Friday, April 11, 2014

Finding Christian Books For Tweens

By Anita Ortega


Many Christians want to provide literature for their children that adheres to Biblical principles as well as engaging their interest. Christian books for tweens - kids between the ages of ten and twelve - are easy to find if you research publishing houses dedicated to promoting the faith and serving families. Once you know where to look, you can then find customer reviews and excerpts of titles that might fit you needs.

Parents will have criteria for what they think acceptable. Some people feel that pre-teens are not ready for romance, while others think that this genre is OK if properly handled. If romantic novels are out, there are still many others to choose from. Horse stories are always popular with young girls, and authors find the plot of girl-meets-horse a great framework for character and plot development.

Girl-meets-horse is one alternative that seems to be eternally popular. There are publishing houses that ask authors for a story that continues for three volumes. This format is great for character development and teaching life lessons. Pre-teen years are transitional ones, and fictional characters will face challenges that the readers also face. Many plots will spark meaningful dialog between parents and their children.

Of course, boys sometimes like adventure or sports stories better than animal stories, as do many girls. There are lots of novels, both old and new, that are exciting without depending on mythical characters, superheroes, and world-destroying villains. Some of them portray Christian principles while others show characters that are walking out their faith.

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.

Biographies that are well-written and true to fact make great reading for all ages. Stories of heroic doctors, nurses, missionaries, explorers, or martyrs abound. Many true accounts rival fiction, like the discovery of penicillin or the Dead Sea Scrolls. The internet is a great resource to tie in actual news reports of significant events; finding the Rosetta Stone comes to mind.

Non-fiction is a whole other category that can be explored. These books are often fun and educational for the whole family; reading aloud each evening and discussing the story is a great family activity. There are great biographies, accounts of scientific discoveries, journals of world travelers, and tales about epic adventures - to the North Pole, to the top of Mount Everest, to the headwaters of the Amazon, or to the moon.

The fact is that many great men and women, as well as imaginary characters, were and are Christians. Reading accounts that do not gloss over this fact often gives a more accurate view of history as it really happened or adds an extra dimension to fiction. There is much value in reinforcing what kids hear at church with both true and fictional stories.




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