Faraway adventures

The Dragon and the Stone

Kathryn Butler

In this middle grade fantasy debut, homeschool mom Kathryn Butler combines well-crafted storytelling with innovative story elements. In the Somnium Realm, characters from human imagination come to life. When Lily inherits a magical stone pendant, evil shape-shifting “shrouds” hunt her to take the stone. To protect herself and others, she’ll need the help of fantastic characters like Cedric, a spunky dragon, and Adam, a bully at her school. While the plot feels contrived at times, this action-driven story with Aslan-like references to Christ will captivate tweens. (Ages 9-12)

Chinese Cinderella

Adeline Yen Mah

When Adeline Yen Mah’s biological mother dies in childbirth, her father and stepmother treat her cruelly. Readers will be heartbroken as Yen Mah’s parents abuse her and strip away things she loves, including her pet duck. Still, like Ye Xian—a Chinese heroine similar to Cinderella—Yen Mah finds success through talent and hard work. Yen Mah portrays Chinese culture with fascinating insight, and readers will savor the many kindnesses of her grandfather, her Aunt Baba, and her school friends. (Ages 12 and up)

The Sinking City

Christine Cohen

In Christine Cohen’s magical yet gothic version of Venice, Italy, an ancient group of underwater beings called Seleni threatens to destroy all the Carvatti family holds dear. Liona Carvatti, the daughter of a powerful Venetian merchant, resorts to masquerade and deception to save her family, her friends, and even her city. Cohen’s second novel follows The Winter King, which a WORLD reviewer said offered “deep Biblical truths.” The Sinking City doesn’t quite reach that level, but it may entertain fantasy-loving teens with solid, clean storytelling. (Ages 12 and up)

Bitesize Biographies

Tim Chester

Although written for adults, this six-book set of Christian biographies can build the faith of mature teens. Chester features three Reformation-era believers (William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer, and Lady Jane Grey) and three other saints (John Wycliffe, Mary Jones, and Aidan of Lindisfarne). Each 40-some-page biography isn’t well edited, but the entries capture the subjects’ contributions to the Church, with poignant quotes bringing each saint into focus (e.g., Lady Jane Grey’s admonition to “labour always to learn to die … and delight yourself only in the Lord”). (Ages 15 and up)

Afterword

Nathan W. Pyle’s Strange Planet webcomics feature cute, alien-like creatures who poke fun at human culture and language. In Pyle’s alien-speak, words get transliterated in amusing ways: Cars become “rollmachines” and baseball players “orb-catchers.” Fans will have to wait until 2023 for the new animated show on Apple TV, but in the meantime, families can enjoy two more recent book versions.

Pyle’s 2020 Stranger Planet (sequel to the No. 1 New York Times bestseller Strange Planet) features 144 pages of his trademark comics. Pyle doesn’t share much publicly about his Christian faith, but his work is clean, displaying morals consistent with a Christian worldview. He often draws on the beauty of family life and ­portrays aliens who care for one another.

Younger readers might prefer Pyle’s 2021 picture book about The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature. This story of an alien family investigating a neighborhood cat will get kids laughing and puzzling over the quirkiness of our world and language. —E.W.