There are some great middle grade books out there and we’ve got a bunch of recommendations for them for you this week. Read on to learn more about them!

Around the Web

Who Were Lois and Eunice and How Do They Encourage Today’s Christian Moms?

Clarence Haynes points to two examples of faith.

• I think it goes without saying that parents play a pivotal role in the development of faith in the lives of their children. I don’t know if there is a greater joy as a parent then seeing your children carry on the mantle of faith that you have established in your life and in your family. What excitement it is to know that the tradition of faith will continue from one generation to the next.  
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10 Prayers to Pray for Your Daughter

Meg Bucher reminds us of 10 ways to pray for our daughters.

• Jesus’ words of wisdom in Matthew 6:33-34 serve as a good lifeboat for parents everywhere. We do worry! It’s difficult to live life and explain it to children simultaneously. In our increasingly dangerous world, children are at risk every time they look at a screen and step outside. Yet, Jesus says, “Do not worry.” Parents of daughters are bombarded with current statistics on the growing problem of human trafficking, and young girls are flooded with images of who they should be to fit into society. 
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The Thing I’m Most Afraid Of by Kristin Levine

Janie at Redeemed Reader recommends a middle grade novel.

• An American girl learns to overcome her fears against the background of the Bosnian Civil War.
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Five Middle Grade Novels You Want to Know About 

Sarah Mackenzie points us toward five middle grade novels. Evidently it’s middle grade week!

• Today I want to tell you about five middle-grade novels that I think you’ll love. Some are new, others have been out for a couple of years.
  “Middle-grade novel,” by the way, is publisher-speak for books geared for 8-12 year-olds. I don’t always agree with publishers on age recommendations 😇, so you’ll notice I often age up.
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Around the Warren

The Stubborn Love of Imagination

Millie Sweeney looks at the stubborn love of a little sister to break through to a rational brother.

• When my oldest son was three and a half, he taught himself to read. He is that sort of person, one to take all the individual parts and put them together on his own. He does the same now with math equations, piecing the world together, while I try to give him the tools he needs to do so. Not surprisingly, this precocious three-year-old was only interested in the non-fiction section of our library.
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The Junkyard Wonders

Helena Sorensen reviews Patricia Polacco’s novel.

• It’s the first day of school, and Patricia stands on the front steps of an unfamiliar brick building with a class card in her hand. Two girls, standing tall and confident in their bright poodle skirts and saddle oxfords, give her card a quick perusal. “You’re in Mrs. Peterson’s class,” they say, smirking. “Upstairs. Room 206.”
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Something to Do with Your Kids

Okay, this looks fun. Try out a woodland pinecone fairy craft with your kids when you can!

Something to Watch

Need some fall color? We got you covered.

Thanks for reading. We’re on your side. 

–The Story Warren Team

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Carolyn Clare Givens

Carolyn Clare Givens is a displaced Northerner exploring the foreign ways of the South. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her literary cat, Lord Peter Wimsey. She's the author of The King's Messenger and Rosefire and in her free time helps run Bandersnatch Books.

You can find her at carolyncgivens.com or on Facebook or Instagram at @carolyncgivens.

Latest posts by Carolyn Clare Givens (see all)

• Beauty for All - January 5, 2026
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