Fall religion authors include a lot of the usual suspects, but one is especially notable. Billy Graham, who will be 95 in November, still has something to say, and he says it in The Reason for My Hope: Salvation. Graham may no longer be able to command a stage for a revival, but he still commands respect and readership.
Other known quantities promise pleasure and provocation. In his newest, which PW calls “sweeping”—an adjective invented for writers like him—historian Diarmaid MacCulloch chronicles Silence: A Christian History, looking at it as both a method of prayer that has much to commend it and as an institutional strategy that has been complicit in great harm. A new reading is offered of the life of one of Judaism’s greatest thinkers in Maimonides: Life and Thought by Moshe Halbertal, biographical midrash on a life eminently worth rethinking. Admirers of author and theologian Eugene Peterson ought to be pleased and surprised by his newest, three collections of poetry entitled Holy Luck.
The strategy of rethinking can also refresh the understanding of sacred texts. Consider the Birds: A Provocative Guide to Birds of the Bible by Debbie Blue offers an imaginative riff on biblical interpretation, mixing avian and spiritual lessons. Even more unexpected is the proposition that spiritual life in prison runs deep. Down in the Chapel: Religious Life in an American Prison by Joshua Dubler takes its measure in a state penitentiary. And anybody who has ever thought that the Quakers invented oatmeal will learn differently from Living the Quaker Way: Timeless Wisdom for a Better Life Today by Indiana pastor and highly readable author Philip Gulley. Gulley is published by the new Random House imprint, Convergent, which aims at people in the growing ranks of the spiritually curious but religiously unaffiliated.
Other titles address the now: how we live today and what makes headlines. Marriages mix lives and family lines, and today’s multiculturalism offers the prospect of multiple religious mixing and matching. Mixed-Up Love: Relationships, Family, and Religious Identity in the 21st Century by Michal Woll and Jon M. Sweeney reflects on the new frontiers of interfaith marriage, and publishing veteran Sweeney can be depended on to know what makes a good book. On a more somber note, shootings make headlines, far too many of them. One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting by Marie Monville with Cindy Lambert is the story of life after the infamous shooting of students in an Amish schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pa., in 2006. Monville was married to the man responsible for the shootings. A man who also makes a lot of headlines, President Barack Obama, is the indirect subject of The President’s Devotional: The Daily Readings That Inspired President Obama by Joshua DuBois. DuBois was Obama’s religious adviser during the president’s first term and sent him readings daily for meditation and reflection.
PW's Top 10: Religion
The Reason for My Hope: Salvation. Billy Graham. Thomas Nelson, Oct.
Silence: A Christian History. Diarmaid MacCulloch. Penguin, Sept.
Maimonides: Life and Thought. Moshe Halbertal. Princeton Univ., Nov.
Holy Luck. Eugene H. Peterson. Eerdmans, Oct.
Consider the Birds: A Provocative Guide to Birds of the Bible. Debbie Blue. Abingdon, Aug.
Down in the Chapel: Religious Life in an American Prison. Joshua Dubler. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Aug.
Living the Quaker Way: Timeless Wisdom for a Better Life Today. Philip Gulley. Convergent, Sept.
Mixed-Up Love: Relationships, Family, and Religious Identity in the 21st Century. Michal Woll and Jon M. Sweeney. Jericho, Oct.
One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting. Marie Monville with Cindy Lambert. Zondervan, Oct.
The President’s Devotional: The Daily Readings That Inspired President Obama. Joshua DuBois. HarperOne, Oct.
Religion Listings
Nonfiction
Abingdon
Love to Stay: Sex, Grace, and Commitment by Adam Hamilton (Aug 1, hardcover, $18.99, ISBN 978-1426759512). The popular pastor explores how to make love last.
In Capable Arms: Living a Life Embraced by Grace by Sarah Kovac (Sept. 1, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-1426756955) is an inspiring and motivating story of overcoming the odds and embracing the gift of life.
Consider the Birds: A Provocative Guide to Birds of the Bible by Debbie Blue (Aug 1, paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1426749506) offers spiritual lessons that challenge the ordinary understanding of the birds of the Bible.
Amazon/New Harvest
Jesus: The Human Face of God (Icons series) by Jay Parini (Dec 3, hardcover, $20, ISBN 978-0544025899) brings a novelist’s narrative skills to telling the story of a figure who has profoundly affected and changed many lives.
Ave Maria
Atchison Blue by Judith Valente (Sept., paper, $15.95, ISBN 978-1-933495-58-3). The award-winning PBS religion journalist and poet invites readers along on her pilgrimages to Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kans., that brought her spiritual healing.
Letters to My Brothers by Stephen J. Rossetti (Oct., paper, $15.95, ISBN 978-1-59471-461-0). In this collection of letters to priests, Rossetti, an expert on the state of the American Catholic priesthood, both affirms their work and challenges them to renew their commitment to holiness and vocational fidelity.
B&H Books
God Is Able by Priscilla Shirer (Oct 1, paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-1433681912). Shirer’s first release since her bestselling The Resolution for Women examines the power of God.
Whispers of Hope: 10 Weeks of Devotional Prayer by Beth Moore (Oct. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1433681097). The popular Bible teacher shares her personal method of prayer.
Baker Books
Fashioned to Reign: Empowering Women to Fulfill Their Divine Destiny by Kris Vallotton, Jack Hayford (Aug 1, paper, $19.99, ISBN 978-0800795603) delivers a liberating teaching for women by the international speaker and bestselling author.
Finding Your Heart’s Desire: Ambition, Motivation and True Success by R.T. Kendall (Oct. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0800795672). The veteran pastor and author helps readers learn how to harness the positive, motivating power of ambition and avoid its dark side.
Baker Academic
Bonhoeffer the Assassin?: Challenging the Myth, Recovering His Call to Peacemaking by Mark Thiessen Nation, Anthony G. Siegrist, Daniel P. Umbel, and Stanley Hauerwas (Oct. 1, paper, $29.99, ISBN 978-0801039614) questions the common understanding that Bonhoeffer was involved in plots to assassinate Hitler.
