Book Reviews for Girls and Teens

  Welcome to Sarah Says . . . . 

Hey there!

I’m Sarah Elizabeth Moldenhauer and I’m 15 years old.  I’m in the 10^th grade, and yes, if you didn’t know already know, I’m home schooled along with my three younger brothers.

Let me tell you a little about myself. I’m an Optional 1 competitive gymnast and would probably live at the gym if given the chance.  I’ m also on a local high school gymnastics team during the fall and compete for a recreational league during the spring and summer. Other than that I also enjoy interior decorating. I recently finished painting and redecorating my bedroom and bathroom. My favorite colors are purple and orange… so you can guess what color my creations are! My room is dark purple and lavender. My bathroom, however, is a little crazier. Are you ready for this? It’s lavender and orange!!! Yeh, I know it sounds crazy, but it actually looks good (even my mom thinks so and that’s hard to do!)!

I LOVE the stage and could live in the spotlight and maybe will someday when I get a main role. I have been in numerous musicals and plays not to mention tons of skits! Just recently, I have discovered the art of speech. Okay, so I’ve been able to talk since I was like 2 or something, but I just discovered speech COMPETITION. Soon I will be competing with the speech and debate group at our home school group. Yes, yes, I have taken debate for about 3 years, but as much as I want to like it, I just cannot say it’s one of my favorite things to spend time doing. Speech has found it’s way in to my favorites list though.

Ummm…. What else… oh yeh, I LOVE to read!!!! In fact, that’s the whole reason for Sarah Says . . . . I’m going to review books that I have liked from the time I was about 9 or 10 to the present age. (Just so you don’t have to scroll all the way back up to the top to see how old I am, I’ll just remind you here: I’m 14!!). So that pretty much sums it up. Now I have to get started on the actual book reviews *sigh*. That’s the part my mom made me do. Okay here it goes!!

P.S. If you would like to email me (please no forwards) email my mom and she will send it to me.

For 9-12 year olds

These are books I liked or would have liked when I was about 9- 12 years old I know this is TEEN corner but the PRE- TEENS count, too!!!! Any way…

When I was about 6 my mom and I started to sit down and read the American Girl books together. Later, I read them on my own. (My mom taught a class on using the books at our home school group.) When I was sick and not sleeping (but bored out of my mind) my mom and I would curl up in our recliner and she would read my favorite books out loud to me. Yes, that would be the American Girl books. Each girl is based on time in American history. I believe there are 8 girls they each have 6 books in the series. The books are about 4 chapters long, so it makes for a perfect read for a new reader or just some one like me who wants an really easy read.

The series teaches history, morals, and sticking together as a family even when the going gets tough. The girls in the books are 9-11 so it is easy for young girls to look up to them and connect with them. That was my main American history curriculum until about 5th grade, and guess what? I passed every single history test with ease. Above all that, I enjoyed learning history. Why can’t they make that kind of thing for high schoolers!?!? These books are over all educational and girls (or boys for that matter) will love them! (My mom says I should mention that to use this as curriculum she planned crafts, games, foods, and dances from each era to bring them to life. Also, some Christians might be uncomfortable with the religion in the Kaya books. Kaya is an American Indian and her religion doesn’t reflect Biblical teaching. She thinks reading it is still okay as long as you discuss how their belief system differs from what God teaches in the Bible.)

After the American Girls series, I got hooked on the High Hurdles series by Lauraine Snelling (Bethany House). I think I was 10 or 11. The series start with thirteen-year-old DJ Randall who loves horses and dreams of competing as a show jumper in the Olympics. Unfortunately, DJ doesn’t own a horse, her mother doesn’t understand her dreams, and her best supporter, Gran, is distracted by a new marriage.  This series follows DJ through many struggles and shows that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and learn to rely on God. When I read this series, I told my mom that DJ was my new best friend. Watching her overcome her fears helped me overcome some of my own.

Next up on the 9-12 list is the Holly’s Heart series by Beverly Lewis (Bethany House).  This series of 14 books by Christian writer Beverly Lewis is perfect for pre-teen girls who aren’t sure what to do with the scary upcoming teenage years. These books would probably be best for someone about 12 or 13years old.

We find Holly Meredith looking forward to her 13^th birthday party, but that’s not the only thing she has on her mind. Holly and her best friend, Andie, aren’t speaking to each other. Why? A BOY! His name is Jared and all the girls think he is sooo cute, but Holly and Andie soon find out you can’t judge a book by its cover (or a boy by his smile!). They also learn they shouldn’t put their friendship in jeopardy for someone they don’t know very well.

The series also deals with Holly’s struggle with her parent’s divorce and how Holly learns to love her dad again, even though he left when she was five. I like these books because they deal with real life issues. My mom likes the books because it shows the characters turning to God for help.

