10 Reading Suggestions for Kids of All Ages

*The comments for this post have been turned off due to the amount of spam I was receiving. If you have a question about any of the listed books, please feel free to contact me.

No matter the age, wholesome books are hard to come by, and Christian books are even harder to find. Below is a list of books for each age category beginning at elementary age. Every book on this list is either Christian or a wholesome classic.

Parents of younger readers, you know your child best. Keep in mind that, while the age determined suitable for each book is listed, there are more tender readers whom may not be ready for some of the books.

Elementary:

The Double Dabble Surprise, Book One in The Cul-de-sac Kids

1. The Cul-de-sac Kids by Beverly Lewis – fun books filled with mysteries and lessons about faith, friendship, and forgiveness.

2. The Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hope – a classic series about two sets of twins who solve mysteries around the U.S.

3. The Boxcar Kids by Gertrude Chandler Warner – another classic series about siblings solving mysteries around the U.S.

4. The Astrokids Series by Robert Elmer – a Christian series about kids in space.

5. Bible Kidventures by multiple authors – adventures in Bible times from kids’ point of views. Best for the older elementary ages.

6. Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder – a classic series based on the life of perhaps one of the most well-known pioneers of all times.

7. Knight of Arrethtrae Series by Chuck Black – allegorical stories about knights in the King’s service who embark on courageous quests and learn about faith, sacrifice, and hope. Readers beginning at the fifth grade level can read this series, which can be enjoyed by older readers of all ages.

Kingdom’s Dawn, Book One in The Kingdom Series

 8. The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black – another allegorical series, this time featuring on the life of Christ, the End Times, and the Rapture. Suitable for readers fifth grade and up due to some of the intense scenes. There is nothing graphic, but evil is well-portrayed and may scare younger readers. Can also be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

9. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis – an allegorical tale about Christ’s sacrifice. Suitable for readers fifth grade and up.

10. Adventures in Odyssey Passages by Paul McCusker – allegorical stories from the Bible. Suitable for readers fifth grade and up.

11. Hank the Cowdog Series by John R. Erickson – a cowdog and his less-than-astute fellow ranch dog find themselves in hilarious action-packed adventures. Suitable for third grade and up.

Jr. High:

The League and the Lantern

1. The League and the Lantern (Book One) and The League and the Legend (Book Two) by Brian Wells – adventure meets middle-school aged kids with a knack of getting in trouble. Fun and filled with history. These books are still two of my high school-aged sister’s favorites.

2.  The Young Underground Series by Robert Elmer – a series about World War II. Filled with history, faith, action, and adventure.

3. Mysteries of Middlefield by Kathleen Fuller – kids who are Amish detectives learn the importance of truth and honesty as they investigate mysteries around their community. This series is primarily written for girls.

4. Adventures Down Under by Robert Elmer – a series about a family’s adventures in Australia. Filled with history, faith, action, and adventure.

5. Hunter Brown Series by Christopher Miller – an allegorical trilogy best suited for seventh grade and up due to some of the spiritual warfare.

The Book of the King, Book One in The Wormling Series

6. The Wormling Series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry – an allegorical series that readers sixth grade and up will enjoy.

7. Books by Grace Livingston Hill – clean, Christian romances written for girls that are light on romance and heavy on faith.

8. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – perhaps the most well-known epic fantasy tale of all time. Can be read by itself, but for easier understanding of the complex world-building and history, read The Silmarillion and The Hobbit before LOTR.

9. Dragon Keepers Chronicles by Donita K Paul – a series about dragons, adventure, and faith with a bit of romance mixed in.

10. The Door Within Trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson – yet another series that can be enjoyed by readers older than the junior high category. After all, who doesn’t enjoy epic tales of faith, adventure, awesome swords with cool names, dragons, sacrifice, and a fierce battle between good and evil?

High School and Older:

Resistance, Book One in the Ilyon Chronicles

1. The Ilyon Chronicles by Jaye L Knight – an intense and raw series with faith, action, hope, sacrifice, courage, and dragons. This series is technically written for new adults (ages 18 and up), but readers in high school can read it as well.

2. The Songkeeper Chronicles by Gillian Bronte Adams – takes place in a world where music can change the tide of war and characters ride griffins and lions. Few authors can weave words together the way this author does. Readers in upper junior high can read this series, but since it does feature some raw moments (not graphic but still intense), this series lands in the high school category.