Barbour Books
The Leadership Excellence Devotional: The Seven Sides of Leadership in Daily Life by Pat Williams and Jim Denney (Oct. 1, paper, $19.99, ISBN 978-1624161308) provides spiritual resources for leaders.
Basic Books
Roman Pilgrimage: The Station Churches by George Weigel (Oct. 29, hardcover, $35, ISBN 978-0465027699). A bestselling scholar of Catholicism guides readers along the traditional station churches pilgrimage made during Lent.
Beacon Press
(dist. by Random House)
Sons of Abraham: A Candid Conversation About the Issues That Divide and Unite Jews and Muslims by Rabbi Marc Schneier and Imam Shamsi Ali (Sept. 17, hardcover, $25.95, ISBN 978-0807033074). A prominent rabbi and imam, each raised in orthodoxy, work by friendship to bridge the chasm between Muslims and Jews.
Bethany House
Unseen: Satan, Heaven, Hell, and Winning the Battle for Eternity by Jack Graham (Aug. 1, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-0764211218) explains biblical teachings about the spirit realm.
Pilgrimage: My Journey to a Deeper Faith in the Land Where Jesus Walked by Lynn N. Austin (Nov. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0764211188). The award-winning historical novelist shares the deeply personal story of her own search for spiritual renewal in the Holy Land.
Brazos Press
iGods: How Technology Shapes Our Spiritual and Social Lives by Craig Detweiler (Nov. 1, paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1587433443). The media analyst and thinker investigates the technologies that drive culture with an eye to showing how to deepen faith in an era of too much information.
Church Publishing
(dist. by Abingdon Press)
Without Apology: Sermons for Christ’s Church by Stanley Hauerwas (Aug. 1, paper, $18, ISBN 978-1596272484) collects sermons by one of the country’s best-known theologians.
David C. Cook
Little Black Sheep: A Memoir by Ashley Cleveland (Sept. 1, hardcover, $17.99, ISBN 978-1434705297). The songwriter and musician tells her story of surviving a destructive childhood and youthful addiction to become a Grammy Award–winning artist.
One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World by Tullian Tchividjian (Oct. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0781406901). The pastor and author offers a fresh encounter with God’s inexhaustible grace.
Crossway
Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book About a (Really) Big Problem by Kevin De-Young (Sept. 1, paper, $11.99, ISBN 978-1433533389) combats the “busyness as usual” mindset to help make time for the things that really matter.
The Poverty of Nations: A Sustainable Solution by Barry Asmus and Wayne Grudem (Aug. 1, paper, $30, ISBN 978-1433539114) combines economic analysis with theological reflection in developing a plan to combat global poverty.
Crown/Convergent
Living the Quaker Way: Timeless Wisdom for a Better Life Today by Philip Gulley (Sept. 17, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0307955784). The Quaker pastor describes the values of the Quaker way: simplicity, peace, integrity, community, and equality.
Good God, Lousy World, and Me: The Improbable Journey of a Human Rights Activist from Unbelief to Faith by Holly Burkhalter (Oct. 15, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-1601425089) tells of the global human rights activist’s birth of faith in the midst of her difficult work.
Dutton
Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life’s Biggest Questions by Timothy Keller (Nov. 19, hardcover, $19.95, ISBN 978-0525954354). The Manhattan pastor examines Jesus’ answers to life’s biggest questions.
Eerdmans
Holy Luck by Eugene H. Peterson (Oct. 1, paper, $12, ISBN 978-0802870995) contains three collections of poems by the popular theologian and author.
Reading for Preaching: The Preacher in Conversation with Storytellers, Biographers, Poets, and Journalists by Cornelius Plantinga Jr. (Oct. 31, paper, $14, ISBN 978-0802870773) argues that good reading makes for better preaching.
FaithWords
Break Out!: 5 Ways to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life by Joel Osteen (Oc.t 1, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-0892969746) provides practical steps and encouragement for creating a life without limitations.
God Is Not Mad at You: You Can Experience Real Love, Acceptance & Guilt-free Living by Joyce Meyer (Sept. 3, hardcover, $24, ISBN 978-1455517473). The bestselling television Bible teacher tackles a hot spot: fear of God’s anger.
The Power of Right Believing: 7 Keys to Freedom from Fear, Guilt, and Addiction by Joseph Prince (Oct. 22, hardcover, $24, ISBN 978-1455553143) helps readers gain greater emotional control by studying the relationship between anxiety and right beliefs.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
A Prayer Journal by Flannery O’Connor, edited by W. A. Sessions (Nov. 12, hardcover, $18, ISBN 978-0374236915) is the devotional journal, recently discovered, kept by the young Flannery O’Connor.
Down in the Chapel: Religious Life in an American Prison by Joshua Dubler (Aug. 13, hardcover, $30, ISBN 978-0374120702) studies religious life in a state penitentiary.
Fortress Press
The Bonhoeffer Reader, edited by Clifford J. Green and Michael DeJonge (Nov. 1, paper, $39, ISBN 978-0800699451) draws together in a single volume the essential theological writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Paul and the Faithfulness of God by N.T. Wright (Nov. 1, paper, $89, ISBN 978-0800626839) is the two-book fourth volume in the popular theologian’s magisterial series Christian Origins and the Question of God.
Franciscan Media
Yes, and...: Daily Meditations by Richard Rohr (Aug. 27, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-1616366445) features 366 meditations, each written by Rohr and adapted or excerpted from his prolific work.
Saint: Why I Should Be Canonized Right Away by Lino Rulli (Sept. 1, paper, $19.99, ISBN 978-1616366681) takes a humorous look at God’s grace in the author’s life.
Georgetown Univ.
The Development of Moral Theology: Five Strands by Charles E. Curran (Dec. 15, paper, $29.95, ISBN 978-1626160194) analyzes the strands that differentiate Catholic moral theology from other approaches to Christian ethics.
Hampton Roads
(dist. by Red Wheel Weiser Conari)
The Showings of Julian of Norwich: A New Translation by Mirabai Starr (Oct. 1, paper, $18.95, ISBN 978-1571746917) renders an influential 14th-century spiritual text into contemporary language.
Becoming Kuan Yin: The Evolution of Compassion by Stephen Levine and Ondrea Levine (Sept. 1, paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1578635559). Levine’s first new book in years shows a path to compassion.
