Best Christian Books for Families: A Complete Guide for All Ages
Updated September 2026
The Short Answer: 18 Christian Books for Every Age in the House
The best Christian books for families are ones you can read aloud with a five-year-old on your lap and a teenager listening from the couch. Our eighteen picks run from The Jesus Storybook Bible and Treasures of the Snow to The Hiding Place, God's Smuggler, Mere Christianity and The Pilgrim's Progress.
They are grouped by age, from first Bible storybooks to missionary biographies and adult classics, with notes on what each book is like and anything a parent might want to know first. Most have something in them for the adults, too.
| Title | Author | Year | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Jesus Storybook Bible | Sally Lloyd-Jones | 2007 | Ages 3–8 |
| Big Truths for Young Hearts | Bruce A. Ware | 2009 | Ages 6–14 |
| Little Pilgrim's Progress | Helen L. Taylor (after Bunyan) | — | Ages 6–10 |
| The Tanglewoods' Secret | Patricia St. John | 1948 | Ages 7–11 |
| Treasures of the Snow | Patricia St. John | 1950 | Ages 7–12 |
| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | C. S. Lewis | 1950 | Ages 6+ |
| The Bronze Bow | Elizabeth George Speare | 1961 | Ages 11–14 |
| Christian Heroes: Then & Now (series) | Janet & Geoff Benge | — | Ages 9–14 |
| God's Smuggler | Brother Andrew with John & Elizabeth Sherrill | 1967 | Ages 11+ |
| The Hiding Place | Corrie ten Boom with John & Elizabeth Sherrill | 1971 | Ages 12+ |
| Through Gates of Splendor | Elisabeth Elliot | 1957 | Ages 12+ |
| Do Hard Things | Alex & Brett Harris | 2008 | Ages 13–18 |
| Mere Christianity | C. S. Lewis | 1952 | Ages 15+ |
| The Pilgrim's Progress | John Bunyan | 1678 | Ages 12+ and adults |
| Hinds' Feet on High Places | Hannah Hurnard | 1955 | Teens and adults |
| Ben-Hur | Lew Wallace | 1880 | Teens and adults |
| In His Steps | Charles M. Sheldon | 1896 | Teens and adults |
| This Present Darkness | Frank E. Peretti | 1986 | Older teens and adults |
In this guide:
- Bible Storybooks and First Books (Ages 3–8)
- Family Read-Alouds for the Middle Years (Ages 6–12)
- True Stories of Costly Faith (Ages 11 and Up)
- Faith Books for Teenagers
- Classics the Whole Family Can Grow Into
- What We Left Off, and Why
- Making Family Read-Aloud Time a Habit
- Shop Christian Books Secondhand
- Frequently Asked Questions
Bible Storybooks and First Books (Ages 3–8)
The Jesus Storybook Bible (Sally Lloyd-Jones, illustrated by Jago; Zonderkidz, 2007). Each story, Old Testament and New, points forward or back to Jesus. It is a storybook Bible rather than a full Bible, so some episodes are left out, but it's one of the most loved children's Bibles for family devotions. One story a night takes about ten minutes.
Big Truths for Young Hearts (Bruce A. Ware, 2009). Systematic theology for families, one short chapter a day, written by a seminary professor for children roughly 6 to 14. It works best with a parent reading and pausing to talk. Good for families who want something between a storybook and a catechism.
Little Pilgrim's Progress (Helen L. Taylor). Bunyan's allegory retold with children as the pilgrims and simpler vocabulary. A perfect first step before the real thing, and a favorite for bedtime chapters with six- to ten-year-olds.
Family Read-Alouds for the Middle Years (Ages 6–12)
Patricia St. John's novels
Patricia St. John wrote children's stories drawn from her own life abroad, and they remain some of the best Christian fiction for children ever written. Treasures of the Snow (1950), set in the Swiss Alps and drawn from a year she spent there, is about a girl who cannot forgive the boy who caused her little brother's injury. The Tanglewoods' Secret (1948) follows two children in the English countryside learning what it means to follow the Good Shepherd. Content note: Treasures of the Snow includes a serious accident to a small child, and forgiveness is hard-won.
Children who love these will be ready for more; our list of Christian chapter books for kids is the natural next stack.
Narnia
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis, 1950). If your family reads only one series aloud together, make it this one. Aslan's death at the Stone Table can upset very young listeners; most children are ready by six or seven. Which order to read the seven books in is covered in our Narnia reading guide.
Historical fiction and missionary biographies
The Bronze Bow (Elizabeth George Speare, 1961; Newbery Medal 1962). Daniel bar Jamin wants only to drive the Romans out of Galilee, until he keeps crossing paths with a carpenter from Nazareth. A powerful book about hatred and forgiveness. Content note: violence, a death, and a sister paralyzed by fear after a trauma in childhood.
Christian Heroes: Then & Now (Janet and Geoff Benge, YWAM Publishing). A long-running series of short missionary biographies, from George Müller to Lillian Trasher. They read like adventure stories, which makes them easy read-alouds and easy independent reading from about age nine.
