Skip to content
About Me
Hello and welcome! My name is Sydney and you’ve found my favorite place on the internet. I love making book lists and generally helping people stay organized (my oddball experience ranges from small jobs like kitchen reorganizing to huge ones like managing finances for an international ministry!).
I’m an insatiable reader who squeezes in something to read whenever there’s a spare moment. My friends know I’m also a picky reader and have come to me with book questions for as long as I can remember. I guess you could say I was into content warnings before it was cool. Ha. Most importantly, I view every story through a biblical lens–more on that in the next section.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. –Philippians 4:8
We are a homeschooling family and have lived in Arizona for the last several years, to our great delight. We are members of a wonderful local church and have immensely enjoyed the abundance of sunshine (after years in the Pacific Northwest). Other things I enjoy are hiking, quilting, teaching and playing piano, studying biblical theology, and having people over for campfires.
I’m passionate about equipping you as parents with information to help you navigate your child’s ever-growing literary world. I pray you’ll find this a safe and reliable resource!
Cultivating a love of good books enriches our hearts, our minds, and our souls. –Elizabeth McCallum & Jane Scott, in “The Book Tree”
About the Book Thoughts
STRUCTURE
There are always three sections to my book thought posts:
- bullet points giving the highlights and any content concerns
- info about the book (type, ages, author, illustrator)
- additional thoughts (as succinct as possible, usually quite short)
It is my hope that this design assists busy parents wanting to learn about a certain book without having to read 17 long paragraphs on Goodreads. Ha! All books are shaping our children’s worldviews in one direction or another. Let us be diligent in molding them in the right direction.
C.S. Lewis said: “…if you don’t read good books you will read bad ones.” I want to help you avoid the latter and discover the former!
SUBJECTIVITY
If you stumble upon older reviews, you might notice I nix a few books for somewhat silly reasons. This is due to the fact that I originally was working through curriculum lists–if, for example, one curriculum company included a book in their kindergarten bundle and I deemed it inappropriate for that age group, I recommended against it.
Now, years more mature with older children and the experience which comes from that, you’ll still find all the same content concerns pointed out but with encouragement toward discussion or simply a recommendation to wait a few years. Thank you for your grace and understanding that all book reviews are subjective in nature, no matter who is writing them.
ABSOLUTE APPROVAL
If I positively review a book, please know it does not signify that all works by that author are good. Most authors have some duds out there! If you have a question about a certain author and can’t find information on my site, shoot me a message. I may not know the answer, but then again, I may!
There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. –Joseph Brodsky
CHRISTIAN AUTHORS
I hold Christian authors to a much higher standard. When one claims the name of Christ, he or she will automatically be researched more, whether the book in question is religious in nature or not. You’ll find occasional notes about an author’s religious affiliations, poor public decisions, or even unbiblical behavior on social media.
The Bible sets the standard for all we do, including our reading habits. –Elizabeth McCallum & Jane Scott, in “The Book Tree”
About the Age Ranges
Most of the books I review are for children up through middle grade. I do, however, occasionally share ones for older ages–especially when they appear on popular book lists. I read a lot of “grown-up” books, too, so feel free to follow my Goodreads account by clicking here. I almost always give at least a star rating.
Age ranges are simply suggestions. I definitely lean toward the safe side, assuming children have had less desensitizing exposure to various forms of media, but every single family is different! The longer you stick around, the better feel you’ll get for how your family matches up with my suggested age ranges.
For we must not be deceived by the contemporary practice of sorting books out according to ‘age-groups’ for which they are supposed to be appropriate. That work is done by people who are not very curious about the real nature of literature nor very well acquainted with its history. –C.S. Lewis
About the Book Lists
Most important to remember: the book lists are constantly growing. Sign up for the once-a-month email, and you’ll be the first to learn which lists were updated that month.
I have read 100% of the books placed on lists.
(Here’s where it gets weird!) Many lists will contain both the bad and the good–negative and positive reviews. Assume this unless otherwise noted.
Please be aware that some books are out of print, but I include them anyway as many can be found secondhand. There are lots of bookish treasures out there ready for new owners!
Each book will usually link to a full review on this site; however, I do occasionally list a book with no review. In this case, here are what my ratings mean:
5 stars = loved it, no content concerns
4 stars = really liked it, no or very minor content concerns
3 stars = it was okay, didn’t wow me, minor content concerns
2 stars = major content concerns with very few redeeming qualities
1 star = full stop, do not recommend
BEST NEWS OF ALL? The book lists will always and forever be FREE.
Let me know if there’s a topic or list idea you’d like me to begin building. I’m happy to rearrange my list of lists if it would be beneficial!
I love reading another reader’s list of favorites. Even when I find I do not share their tastes or predilections, I am provoked to compare, contrast, and contradict. –T.S. Eliot
About the Name: Keenly Kept
“Kept” is my favorite word (and concept) in the Bible. The Lord keeps us–guards us, watches over us–and I rest in that comforting promise.
JUDE 1
…to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ…
JUDE 24
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
JOHN 10:27-30
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand…
God also keeps our future inheritance secure and ready for us:
1 PETER 1:4
…to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…
Looking at the word “kept” from another angle, we women are called to be keepers of the home, so my hope, as this website grows, is to empower other wives and mothers with resources to help them be good stewards of that calling.
Regarding our faith and our walk with Christ, don’t we all desire to conclude our lives with the same confidence Paul had in 2 Timothy 4:7? “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Regarding the second half of this site’s name, the name “Keen” is in my family tree, and I love using it when I can!
Lastly, one of my favorite books is “Keeping the Heart” by John Flavel. Highly recommend.
To stay connected and receive news when book lists are updated, sign up for my once-a-month email:
Do what it takes to ignite in the green branches of your children a burning love of reading. –Tony Reinke
Follow on Instagram:
