Middle Grade Historical, Christian Nonfiction, Historical Romance, Christian Middle Grade

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In this article:

• On the Other Side of the Hill by MacBride

• Joy Fueled by Smith

• The Faith Legacy by Ford

• Ansley’s Big Bake Off by Pitts

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On the Other Side of the Hill (The Rose Years #4) by Roger Lea MacBride

4 STARS, Middle Grade Historical, My format: read aloud to 9-, 7-, and 5-year-old girls

Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop

Follow Rose as a new baby is born nearby, natural disasters bring hardships for her family, and she experiences more of what life is like in town.

Personal Review:

Another great installment of the series and read-aloud for my three older girls. I have really been enjoying Rose's stories, especially because the scenery is so different from when they were in the Midwest (which I am more familiar with).

There were a couple of scarier moments in this book. I was surprised at how well my girls handled the chapters involving a tornado and a fire. They were well written for the target age.

There was so much good in this book, too! We got to see Rose deal with her emotions when she was shamed by a "town" girl. And we got to meet Effie's baby! The surprises involved in this book were so fun for us to read together.

Content Warnings:

a tornado and fire get very close to their home

Joy Fueled: Catalyzing a Revolution of Joyful Communities by White, Daniels, and Smith

4.5 STARS, Christian Nonfiction, My format: recommended by

Kristen LaValley

Goodreads Synopsis | See more about the book on the Lk10 website.

Defining joy and implementing a life as church has never seemed so simple or meaningful.

Personal Review:

This book was a pleasant surprise. I come from a pretty conservative background and have wrestled for years with differences in denominations that can make me uncomfortable. I also have a pretty poor theology of the Holy Spirit because I am so wary of hyper-charismatic movements.

But THIS BOOK showed me that following Jesus is not based on denomination, it is not based on how much you know about the Bible or theology, and it's not based on how passionate you are about your relationship with Christ. It is about THE relationship you have with God/Christ/Holy Spirit!

I loved how they defined joy, putting into words something that is so ambiguous to me. I also loved how they interchanged the names of the Trinity throughout. Sometimes they listen to the Holy Spirit, sometimes to God, but mostly they listen to Jesus (this bothered me at first - but I like that they do this as it really embodies the definition of the Trinity). And it is all done in a balanced way that is not over-reacting to a certain group of Christians.

My husband and I have already implemented the "church of two" and I'm thinking of how to live this out with my children. I'm so glad I read this book and I'm looking forward to their next one as well.

For those who know of my love of GNM: this book aligns SO WELL with the mind-work that is proven to keep you healthy and thriving as a human. God’s ways are so beautiful, especially when the church uses them in lovely ways like this book describes.

The Faith Legacy (The Legacy Series #2) by Malory Ford

4 STARS, Historical Christian Romance, My format: YouTube audiobook

Goodreads Synopsis | YouTube Audio

Jake has been Beth’s closest friend since her and her sister came to this small Texas town. Everyone says he loves her, but she’s not so sure.

Personal Review:

I really enjoyed this second book in the Legacy series. I enjoy already being familiar with the setting and seeing my favorite characters again!

Jake was probably my favorite character in the first book, so I really liked seeing and understanding him more in The Faith Legacy. I also loved getting to know Beth. I appreciated that she was a creative type (dress designer!) and was sometimes impulsive. I like those types of heroines. I also like the gentle hero who can get angry when pushed too far, which Jake was pretty good at.

It took a little long for Jake to come around to telling Beth how he felt. I was glad that Beth had a date with another man because Jake needed to face reality and get moving!! The family aspect of this series is really fun for me. I like that Carissa's husband Matthew and Beth easily feel like family - and that Jake fits right in too. Interestingly, Abigail already feels like one of their sisters, so her story involving Carissa and Beth's brother Kade will be a fun one in the next book.

Cute story, great faith content, and I'm looking forward to book 3.

Content Warnings:

kidnapping, several simple kisses (not detailed)

Ansley’s Big Bake Off (The Daniels Sisters #1) by Kaitlyn, Olivia, & Camryn Pitts

3.5 STARS, Middle Grade Contemporary Christian, My format: paperback

Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop | Buy ebook on Kobo

Ansley and her family settle into a new normal after moving to a new city with a new school and new friends after the death of the girls’ mother.

Personal Review:

I enjoyed this lower middle grade book quite a bit. The faith content was really strong and it is a great example of how a Christian family works on a daily basis. Not all Christian families are like them, of course, but that's what made it so interesting to read. I think my girls will like seeing a slice of life from these Christian sisters who are starting a new Christian school.

Ansley is our main character and is having trouble finding her "calling". I very much appreciated that the message of the book was not how to find her one calling but to just do what she enjoyed and do it as well as she could. Her whole family helped her work through new friend problems at school, they supported both her baking and gymnastics, and the relationships with the adults were top-notch. There was no sneaking around or adults giving immature or controlling advice to the kids. That was so well done!

However, I did have to take a 1/2 star off of my preferred rating because of one little sentence. The sisters pray for each other throughout the book, which is great to see. But after a particular prayer is answered, one sister thanks the other for praying and says she must "have some powerful faith" in order for that to have happened. Whether it was intentional or not, that is prosperity gospel and not how our family believes prayer works. I made a note in the book for whoever reads it after me :). Other than that one little sentence, I thought the book was very well done.

Content Warnings:

Ansley’s mother has died before the book begins but it is still very fresh and a big part of the entire book - potentially triggering for girls in a similar situation

What books have you or your kids been reading?