West Bend Community Memorial Library

Christian Living

Fiction

Meant To Be (Diary of a Teenage Girl) by Melody Carlson - When Kim's mom is diagnosed with cancer, Natalie steps in, as true friends will do, to round up hundreds of people to pray for Mrs. Peterson's healing. Her health begins to improve, and Kim's love life begins to flourish...but with a non-Christian. Natalie warns Kim to break off the relationship, but is that just because she's jealous? Or is God trying to speak to Kim through Natalie's counsel? When her mom's health suddenly declines again, Kim blames herself. Maybe she never should have become involved with Matthew, especially as she's tempted to give in to his pressure to have sex. Kim's faith is hanging in the balance. She wants to believe that prayer will prevail, but the obstacles seem so big...

Uncommon Faith by Trudy Krisher - Change is coming to the mid-nineteenth-century town of Millbrook, Massachusetts, whether folks are ready for it or not. Old traditions and values are being questioned, especially by an outspoken young woman named Faith Common. She defies expectations that women be obedient and limit their education to domestic duties such as sewing. Faith is determined to find her own truth about her abilities as well as the abilities of any human being, man or woman, black or white. With her uncommon faith in each person, she is a powerful catalyst for change. In this stirring historical novel, many citizens of Millbrook make their voices heard. Each tells of personal triumphs and tragedies, and of the controversies surrounding the rights of individuals, women, slaves, and freed slaves. Their stories shape their New England town in the years 1837 and 1838.

Christy by Catherine Marshall - At nineteen, Christy Huddleston left home to teach school in the Smokies -- coming to know and care for the wild mountain people, with their fierce pride, terrible poverty, dark superstitions...and their yearning for beauty and truth. But in these primitive surroundings, Christy's faith would be severely tested by the unique strengths and needs of two remarkable young men -- and challenged by a heart torn between desire...and love.

Save Halloween! by Stephanie Tolan - Eleven-year-old Johnna Filkins, who is deeply involved in the sixth grade Halloween pageant although her family views it as a celebration of an un-Christian holiday, decides that she must follow her own beliefs.

Ordinary Miracles by Stephanie Tolan - Mark Filkins is going through a tough year -- he's tired of being an identical twin and of being the son of a fundamentalist minister, and he's stunned when he learns that a beloved neighbor, a brilliant scientist, has cancer. All the Filkinses -- last seen in Tolan's Save Halloween! -- believe that prayer can heal, so Mark launches a prayer campaign to save his friend, in this rich and wonderfully characterized novel, Mark's beliefs are tested as he searches for one special miracle.

In the Chat Room with God by Todd Hafer - Five teens, staying up late, searching for friendship and maybe a few answers in life, are suddenly joined by a mysterious visitor to their chat room. Who is this mysterious visitor? That's the question all five teens-and thousands of teen readers-must ultimately answer.

Stranger in the Chat Room by Todd Hafer - Following life-changing interactions with God in an Internet chat room, a group of teens disperse for the summer. As they reconnect, an intriguing character invades their supposedly private domain. Claiming to know about their encounters with the Almighty, he asks to talk about their experiences. The friends soon find him challenging their beliefs. As the teens defend themselves against this increasingly malevolent interloper, they must draw on the truth they have learned from God’s Word.

The Dark Light by Mette Newth - While enduring a bleak existence in a hospital for lepers in Norway during the early 1800s, thirteen-year-old Tora tries to find meaning in a life surrounded by death.

Miriam's Well by Lois Ruby - Faith and science clash in a battle with bone cancer. Glib Adam, Jewish and full of easy confidence, is paired for a poetry assignment with serious-minded Miriam, who's a member of a Christian sect that believes in faith healing. When Miriam is afflicted with a life-threatening tumor, a judge orders medical treatment, and Miriam is hospitalized against her will. Adam's lawyer-father tries to prove that her First Amendment right to freedom of religion has been violated. In the midst of all this pain and confusion, Miriam and Adam fall in love. But what kind of a future can there be for these two people from such totally different backgrounds? Does Miriam even have a future?

Tell me Everything by Carolyn Coman - After her mother dies in a rescue mission on a snowy mountain, twelve-year-old Roz wonders if talking to God, and to the boy for whom her mother died, can help her understand what happened.

