Counting on Grace

Counting on Grace
Author: Elizabeth Winthrop
Publisher: Yearling
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2008-12-18
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0307518221

1910. Pownal, Vermont. At 12, Grace and her best friend Arthur must leave school and go to work as a “doffers” on their mothers’ looms in the mill. Grace’s mother is the best worker, fast and powerful, and Grace desperately wants to help her. But she’s left handed and doffing is a right-handed job. Grace’s every mistake costs her mother, and the family. She only feels capable on Sundays, when she and Arthur receive special lessons from their teacher. Together they write a secret letter to the Child Labor Board about underage children working in Pownal. A few weeks later a man with a camera shows up. It is the famous reformer Lewis Hine, undercover, collecting evidence for the Child Labor Board. Grace’s brief acquaintance with Hine and the photos he takes of her are a gift that changes her sense of herself, her future, and her family’s future.

The Castle in the Attic

The Castle in the Attic
Author: Elizabeth Winthrop
Publisher: Holiday House
Total Pages: 137
Release: 2012-05-15
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 082342684X

An epic quest, a dragon, a knight in shining armor—this classic children’s story is the perfect read for 3rd and 4th graders who love medieval fantasy. A magical toy castle plunges 10-year-old William into a wild fantasy adventure—where he discovers the true meaning of courage. When his beloved caretaker Mrs. Phillips tells him she's leaving, William is devastated. Not even her farewell gift of a model medieval castle helps him feel better—though he has to admit it’s fascinating. From the working drawbridge and portcullis to the fully-furnished rooms, it's perfect in every detail. It almost seems magical. And when William looks at the silver knight, the tiny figure comes to life in his hand—and tells him a tale of a wicked sorcerer, a vicious dragon, and a kingdom in need of a hero. Hoping the castle's magic will help him find a way to make his friend stay, William embarks on a daring quest with Sir Simon, the Silver Knight—but he will have to face his own doubts and regrets if he's going to succeed. William’s story continues in The Battle for the Castle, available as a redesigned companion edition.

Counting on Community

Counting on Community
Author: Innosanto Nagara
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Total Pages: 26
Release: 2015-09-29
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1609806336

Counting on Community is Innosanto Nagara's follow-up to his hit ABC book, A is for Activist. Counting up from one stuffed piñata to ten hefty hens--and always counting on each other--children are encouraged to recognize the value of their community, the joys inherent in healthy eco-friendly activities, and the agency they posses to make change. A broad and inspiring vision of diversity is told through stories in words and pictures. And of course, there is a duck to find on every page!

The Battle for the Castle

The Battle for the Castle
Author: Elizabeth Winthrop
Publisher: Yearling
Total Pages: 226
Release: 1994-11-01
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 044040942X

The adventure continues in this exciting companion to The Castle in the Attic. As William turns twelve, he wonders if Jason is still his best friend. In the past year, Jason has grown a foot taller, while William is still a shrimp. When Jason challenges William to “jump the trains,” William is terrified. How else can he prove himself to Jason? William gets his answer when his former housekeeper sends him a magic token that once again transports him to Sir Simon’s castle in the Middle Ages, this time with Jason. There the two friends face a dangerous army of rats and their gigantic leader. Once before, William was a hero in Sir Simon’s day. Now it’s up to William to destroy the rats and save the kingdom in the final battle for the castle.

Counting on Grace

Counting on Grace
Author: Elizabeth Winthrop
Publisher: Yearling
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2007-08-14
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0553487833

1910. Pownal, Vermont. At 12, Grace and her best friend Arthur must leave school and go to work as a “doffers” on their mothers’ looms in the mill. Grace’s mother is the best worker, fast and powerful, and Grace desperately wants to help her. But she’s left handed and doffing is a right-handed job. Grace’s every mistake costs her mother, and the family. She only feels capable on Sundays, when she and Arthur receive special lessons from their teacher. Together they write a secret letter to the Child Labor Board about underage children working in Pownal. A few weeks later a man with a camera shows up. It is the famous reformer Lewis Hine, undercover, collecting evidence for the Child Labor Board. Grace’s brief acquaintance with Hine and the photos he takes of her are a gift that changes her sense of herself, her future, and her family’s future.

