Age 04-08. 5 Stars. This riveting story gently introduces the pain and evil involved in World War II, without going into graphic detail about the horrors of the war. Johanna’s courage and loyalty are very admirable, and they seem to grow naturally in the context of her family’s values of love and courtesy. The book is written at a transitional reader’s level and (unlike most war stories) is appropriate for precocious pre-readers.

Age 04-08. 5 Stars. Children who have enjoyed Charlotte’s Web and James Herriot’s Treasury for Children will love this story, which is exceptionally well written with humor, pathos, and drama… The characters are wonderfully drawn, and Babe exemplifies loyalty, courage, determination, and courtesy… An outstanding read.

Age 04-08. 4 Stars. This wonderful book tells the story of William Tell in songlike rhyming text, with watercolor illustrations… The text is well written, and the artwork, while not artistically spectacular, is pleasing and full of period detail. It’s best for children who are old enough to understand that Tell’s son was in real danger of death, without being traumatized by the knowledge.

Age 04-08. 4 Stars. Stanley is an ordinary boy whose life changes when a large bulletin board falls on him during the night, flattening him to a thickness of a half-inch…. This whimsical fantasy is entirely enjoyable, and what it lacks in depth of plot and character development (no pun intended), it makes up for in imagination.

Age 04-08. 4 Stars. In this retelling of a segment from Spenser’s Faerie Queen… Hyman’s mesmerizing illustrations, augmented by lavish and intricate borders, make this book excellent …, because the pictures do most of the work in capturing a child’s imagination. This story of heroism and love is wonderful in its own right, but it should also whet the appetite and prepare the reader for a future experience of the full poem.

Age 12-16. 5 Stars. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy continues the story begun in The Hobbit and more fully develops the world of Middle Earth. In this epic saga, ordinary beings must use their small gifts in a struggle against great evil…. This work has becoming a defining influence in the genre in fantasy literature, and none of the works that came after it have matched it for its marvelous use of language, the deep coherency of the fantasy world, and the epic themes which propel the story to its climactic finish. Christian readers have long appreciated the way in which Tolkien’s stories express his Christian view of reality.

Age 08-12. 5 Stars. The Hobbit, like The Chronicles of Narnia, defines the standard for fantasy literature for children…. Tolkien’s works have attained classic status through their excellent story quality, deeply coherent story world, and a perceptive eye toward human nature. Christian thinkers especially appreciate that Tolkien’s stories, while not allegorical, are firmly rooted in a Christian view of the world.

Age 04-08. 4 Stars. Sam and Dudley are two detectives, and this trio of stories about them will introduction children to the genre of crime mysteries….. Through careful sleuthing, with some slapstick humor and exciting action, the two detectives solve the three mysteries in a methodical way, finding and following clues and exemplifying the importance of being aware of one’s surroundings…. The villains are one-dimensional crooks who masquerade as regular citizens — evil enough to provide suspense in the conflict between them and the detectives, but not so evil that they will frighten readers. The detectives are intelligent and likable, and their methods and disguises are quite funny.

Age 04-08. 5 Stars. A book for boys by the author of The Princess and the Kiss, this one follows the story of a kingdom whose treasure is “The Lantern of Purest Light.”… The book is a compelling parable about the importance of God’s Word, the Bible. It tells a story of a quest worth winning, a young man proving himself in the company of his elders, and dangers on every side that seek to destroy him. He holds on to courage and moral purity only by means of the scroll, to which he submits every decision, and by which he achieves victory against great odds. This is a powerfully winning story that will influence a boy’s imagination in the best possible way.

Age 08-12. 5 Stars. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis is one of the definitive works of children’s fantasy literature that still influences the imagination of our present culture…. [It] begins when the Pevensies, a family of British children, stumble upon the doorway to a magical kingdom called Narnia, wherein they are called upon to oppose evil forces… The world is populated with dryads, unicorns, and large talking Beasts as well as humans, and the ruler of this world is Aslan, the great lion. … Narnia has had a resounding impact on the fantasy of our present time, and there is still a lively discussion among scholars and other thinkers about the profound themes of Lewis’s vision.