3. The Ravenwood Saga by Morgan L. Busse – unique, action-packed, and filled with faith, but it does contain dark elements as one of the characters does, in a sense, engage in spiritual warfare.

4. Keeper of  Shadows by Bridgett Powers – a cursed assassin finds himself helping his target, but at what price? This book is filled with faith and can also be read by those in junior high, but there are some intense scenes that feature evil and spiritual warfare.

5. Oath of the Outcast by C.M. Banschbach – another intense read that is the beginning of a promising series. Do keep in mind that characters do go through torture, though nothing is explicitly described. This book also deals heavily with good verses evil.

6. The Chronicles of Sarco by Joshua A. Johnston – a science fiction series with an intriguing plot.

7. The Weaver Trilogy by Lindsay A. Franklin – this is for YA readers, but older readers will also enjoy the witty characters and clever plot.

Beast

8.  Beast by Chawna Schroeder  – technically, this book could be in the junior high category, but older readers will better understand it’s incredible allegorical plot that takes the reader from despair and confusion to finally realizing their worth in Christ.

9. Wars of the Realm Series by Chuck Black – this is one of those series that completely blows you away. Focusing primarily on spiritual warfare and redemption, this is one of those read-again series that will keep you coming back to it no matter how large your TBR pile is.

10.The Staff and the Sword Series by Patrick W. Carr – perhaps one of the most well-written characters to ever grace the pages of a fantasy book is featured in this series full of action, romance, deception, and danger.

Advertisement

Numb

Title: Numb

Author: John W. Otte

Publisher: Marcher Lord Press (now Enclave Publishing)

Length: 395 pages

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Summary:

Save the girl… or his soul?

Crusader is numb. He feels neither emotion nor pain, a divine gift that allows him to be the Ministrix’s best assassin. Whether it’s heretics from within or heathen from without, Crusader is the sword in the True Church’s hand. And if he remains obedient to his superiors, he will be able to let go of his guilt.

But then he’s ordered to kill Isolda Westin. It shouldn’t be a problem. A target is a target. When Crusader sees Isolda’s image, though, something strange happens. He experiences a moment of panic, a wave of emotions, the first he’s felt in as long as he can remember.

In that moment, he realizes he can’t fulfill his mission. He can’t kill Isolda Westin, even if it means he’ll be condemned as an enemy of the Ministrix.

Soon Crusader and Isolda are on the run. Will they be able to learn why the Ministrix wants Isolda dead? Or will they both face the harsh justice of the “True Church”?

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Positive Elements:

Isolda is determined to keep secret the location of a hidden base, thereby keeping safe her friends. Crusader chooses to protect rather than carry out his orders. A secondary character speaks briefly about a choice he had to make: destroy innocent colonists or defy orders (he chose the latter).

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Spiritual Content:

A faction called the Ministrix sees itself as the “True Church”, and hunts down those who disagree or believe otherwise; it also has twisted Scripture (which is pointed out in the book), and refers to God as wrathful. Isolda and a secondary character explain that works do not secure salvation. Isolda is mentioned as the daughter of the King (God); she is also seen praying.

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Violence:

Crusader shoots several people, and is shot and shot at himself. He also uses his knife to carry out assassination orders. Isolda shoots at Crusader, as does a secondary character. There are battles, a fistfight or two, and reflection on how an innocent colony of people were destroyed by the Ministrix. Another minor character is also knifed in the back. As far as actual blood spilled, it is minor, and none of the injuries noted are detailed upon.

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Language:

One usage of he**. There are a few usages of “moron(s)”.

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Other negative elements:

It is mentioned briefly that Isolda’s mother and one of the Ministrix officials had an affair (that resulted in Isolda).

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Other:

Crusader and Isolda kiss.

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Rating:

5 Stars

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Conclusion:

Numb, despite being science fiction, opens your eyes to the sad reality that some still think works can get them to Heaven. With it’s interesting plot and complex characters, Numb is a must-read.

The Great Battle

Book Title: The Great Battle (Guardians of Allon, Book One)

Author: Shawn Lamb

Starting Age: Thirteen

 

Principalities and Powers

The vast splendor of the Almighty’s compound graced the Region of Sanctuary. With wisdom, compassion, and justice, Jor’el utilized his immortal Guardians as administrators of the kingdom.