HarperONE
The President’s Devotional: The Daily Readings That Inspired President Obama by Joshua DuBois (Oct. 22, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-0062265289) offers a compilation of the words that inspired President Barack Obama for the past four years, sent to him by trusted adviser DuBois.
The Case for the Psalms: Why They Are Essential by N.T. Wright (Sept. 3, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0062230508) argues that all Christians should live and pray the Bible’s Psalms as a core spiritual practice.
Harvard Univ.
Religion Without God by Ronald Dworkin (Oct. 1, hardcover, $17.95, ISBN 978-0674726826) addresses timeless questions: what is religion and what is God’s place in it? What are death and immortality?
Harvest House
My So-Called Life as a Submissive Wife: A One-Year Experiment... and Its Liberating Results by Sara Horn (Aug. 1, paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-0736952835) contains a heartfelt account of the author’s one-year experiment in living out a conservative understanding of the biblical idea of wifely submission.
Hay House
The Rosary: The Prayer That Saved My Life by Immaculee Ilibagiza with Steve Erwin (Aug. 15, hardcover, $19.95, ISBN 978-1401940171) recounts the author’s personal experience of discovering the power of the ancient beads and their role in her faith that withstood the Rwandan genocide.
HCI
For the Love of God: True Stories of Faith, Fellowship, and Divine Intervention by Todd Outcalt (Sept. 1, paper, $9.95, ISBN 978-0757317583) offers true stories, encouragement, and hope.
Hendrickson
Unholy Allegiance by David DeSilva (Nov., paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1619701410) helps readers thoughtfully approach the often misunderstood biblical Book of Revelation.
Hohm Press
(dist. by SCB)
The Matrix of Yoga: Teachings, Principles, and Questions by Georg Feuerstein and Brenda Feuerstein (Oct., paper, $15.95, ISBN: 978-1935387473) is a beginner’s guide to the basics of traditional yoga from a master.
IDW
(dist. by Diamond)
Faith and Depression by Howard Jonas (Sept., HC, $12, ISBN 978-1-61377-818-0). The chief executive of one of America’s top ranking telecommunications companies knows people can change their lives because he did it himself. 60,000-copy announced first printing.
Influence
Dying Out Loud: No Guilt in Life, No Fear in Death by Shawn Smucker (Oct., paper, $14.99, 978-1-937830960) features an American family that won’t let cancer kill their work along the Silk Road.
Relentless: Pursuing a Life that Matters by Dave Donaldson (Aug., paper, $12.99, 978-1936699926) examines factors that contribute to global hunger and compiles volunteer-led initiatives that alleviate suffering.
InterVarsity Press
Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power by Andy Crouch (Nov. 1, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-0830837656) unpacks the dynamics of power that either make human flourishing possible or destroy the image of God in people.
Global Public Square: Religious Freedom and the Making of a World Safe for Diversity by Os Guinness (Sept. 2, paper, $16, ISBN 978-0830837670) argues that the best way to ensure freedom and justice for all is to champion freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
Jericho Books
Mixed-Up Love: Relationships, Family, and Religious Identity in the 21st Century by Michal Woll and Jon M. Sweeney (Oct. 15, paper, $15, ISBN 978-1455545896). Sweeney, a Catholic, and Woll, a Jew, guide readers through the challenges, compromises, and blessings of being in relationships, dealing with family, and raising children in an interfaith household.
Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber (Sept., hardcover, $22, ISBN 978-1455527083). Foul-mouthed and heavily tattooed, the former standup comic–become–Lutheran pastor weaves rants and theological insight into her personal narrative of an unlikely life of faith.
Jewish Lights Publishing
Believing and Its Tensions: A Personal Conversation About God, Torah, Suffering, and Death in Jewish Thought by Rabbi Neil Gillman, (Sept., hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-58023-669-0) examines the changing nature of belief and where it can lead.
May God Remember—Yizkor: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism, edited by Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman (Aug., hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-58023-689-8) explores memorializing in Judaism and why memory is so central to people.
Kregel Publications
(dist. by Ingram)
Related by Chance, Family by Choice: Transforming Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law Relationships by Deb DeArmond (Nov. 1, paper, $13.99, ISBN 978-0825443251) covers a variety of issues that affect this intimate relationship.
ReCreatable: How God Heals the Brokenness of Life by Kevin Scott (Jan. 1, paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-0825442117) shows the impact of the genius of God in human lives.
Lion
(dist. by IPG)
Big Bang, Big God: A Universe Designed for Life? by Rodney Holder, foreword by John Polkinghorne (Nov. 1, paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-0745956268) argues that only God provides an explanation for the universe to exist at all.
Liturgical Press
The Art of the Saint John’s Bible: The Complete Reader’s Guide by Susan Sink (Sept. 16, paper, $34.95, ISBN 978-0814691939) provides an inside look at the creation of the Saint John’s Bible, a work of modern sacred art.
MennoMedia
For God and Country (In That Order): Faith and Service for Ordinary Radicals by Logan Mehl-Laituri (Oct. 14, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0836196306) is a field manual of soldier saints and patriotic pacifists for Christians caught in a dilemma between responsible citizenship and faithfulness.
Moody Publishers
The Kingdom Agenda: Life Under God by Tony Evans (Aug. 1, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0802410610) helps shift priorities toward living in God’s kingdom.
Extraordinary Grace: How the Unlikely Lineage of Jesus Reveals God’s Amazing Love by Gary Chapman and Chris Fabry (Sept. 1, hardcover, $17.99, ISBN 978-0802410795) explores the lives of people who abandoned themselves to the love and mercy of God.
Morgan James
Even If You Were Perfect, Someone Would Crucify You: Stop Trying to Please People. Start Pleasing God by Rob Shepherd (Aug. 1, paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1614485131). A pastor shares his own story of learning to care less about what others say.
Multnomah
The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages: Seven Simple Things That Make a Big Difference by Shaunti Feldhahn (Dec. 17, hardcover, $17.99, ISBN 978-1601421210) shows how successful couples beat the odds in marriage and nourish happy relationships.
