Emily Hanford and Ethan Stewart face new challenges as their blended family deals with the aftermath of a destructive storm and months of house reconstruction. Finally returning to school after the lengthy pandemic break, the two seventh graders endure scrutiny and scorn from classmates. Emily longs for calm amid the chaos and feels conflicted about what should be an amazing birthday gift. Ethan thinks he doesn’t fit within the family and develops a friendship with a construction worker who shares his interest in guitars. Can Emily find more peace? And will Ethan discover his place?

Here’s what readers say about Blending with Balance:

“Blending with Balance is the final book in Glenda Faye Mathes’s Blender Adventures series, and readers won’t be disappointed. Emily and Ethan face the realistic challenges of upended lives as they form an intriguing friendship and adjust to a cabin-full of step-siblings. We’re given well-developed characters, who discover a new depth of understanding in their relationships with God, with their new family, and with themselves. My favorite parts of this well-written novel depict the process of bonding with horses. This close relationship between teen and horse can help calm the emotional turmoil inherent in any family.”

—Dandi Daley Mackall, author of over 500 books for all ages, including the classic Winnie the Horse Gentler series and the Starlight Animal Rescue books

“What a refreshing, inspiring, and cathartic read for parents and teenagers! Glenda Faye Mathes writes Blending with Balance vividly, painting her Christian characters realistically, not as saintly, but as actual saints God is making holy and righteous in His sight. This page-turning book will captivate, stimulate, and encourage both traditional and non-traditional families with teenagers to persevere in godliness.”

 —Al Bandstra, middle and junior high Bible and literature teacher at Christian schools in Iowa, Romania, and Korea for 57 years

“Blending with Balance takes readers alongside Emily and Ethan as they face unexpected changes, stress, and grief while they continue to adjust to their blended family and navigate the destruction left by a natural disaster. Emily and Ethan both learn about respect, loving others, and seeking Christ’s perfect peace even when things don’t feel perfect or peaceful. Mathes expertly blends topics of faith and Christian counseling to show just how well faith and coping strategies work together. Readers will relate to the chaos of the unpredictable and find comfort in the reminder of Christ’s presence in uncertain times.”

—Colette Schippers, LMHC, CADC, Clinical Therapist

Like the first three books in the Blender Adventures series, Blending with Balance can be purchased on Amazon and other online outlets.