Of all the things we teach our children, the Bible and a biblical worldview are the most important. It’s tempting to think preparing kids for future jobs and adult life should command our highest attention, but if our kids aren’t saturated in biblical truth, the “education” we have given them for life will be pointless.
To thrive in life is more than succeeding at a job. It is following God, living for Him rather than the world, and standing firm in what you believe. There are so many things pulling our kids {and ourselves} away from biblical truth. If we are not reading the Bible and teaching our children the difference between secular thought and what the Bible teaches, we will get swept away.
Fortunately, we live in a time and place where resources to help us teach biblical truth are ready and waiting! I’m continually astounded by the level of quality and amount of good resources available. Here is a rundown of some of my favorites. I’ve tried to mention the age the series is appropriate for to help you out. :)
picture books
Tales that tell the truth series
This series is a perfect beginning place for reading aloud to toddlers. Bright pictures, simple language, and yet filled with profound truths, these books {currently 14 in the series} take Bible events and beautifully share the stories while weaving in how the story matters in the big picture of the Gospel. These are also great for elementary readers. My favorite is “The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross” and it makes the perfect Easter gift.
baby believer series
These board books are a great size for baby hands to grip and fun to read aloud. From opposites to emotions to shapes, each book has a theme that is brought out with biblical people, animals, and words. Even though my kids are older, they still love these.
God made me series
While newer to me, I’ve been very impressed with the quality of these books. The books in this series help teach children the value of all life, an age appropriate introduction to how babies are made, gender, being made in God’s image, protecting our bodies, and more. The colorful pictures keep attention and the text is age appropriate and covers biblical truth. Great to read aloud for younger kids or for elementary kids to read with parents.
story bibles
The biggest story & the biggest story bible storybook
Tracing the theme of God’s redemption and grace from Genesis to Revelation, these books show how the Bible is one large story and how it all fits together. The Biggest Story is divided into ten chapters and, while it doesn’t go in-depth with any one story, it mentions many of the familiar Bible events and shows how they point to the cross. The Biggest Story Bible Storybook offers more of a retelling of specific biblical events, still with the theme of the Bible as one overarching story. Lots of colorful illustrations in both.
the big picture story bible
This was the first story Bible I read to my son before bed when he was just a toddler. It is easy for kids to understand, just enough pictures to keep them interested, and each chapter is short enough to hold their attention. It’s a physically BIG book but a great resource.
The jesus storybook bible
We received this when my oldest daughter was a baby and we’ve read it with each of our kids in their baby/toddler stages. The format points to Jesus as the hero and focal point of the entire Bible, every story points to him. I can’t recommend everything from this author because she’s swung a little left but this book is beautiful. We also have the DVD, which is the pictures from the book animated with David Suchet narrating.
the gospel story bible
This is by the same author as Long Story Short and Old Story New {I’ll mention these more below in the devotional category}. This story Bible is covers the entire Bible and each day’s reading is one full page with an illustration on the facing page. This is another book that points every individual story to the truth of the Gospel. This is a great option for preschool kids bedtime or homeschool families to read before school.
biographies
I have A LOT of recommendations for biographies! Part of that is to give all ages a good resource for learning about Christians from the past. The other reason is because the series below have some different people highlighted. There will be overlap but if you are looking for a good biography about a certain person, I want to give you as many options to find who you are looking for!
Do great things for god series
The ladies in these eight books all served God in various ways with their all. Fun drawings, brief overviews, and timelines make these accessible for all ages and put them into a historical context. A great way to introduce biographies and women of the faith from before.
christian heroes: then and now series
The next step for kids interested in biographies! Great for reading aloud or for upper elementary to read alone. With 48 books in this series, there is a book for whatever time period your child is interested in. We have enjoyed reading these and learning more about specific people from Christian history. Hudson Taylor, Corrie Ten Boom, Eric Liddell, Amy Carmichael, Jonathan Goforth, and so many more. An option I love for these is to include them in geography. Find a person who lived in a country your kids are learning about and read their biography!
christian biographies for young readers
If you have young children not at reading level, this series is a good read aloud picture book option. At under 100 pages each with beautiful illustrations, these books will introduce kids to a variety of Christians from history. The series is published by Reformation Heritage Press so many of the people highlighted come from Reformation history or might not be as well known, but we’ve enjoyed all the books we’ve read from this series.