A Godward Heart: Treasuring the God Who Loves You by John Piper (Jan. 21, hardcover, $14.99, ISBN 978-1601425669). The prolific author and pastor offers fresh devotional messages.
New City Press
15 Days of Prayer with Dorothy Day by Michael Boover (Aug. 1, paper, $12.95, ISBN 978-1565484917) contains Day’s reflections about the daily discipline of readiness.
New Hope
A Thousand Times Yes: Two Doctors Who Answered God’s Call by Wana Ann Fort with Kim P. Davis (Aug. 5, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1596693838) chronicles the spiritual journey of two doctors who heard and answered God’s call to work in Africa.
New Leaf
At the Table: Where Marriage, Parenting, & Ministry Thrive by Shannon O’Dell (Aug., paper, $14, ISBN 978-0-89221-720-5) helps families discover the table’s unique setting to draw loved ones together, to each other and to God.
New World Library
(dist. by PGW)
Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine by Joseph Campbell (Nov., HC, $24.95, ISBN 978-1608681822) contains previously uncollected lectures and writings.
Nilgiri Press
Essence of the Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Call to Nirvana by Eknath Easwaran (Sept. 10, paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1586380977) presents this scripture as a guidebook for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.
North Atlantic Books
(dist. by Random House)
Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation by Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox (Sept. 3, paper, $17.95, ISBN 978-1583946855) contains an intergenerational call for spiritual activism.
W.W. Norton
Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism by Karima Benoune (Aug. 26, $27.95, hardcover, ISBN 978-0-393-08158-9) is an eye-opening account of the journalists, doctors, musicians, lawyers, and others who have exhibited heroic resistance to religious extremism.
Novalis
Garden Way of the Cross by Thomas Stanley, illus. by Louise Tessier (Aug., hardcover, $14.95, ISBN 978-2896465361) offers visual reflections on the spiritual tradition of praying the Stations of the Cross.
NYU Press
The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety, and Public Witness by Raphael G. Warnock (Dec. 6, hardcover, $30, ISBN 978-0814794463) explores the debate between black theologians and black pastors regarding the church’s essential mission.
Unclean Lips: Jews, Obscenity, and American Culture by Josh Nathaniel Lambert (Nov. 25, hardcover, $35, ISBN 978-1479876433) examines Jews’ literary, social, and legal interventions in controversies about obscenity in the United States in the 20th century.
Oneworld Publications
(dist. by NBN)
The Wife of Jesus: Ancient Texts and Modern Scandals by Anthony Le Donne (Nov. 12, hardcover, $20, ISBN 978-1780743059) explores the consequences—in Scripture, in history, and in contemporary society—of sexualizing Jesus.
Orbis Books
Christianity in a Nutshell by Leonardo Boff (Oct. 1, paper, $18, ISBN 978-1626980303). The pre-eminent liberation theologian describes the essence of Christianity in language that is accessible and meaningful.
Spiritual Letters by Wendy Beckett (Sept. 1, paper, $24, ISBN 978-1626980518) collects letters written by the popular nun in response to seekers of wisdom and advice.
Oxford Univ.
The Healing Gods: Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Christian America by Candy Gunther Brown (Sept. 2, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-0199985784) tells the surprising story of how complementary and alternative medicine entered the evangelical Christian mainstream.
Evangelicals and American Foreign Policy by Mark R. Amstutz (Oct. 2, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-0199987634) explores the impact of evangelical Christians on American foreign affairs.
Families and Faith: How Religion Is Passed Down Across Generations by Vern L. Bengtson, Norella M. Putney, and Susan Harris (Nov. 1, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-0199948659) examines American religion and families, using unprecedented data collected over almost four decades.
Palgrave Macmillan
American Heretics: Catholics, Jews, Muslims and the History of Religious Intolerance by Peter Gottschalk (Nov. 12, hardcover, $28, ISBN 978-1137278296) surveys American history to reveal an unsettling pattern of religious intolerance, from colonial anti-Quaker sentiment to modern-day Islamophobia.
Paraclete Press
Phyllis Tickle: Evangelist of the Future: Reflections on the Impact She’s Had on Publishing, Religion, and the Church in America by Tony Jones (Dec. 1, hardcover, $25.99, ISBN 978-1612613758). PW’s founding religion editor, now an advocate of the emerging church, gets a festschrift celebrating her 50-year career.
Jesus: First-Century Rabbi by David Zaslow with Joseph Lieberman (Dec. 1, hardcover, $21.99, ISBN 978-1612612966) offers a fresh look at the historical Jesus and the Jewish roots of Christianity.
Pauline Books & Media
Meeting Jesus Christ: Meditations on the Word by J. Brian Bransfield (Sept. 1, paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-0819849304) invites readers to encounter Jesus Christ via 21 meditations on different Gospel accounts.
Paulist Press
Pastoral Essays in Honor of Lawrence Boadt: Reading the Old Testament by Corrine Carvalho (Nov. 1, paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-0809148387) surveys issues related to the study of the Old Testament and honors the memory of the late Old Testament scholar Lawrence Boadt.
Mysticism: Humanity’s Search for the Spirit by Phyllis Zagano (Nov. 1, paper, $24.95, ISBN 978-0809146260) uses a cross-cultural lens to explore the meanings of mysticism.
Penguin
Silence: A Christian History by Diarmaid MacCulloch (Sept. 12, hardcover, $27.95, ISBN 978-0670025565) offers a provocative history of the vital role of silence in Christianity.
Pitchstone Publishing
Ebony Exodus Project: Why Some Black Women Are Walking Out on Religion—And Others Should Too by Candace R.M. Gorham (Sept. 1, paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1939578020) draws on the author’s past experience as an evangelical minister and her present work as a secular counselor and researcher to connect the church and the issues of black women in the United States today.
Plume
Am I a Jew?: My Journey Among the Believers and Pretenders, the Lapsed and the Lost, in Search of Faith (Not Necessarily My Own), My Roots, and Who Knows, Even Myself by Theodore Ross (Aug. 27, paper, $16, ISBN 978-0142180396), while rooted in Jewish faith and culture, may strike a chord with anyone who has ever mused on the nature of identity.
