by John FlanaganUnconditional Recommendation: A 15-year-old orphan boy is recruited and trained to become a ranger and must, with his master, track dangerous creatures before evil Morgarath’s bidding results in someone’s death.
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
by Robin McKinleyUnconditional Recommendation: A retelling of Beauty and the Beast that includes more back story and Beauty’s family in the tale.
Genre: Fairytale Retelling
by Sid FleischmanUnconditional Recommendation: A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws.
Award: Newbery Medal
by Shannon HaleUnconditional Recommendation: Through education and friendship a young girl learns where she belongs in her mountain community.
Award: 2006 Newbery Honor
by Gail Carson LevineUnconditional Recommendation: A timid young princess finds her courage when she faces fantastical creatures on her quest to find the knowledge to save her beloved sister.
Genre: Fantasy
by Karen WitemeyerUnconditional Recommendation: A sweet love story between a blacksmith seeking a new life and a cautious librarian who both need to rely on God when his past comes calling.
Genre: Historical Christian Romance
by L. M. MontgomeryUnconditional Recommendation: A young orphan girl with a zest for life and a big imagination gets into adventures, scrapes, and makes many hilarious mistakes as she makes Green Gables her home.
Genre: Classic
by Lori WickUnconditional Recommendation: Follow a tenderhearted woman through the everyday life of caring for a grieving family with persistent faith and love that can encourage the heart of the reader.
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance
by Dee HendersonUnconditional Recommendation: Sharp detail and expertly written characters are woven together in this suspense story of a woman with real fears and a stalker, her brother who protects her, a man who wishes she would let him close enough to love her and a God who is just and does not want us to live our lives in fear.
Awards: RITA Award by Romance Writers of America for Best Inspirational Romance (2000), Booksellers’ Best Award, OKRWA National Readers Choice Award for Inspirational (1999) Continue reading
in Van Draanen
Unconditional Recommendation: An inspiring story about healing after accidents, learning to live with a disability, and relying on the support of family, friends and teammates through the process; this tale will place you firmly in someone else’s shoes and warm your heart all the way to the finish line.
Award: Schneider Family Book Award