For 13 and Up

Next is the Real TV series by Wendy Lawton (Moody Publishers). This is the best series since the Holly’s Heart Series. Even though they are all in the same series, each book is its own story. Each one of theses books was inspired by a TV show. For example, Flip-Flop was inspired by Trading Spaces and Changing Rooms. Theses stories would be better for someone 13 or 14 and older because of some of the things they deal with, like stress, guys, and some abuse (very little). Because of all the reasons above I recommend this to a little bit of an older crowd. All the books show how each teenage girl must rely on God and leave all the problems up to him as they deal with every day life!

My mom thought I should put all of the books together and not take too much time writing the review (something about all that math and science that I’m neglecting), but that’s impossible!!! If I could recommend any book or series this would be the one (along with Dragon spell and Dragon Quest by Donita K. Paul, reviewed farther down).

Real TV Take One! Changing Faces

Olivia O’Donnell is a straight A senior in high school. What does that mean… STRESS! Being her classes valedictorian is right at her finger tips which requires tons of home work and not enough time with her best friend since kindergarten, Jane Brog. Olivia had always made time for her and Jane to get together to watch there favorite TV show, Changing faces. But when Olivia starts to volunteer at a homeless shelter to boost up her grades she doesn’t have time to be with Jane at all. She also finds out that she is more shut down than she thought possible. She thinks things can’t get much worse. Oh yes they can. Jane begins hanging out with Olivia’s all time enemy when it seems Olivia is to busy for her. Can Olivia balance school Jane and working at the shelter? What is missing in her life? You’ll just have to read and find out!

This book helped me a lot while I was on the high school gymnastics team. I was having so much trouble doing my school and keeping my grades up.  This book helped me learn how to balance my school, gymnastics, and my friends (who thank God were very understanding), But most of all my time with God.  I hope you’ll take my advice and read this AMAZING book.

Real TV Take Two! Flip flop

Chickie and Briana are best friends and know everything about each other. Or that’s what Chickie thinks. One thing they have on common is they both hate their bedrooms! Chickie has any 7 year-olds dream bedroom. The problem is she’s not seven anymore. She calls it her “ Pink princess bed room”.  So when Chickie decides to apply to be on their favorite home decorating show, Flip Flop, Briana thinks that no matter how much she would like to get rid of her “Cave” that the team would never come to Mercy Springs. And that’s okay with her. Her family secrets are safe for now. She liked it the way it was spending time over at Chickie’s house with her perfect family. Trying to forget her problems and not let any one else know about her problems at home. But that’s all about to change.

Real TV Take Three! Less is More

With Abby’s father gone and a big move to Grandma Cece’s house, Abby is feeling just like anyone would if they had moved to a place where the only person that they knew was your grandmother, lonely. Her new youth group isn’t exactly ideal with all the “Friendly” nicknames and no friends. Between missing her father and not having any friends there is one thing Abby can do- EAT! She was never the skinniest person to begin with, but now losing weight seems hopeless—until she meets Coach Mathews and is then given a chance to be on her favorite TV show, Less Is More.

Real TV Take Four! Dating Do-over

Bailey has all the brains but not the best people skills . . . which means no date for her senior prom. Bailey’s best friend, Jenn, is determined to “revive” Bailey so that Trevor (Bailey’s secret crush) will finally notice her. The efforts of the girls don’t go too well and Bailey continues to look like a klutz in front of Trevor. Then they run into the perfect opportunity. When the place where Luke (Jenn’s twin brother) works has a last second cancellation, Bailey gets to go on the reality TV show, Dating Do-over. But when the whole school gets involved Bailey must step into the spotlight. Something she has never had to do before. But with the support of her friends, Bailey learns to be herself and what true friendship is all about.

(Just a side note to all the moms out there. When my mom met Miss Wendy Lawton she said “ don’t worry, moms approve of how I handled the dating thing. I show how becoming friends is what is important!”)

(Warning! The Color Me Consumed series contains real life situations and deals with real life issues. It is helpful for teens as they navigate the real world, but some parents might feel uncomfortable with some of the issues explored.)

Fool’s Gold, Color Me Consumed Series, book 6, Melody Carlson, NavPress Think! - Hannah Johnson is a MK—missionary kid—from Papa New Guinea. She is pretty satisfied and happy with her life style. That is until she goes to visit her cousin Vanessa in California. Now she has to deal with money, the way she looks, parties, boys, and whether or not she is a Christian.  This book helps the reader realize that you will have to chose over and over, whether it is better to play the part and care about what’s on the outside, or to live what you believe on the inside.