Princeton Univ. Press
The Book of Common Prayer: A Biography by Alan Jacobs (Sept. 30, hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-0691154817) shows how the Book of Common Prayer, used in the Anglican Church, become one of the most influential works in the English language.
Maimonides: Life and Thought by Moshe Halbertal (Nov. 24, hardcover, $35, ISBN 978-0691158518) offers a major new account of the life and thought of Judaism’s most celebrated philosopher.
Prometheus Books
The Original Atheists: First Thoughts on Nonbelief by S.T. Joshi (Jan. 7, paper, $20.95, ISBN 978-1616148416) collects skeptical essays on religion by 18th-century thinkers who questioned the reigning orthodoxy and raised doubts about belief in God.
Random House/Image
The Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the Front Line of Anti-Christian Persecution by John L. Allen Jr. (Oct. 1, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-0770437350). One of the world’s premier religion journalists investigates the question of persecution of Christians worldwide.
Writing from Left to Right: My Journey from Liberal to Conservative by Michael Novak (Sept. 3, hardcover, $24, ISBN 978-0385347464) explains the political evolution of the influential author.
Regal
Preparing for Marriage Devotions for Couples by Dennis and Barbara Rainey (Sept., hardcover, $18, ISBN 9780830767045) is a companion book to Preparing for Marriage and includes 50 short devotions written by the cofounders of FamilyLife Today.
Heaven Wins by Don Richardson (Nov., paper, $15, ISBN 9780830767472) shows readers how God wins the moral victory against Satan and hell.
Regnery History
Mormon Moses: The Life and Times of Brigham Young by Ed Breslin (Aug. 19, hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-1621570400) distills Young’s larger-than-life story into a biography that focuses on his most critical moments and achievements. 40,000-copy announced first printing.
Revell
The Long Awakening: A Memoir by Lindsey O’Connor (Oct. 1, hardcover, $17.99, ISBN 978-0800718763) tells the compelling story of a woman waking from a 47-day coma after childbirth and struggling to put the pieces of her new life together.
Roman Catholic Books
Reflections from Rome: Practical Thoughts on Faith and Family by Monsignor Richard R. Soseman (Aug., paper, $17.95, ISBN 978-1-934888-59-9) offers Catholics brief meditations, essays, and reflections on everyday matters of faith, and advice on applying one’s faith to life.
Rowman & LIttlefield
The Global Vatican: An Inside Look at the Catholic Church, World Politics, and the Extraordinary Relationship between the United States and the Holy See by Francis Rooney (Oct. 1, hardcover, $27.95, ISBN 978-1442223615) brings to life the Catholic Church’s role in world history, particularly in the realm of diplomacy.
Russell Media
Discovering God by Richard Blackaby, Mel Blackaby, and Mike Blackaby (Aug. 28, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-1937498313) is structured as a series of conversations about central religious questions.
Shambhala
Walk Like a Buddha: Even if Your Boss Sucks, Your Ex Is Torturing You, and You’re Hungover Again by Lodro Rinzler (Oct. 15, paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1611800937) contains more adroit advice for a complicated life from Huffington Post columnist and author Rinzler.
Three Steps to Awakening: A Practice for Bringing Mindfulness to Life by Larry Rosenberg with Laura Zimmerman (Dec. 3, paper, $15.95, ISBN 978-1590305164). The founder of the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center and renowned teacher distills his 40 years of teaching into one book.
Shire
(dist. by Random House)
Quakers by Peter Furtado (Sept. 17, paper, $12.95, ISBN 978-0747812500). Although a small religious sect, Quakers have produced a disproportionate number of eminent thinkers, scientists, and businessmen, and their teachings have been widely influential; Furtado explores why this is so.
Simon & Schuster
Soil and Sacrament: A Spiritual Memoir of Food and Faith by Fred Bahnson (Aug. 6, hardcover, $26.00, ISBN 978-1451663303). Part spiritual quest, part agricultural travelogue, this work explores the joy and solace found in returning to the garden.
Simon & Schuster/Howard
Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey (Nov. 5, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1476717258) is written by an “accidental grassroots voice for postmodern and progressive evangelical women,” urging a new look at Scripture.
Duck Commander Devotional by Alan Robertson (Dec. 17, paper, $16.99, ISBN 9781476748689) offers more entertainment and inspiration for Duck Dynasty fans, hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts.
Skyhorse
(dist. by W.W. Norton)
The Brick Bible: The Complete Set by Brendan Powell Smith (Oct. 1, hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-1626361775) collects the Lego versions of the Old and New Testaments in a single volume.
SkyLight Paths Publishing
Perennial Wisdom for the Spiritually Independent: Sacred Teachings—Annotated & Explained, annotated by Rami Shapiro (Sept., paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-59473-515-8) collects spiritual wisdom for the millions of Americans who are moving away from traditional houses of worship in their quest for God.
Hildegard of Bingen: Essential Writings and Chants of a Christian Mystic—Annotated & Explained, annotated by Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook (Nov., paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-59473-514-1) introduces readers to the Benedictine mystic’s writings.
St. Martin’s Press
In the Name of God: The True Story of the Fight to Save Children from Faith-Healing Homicide by Cameron Stauth (Oct. 15, hardcover, $27.99, ISBN 978-1250005793) chronicles the battle to end faith healing and change the laws that protect its practitioners.
Swedenborg Foundation
(dist. by CDC)
Emanuel Swedenborg—Exploring a “World Memory”: Context, Content, Contribution, edited by Karl Grandin (Oct., $44.95, paper with French flaps, ISBN 978-0-87785-351-0) celebrates Swedenborg’s designation by UNESCO as a “world memory” by presenting papers from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences’ international academic conference on the scientist-mystic.
SUNY Press
Unruly Catholic Women Writers: Creative Responses to Catholicism, edited by Jeana DelRosso, Leigh Eicke, and Ana Kothe (Nov. 1, paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1438448305) explores contemporary Catholic women’s experiences.
Tarcher
There Is a God! by Richard Smith and Maureen McElheron (Oct. 31, paper, $14.95, 978-0399167805) offers 2,000 reminders for the faithful—and for doubters, too—about the little things that make many utter: “There is a God!”
