Life has been strange around here lately; we have all been spending a lot of time inside. This is a great time to read! Reading is fun, informative, and good for everyone – young and old.

In this post, I’m going to give you some suggestions for great elementary and middle-grade books.

Of course, I have to mention my book – A Mixed Bag of God’s Grace – published by TouchPoint Press. This is a book of short stories in three genres: Biblical, Historical, and Contemporary. It is the perfect book for a family with several children because of its diversity. Some kids will like historical stories, and others will like contemporary stories. Some of the stories will appeal to middle-grade readers (especially the contemporary section), and others are geared for the elementary group.

Children can read about biblical characters from other perspectives, such as Daniel in the lions’ den but from the lions’ viewpoint. What were those hungry lions thinking? In the historical section, they will learn about Queen Elizabeth I and a female pirate, and in the contemporary section, they will learn about sibling rivalry and other current issues.

A Mixed Bag of God’s Grace is available on Amazon and during May it is .99 cents on Kindle. Please check it out. ♥

I also recommend The Choir Girl series, also published by TouchPoint Press. This is a series of four books written by Victoria Kimble. Each book highlights the life of one of the choir girls. This is a funny and poignant series that is perfect for middle-grade girls. Also, Victoria Kimble will soon be releasing a young adult book, The Main Dish. I have read this, and it is great.

If you have middle-grade girls, please check out the Sour Lemon Series by Julane Fisher, published by TouchPoint Press. Rich in Southern humor, Sour Lemon and Sweet Tea is an irresistible journey of self-discovery, overcoming rejection, and the power of forgiveness. Book two is entitled Sour Lemon Strikes Out.

And now something for the boys. I highly recommend Burton Cole’s series – Bash and the Pirate Pig, Bash and the Chicken Coop Caper, and Bash and the Chocolate Milk Cows. Just from the titles, you know you are in for a rollicking, fun-filled ride. These books are very funny while helping children grow closer to God. Girls will like them too but they are especially geared to a male audience.

I read middle grade and young adult books all the time. They are my favorite. Here is a list of a few I’ve recently read and recommend:

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen, Scholastic, 2018

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor, Ally Carter, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020

Meet the Misfits, Melody Carlson, White Spark Publishing, 2019

Porch Swing Girl, Taylor Bennet, Mountain Brook Ink, 2018

Tinsel in a Tangle, Laurie Germaine, Clean Reads, 2017

Sharon Rene is the author of A Mixed Bag of God’s Grace, published by TouchPoint Faith in 2018. She has also authored flash fiction stories and non-fiction pieces for Chicken Soup for the Soul and Life Changing Miracles as well as her own flash fiction collection, A Flash of Romance.

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