Blinded by Grace

Blinded by Grace
Author: Becky Lower
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2014-03-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1440578907

In 1858 New York City, Halwyn Fitzpatrick thinks he's off the hook for attendance at the annual Cotillion Ball. He has no sister to shepherd down the grand staircase this year and no real desire to go through the rituals of courtship and betrothal himself. Besides, he’ll know the right girl when he sees her, especially now that he has new spectacles. But his mother has other plans for him. At twenty-seven years of age, her son is in dire need of a wife. Grace Wagner needs a husband by July in order to inherit the trust her father has left for her. Her stepfather, though, has plans for the money that don’t include Grace, and the last thing he wants is for her to find a husband before she turns twenty-one, thereby fulfilling the terms of the trust. She's been in love with Halwyn since she was thirteen, but he hasn't noticed her at any of the balls they've been at over the years. With the aid of his new glasses, he spies Grace from across the room and they share a dance. Grace decides to present him with a business proposition that will satisfy them both. But can a clueless knight in shining armor and a desperate damsel in distress find a way to turn this marriage of convenience into something more? Sensuality Level: Sensual

Gentle Reads

Gentle Reads
Author: Deanna J. McDaniel
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2008-06-30
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0313094519

This volume recommends some 500 positive, heart-warming stories for young readers—stories of the human spirit and what it can accomplish; stories of loving families surviving crises in positive ways; historical tales full of quick-witted people (especially girls); fairy tales with strong women; true stories of survival; and more. These gentle and uplifting reads span every genre—from science fiction and fantasy, to mysteries, realistic fiction, biographies, and nonfiction. They are Accelerated Reader titles, Reading Counts titles, and Junior Library Guild selections. Primarily intended for grades 5 to 9, this is a list of reading suggestions for the young adult who wants a great read but does not want to be offended. Grades 5-9.

Bookburners: Book 2

Bookburners: Book 2
Author: Max Gladstone
Publisher: Serial Box
Total Pages: 523
Release: 2017-05-09
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1682101258

Magic is real, and hungry--trapped in ancient texts and artifacts. Only a few who discover it survive to fight back. Join Detective Sal Brooks, newest recruit to a black-ops magic hunting team backed by the Vatican, as she travels the world to keep the supernatural in check. Just remember: watch your back and don't touch anything. Fans of Supernatural, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Da Vinci Code will love this epic urban fantasy. Bookburners Season 2 is written by Max Gladstone, Margaret Dunlap, Brian Francis Slattery, Andrea Phillips, Mur Lafferty, and Amal El-Mohtar and presented by Serial Box Publishing.

Help for Holiness

Help for Holiness
Author: Paul F. Evans
Publisher: WestBow Press
Total Pages: 373
Release: 2018-10-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1973640368

At one time there was a great deal of interest in the topic of holiness—but not so much anymore. Theological wrangling and impossible legalism has left many in the church frustrated and confused, with part of that confusion arising from idealism in the pulpit that rang hollow in the lives and experiences of ordinary believers. But what if there was significant help from God in the enterprise of living a morally triumphant life, where habitual sinning was not inevitable, and where the development of godly character was possible and found through a maturing relationship with God and growth in the Christian life? The apostle Paul certainly thought so. In Help for Holiness, author and senior pastor Paul F. Evans revisits the topic of holiness and explores Paul’s admonition that believers shouldn’t seek more rules (legalism) nor give in to moral pessimism that says we cannot help but sin every day in word, thought, and deed. Instead, through morally transformative justification and regeneration, followed by a commitment to the crucifixion of the old life in the death of Christ, we can be raised to new life, which, through ongoing surrender to the Spirit, can in fact produce the conduct and character God is looking for. In this postmodern world, we do not need to abandon an emphasis on righteous and holy living—God really has made a provision for us to succeed morally. Holiness was started by grace, and God will complete it in us by grace through the Spirit!