Well-known authors take on YA topics Print
Written by Christine D. Johnson   
Monday, 11 August 2014 12:23 PM America/New_York

KillingLionsJohn Eldredge and son Sam Eldredge invite young men and their fathers to a life journey in Killing Lions: A Guide Through the Trials Young Men Face (9781400206704, 208 pages, hardcover, $19.99). Releasing Sept. 9 from Thomas Nelson, the book was born out of a series of weekly phone calls between Sam, a young writer in his 20s, and his dad, best known for 2001’s Wild at Heart.JackStaplesAndTheRingOfTime

In Killing Lions, the Eldredges talk about topics key to learning how to become a man, including dealing with money, getting married, chasing dreams and finding a life of your own. With a title that refers to a Masai rite of passage into manhood, Killing Lions speaks to a searching generation and takes the pressure off young men who are trying to figure out life all on their own.

Mark Batterson has ventured into YA territory with the start of a new trilogy. The first book, Jack Staples and the Ring of Time, written with Joel N. Clark, sees an 11-year-old Irish boy awaken to a fantastical world. He is unwittingly drawn into a war that’s been raging since time before time. Encountering creatures beyond imagination, Jack must face his fears if he is to fulfill his destiny—to save the world and destroy it—and in the process, he discovers new and extraordinary abilities in his epic battle between good and evil. Published by David C Cook, the 240-page softcover book (9780781411073) retails for $9.99 and is available Sept. 1.

 CATHOLIC

 

ENCOUNTER JESUS

EncounterJesus

 

Fr. Dave Pivonka, T.O.R., and Deacon Ralph Poyo
Servant Books (Franciscan Media)
softcover, 144 pages, $14.99
9781616367893
September

Pivonka and Poyo offer guidance in Encounter Jesus to readers who want to learn to follow Jesus wherever He leads.

 

 THE FEASTS

TheFeasts

Cardinal Donald Wuerl and Mike Aquilina
Image
hardcover, 224 pages, $23
9780804139922
Sept. 16

Authors Wuerl and Aquilina examine the history and traditions behind the holidays, from favorite holidays such as Christmas to forgotten ones such as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Through the feasts, Christians learn the life of Christ, share it and come to imitate it. This book continues the work the authors begun in their books The Mass and The Church, exploring the basics of Catholic life. Each chapter of The Feasts uncovers the biblical origins and development of one of the great feasts or fasts.

 

THE WAY OF SERENITY

TheWayOfSerenity

Father Jonathan Morris
HarperOne (HarperCollins Publishers)
hardcover, 240 pages, $24.99
9780062119131
Sept. 16

FOX News religion analyst, program director of the Catholic Channel on SiriusXM radio and best-selling author Morris reveals how the Serenity Prayer offers a path to peace and fulfillment for everyone, not just those in recovery programs. Exploring the prayer phrase by phrase, Morris shows the hope that can be found by gaining a deeper spiritual understanding of its words and by practicing its message. The Way of Serenity includes narratives, historical anecdotes and biblical passages that demonstrate the power of the Serenity Prayer to help readers grow closer to God and find greater peace and happiness.

 

CHILDREN

A GIFT FOR BABY’S DEDICATION

AGiftForBabysDedication

Lois Rock; illustrated by Sanja Rescek
Lion Hudson (Kregel Publications)
hardcover, 48 pages, $9.99
9780745964911
Sept. 27

Uncomplicated prayers, traditional and modern, are collected in A Gift for Baby’s Dedication for a grown-up to say with a child. The prayers have been chosen to remind children of the promises made by their congregation and parents to help raise the child in the Christian faith. Accompanied by soft illustrations, this padded-cover gift book is decorated with foil titling.

 

 CONRAD AND THE COWGIRL NEXT DOOR

ConradAndTheCowgirlNextDoor

Denette Fretz; illustrated by Gene Barretta
Zonderkidz (Zondervan)
hardcover, 40 pages, $12.99
9780310723493

For children ages 4-8, Conrad and the Cowgirl Next Door follows the story of Conrad, a cautious kid who becomes concerned when he has a chance to visit his uncle’s ranch and learn the cowboy way of life. Conrad is concerned that he doesn’t know the rules and that it might be dangerous to be a cowboy, so he brings his Mega Ultimate Extreme First Aid Kit to the ranch. In this humorous tale about what it means to love your neighbor, Conrad encounters Imogene Louise, the know-it-all cowgirl who is happy to point out his shortcomings. Conrad is the second in “The Next Door” series.