For centuries, the mortals lived in peace and prosperity under divine guidance. They went about content with life – or so they though.

Guardians interacted with mortals on a daiy basis. They offered protection and order. They were content in their role – or so they thought.

When one Guardian upsets the balance, the consequences are devastating. For the first time ever, Guardians will face each other in war. Can the kingdom survive a battle of immortals?

 

Language: None

Violence: Nothing explicit

Sex: None

Dare

Book title: Dare (The Blades of Acktar, Book One)

Author: Tricia Mingerink

Starting age: Thirteen

Summary:

Courage could cost him everything.

Third Blade Leith Torren never questions his orders or his loyalty to King Respen until an arrow wound and a prairie blizzard drive him to the doorstep of the girls whose family he once destroyed.

Their forbidden faith and ties to the Resistance could devastate their family a second time. Survival depends on obedience, but freedom beckons.

How far does he dare go to resist the king and his Blades? No matter what Leith chooses, one thing is certain. Someone will die.

 

Language: None

Violence: Some, but not descriptive

Sexuality: None

Prophet

Book title: Prophet (Books of the Infinite Series, Book One)

Author: R. J. Larson

Summary:

Ela Roeh is a simple girl from Parne. Nothing special, no one spectacular. But when ash rains from the sky and a vision sweeps over her, her life is suddenly changed.

Ambassador Kien Lantec had no intent of being imprisoned when he went to confront the king of Istgard. But that’s what has happened, and his future is not looking any brighter. How can he possibly change the king’s mind and not get killed in the process?

Traveling with her crippled sister, Ela, following the Infinite’s instructions, makes her way to Istgard. But will she fail

Eragon

Book title: Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle, Book One)

Author: Christopher Paolini

Summary:

Eragon is hunting when a blue stone of unmatched beauty appears. Mystified by its appearance, he takes it home to his uncle. But no one – not even the traders – know what this stone is, nor what it is made of.

And then it happens. The stone that was unbreakable cracks, revealing a dragon. As the days pass and the dragon grows, Eragon fears the attention it will draw. But is the attention of simple townspeople all he should fear?

Son of Truth

Book title: Son of Truth (Followers of the Word, Book 2)

Author: Morgan Busse

Starting age: 14

Summary:

Assassin Caleb Tala has always done his cousin’s bidding without question, even when he is sent to survey the war. But nothing goes as Caleb planned. And then there was that woman with the glowing hand.

His sins bared and the darkest depths of Caleb are brought to light – all his sins, all his murders – everything. Shaken and disconcerted, Caleb finds himself in a place he’s never been before. What happened, and where is he?

All Nierne wanted was to escape to the White City with Father Reth in search of the last Eldaran.That was her goal. But things didn’t go as planned.

Dream Treaders

Book title: Dream Treaders

Author: Wayne Thomas Batson

Summary:

One of the three Dreamtreaders in all the world, Archer Keaton is determined to do his job – and do it well.

But when his two fellow Dreamtreaders go missing and mysterious reports of a trespasser in the Dream reach Archer, his job becomes harder and increasingly dangerous

But it is not just the Dream that is is turmoil.

The Gifted

Book title: The Gifted

Author: Matthew Dickerson

Starting age: 14

Summary:

Elynna watched her village be attacked by the dreaded Daegmon Lord. Few survived. Heading to Citadel in hopes of securing help, Elynna is disappointed by the outcome.

Joining a band of survivors, she leads the group in hunting down the Daegmon Lord. Their goal? To put an end to the horrific murders and terror their enemy is carrying out. After a deadly battle, the Daegmon is finally slayed. But at a great cost, for there are few among Elynna’s comrades that are not severally injured.

Returning back to the battle site, horror spreads when

The Door Within

Book title: The Door Within (The Door Within Trilogy #1)

Author: Wayne Thomas Batson

Starting age: 13

Summary:

Aidan Thomas is disgusted with how his life is going. He’s had to move across away from his best (and only) friend, he knows no one in town, and he’s saddled with his wheelchair-bound grandfather. And the nightmares he’s having aren’t adding anything pleasant to the situation either.

But when scrolls suddenly appear, Aidan can’t help but read them. Scoffed by his parents, he keeps quiet, but the scrolls are ever present in his mind.

Aidan takes a step of faith and enters into a world he never knew existed – a world on the brink of war.