Character Building Books for Children
The formation and shaping of Christian character in our children is one of the godly parents’ most important tasks, and at the same time, one he feels utterly dependent upon God for. We are powerless to impart holiness to the hearts of our children without the work of the Spirit of God within them.
Yet this does not mean there is nothing we can do. There are paths which He has promised to accompany and truths which He has promised to bless the communication of. “We shall not hide these things from our children”, in the words of Psalm 78, but will tell them of the great works and deeds of the Lord, and of His commandments as well. Below you’ll find some of the stories which we’ve found to serve these purposes best.
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1, 2, 3 God Made Me (Pamela Kennedy)
$6.99Count along and you will see how wonderfully God made me!
Freckles, fingers, toes, and nose—this delightful counting board book helps toddlers recognize parts of the wonderful bodies God gave us. Count from 1 to 10, and then start over again, thanking God along the way!
$7.99 -
A Mom’s Guide to Lies Girls Believe (Dannah Gresh)
$11.95You can’t change the world, but you can prepare her for it.
Your daughter is facing challenges you never dealt with at her age! From skyrocketing anxiety rates to bullying on social media, the Enemy’s lies are everywhere. How do you help the girl you love walk in freedom?
A Mom’s Guide to Lies Girls Believe, the companion book to Lies Girls Believe is your tool to come alongside your daughter in the fight against the lies the world is telling her. Based on in-depth research and focus groups led by Dannah Gresh, author of Secret Keeper Girl and Lies Young Women Believe (coauthored with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth,) Lies Girls Believe teaches your daughter the Truth she will need to navigate the challenges she is facing. The Mom’s Guide provides research, cultural trends, and case studies about the problems tween girls face, but also offers encouragement and biblical insight to empower you to talk with your daughter about God’s truth.
$14.99 -
A Parent’s Guide to Lies Boys Believe (Erin Davis Jason Davis Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth)
$9.99Lies are powerful. Your son has a persistent enemy who seeks to deceive and rob him of the confidence and strength he has in Jesus. But you can help him fill his heart with God’s Truth so that he can stand strong.
A Parent’s Guide to Lies Boys Believe, a companion book to Lies Boys Believe, is your tool to come alongside your son in the fight against lies. This unique and Bible-centered resource teaches your son the Truth he will need to navigate the challenges he is facing. Join the fight against lies using this guide, packed with encouragement and biblical insight. Written by two experienced parents with a house full of boys and a heart to raise up a generation of Truth-seekers, you’ll be empowered to talk with your son and push back against the Deceiver.
$12.99 -
A Royal Easter Story
$11.99Is your child a fan of princesses and fairy tales? Join princesses Joy, Grace, Faith, Charity, and Hope in this Easter adventure story in the Princess Parable series, where the sisters meet five young knights. As the princesses journey through a scary storm toward their Easter feast, young readers ages 4-8 will learn that we can always trust in God, no matter what.
$14.99 -
Arlo and the Keep-Out Club (Betsy Childs Howard)
$13.59TGC Picture Book Introduces Children to the Danger of Peer Pressure and the Joy of Friendship with Jesus
Arlo has been longing to play with the big boys on the playground. But when he’s given the opportunity to join their club, he is faced with a tough decision. Will he gain the acceptance of his new friends by doing what he knows is wrong, or will he do the right thing even though it may lead to rejection?
$16.99 -
Ben Washington is the Newbie on the Block (Jasmine Mullen)
$7.99This title will be realsed June 2024!
Ben’s life has been upended. He’s leaving Atlanta. His mom’s having a baby. He desperately wants a dog. Who said being twelve is easy?Meet Ben Washington. He’s about to leave the place he loves for a new town—population: near nothing. Sixth grade is universally bumpy. And starting school in a pocket-sized town where no one looks like you is going to be an even bigger challenge.
Is there a friend for Ben in Radnor Falls? What is he going to do about the trio of bullies who seem far too old to still be in middle school? And what about the mystery of “Spooky Fred,” the town outsider? What has Fred done, and what will Ben do when he finds out? Will Ben come to love the slime green house with creaky floors and attic bedroom? Read this story of friendship, faith, and finding God in the hard spaces of life to find out.
$9.99 -
Caspian Crashes the Party: When You Are Jealous (Edward T. Welch)
$13.99Caspian’s brother, Jax, is having a birthday party, and Caspian is jealous of all the attention and presents Jax is getting. One thing leads to another until Caspian crashes into the tent his parents set up for Jax’s birthday, bringing the whole party down with him. Caspian’s parents talk with him about jealousy and its bad effects, and eventually peace is restored.
For ages 3-8
$16.99 -
Charlie and the Preschool Prodigal (Ginger M. Blomberg)
$11.99We so often desire to save ourselves, either through running from rules or self-righteously following them—missing the true joy and rest found in the Father’s unconditional love. In this picture book for kids ages 3–7, author Ginger M. Blomberg retells the story of the prodigal son through the eyes of wild-child Eddie and his rule-following brother Charlie.
$14.99 -
Cody’s Castle (Gary & Jan Bower)
$14.95While spending an afternoon at the beach with his friends, fun and witty Cody discovers that words can tear people down…or build them up! This refreshing story reminds us of the transforming power of some choice encouraging words. Questions are in the back for group discussion.