 

GOD GAVE US ANGELS

GodGaveUsAngels

 

Lisa Tawn Bergren; illustrated by Laura J. Bryant
WaterBrook Press
softcover, 40 pages, $10.99
9781601426611
Sept. 16

The newest title in Bergren’s best-selling “God Gave Us” series features the character of Little Cub as she considers why God gave us angels. This picture book for children ages 3 and up follows little Cub and Papa Bear as they wander their arctic neighborhood and discuss the questions young ones have about angels—what they do, how they look, why they’re here and how they help care for us.

 

PROMISES FOR GOD’S PRINCESSES

PromisesForGodsPrincesses

 Katrina Cassel
Tyndale House Publishers
softcover, 224 pages, $9.99
9781414396606
September

This devotional book is filled with Scriptures about God’s love, protection and promises. The diary-style book’s 100 devotions tie in the Scriptures to help young girls apply them to their lives.

 

 

 WILD AND WACKY BIBLE ADVENTURES FOR KIDS

WildAndWackyBibleAdventuresForKids

Sandy Silverthorne
Harvest House Publishers
softcover, 144 pages, $8.99
9780736956734
Sept. 1

Comical illustrations and up-to-date retellings of Bible stories in Wild and Wacky Bible Adventures for Kids are designed for kids ages 6-12. Writer-iillustrator Silverthorne pairs biblical accounts with contemporary culture, resulting in a humorous but informative blend of Bible lessons and modern-day applications. Stories are introduced with improbable questions that will stimulate young readers’ thinking.

 

GIFT BOOKS

BLESSED TO CALL YOU FRIEND

BlessedToCallYouFriend Annie LaPoint
Harvest House Publishers
hardcover, 48 pages, $12.99
9780736962186
Sept. 1

Blessed to Call You Friend invites readers to honor their friends and celebrate the joys they share together. Featuring LaPoint’s illustrations, this book is a collection of timeless quotes and Scripture verses.

 

 FIRST PRAYERS FOR BABY

FirstPrayersForBaby

Sophie Piper; illustrated by Annabel Spenceley
Lion Hudson (Kregel Publications)
hardcover, 48 pages, $8.99
9780745964072
Sept. 27

First Prayers for Baby is a book of simple prayers and blessings for a newborn child. Including traditional and modern prayers, it is a fitting gift for a baptism or dedication. Illustrated with pastel images of babies and their toys, the book is presented in a padded hardcover with a dedication page and space for a photo.

 

FRIENDS RULE THE ROOST

FriendsRuleTheRoost

Susan Winget
Harvest House Publishers
hardcover, 48 pages, $12.99
9780736962247
Sept. 1

With Winget’s whimsical roosters, chickens and bright Provençal art throughout, this collection of friendship quotes and Scripture verses celebrates the blessing of close friends.

 

YOUNG ADULT

THE LESSER SUN

TheLesserSun REV

L.B.Graham
Living Ink (AMG Publishers)
softcover, 384 pages, $14.99
9780899577739
Sept. 25

The Lesser Sun, the second title in “The Wandering,” opens almost three years after the collapse of Barra-Dohn. Kaden Omiir, once the crown prince of a mighty empire, is now an apprentice to the Amhuru, the nomadic keepers and protectors of the Golden Cord. He and his family and the others who survived the city’s fall with them are now traveling with Tchinchura—who bears the last Southland fragment of the Golden Cord that is still in Amhuru hands—in search of any information that will help them in their struggle against the Jin Dara.

 

THE LIFE: AN OUTREACH BIBLEZINE

TheLifeAnOutreachBiblezine

 

 New Living Translation
Tyndale House Publishers
softcover,
112 pages, $4.99
9781414396361
September

Tyndale House appeals to teens who are curious about spiritual things with The Life: An Outreach Biblezine. Using the New Living Translation (NLT), this unconventional Bible was created in partnership with Youth for Christ. The Life moves teens beyond religion to an introduction to Jesus’ personal story and His Word.

THE MASTER SONG

MasterSong

Andrew Maloney
Whitaker House
9781629111766
softcover,
352 pages, $15.99
Sept. 1

The Master Song, the first of “Blue Time” series, is a high-fantasy fiction tale. The story revolves around five teens in Ireland who find themselves caught in a hidden world. They must learn to grow, trust, fight, sacrifice and love in order to find the first of seven lost jewels that contain the ancient “Verses of the Master Song.” With the Awakened—humanlike animals and plants—they will battle beasts, doppelgangers and an evil power nearly as ancient as creation.