A few of Emily’s favorite middle grade stories from her own youth that formed her:
The stories that greatly formed me were Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, The Chronicles of Narnia, the Redwall series, Brambly Hedge, and The Boxcar Children. I’m grateful for some modern middle grade classics like Karina Yan Glaser’s The Vanderbeekers series, Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri, and The Restorationists series by Carolyn Leiloglou.
The Divine Conspiracy changed the trajectory of my life because it introduced me to the electric, interactive life of the Kingdom. I particularly love From the Inside Out series with Carolyn Arends because it so beautifully captures the first transformative year of the Renovaré Institute. And I am indebted to Trevor Hudson for helping to reshape my picture of God, especially his book In Search of God’s Will (and the accompanying series to experience his gentle South African accent, available on Conversatio).
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Emily Murphy
Emily Bain Murphy is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the adult historical mysteries The Ivory City and Enchanted Hill (Union Square and Co./Hachette) and the middle grade series LIGHTSEEKERS (Waterbrook/Penguin RandomHouse).
Nathan Foster
Nathan Foster is an author and host of Life With God, a Renovaré Podcast. Formerly, he was an Associate Professor of social work and served as the Andrews Chair in Spiritual Formation at Spring Arbor University. He was also a licensed clinical social worker and certified addictions counselor. Nathan has published two books, including The Making of an Ordinary Saint: My Journey from Frustration to Joy with the Spiritual Disciplines.