True Stories of Costly Faith (Ages 11 and Up)
These three books have shaped more young Christians than almost any others we know. Read them together as a family if you can.
God's Smuggler (Brother Andrew with John and Elizabeth Sherrill, 1967). A Dutch factory worker becomes a Bible smuggler behind the Iron Curtain. Tense, funny and full of answered prayer. The easiest of the three for younger readers.
The Hiding Place (Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill, 1971). A watchmaker's family hides Jews in their home in Haarlem and is sent to the camps. Content note: the conditions at Ravensbrück are described, and Corrie's sister Betsie dies there. The 1975 film adaptation is a good follow-up for older children, and our Christian family movies on DVD suggest others to pair with your reading.
Through Gates of Splendor (Elisabeth Elliot, 1957). The story of Operation Auca, in which Elisabeth's husband Jim and four other missionaries were killed trying to reach the Waorani people of Ecuador. Content note: the deaths are the heart of the book, so younger children may need a parent nearby.
Faith Books for Teenagers
Do Hard Things (Alex and Brett Harris, 2008). Two nineteen-year-old twins challenge their peers to reject low expectations of the teenage years. Short and energizing, and teens tend to take it better from two young authors than from a parent.
Mere Christianity (C. S. Lewis, 1952). Lewis's wartime radio talks on what all Christians share; the rest of his nonfiction is mapped in our complete C. S. Lewis reading list. Dense in places; a chapter a week, discussed at the dinner table, suits most fifteen-year-olds. For a longer list aimed only at this age, see our Christian books for teens.
Classics the Whole Family Can Grow Into
The Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan, 1678). The original is more readable than its reputation, especially read aloud. Christian's fight with Apollyon and the crossing of the river are unforgettable. Start with Part One; Part Two, following Christiana, can wait.
Hinds' Feet on High Places (Hannah Hurnard, 1955). An allegory of a crippled shepherdess, Much-Afraid, led by the Shepherd to the high places with Sorrow and Suffering as her companions. Especially loved by teenage girls and by adults going through hard seasons.
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (Lew Wallace, 1880). The chariot race everyone knows, inside a long novel about revenge giving way to faith. A good challenge for a strong fourteen-year-old. Content note: galley slavery, leprosy and the Crucifixion.
In His Steps (Charles M. Sheldon, 1896). A congregation pledges to ask "What would Jesus do?" before every decision for a year. The book popularized the phrase. Dated in style and heavier on social reform than doctrine, but a great springboard for family discussion.
This Present Darkness (Frank E. Peretti, 1986). A small-town thriller in which angels and demons fight over the fate of a town. Gripping for older teens and adults. Content note: occult themes and supernatural violence; its picture of spiritual warfare is imaginative rather than doctrinal, which is worth saying out loud.
What We Left Off, and Why
Earlier versions of this list included two books we no longer recommend for family reading. I Kissed Dating Goodbye (1997) was discontinued at the author's own request in 2018, after he said he regretted parts of its message. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is a moving retelling of Hosea, but it was written for adult women and includes sexual content and abuse; it belongs on a parent's shelf, not the family read-aloud stack.
Making Family Read-Aloud Time a Habit
- Pick a fixed slot. After dinner or before bed, fifteen to twenty minutes. Consistency beats length.
- Read up, not down. Choose books aimed at your oldest child; the younger ones understand more than you think.
- Keep a Bible open. When a story echoes Scripture (Aslan and the Stone Table, Daniel and the carpenter), stop and read the passage.
- Ask one question. "Who in this chapter was brave?" or "Where did you see God at work?" is plenty.
- Homeschool pacing: one family read-aloud, one missionary biography and one devotional book at a time fits comfortably in a school year.
When you need the next novel for that evening slot, our read-aloud chapter books for families list has more novels that hold a mixed-age audience.
Shop Christian Books Secondhand
Older Christian classics and missionary biographies turn up constantly in used stock, often in sturdy vintage hardcovers. Browse our Christian books and Bibles and inspirational fiction, or search for Elisabeth Elliot or C. S. Lewis. Orders over $15 ship free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best children's Bible for young kids?
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones is the most popular choice for ages 3 to 8. It is a storybook Bible that connects every story to Jesus, so pair it with a full Bible as children grow.
What Christian books can the whole family read together?
The Chronicles of Narnia, Treasures of the Snow, God's Smuggler and The Pilgrim's Progress all work well read aloud to a mix of ages.
At what age can kids read The Hiding Place?
Most families read it around ages 12 and up. It describes life in a concentration camp and the death of Corrie's sister, so it is best read together or discussed afterward.
Is Pilgrim's Progress too hard for children?
The original is challenging for young children, but Little Pilgrim's Progress by Helen L. Taylor retells it for ages 6 to 10. Most children can handle Bunyan's original read aloud by about 12.
Is I Kissed Dating Goodbye still in print?
No. The author asked the publisher to discontinue it in 2018 after publicly reconsidering its message.
Are Christian missionary biographies good for homeschool?
Yes. Series like Christian Heroes: Then and Now pair naturally with history and geography, and books like Through Gates of Splendor make strong high school reading.