Diary of a Teenage Girl, Kim #1, Just Ask Series, Melody Carlson, Multnomah -The yellow jeep for sale across the street is just DRIVING Kim crazy! The only problem is she got a speeding ticket, which means her parents won’t pay for half of the jeep. But her dad gives her a way to still get her dream car. She could write a teen advice column for his newspaper. At first, it seems writing the column, named Just Ask Jamie, is an easy way to keep her new wheels, but when a fellow student dies and the questions become tougher, Kim stuffs the hard letters in a box under her bed and ignores them. As Kim’s life seems to fall apart, the box starts to overflow, and Kim Patterson doesn’t have the answers to life’s big questions, she wishes there was a Jamie for her to write to! This is a great book!!! I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the series!!! In this book we can learn to trust in GOD even when we aren’t sure He’s there. Thank you Melody Carlson!

Dragonspell by Donita K. Paul (WaterBrook Press)
(Note: Since my mom already reviewed Dragonspell before I started my own page, we just put her review here. This is one of my all-time favorite books.)

I picked this book up at a writer’s conference, basically begging for the last copy because it had sold out—and with good reason. Dragonspell is a wonderful fantasy tale that has all the basic elements: an exciting storyline, an amazing new world to discover, danger, humor, and the coming of age of the inner person. The Christian reader will find that the parallels to the spiritual world grab their soul. The School Library Journal rates it for 4^th- 8^th graders, but I put it on this list, because I loved it as an adult. I read it aloud to my children and even while we were on vacation they begged for me to keep reading and finish the book. Although I’m well past the main character, Kale’s 14 years, I identified with her journey into the heart of Paladin, the Christ figure, and her discovery of her true identity as His follower. I couldn’t help but weep as Kale began to experience His deep love and the talents He had given her. The antics of Kale’s adorable fainting dragon keep us chuckling, even in the tension of the battles. If you liked Lewis’ Narnia or Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, this is a must read. It’s refreshing to find such a nurturing novel in the fantasy genre. My daughter insisted I write the author as soon as we finished to book to reassure her that the sequel was on the way. Donita promised we could get it in June of 2005!

DragonQuest By Donita K. Paul (Water book Publishers)

Kale, the dragon keeper for Paladin, is in training in a prestigious academy, but all she wants to do is get out of her room and be done studying! When she is given the chance, she is not sure she wants to take it. She has an assignment to go find a meech dragon that is out of control and try to help it and another meech who is held by the evil Risto. So Kale sets off with her best doneel friend Dar, and two new acquaintances: an orphaned little doneel girl placed in her charge and Bardon, who, although not much older than Kale, seems to be a stern, grumpy, overly responsible kind of fellow. They hook up with a good wizard and together help train the first meech dragon. Then, they set off  as a team to rescue the other meech from the evil Risto, the only problem is that the meech doesn’t know she needs rescuing.  Can the friends convince the meech dragon to turn to the good side before Risto gets all he needs to gain all the power? Will Kale finally find her mom or will she fall into Ristos trap? You’ll just have to read and find out! I loved this book and the first one in the series. They are very well written and an easy read. My family did them as a read aloud for school. We all loved them, even my very picky 12 year-old brother Seth. This is a MUST READ!!!

For Paula's research on young readers and fantasy, see the following articles: Young Readers and the Allure of Fantasy, Part 1 and, Young Readers and the Allure of Fantasy, Part 2.

Dragons in Our Mist series 1: Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis (Living INK books)

 The kids at school start calling Billy dragon breath. Billy knows that something is going on because his breath is really hot; hot enough to burn his mouth! But when he sets off the smoke detector he knows its time to talk to his parents. Come to find out his dad was once a dragon!!! Billy feels hurt and betrayed by his mom, but especially his dad. When an emergency erupts Billy has to team up with another half dragon girl named Bonnie. Bonnie is an orphan who hides her “deformity” by always wearing a backpack.

Bonnie and Billy have to team up to try to defeat their evil principal. With Bonnie’s faith and Billy’s newfound courage, as their only weapons will good still prevail?

This book is awesome!!! It takes the tale of King Arthur and modern day places and people to make a great read for anyone! This is a daring book with a Christian twist on it. AKA This is a must read!!

Dragons in Our Midst 2: The Candlestone By Bryan Davis (Living INK books)

 When Bonnie is reunited with someone (who is now a scientist) from her past she is lured into his laboratory by being told that her mother is still alive!  The scientist wants to send Bonnie into a stone called (would you believe it) the candlestone to retrieve her mother. Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, changes people into light energy and sends them into the candlestone. But Bonnie knows that no one has ever been able to escape the candlestone. Will Bonnie go into the candlestone? Will Billy’s ongoing battle with the dragon slayer cost him his life?

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