Regency Romance, Middle Grade Realistic, Middle Grade Historical, Middle Grade Dystopian
Old and New Favorites
This post contains affiliate links. See more here.
In this article:
A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
For Whom the Sun Sings by W.A. Fulkerson
DNF: Simplicity Parenting
A Defense of Honor (Haven Manor #1) by Kristi Ann Hunter
5 STARS, Regency Christian Romance, My format: e-book
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop
Kit is determined to save others from the fate that befell her dearest friend. Graham is searching for a deeper meaning in life as he waits to inherit the earldom. After meeting behind a plant in a ballroom, the two discover how they can help each other.
Personal Review:
The second read of one of my favorite series from Hunter is starting out just as good as the first read-through!
I love Kit's growth in this book. She is headstrong and determined and she learns to buffer herself and see her friends and her goals from a new perspective, all thanks to Graham.
Graham is seriously my favorite male lead that Hunter has written. I love that he is not broody and that he doesn't appeal to his strength to see him through certain situations. But he loves life and he loves showing others how to love life. It's his energy and enthusiasm that makes you want to be around him and what a refreshing character for a Christian romance!!
The Haven Manor series is my favorite of all of Hunter's books (I read the novella about Sarah every Christmas just as a reminder of how much I love this series). I remember thinking the first time through that I couldn't possibly like Daphne's or Jess's stories as much as I liked Kit's - and I remember being proven wrong! I'm super excited to re-read the next two books!
Content Warnings:
the women that Kit is helping have fallen pregnant out of wedlock for one reason or another - there are no detailed descriptions but this is an important aspect of the book
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (Penderwicks #1) by Jeanne Birdsall
3 STARS, Middle Grade Realistic Fiction, My format: read-aloud to 8-, 7-, and 4-year old girls
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop
The Penderwick family takes a 2-week vacation in a little cottage on a huge property. There they meet the young groundskeeper, the cook, and the boy with a dream that conflicts with his mother’s plans for him.
Personal Review:
This is a sweet and charming story. My 4 daughters and I had fun reading about another family of 4 girls. However, I wasn't a fan of Rosalind's crush or of the way the girls sneaked around and kept secrets from their dad.
But my girls loved the mild adventures, and especially the bunny rabbits!
Content Warnings:
a scene with a bull that was mildly frightening, a 12-year-old dwelling on her new crush
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
5 STARS, Middle Grade Historical Fiction, My format: hard cover
Three siblings evacuate with a local school after their grandmother has died during the WWII air raids. They go out with the quest to find a new family, which proves harder than they expected.
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop
Personal Review:
This book was completely unexpectedly beautiful.
It started out a little slow for me; I'm not a fan of WWII stories, especially if they involve the politics of everything. But once I came to love the bookish siblings and empathize with their many changing situations, I really enjoyed the story.
Mrs. Muller is an amazing character. And I absolutely love that books are what caused her and the children to cross paths.
I was hoping to recommend this to my oldest since she enjoys other historical fiction, but I think I will wait a couple of years just because of the intensity of some of the (very real) situations the siblings have to go through.
Content Warnings:
bullying, harsh living conditions
For Whom the Sun Sings by W. A. Fulkerson
5 STARS, Middle Grade Dystopian, Christian Author, My format: hard cover
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop
Andrius has been born differently than everyone around him. This is his story of discovering what his difference is and his attempt to help the community.
Personal Review:
This was not what I was expecting but it was EXCELLENT. I was expecting some sort of fantasy but this was dystopian and cult-driven. And the writing was phenomenal. The pictures in my mind were so clear and the nuances of the situation helped bring the story to life.
This is the first modern fiction that I've read that I fully expect to require of my high school homeschoolers before they graduate. Even though Andrius, the main character, is 11-12 in the story, the mature themes presented will probably not suit my girls until they are a couple years older than that.
Andrius is a bright kid who knows he's different but doesn't have the language to express why. I absolutely love the way he slowly uncovers pieces of new information that put the puzzle together for him. And I love that books are a big part of this process. The picture given of the community is a GREAT study on cult culture and what it can look like to break free of that mindset.
And the ending is downright brilliant.
Content Warnings:
violence (killing of dissenters), polygamy, cult activities
Did Not Finish
I stopped reading Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne about halfway through. After the first chapter I just kind of skimmed the rest. The ideas and information were good but I'm far enough on my simplifying journey that I was just getting bored. Also the references to technology were distracting because they are so out of date (only 12 years later!). Not bad but just not for me right now.
Have you read any of these books? Do you want to read any of them?