Select Christian Books For Tweens

By Anita Ortega


Christian parents know the importance of selecting edifying literature, music, movies, and activities for their children. Although finding Christian books for tweens might seem difficult, it's really not that hard. Past generations wrote novels and non-fiction in abundance, and today many publishing houses specialize in family-friendly literature of all sorts. If you know where to look, you can find books, reviews, and even recommended reading lists provided by ministries.

Parents of pre-teens should monitor their reading. There's so much out there that is self-centered, violent, occult, or anti-God that constant vigilance is necessary. That's one nice thing about the classics: parents are familiar with both good and bad choices. Some subjects may be off-limits for this age group; for example, parents may prefer to save romantic stories for later in life.

Several Christian publishers solicit three-novel series, which follow a main character through all three books. These are nice, in that growing-up has many transitional phases, each of which has its own challenges and lessons. Pre-teens often feel a lot of pressure to grow up too fast, and reading a fictional account of this and other real-life dilemmas can help parents and children enter into dialog relevant to their own challenges.

Boys often like adventures or sports-based stories better than anything to do with horses. Of course, there are some great westerns, like 'My Friend Flicka', which deal with boys growing up in the west. Many exciting books are based on real life rather than superheroes and mega-villains. Books can show people walking out their faith or simply illustrate Christian principles.

Sometimes family discussions can focus on principles that might be lost in the general excitement of the story. 'The Chronicles of Narnia' is an allegorical tale which has found new popularity with the recent movie version. Parental involvement in the reading experience of children is one way to keep the family strong.

Of course, non-fiction is great, as well. There are many accounts of Christian heroes, missionaries, doctors, nurses, and pastors that are exciting to read. Famous Christians have had great influence on history and culture, and kids should recognize the most illustrious names. It's too bad if Spiderman is more real to them than Joan of Arc.

There is a wealth of non-fiction, which is an acquired taste for many. It's never too soon to expose kids to momentous true tales, like how people got to the North Pole or to the moon. Again, this kind of reading can be a great family activity; tales that might be tedious to read alone can be great when Dad or Mom reads aloud and everyone talks about them afterwards.

Mainstream literature may ignore or even deny that many of the greatest men and women were and are Christians. Using novels and non-fiction that tell the true story or teach valuable lessons is a way to reinforce Sunday School and church messages and show kids how faith relates to their real life.




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