The lightkeepers series {boys & girls}
My kids have enjoyed these and we’ve learned about a few new people! There’s a set for girls and another for boys. I liked how each book had a theme: Ten Boys/Girls …Who Changed the World, …Who Used Their Talents, …Who Made a Difference, …Who Didn't Give in, and …Who Made History. Each book contains ten different boys or girls and also gives a timeline of their life. Another great, short way to introduce biographies.
trailblazer books
I read some of these by Dave and Neta Jackson when I was young and they were my first step into Christian biographies. Told with a fictional story of a young person alongside real events in the famous Christian’s life allows the children to experience what it would have been like in various places and times.
There are newer additions to this same series by a variety of authors. You can purchase individually or buy a boxed set on a theme {Heroes & Heroines, Missionaries & Medics, Arts & Science, etc.}. These are advertised for 8-12 year olds but could probably be read aloud to younger kids.
heroes for young readers series
This series is similar to the Christian Heroes: Then and Now series but for younger readers. Lots of colorful illustrations and the text is a running poem which makes it easier to read and less text on each page. I would recommend these for early readers, ages 6-9, although some of the words might be bigger and not as familiar.
Devotionals
Between Us {girls & boys}
If you have an upper elementary or Jr High daughter or son, these are great for beginning conversations about biblical worldview and life topics. It is made for a mom/daughter or dad/son to read together with fun, serious, and biblical questions mixed together. Each chapter covers a topic {some different for boys and girls} with Bible verses, conversation starters, questions, and short text about a biblical truth.
lies girls believe & a mom’s guide to lies girls believe
My oldest daughter and I went through this study with a group of girls and moms from our church and we loved it. It was great to read together during the week and then gather with friends and talk about it. There is a chapter about hormones and changing bodies and our group decided to not discuss that as a group but it can be skipped entirely if your daughter isn’t ready for that. We did this with girls ages 8-13. There is also a Lies Young Women Believe for ages 15-17.
Long story short & old story new
This is the devotional we are using as a family everyday this year. The kids take turns reading the Bible passage aloud and Tommy reads the devotional from the book and asks questions. This is great for all ages and getting everyone involved in Bible study.
unfolding grace
This is what we have been reading one morning a week before heading down for school. Each of these 40 readings is straight from the Bible. After a few paragraphs of introduction and an illustration, the text from the Bible is printed. It is usually about a chapter but is sometimes portions from various chapters. The text is the English Standard Version. There is also a version for adults and I believe the only difference is the length of each reading — the adult book is around 600 pages while the kids version is not quite 300 pages.
picture bibles
the action bible
Laid out like a comic book or graphic novel, The Action Bible brings the Bible to life for early readers and older kids alike. The Bible passage is given and the story unfolds through bubble text and colorful illustrations. There have been many stories that my kids were having trouble picturing but The Action Bible gave them a way to visualize what the Bible was describing. Huge hit!
Kingston bible trilogy
Similar to The Action Bible, this is the entire Bible in three graphic novels. We don’t own this one but I have seen it from a friend and it is high quality and good content. Probably best for older readers.
General information
The radical book for kids & the really radical book for kids
We received the first book for Christmas and bought the second this spring {it just released in March!}. These books are packed with information about the Bible, faith, theology, and answers to so many questions kids ask. Neat graphics and bright colors keep kids reading. My kids will pick these up, curl under a blanket, and read away or ask me to read certain sections.
bible infographics for kids vol. 1 & 2& epic guide to jesus
Similar in idea as the Radical Book for Kids but more for younger kids. These give information about villains and heroes, animals, Bible verses and themes, books of the Bible, and a whole lot more. Lots of charts and graphs, great for kids — or adults — who benefit from visualization. These are some of our favorites.
The Daily Grace Co.
I love the resources from this company! So many great options for all ages. Board books, picture books, Bible verse copying books, sermon notes notebooks, theology and Bible verse cards, and a bunch more. I always wait for a sale to order and they drop the price {sometimes down to $5!} on most of their items.
the answers books for kids
Have you had your kids ask a question from the Bible and you didn’t know how to explain it? These books are for you! Each book covers a range of questions actual kids have asked; everything from dinosaurs and fossils to salvation and death. Every answer is supported with Scripture and great to read as a family or for young readers to read alone. If you have older kids {teens}, they have another version with the same type of questions but deeper answers.
The heavens
I love this book! Gorgeous pictures of our incredible universe, Bible verses, and biblical, scientific information about space, stars, and the galaxy. My kids love looking at the pictures. Great resource for studying astronomy or just marveling at our Creator.
Wow! I got a little carried away on this one! But clearly, there are loads of resources available for all ages, all learning types, and I didn’t even list them all! I hope this takes some of the confusion and endless searching through websites for you.
Photo by Asal Lotfi on Unsplash