$16.95 -
Darcy Is Always First: When Siblings Fight (Lauren Whitman)
$13.99In Darcy Is Always First, children will learn how to show love and patience to their brothers and sisters, even when they annoy each other.
$16.99 -
Daughters of the Faith 9-Book Bundle (Wendy Lawton)
$56.63These stories by award-winning author Wendy Lawton are about girls who made a difference while they were still young. Girl readers will be able to relate to the characters more than they would if these characters had to wait until they were thirty or forty before doing anything significant. Second, these stories are faith journeys. Lawson gets inside the minds of these girls in order to portray their struggles to make God an active part of their lives.
Age Range: 8-12
$80.91 -
God Hears Your Heart: Helping Kids Pray About Hard Emotions (Christina Fox)
$11.95God Hears Your Heart continues the story of Mia and Josh, begun in Tell God How You Feel. Mia and Josh are typical kids, dealing with hard and difficult emotions all kids feel: anger, disappointment, guilt, and failure. In God Hears Your Heart, they learn that God wants them to tell Him about all their feelings. They learn that He wants them to pray to Him and tell Him about how angry they feel when someone says something mean or how disappointed they feel when their plans get flipped upside down or how they feel when they fail at something. Mia and Josh learn just how much God loves and cares for them.
This book is ideal for parents and grandparents who desire to disciple children in their emotions. These read aloud stories include thoughtful questions and discussion starters to help parents teach their children to bring all their feelings to God in prayer. God Hears helps children develop a lifelong habit of bringing their emotions to the Lord, seeking Him as their refuge in all their troubles and cares.
$13.99 -
God Made Me for Worship: Helping Children Understand Church (Jared Kennedy)
$13.59This bright and colorful children’s book illustrated by Trish Mahoney celebrates how God reveals himself to his people in the movements of worship. All the parts of worship tell the story of the gospel, and since Jesus is the object of our worship, his story of redemption gives shape to our worship.
The author guides parents to help their kids understand why we’re intentional about worship, encouraging them to engage—not just to manage behavior during a worship gathering, and invites children to respond to God along with the whole church body.
$16.99 -
Good News for Little Hearts 15-volume bundle
$189.99The Good News for Little Hearts series is for ages three to seven and brings gospel wisdom and biblical counsel to families. Based on CCEF’s model of hope and help, each story focuses on an animal family’s real-life issues, encouraging young readers toward a growing relationship with Jesus amid challenging circumstances. Each individual story guides parents toward meaningful conversations with their kids, based on what Scripture has to say about living by faith in everyday life.
The Good News for Little Hearts books will become a lifelong gift for parents and children, as well as teachers, biblical counselors, and anyone hoping to provide concrete, grace-based help for young children.
$254.85 -
Gus Loses His Grip: When You Want Something Too Much
$13.99Written for children 3-8 years of age.
Gus, a raccoon who loves all things sweet, learns what happens when you want something too much. After Gus gets caught taking candy from the store, Papa reminds him that temptation might be strong for us, but it’s not too strong for Jesus. Both Gus and Papa can ask Jesus for help when they want something too much.
The last page contains information for parents on how God, in his Word, helps us turn to Jesus when we are tempted. Together children and parents will be guided into meaningful conversations about living by faith in the details of everyday life.
Also included is a tear-out page of “Back Pocket Bible Verses” that will give children a practical way to remember God’s words when they want something too much.
$16.99 -
Henry Says Good-Bye: When You Are Sad
$13.75Written for children 3-8 years of age.
Henry the hedgehog loves his pet ladybug. She keeps him company and entertains him, his family, and his friends with her flying tricks. But one day, he has to say good-bye to his ladybug. Henry and his whole family are sad, but they learn to go to Jesus with their sadness and ask him to comfort them.
The last page contains information for parents on how God, in his Word, helps us turn to Jesus when we are sad. Together children and parents will be guided into meaningful conversations about living by faith in the details of everyday life.
Also included is a tear-out page of “Back Pocket Bible Verses” that will give children a practical way to remember God’s words when they are sad.
$16.99 -
How to Be a Bible Brainiac (Catherine Mackenzie)
$7.99You have a brilliant brain, and you can use it to know God better! Favourite children’s author, Catherine MacKenzie, shows how knowing God better helps us love him more.
$9.99 -
It’s Great to Be a Girl! (Dannah Gresh and Suzy Weibel)
$11.69It’s Great to Be a Girl! tells your daughter everything she needs to know, in kid-friendly terms, about the many changes she can expect during puberty and how to handle them, including tips on hygiene, hair care, makeup, nutrition, exercise, and more.
$12.99 -
It’s Great to Be a Guy! (Bob Gresh, Jarrod Sechler, and Dannah Gresh)
$11.69This contains everything a preteen guy needs to know about his changing body and feelings, and it’s all written from the Bible’s point of view. You can look forward to all God has planned for you because it’s great to be a guy!
$12.99 -
Left Out (Jill Atogwe and Marcin Piwowarski)
$16.99This title will be released October 2024!Jill Atogwe’s premier picture book,Left Out, is a rhyming reminder that while God didn’t make everyone the same, everything God left out is something He can use to write our stories for His glory.
$17.99
