “facts of life” discussion with his parents doesn’t usually top the list of bright ideas a pre-teen boy might consider. But when whispered conversations with friends leave him wondering what’s really going on, he needs somewhere to turn for information. Bork Reveals the Real Deal About the Facts of Life can provide the answers.

Speaking in a humorous and light-hearted manner, Bork explains puberty and adolescence in a way boys can understand. Body changes, fluctuating hormones, and even “the facts of life” are covered in this all-inclusive book about growing up.

Most boys would probably rather not talk to a parent about this topic, unless they first have some basic understanding, but Bork encourages them to try. Even if they choose not to, they will have enough information to handle the many changes going on inside them.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, tween

Flickering Hope (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

Bergers Book Reviews

Flickering Hope
Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72664-7
Pages: 208
Price: $7.99

Holiday Read-along
Author’s website
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Sadie is concerned about Patch, one of the research bears who has just gone into hibernation. When she accidentally finds a girl living in a nearby shack with her family, the girl warns her not to tell anyone, or Patch will be in danger. But her best friend, Ruth, knows about the encounter, and when the youth group wants to find a needy family to provide Christmas for, Sadie knows there will be trouble.

To make matters even more complicated, Frankie, who had always treated Sadie badly, suddenly seems in need of a friend. But can she be trusted, since her father has openly said he wants Patch dead?

In this sequel to Shades of Truth, Sadie is forced to deal with her emotions in how she relates to others. People are not acting predictably, and she needs to sort out her feelings for each, determining who she can trust, and who she can’t.

Combining challenging situations with growing faith lessons, this series shows real life handled from a Christian perspective. Girls will love reading about Sadie and her friends, while also seeing a great role model. I highly recommend this series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Christian, tween

Shades of Truth (From Sadie’s Sketchbook)

Bergers Book Reviews


Author: Naomi Kinsman
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Genre: Tween / Christian
ISBN: 978-0-310-72662-3
Pages: 208
Price: $7.99

Holiday Read-along
Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Sadie has just moved with her family to Michigan. Her father’s new job as mediator for the Department of Natural Resources makes him unwelcome in the community, and Sadie realizes she will face many challenges in fitting in. Plus, her mother’s incurable illness makes life at home more difficult. With courage and determination, Sadie makes a new friend and hopes life will get better.

When a local artist discovers Sadie’s latent talent, Sadie begins art lessons, which she enjoys immensely. And her faith is kindled by attending a Compline service and youth group meetings. But how will she deal with the accusations thrown at her father, knowing what she thinks she knows about one of the men who dislikes him so much?

Shades of Truth is the first in the “From Sadie’s Sketchbook” series from Faithgirlz. Combining challenging situations with growing faith lessons, this series shows real life handled from a Christian perspective. Girls will love reading about Sadie and her friends, while also seeing a great role model. I highly recommend this series.

Reviewer: Alice Berger