Afterlife by Barry Eaton (Aug. 15, paper, $16.95, 978-0399166129) is based on the author’s own experiences communicating with those who have passed over into the spirit world.
Thomas Nelson
You’ll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Your Turbulent Times by Max Lucado (Sept. 10, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-0849948473). The popular author and pastor offers hope and help for everyone facing trials, using the Old Testament story of Joseph as a model for getting through turbulent times.
The Reason for My Hope: Salvation by Billy Graham (Oct. 15, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-0849947612). The pre-eminent evangelist of the past six decades distills the core message of his life.
Tuttle
Mecca the Blessed, Medina the Radiant: The Holiest Cities of Islam by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, photos by Ali Kazuyoshi Nomachi (Oct. 8, hardcover, $39.95, ISBN 978-0804843829) uses a wide variety of photographs to allow complete visual access to the holiest sites of Islam.
Tyndale House
What Are You Afraid Of?: Facing Down Your Fears with Faith by David Jeremiah (Oct. 1, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-1414380469) explores people’s biggest fears and shares the supernatural secrets for facing them down.
A Call to Resurgence: Will Christianity Have a Funeral or a Future? by Mark Driscoll (Nov. 1, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-1414383620). The provocative pastor and author calls for Christians to unite around Jesus while appreciating the distinctive features within each Christian tribe.
Univ. of Nebraska
The New Reform Judaism: Challenges and Reflections by Dana Evan Kaplan (Nov. 1, hardcover, $39.95, ISBN 978-0827609341) argues that American Reform Jews are redefining an ancient faith, rejecting the obligatory nature of Jewish law, and creating new approaches to Jewish spirituality.
Univ. of North Carolina
Muslim American Women on Campus: Undergraduate Social Life and Identity by Shabana Mir (Jan. 2, hardcover, $28, ISBN 978-1469610788). An ethnographic study shows that being a young female Muslim in post-9/11 America means double scrutiny from both Muslim and non-Muslim communities.
Waterbrook
The Women of Christmas: Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna by Liz Curtis Higgs (Sept. 17, hardcover, $14.99, ISBN 978-1601425416). An Advent-oriented book explores the stories of Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna from the Gospel of Luke, unpacking each verse to introduce readers anew to the women who played key roles related to the birth of Jesus.
The Power of a Half Hour: Take Back Your Life Thirty Minutes at a Time by Tommy Barnett (Dec. 17, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0307731845) argues for the significance of intentional, 30-minute investments of focused time.
Westminster John Knox
The Good Funeral: Death, Grief, and the Community of Care by Thomas G. Long and Thomas Lynch (Aug. 23, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-0664238537). A talented preacher and gifted writer who are also authorities on the funeral industry discuss challenges facing “the good funeral” from both economic and theological viewpoints.
A Stubborn Sweetness and Other Stories for the Christmas Season by Katherine Paterson (Aug. 16, hardcover, $15, ISBN 978-0664239152) collects short stories by the award-winning author of Bridge to Terabithia that radiate the spirit of the season.
Whitaker House
Pursuing His Presence by David Cerullo (Sept., paper, $15.99, ISBN: 978-1-60374-893-3). The CEO of the Inspiration Television Network leads readers to greater intimacy with God through a study of Moses’ wilderness tabernacle.
Wisdom Publications
The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women, edited by Florence Caplow and Susan Moon (Nov. 12, paper, $18.95, ISBN 978-0861716593) collects 100 koans and stories of Buddhist women from the time of the Buddha to the present day.
How to Wake Up: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide to Navigating Joy and Sorrow by Toni Bernhard (Sept., paper, $16.95, ISBN 9781614290568) is a practical and personal guide for everyone seeking greater peace and a deeper, more resilient sense of wellness.
Workman
Unscrolled: 54 Writers and Artists Wrestle with the Torah by Roger Bennett (Sept. 24, paper, $18, ISBN 978-0761169192). Well-known writers and artists give new meaning to the first five books of the Bible and, in the process, encourage readers to think anew about meaning, value, culture, and history.
Worthy
Four Blood Moons: Something Is About to Change by John Hagee (Oct. 8, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1617952142) shows direct connections between four blood-moon eclipses—in which the moon appears red—and major world events.
Yale Univ. Press
The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss by David Bentley Hart (Sept. 24, hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-0300166842) explains how the word “God” functions in the world’s great faiths.
Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition by Gary A. Anderson (Aug. 27, hardcover, $30, ISBN 978-0300181333) places charity back at the heart of the Judeo-Christian tradition, arguing for its biblical roots.
Zondervan
All In: You Are One Decision Away from a Totally Different Life by Mark Batterson (Sept. 24, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0310333050) will help Christians take the next and decisive step in their faith.
One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting by Marie Monville with Cindy Lambert (Oct. 1, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-0310336754). The wife of the man who shot 10 girls in an Amish schoolhouse in 2006 tells her story for the first time.
Wounded by God’s People: Discovering How God’s Love Heals Our Hearts by Anne Graham Lotz (Sept. 3, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-0310262893) helps readers begin a healing journey that enables them to reclaim joy in their lives.
Fiction
Bethany House
Secret Keeper by Beverly Lewis (Sept. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0764209802) looks at the process required for an Englisher to join the Amish church and community. 240,000-copy announced first printing.
Strait of Hormuz by Davis Bunn (Nov. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0764211386). As tensions in the Middle East ratchet up, the U.S. State Department calls on Marc Royce.
B&H Books
Dark Justice by Brandilyn Collins (Oct. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1433679537). Hannah Shire and her mother must flee for their lives following an incident on a rural road at night. Their situation is especially fraught with peril, because Hannah’s mother has dementia.
Barbour Books
The Tattered Quilt: The Return of the Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda E. Brunstetter (Aug. 6, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1616260866). Tattered quilt pieces match the tattered fragments in the lives of a new patchwork group of students for Emma’s quilting class. 70,000-copy announced first printing.
Cedar Fort/Sweetwater Books
A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom by June McCrary Jacobs (Oct. 8, hardcover, $12.99, ISBN 978-1462113521). Little Mary Noel needs a miracle, and her teacher, Amber, is determined to give her one.
