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A School Supply for Parents

BySarah Dixon Young

A Review of The Redeemed Reader: Cultivating a Child’s Discernment and Imagination Through Truth and Story

Add The Redeemed Reader to your school supply list this autumn.

This helpful resource is a collaborative effort by the book reviewers at RedeemedReader.com, published by Moody Publishers. Janie Cheaney, Betsy Farquhar, Hayley Morell, and Megan Saben consider the practice of reading from every possible angle. Their goal is to help guide parents as they read with their children.

“What do these young souls need from us, the shepherds of their imaginations? They need Truth and Story, recognizing that Truth is always measured against God and His Word, not our own understanding. Story is that nearly undefinable quality of artistic excellence, particularly as it hearkens back to the Story of Christ rescuing His bride,” the authors write. 

But just as you wouldn’t purchase a ruler to do what a calculator might for math class, don’t expect The Redeemed Reader to practice discernment for you. It leaves the decision-making about what children should read—or should not read—squarely on the shoulders of parents. 

“There is no one-size-fits-all booklist or specific set of guidelines. Instead, we have a list of points to ponder that will help you decide which books have a place in your own homes and classrooms,” the authors write. 

They do give parents plenty to ponder. 

The first section of the book helps caregivers define and identify Truth and Story and lays a foundation for developing discernment and literary delight in children. The second section dives into the nitty-gritty of raising readers, not shying away from difficult topics, and exploring both classical and contemporary works, while also not offering a definitive judgment call on particular titles or series. The authors also explore the practical applications of reading as they discuss choosing Bibles for children, loving your library, discussing world events with your kids, and organizing your home library.

Chapter nine, entitled “Messy Books,” reminded me of a discussion that might happen in my circle of mom friends. We may not all agree on which books are appropriate for our children, but we do all agree that it is important to discuss difficult topics with our children and help them form a Biblical worldview.

“A book is messy when it grapples with sin,” the authors write. Instead of drawing hard lines, The Redeemed Reader offers a bullet list of items for parents to consider:

  • Is the objectionable content in the book necessary to drive the story, or is there a clear agenda driving the inclusion of this content?
  • Is the messy content a source of pleasure or pain in the book?
  • Is the audience prepared for the content, both developmentally and experientially?

The list of items to consider continues, and the book offers concrete titles and examples for evaluating each point. Just as I don’t always agree with all of my friends, I didn’t always agree with the takeaways the authors presented. However, conversations that discuss more than one viewpoint help us sharpen our discernment, and I felt that the authors achieved this.

The authors go on to discuss the ages and stages of reading. Parents of young children will find this especially helpful as they help their children learn to read and have questions about reading levels and the developmental appropriateness of picture books, chapter books, middle-grade, or young-adult novels. 

One concrete example I found helpful was in the section about chapter books. “There’s an enormous difference between characters in a childish story and those in a childlike story,” the authors write. They then contrast Junie B. Jones and Jasper John Dooley chapter book series. I’ve read some of both of those books, but I’d never been intentional about looking for childish versus childlike qualities. 

Both the chapters “Messy Books” and “Loving Authors” frown on Christian books that seem trite. The authors discourage these, saying, “We find that Christian children’s literature can suffer from a lack of literary quality for the sake of a Christian message” and “a Christian novel that pictures conversion as the solution to all of life’s problems would be agenda-driven, i.e., attempting to drive the reader toward a desired conclusion.” They encourage readers to explore “literature that truthfully reflects life as it’s lived in the world…even if we’re a little uncomfortable with the content.” However, the ultimate decisions are still left to the reader, again offering these considerations as tools, not rules. 

Throughout the book, the authors share examples of titles they have reviewed on their website, and readers will have access to a webpage with clickable links to all of these reviews. In addition, there are abundant book lists after each chapter and at the end of the book.

The Redeemed Reader: Cultivating a Child’s Discernment and Imagination Through Truth and Story is a valuable tool for parents, grandparents, educators, aunts and uncles, or anyone who aims to discuss books with a child from a Biblical worldview. It is a book that sparks discussion and makes us think for ourselves—the very best kind of book.

Sarah Dixon Young
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