The Wind in the Wheat by Reed Arvin - Andrew Miracle has been given a musical gift from God. A visiting manager hears him perform and in a flash Andrew is signed out of obscurity to a major label and thrust into a whirlwind world that is totally foreign to him. Everything that was once important and clear to him is now hazy and hard questions arise. What is at the core of Christian music? What are its values? Is it a business? Is it a ministry? Is there such a thing as the "business of ministry?" As his star begins its rapid ascent, Andrew must face these questions head on and make some hard choices that are all too relevant to today's music scene. This book takes a hard look at the music industry flying under the Christian flag. It shows a young man's struggle to keep his Christianity as he slowly watches it slide between his fingers, as everybody around him tells him it's "o.k."

Non-Fiction

Battlefield of the Mind for Teens by Joyce Meyer -

Boyland by Andrea Stephens - B.A.B.E.s, pack your bags and pick up your passports--you're about to take a trip to a truly exotic place called Boyland. It's definitely foreign territory, but this ultimate guidebook will help you get to know the natives, learn to communicate in a way they'll understand, and get a glimpse into why they do what they do. Inside you'll find out: What's really going on the inner workings of the boy brain? Why personality and body language are important? What they're really saying and how to translate? Why being "only friends" is totally cool? And that's not all. You'll also find quizzes, quotes from Boylanders, interviews with experts, cool conversation starters, and more! If you're looking for tons of advice on every teen girl's favorite topic, grab this book and head out with confidence. As a beautiful, accepted, blessed and eternally significant B.A.B.E., you're going to have great relationships with guys!

Chicken Soup for the Christian Teenage Soul edited by Jack Canfield - This new volume in the blockbuster teen series puts faith first. For teens who make God an integral part of their lives, teens who are sorting through doubts about whether God really cares about them, and teens who don't know God at all, this may be one of the most influential books they'll ever read.

A Young Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George - What does it mean to pursue God's heart in your everyday life? It means understanding and following God's perfect plan for your friendships, your faith, your family relationships, and your future. As you read along, you'll find yourself caught up in the exciting adventure of a lifetime -- that of becoming a woman after God's own heart! You'll love the special "Heart Response" sections that are just for you, and the practical "Things to Do Today" will help you make instant progress in your desire to become a godly woman.

Jesus Freaks: Stories of those who Stood for Jesus - This Gold Medallion-nominated book opens the eyes of believers to the lives of martyrs, inspiring us to lives of unashamed faith.

She Said Yes: the Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall by M. Bernall - Confronted by her killers, Cassie was asked, "Do you believe in God?" She answered, "Yes." People around the world have been quick to call Cassie a martyr. But in focusing on her exchange with the gunman who killed her, the far more remarkable story of Cassie's life in the years leading up to that final, decisive moment has been left untold. In She Said Yes, Cassie's mother describes how her daughter had, at one point, started down a troubled path similar to that of her killers, and how as parents, she and her husband risked everything to save her, only to lose her again. Drawing on her own memories, on Cassie's letters and notes, and on interviews with classmates and friends, Bernall has created a loving but unflinchingly honest portrait of a young woman whose struggle to find meaning and purpose in life is sure to resonate with young people and parents everywhere.

Don't Date Naked by Michael Smalley - Young people are constantly being bombarded with the wrong ideas and expectations when it comes to dating. The media has done its best to equate dating with sleeping together--and our kids are at risk. Using personal stories, humor and straight talk, Michael and Amy Smalley challenge young adults to understand and grasp godly principles of honor and purity. Their experiences and interaction with today's youth, give them incredible insights into how young people think and why they do what they do. This new book will speak to today's young adults where they're at and help them deal with dating and all it means.

Popular Christian Series

True Colors by Melody Carlson Keystone Stables by Marsha Hubler Forbidden Doors by Bill Myers The Veritas Project by Frank Peretti Diary of a Teenage Girl by Melody Carlson Elsie Dinsmore, a Life of Faith by Martha Finley Left Behind by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins Left Behind - the Kids by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins Brio Girls Series by various authors The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis Degrees of Guilt Trilogy by various authors Christy Miller Series by Robin Jones Gunn COMING SOON -- On Tour by Barb Huff

Popular Christian Authors (Adult and Young Adult)

Frank Peretti Tim Lahaye Lurlene McDaniel Janette Oke Beverly Lewis Lauraine Snelling Francine Rivers Robin Jones Gunn Gilbert Morris C.S. Lewis Stephen Lawhead

~Young Adult Librarian ~
Kristin Lade
klade@west-bendlibrary.org
262.335.5151 x128

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Updated October 25, 2006

"Organized education gives us information, but there are things we have to learn ourselves" ~ Lauryn Hill