David C. Cook
When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell (Sept. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0781404259). For Millie, being truly free feels about as impossible as the mountains moving. But she’s about to discover the one thing bigger than her past... her future.
FaithWords
Childless by Kurt Bruner and James Dobson (Oct. 1, hardcover, $20, ISBN 978-1455513154). The second installment in a trilogy transports readers to a not-too-distant future when the young and healthy strain under the burden of a rapidly aging population. 80,000-copy announced first printing.
Wake the Dawn by Lauraine Snelling (Aug. 20, paper, $15, ISBN 978-0892969012). A natural disaster threatens to destroy lives in a small mountain town. 60,000-copy announced first printing.
Good Books
The Christmas Visitor: An Amish Romance by Linda Byler (Sept. 3, hardcover, $14.95, ISBN 978-1561488056). Ruth, a young Amish widow, and her six children are still grieving the sudden loss of her husband, Ben, as Christmas arrives. Ruth can barely put food on the table, let alone provide toys for her children. But gifts begin appearing at her door.
Harvest House
Millie’s Treasure by Kathleen Y’Barbo (Aug. 1, paper, $13.99, ISBN 978-0736952132). Pinkerton agent Kyle Russell has the infamous Will Tucker cornered, but is uncertain whether the woman on the con man’s arm is an unsuspecting victim or willing accomplice.
The Amish Seamstress by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould (Aug. 1, paper, $13.99, ISBN 978-0736926263). Izzy Mueller is an exceptional listener and gifted caregiver. She’s also a talented seamstress. When circumstances reconnect her with someone she once loved, Izzy has to look for the path God has for her.
Kregel Publications
(dist. by Ingram)
The Bargain by Stephanie Reed (Oct. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0825442155). Thrust into the English world, Betsie, a young Amish woman, must grapple with the realities of war and miniskirts, pot parties and police brutality, protests and desertion.
Herald Press
Jacob’s Choice by Ervin R. Stutzman (Oct. 30, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0836196818). His family is murdered, but Amish settler Jacob Hochstetler survives and escapes captivity in a redemptive story of peace and love set during the French and Indian War.
Moody/River North
Winter in Full Bloom by Anita Higman (Aug. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0802405807). Lily Winter’s wings are folded so tightly around her daughter that when the empty nest period arrives, she can no longer fly. But Lily’s life changes dramatically when she uncovers a mystery about her dysfunctional family.
Multnomah
The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky (Oct. 15, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1601424969). When Julia Foster, a spirited young woman and missionary, takes a job as governess, she catches the eye of the owner of Highland Hall, Sir William Ramsey, who must decide if he will follow his heart and marry for love, or choose a wealthy bride.
Thomas Nelson
Stranger Things by Erin Healy (Dec. 31, paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-1401689582) deals with women and girls abducted into the sex trade.
Stones for Bread by Christa Parrish (Nov. 5, paper, $15.99, ISBN 978-1401689018) is part protagonist’s memoir, part cookbook, and part compelling story of a woman’s search for her identity.
Revell
Trapped by Irene Hannon (Sept. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0800721244). A desperate young woman teams up with a tenacious private investigator to find her missing sister before the trail goes cold.
Simon & schuster/Howard
Fifteen Minutes: A Novel by Karen Kingsbury (Oct. 29, hardcover, $22.99, ISBN 978-1451647051). Kingsbury’s newest is a story about character, compromise, and the cost of having it all.
Tyndale House
All for a Story by Allison Pittman (Oct. 1, paper, $13.99, ISBN 978-1414366814). Monica Brisbane loves being a modern girl in the Roaring 20s. When her position as gossip columnist at the Capitol Chatter is altered by respectable editor Max Moore, Monica must decide if her loyalties lie with the women of the Anti-Flirt society or the alluring speakeasy and its inhabitants.
Tattler’s Branch by Jan Watson (Sept. 1, paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-1414339153). Lilly Corbett Still is the smalltown doctor of Skip Rock, a tiny coal community in the Kentucky mountains. While her husband is away at a mining job, Lilly must struggle between what is right and what is safe.
WaterBrook
What Once Was Lost by Kim Vogel Sawyer (Sept. 17, paper, $9.99, ISBN 978-0307731258). In Kansas, 1884, Christina Willems is determined to reopen the poor farm she has managed after a fire devastates the property. She finds opposition from many surprising corners, but an unlikely ally in a lumber mill owner.
Whitaker house
Awakened Love by Laura V. Hilton (Sept., paper, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-60374-508-6). Shy and trusting Katie Detweiler has a job baking for a local bed and breakfast, where she meets and befriends the mysterious Abram Hilty, who has fled his Indiana home to seek refuge in Seymour, Mo., in this final installment of the Amish of Webster County.
Wipf and Stocm/Slant
A Land Without Sin by Paula Huston (Aug. 1, hardcover, $27, 978-1620326589). A priest disappears into the conflict-laden jungles of Central America, and his photojournalist sister goes to find him.
Worthy
Derailed by Neta Jackson and Dave Jackson (Oct. 8, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1617950018). Harry Bentley has to raise his grandson, and then finds his son wants to move in, too.
Zondervan
A Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer (Sept. 24, hardcover, $15.99, ISBN 978-0310336785). With a popular 20th-century historical setting, Tricia Goyer presents her first Amish Christmas novella—based on a true story.
Children’s
B&H Kids
The Machine: A Truth Seekers Novel by Bill Myers (Sept. 1, paper, $10.99, ISBN 978-1433690808). Twin siblings Jake and Jenny have just lost their mother and are not thrilled about moving to Israel to stay with their archeologist dad. Ages 8–14.
Audrey Bunny by Angie Smith, illus. by Breezy Brookshire (Oct. 1, hardcover, $14.99, ISBN 978-1433680458). Audrey Bunny is worried that she’s unworthy of a little girl’s love, but soon learns differently. Ages 4–8.
Barbour Books
Diary of a Real Payne, Book 1: True Story by Annie Tipton (Sept. 1, paper, $5.99, ISBN 978-1624161315) launches a new series taken from the pages of spunky girl E.J. Payne’s diary. Ages 8–12.
