The other day, I discussed the struggle I faced in finding quality reading material for my children. I explained why it's dangerous to assume that because a book is written for children, it will have appropriate content. Many mainstream novels contain issues that either aren't suitable for children, or violate God's standards for living--books targeted at our children. This world is not our home, and that means sometimes we can't participate in all the things the world embraces. Philippians 4:8 tells us to focus our attention on "whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable-if anything excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things." (NIV) It is essential to our children's spiritual growth that they read novels written from a Christian world view. Here are 4 ways that reading a Christian novel is beneficial for our children: 1. The stories contain wholesome content. When we purchase a product labeled "Christian", we trust it won't contain anything that contradicts … [Read more...]

Do you want your children to read novels with wholesome content; books written by a person who shares your world view? When my children were old enough to read chapter books, I asked some friends for advice on finding Christian novels. Many of the popular children's books at the time were centered around witchcraft and false deities. I wanted my kids to read stories where God is the only source of miracles and "magic." Unfortunately, I didn't get many suggestions. Feeling discouraged, I began to seek out ways to track down some Christian titles. I knew they were out there, I just had to find them. Christian Book Distributors became a wonderful resource. I found multiple novels that interested my children. Yet, I continued to ponder why other parents weren't bothering to purchase Christian novels. To me it seemed only natural. What we read stays with us for most of our life, and it's our responsibility as parents to protect and nurture our children--which includes reviewing … [Read more...]