Book reviews

Linsey Davis I have heard some fabulous questions from children over the past 25 years; how old is the stuff in lava, will deer swim in a pool if no one is watching, can I harness the energy in lightning to make my mom’s car run? Often times, I get questions that I...

Sarah Cowan Johnson I will own the fact that I find human development and pedagogy fascinating. They are not your everyday interests, but I can find people that share them and have conversations about what we’ve noticed, what we’ve read, and what we've done in our...

Susan Eaddy My family has an affinity for the story of Jesus’s birth. My husband and I met while he was performing as one of the Three Kings in Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and The Night Visitors. (Side note: fabulous operetta; great for families of all ages; if you...

Krin Van Tatenhove and Rob Mueller As we all process the lessons we have learned from the pandemic, one resounding cry we hear from people is that they only want to be part of what speaks to the truth of their values. People ache to be part of something that is bigger...

Justine Froelker Our children and youth have an unprecedented amount of stress in their day-to-day lives. Our culture has made it more difficult for them to find places of calm and peace, adding new layers of high expectations, distractions, and sometimes crushing...

Ruth Haley Barton Some days, for me, start at 11:43 pm the night before with one kid falling out of bed and needing a back rub to help them settle back in, continue at 2:13 am with the dog wanting to warn us about the car headlights three blocks over, and really get...

Irene Kraegel There is a handful of questions that I get time and again. It’s almost predictable at this point- very rarely does a week go by without one of them being asked. Towards the top of the list is, “What kids devotional do you recommend?” Almost two decades...

Glenys Nellist I have mentioned that I am the mother of seven children and that my home is filled with books. We literally have floor to ceiling bookshelves in every room, on our staircase landing, in our basement, and even in our klivingchen (combination...

Glenys Nellist It’s a rare day that I find a devotional that works for my whole family. Two parents, three teens, a tween, two elementary school aged kids, and a toddler equal a wide range of interests and attention spans. For the seasons of Advent and Lent, we enjoy...

Jill J. Duffield Whenever I begin introducing a new topic to a group of learners, I spend a significant amount of time activating everyone’s background knowledge. What experiences have we had with it? What do we wonder? What would life be without it? All sorts of...