Candlewick
With a Mighty Hand: The Story in the Torah by Amy Ehrlich, illus. by Daniel Nevins (Aug. 27, hardcover, $29.99, ISBN 978-0763643959) is an illustrated adaptation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. All ages.
David C. Cook
Storytime: A 52-Week Bible Storybook for Families by Catherine DeVries (Sept. 1, hardcover, $17.99, ISBN 978-0781409926). Favorite Bible stories and corresponding contemporary tales—told in a rebus, picture book, or comic book format—combine with family devotions. Ages 4–10.
Franciscan Media
Bambinelli Sunday: A Christmas Blessing by Amy Welborn, illus. by Ann Engelhart (Aug. 1, hardcover, $15.99, ISBN 978-1616366490) tells a story about sharing, comfort, generosity, and forgiveness through the lens of a longstanding Italian tradition. Ages 7–10.
Graham Blanchard/Praise
(dist. by STL)
Mud Puddle Hunting Day by Callie Grant, illus. by Melanie Magee (Oct. 1, board book, $8.99, ISBN 978-0985409005). Rain changes everything along the way, on a mud puddle hunting day. Up to age 6.
Ideals/Candycane Press
Rufus and Ryan Say Their Prayers by Kathleen Long Bostrom, illus. by Rebecca Thornburgh (Sept. 1, board book, $7.99, ISBN 978-0824919047). Little Ryan leads his stuffed monkey, Rufus, through their bedtime rituals, including saying prayers. Ages 2–5.
Harvest House
A Travel Guide to Heaven for Kids by Anthony DeStefano, illus. by Erwin Madrid (Aug 1, hardcover, $14.99, ISBN 978-0736955096). A boy named Joey takes a whirlwind tour of heaven with his guardian angel, Gabby.
Jewish Lights
The JGuy’s Guide: The GPS for Jewish Teen Guys by Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler, Dr. Shulamit Reinharz, Liz Suneby and Diane Heiman (Oct., paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-58023-721-5) helps teen boys see how Judaism can help them navigate the often choppy waters of adolescence while it strengthens Jewish identity and pride. Ages 12–up.
Kar-ben
Mitzi’s Mitzvah by Gloria Koster, illus. by Holli Conger (Sept. 1, board book, $5.95, ISBN 978-1467706957). Adorable puppy Mitzi visits a Jewish nursing home where she helps the residents celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Ages 1–4.
Sammy Spider’s First Book of Jewish Holidays by Sylvia A Rouss, illus. by Katherine Janus Kahn (Sept. 1, board book, $5.95, ISBN 978-1467719162). In celebration of Sammy Spider’s 20th anniversary comes the first Sammy Spider board book, a book of Jewish holidays for very young children with one simple holiday fact per page, illustrated with well-known Sammy Spider art. Ages 1–4.
Esther’s Hanukkah Disaster by Jane Sutton, illus. by Andy Rowland (Sept. 1, hardcover, $17.95, ISBN 978-0761390435). It’s hard to pick the perfect gift, and Esther the Gorilla’s choices seem all wrong at first. But it all gets sorted out when she invites her animal friends to a joyful Hanukkah party. Ages 4–9.
Kregel Publications
(dist. by Ingram)
Clopper the Christmas Donkey by Emily King, illus. by Ed Olson (Oct. 1, board book, $6.99, ISBN 978-0825443275) retells the first Christmas—through the eyes of Clopper, the donkey. Ages 3–5.
Lion
(dist. by IPG)
Are You Sad, Little Bear?: A Book About Learning to Say Goodbye by Rachel Rivett, illus. by Tina Macnaughton (Sept. 1, paper, $9.99, ISBN 978-0745964300) is intended to help young children in times of bereavement, loss, or change. Up to age 5.
Paraclete Press
Angels for Kids by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle (Nov. 1, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-1612614083) is based on Catholic teachings about angels, beings offering attentive service and protection to humankind.
Pauline Kids
(dist. by Ingram)
Jorge from Argentina: The Story of Pope Francis for Children by Sister Marlyn Monge and Jaymie Stuart Wolfe (Oct. 1, paper, $8.95, ISBN 978-0819840066) relates the life of newly elected Pope Francis. Ages 7–10.
Pauline Teen
(dist. by Ingram)
a.k.a. Genius by Marilee Haynes (Aug. 1, paper, $9.95, ISBN 978-0819808301). Thirteen-year-old Gabe Carpenter is just like any other middle-school boy at St. Jude Academy—except that he is a genius who can’t even open his own locker or talk to his crush. Ages 10–14.
Thomas Nelson
You Go First by Mercer Mayer (Oct., board book, $9.99, ISBN 9781400322442) inaugurates the Inspired Kids line, a series of faith-based books featuring Mayer’s Little Critter. Ages 2–5.
Everybody Can Help Somebody by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (Sept., hardcover, $14.99, ISBN 9781400322695) is a children’s adaptation of the bestselling story of an unlikely friendship between an art dealer and a homeless man.
Wisdom
Mishan’s Garden by James Vollbracht, illus. by Janet Brooke (Oct., hardcover, $16.95, ISBN 9781614291121). In a village high above the clouds, where nobody’s happy and nothing grows, a little girl dreams of a garden flourishing behind her father’s house.
Zonderkidz
Let There Be Light by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, illus. by Nancy Tillman (Jan. 7, hardcover, $16.99, ISBN 978-0310727859). The Nobel Peace Prize winner combines talents with a bestselling illustrator to retell the story of God’s glorious creation. Ages 4–8.
Andi Unexpected by Amanda Flower (Sept. 24, hardcover, $10.99, ISBN 978-0310737018). In the Andi Boggs series, 12-year-old Andi Boggs discovers evidence of her forgotten namesake, a missing relative, which leads her into a family mystery rooted in the Great Depression. Ages 9–12.
Zondervan
The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson (Oct. 22, paper, $9.99, ISBN 978-0310724414). Gisela serves her stepmother and stepsisters, with only cinders and horses for comfort. Then she meets the duke’s son, Valten, who is everything she’s dreamed of. But once she finds her Prince Charming, forces work to halt her happily ever after. Ages 15–up.
