Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children gives the reader over 40 essays that examine specific types of children's books and offer suggestions in each category. Among the topics covered are: imagination, faith, classic literature, middle school books, race, fantasy, contemporary children's books, Shakespeare, art history, Newbery books, young adult novels, poetry, and more. Curated and edited by Leslie and Carey Bustard with Théa Rosenburg (a mother-daughter team and a children's books blogger), Wild Things and Castles in the Sky will encourage and envision parents, grandparents, teachers, and friends--to know the power of a good story and to share it with a child they love.

From bestselling author Angie Smith comes her second children’s book, For Such a Time as This, a Bible storybook for girls that features 40 biblical retellings from prominent women in both the Old and New Testament. Illustrated once more by Breezy Brookshire, For Such A Time As This is the pair’s second children’s book together following the success of Audrey Bunny. For Such a Time as This illuminates the stories from the perspective of prominent women of the Bible, including Eve, Sarah & Hagar, Esther, Mary Magdalene, Gomer, and more with vivid and historical accuracy. Girls aged 6 to 10 will enjoy learning about God through the recounts of the Bible’s heroines and stunning illustrations. Summaries at the end of each story highlight the attribute of God to be learned and offer thoughtful reflections for both parent and child to takeaway.

In stirring verse and essays, Katy Bowser Hutson chronicles her battle with breast cancer and the complications of faith amid such a fight. Accentuated by the art of Jodi Hays, Katy's words lead us through the realization of cancer, the experience of chemotherapy and a mastectomy, relentless rounds of radiation, the uncertainty of ongoing treatment, and what comes after survival. She writes in resistance to sickness, of wrestling toward beauty: Cancer is an overgrowth, a kudzu: Tangling and strangling legitimate life. Chemo is a killing, a burning out: Burning down to ashy carbon, indiscriminately But cancer, did you know that I am a poet? Through it all, she shows what it means to struggle in a battered body and to pray to a God who is near to the broken. Join her in this consideration of mortality and witness her persisting trust in God's unseen ways.

A hopeful and practical model for what it means to be a Christian and a culture-maker in a world of hurt and wondrous possibility, from multi–Grammy winner Charlie Peacock and his wife and author, Andi Ashworth. Do you feel powerless and overwhelmed by the pain and suffering all around you? Have you ever asked, What can I do to mend the world, my family, or my own life? And if I could, why bother? Does my own small part even matter? If so, here comes hope from two guides who are further down the road. Charlie and Andi have written a collection of letters to Christians and spiritual seekers who think deeply and care acutely about the state of the world and their personal spheres of influence. In Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much, beloved and trusted mentors, Charlie and Andi offer you: Thought-provoking explorations into the many facets of Christian culture care and making, from the kitchen to Carnegie Hall. Practical guidance for how to care for and improve the quality of human life, locally and globally, no matter your vocation. A theology of imagination and creativity that provides a framework for all of life. A model for expressing love in marriage, friendship, citizenship, and every kind of work—even in the midst of cynicism, fear, exhaustion, and oppression. It might be said of Christians that our lives are either moving in the direction of the redemption Jesus has on offer, or away from it. Each of these letters is a gentle nudge in the direction of God's powerfully ordinary purpose for each of us, no matter what the future holds, to participate fully in the beautiful, redemptive work of Christ.

Will the Real King Please Stand Up? From the very beginning, the Bible tells a story of redemption. God made the first man to rule as king over all He created, only to see Adam’s reign end before it had barely begun. God knew all this and that’s why He sent the One True King, Jesus, to dwell with us and reclaim what Adam had lost, saving mankind from the penalty of sin. Bestselling author Gloria Furman makes this concept come alive for kids in this colorful and creative book comparing Adam, the archetype, with Christ, “the last Adam.” Children will learn that while Adam’s sin sentenced all of us to death, Jesus’s crucifixion and glorious resurrection restored the promise of eternal life for all those who believe in Him. Kids will be reassured that because Jesus is still on the throne, they can trust him whenever they feel sad or scared. There’s nothing that Christ their King can’t do for them!

The award-winning author of You Bring the Distant Near explores identity, homecoming, and the legacy of assault in this personal and ambitious new novel. Katina King is the reigning teen jujitsu champion of Northern California, but she’s having trouble fighting off the secrets in her past. Robin Thornton was adopted from an orphanage in India and is reluctant to take on his future. If he can’t find his roots, how can he possibly plan ahead? Robin and Kat meet in the most unlikely of places—a summer service trip to Kolkata to work with survivors of human trafficking. As bonds build between the travelmates, Robin and Kat discover that justice and healing are tangled, like the pain of their pasts and the hope for their futures. You can’t rewind life; sometimes you just have to push play. In turns heart wrenching, beautiful, and buoyant, Mitali Perkins's new novel focuses its lens on the ripple effects of violence—across borders and generations—and how small acts of heroism can break the cycle.

Bible storybook that inspires young children to be like Jesus and love others. This beautiful hardback Bible storybook for 3-6-year-olds uses the Bible's teaching on favoritism from James chapter 2 to encourage children to love and welcome people regardless of their wealth, personality or background, just like Jesus does. Jesus knows that everyone needs him to rescue them from their sin, and he welcomes anyone who is sorry and asks to be his friend. In this book, children will learn that Christians and churches are called to be like Jesus: to give a big, wide welcome to all kinds of people so that they can hear the good news for themselves.