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The Barn and the Book by Melinda Johnson


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Secret of the Night Ponies


Joan Hiatt Harlow - 2009
    With her Newfoundland pony, Raven, and Newfoundland dog, Blizzard, Jessie is never at a loss for faithful companions. Jessie's grandmother is always pushing her to be a "lady," but if being a lady means leading a life without adventure, Jessie will have none of it. When Jessie realizes that a little girl named Clara is being neglected, Jessie knows that she has to help. And when Jessie discovers a herd of wild ponies captured in the woods, she knows that she and her friends must come to the rescue. But going head-to-head against the town's bully to save Clara and the ponies is no small feat, and Jessie will need more than just a little bit of luck. The rugged shores of Newfoundland in 1965 set the scene for award-winning author Joan Hiatt Harlow's tale of a girl and her boundless affection for ponies.

Introducing Eastern Orthodox Theology


Andrew Louth - 2013
    This absorbing account of the essential elements of Eastern Orthodox thought deals with the Trinity, Christ, sin, humanity and creation as well as praying, icons, the sacraments and liturgy.

A Horse to Love


Marsha Hubler - 2004
    At Keystone Stables, a special-needs dude ranch in central Pennsylvania, Skye meets Champ, a champion sorrel quarter horse who helps her accept God's unconditional forgiveness and love.

Angelhood


A.J. Cattapan - 2015
    But when her dream theater college rejects her and her best friend dies in a terrible accident, Nanette decides the world would be better off without her. Unfortunately, the afterlife offers something less than a heavenly situation. Trapped between alternating periods of utter darkness and light, Nanette is stuck following a high school freshman around. Soon, she learns she’s a guardian angel, and the only way she can earn her wings is to keep her young charge, Vera, from committing the same sin she did—taking her own life.Unfortunately, Nanette is missing more than just her wings. She has no tangible body or voice, either. Frustrated by her inability to reach out to Vera and haunted by memories of her old life, Nanette wants to give up, but then she sees what happens when another Guardian at the high school turns his back on his charge. The shock is enough to supercharge Nanette’s determination. She’s going to find peace in the afterlife…as soon as she can convince Vera that living is what life is all about.

The Monster That Followed Me Home From School


Kate Clary - 2013
    It’s a little, green monster that is interested in only one thing- Max’s lunch box! Max and his friend Alex come up with a plan to trap the monster. Will they succeed?

Secrets


Ernestine Tito Jones - 2015
    Out of the 100 rules their grandparents gave them to follow, that one was the most important, so of course, it was also the first one Hazel's six-year-old sister, Bess, decides to break. Hazel cannot believe she has to be in charge of her crazy little sister this entire summer. What could be worse for an eight-year-old who always follows the rules?But she never expected Bess would accidentally uncover a dark family secret that involves a hidden time machine and their mysterious, and grumpy, grandpa.Just when she thought her summer couldn't get any worse, Hazel finds herself stuck in the time of Colonial America, trying to keep her sister under control while also trying to make it back. She quickly finds out that she and her sister are going to have to work together to figure it out, and that maybe, that's not such a bad thing after all. Books also by Ernestine Tito Jones Follow Failure: Book Two, The Time Machine Girls From the Bottom of the Cauldron: Tales of Witch Training  92 Sandwiches

Rainbow Garden


Patricia St. John - 1960
    It's only the little secret garden that she finds at the end of the rainbow that makes staying there seem worthwhile. And then something happens that changes everything.From Patricia St. John—nurse, missionary, relief worker, and writer of many books for children.

Mandie and the Secret Tunnel


Lois Gladys Leppard - 1983
    Mandie's move into a neighbor family's home, when her mother remarries, does not soften her grief. Her only comfort is the promise from her father's faithful Cherokee friend, Uncle Ned, to watch out for her and be a friend. Will Mandie be able to escape her new and nearly intolerable home situation? Will she find her long-lost family? Will the mysterious key unlock the door to the secret tunnel and her own family's history?For children 8-13, mystery adventures set in the North Carolina backwoods at the turn of the century.

Runaway


Dandi Daley Mackall - 2008
    Maybe that's why they call me a "runaway," and not a "run-to." Meet 16-year-old Dakota Brown. She used to love all things "horse" until she lost everything, including hope. The minute she sets foot on her foster parents' farm--Starlight Animal Rescue--she plans her escape. But can an "impossible" horse named Blackfire and this quirky collection of animal lovers be the home she's always dreamed of? Starlight Animal Rescue: Where problem horses are trained and loved, where abandoned dogs become heroes, where stray cats become loyal companions. And where people with nowhere to fit in find a place to belong.

London Art Chase


Natalie Grant - 2016
    All the girls are smart, sassy, and unique in their own way, each with a special little something that adds to great family adventures.There is pure excitement in the family as the group heads to London for the first time to watch mom, famous singer Gloria Glimmer, perform. But on a day trip to the National Gallery, Maddie witnesses what she believes to be an art theft and takes her sisters and their beloved and wacky nanny Miss Julia, on a wild and crazy adventure as they follow the supposed thief to his lair. Will the Glimmer Girls save the day? And will Maddie find what makes her shine?

Woman of Mettle


Linda Caddick - 2015
    Safe in her small agricultural community, the recent outbreak of persecution against the 'followers of the Way' in Jerusalem is distant enough not to affect her, and she is determined to keep it that way. Little does she know, she is about to walk through the fire. How much is she prepared to suffer on behalf of another? Things get dangerous when an ambitious young man crosses her path, especially as he holds the key to her future. To survive, she must employ all her feminine wiles. In spite of her imperfect pursuit of the Master, his exceeding grace sustains her in her darkest hour. But when it's all over, she is yet to find out whether love still remains.

Give A Little Love (Jordan Family Book 1)


Rhonda McKnight - 2013
    Paradise isn’t paradise when you’re not where you want to be, but this Christmas is anything but uneventful. Three airplanes land on the island and Brooke finds herself in exchanges that cause love, temptation, and HATE to surface. Marcus Thompson has pain in his past, but he’s decided it’s time to try love again. A widowed orphan from a wealthy family, he’s alienated from his grandfather and wants a family of his own. His feelings for Brooke can’t be denied, but she won’t give him a chance to prove he’s not the playboy she thinks he is. Though she finds Marcus tempting, Brooke is determined to get off the island without falling for his charms. The two people she trusted the most betrayed her in the worse way, and she isn’t prepared to risk love again. But when her worst enemy stands on her doorstep needing the generosity that has always been a part of Brooke’s character, she begins to question who she is and what she’s allowed heartbreak to do to her. Will she let anger and hate take over and turn her into someone else? Or will she find that even in her pain, she has the capacity to give?

In Front of God and Everybody


K.D. McCrite - 2011
    From disastrous dye jobs to forced apologies and elderly date tagalongs, you’ll laugh ‘til you cry as you read the Confessions of April Grace! Here are just a couple of April's thoughts: On her sister, Myra Sue: "How anyone can be that dumb and still be able to eat with a fork is beyond me."  On senior citizen lovebirds: "What if they started smooching right at the table in front of God and everybody?"In spite of all the loony characters in her life, April Grace is able to learn from her parents as they share the love of God—to even the craziest of characters!

Amish Ace of Hearts


Mary Lantz - 2020
    

The Mystery of the White Elephant


Elspeth Campbell Murphy - 1994
    When Timothy and his cousins go to the church swap meet, they discover a thief has stolen the white elephant they plan to buy, and it's up to them to find the culprit.