Christian Books for Teens

A creative and "out-of-the-box" method to inspire teens and young adults to engage in Bible study is to use Christian books for teens. Find a Christian fiction book or non-fiction book that addresses their interests and spark them to discover more in God's Word.

For instance, one of my daughters loves to read romance Christian books for teens. Many times they stir up questions in her about love, dating, friendship, etc. These then cause her to wonder what the Bible has to say about such topics, and she begins to dig for herself into God's Word.

Like any family, ours is very diverse in interests and personalities. Therefore, we have experienced the blessing of a wide range of topics in the Christian books for teens that we've read.

Fiction Christian Books for Teens:

Our oldest daughter is an avid sports fan and athlete. As a child she read just about every book there was about horses. As she became older, she enjoyed Christian books that took place on the prarie. She also enjoyed books that dealt with real people's concerns in life. Following are some of her past favorites:

Love Comes Softly, Love Comes Softly Series #1 By Janette Oke / Bethany She ventured West with the man she loved, but in one day her world crumbled around her...First around in 1979, Love Come Softly has become a beloved classic with over one million copies sold. A generation of readers has laughed and wept and rejoiced with Marty and Clark Davis whose tragic circumstances threw them together on the frontier prairies of the 1800s.

Diary of a Teenage Girl Series, Caitlin #1: Becoming Me By Melody Carlson / Multnomah Follow Caitlin O'Conner, a girl much like yourself, as she makes her way from New Year's to the first day of summer--surviving a challenging home life, changing friends, school pressures, an identity crisis and the uncertainties of "true love." You'll cry with Caitlin as she experiences heartache, and cheer for her as she encounters a new reality in her life: God. See how rejection by one group can--incredibly--sometimes lead you to discover who you really are. 248 pages. Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Our oldest son has never loved reading like his mother; yet when introduced to Christian books for teens that addressed his interests, he enjoyed them. Not only did they increase his reading time, but they also impacted his Christian walk. Some of his interests included:

Firefighters:

The Protector, O'Malley Series #4 By Dee Henderson / Tyndale House Jack O'Malley is a fireman who is fearless when it comes to facing an inferno. But when an arsonist begins targeting his district, his shift, his friends, Jack faces the ultimate challenge: protecting the lady who saw the arsonist before she pays an even higher price.

Twilight By Kristen Heitzmann / Bethany Laurie thought she'd never return to her hometown, but she was wrong. Now a single mother, she must begin again in the village where she grew up---and face Cal, the man she rejected. Cal tries to be her friend. But how long can he deny his love---and Laurie suppress secrets from her past? 384 pages, softcover from Bethany.

Westerns:

The Justice Riders, Justice Riders Series #1 By Chuck Norris, Ken Abraham & Aaron Norris / B & H Publishing Group Legendary action hero Norris presents a straight-shooting page-turner guaranteed to please fans---and anybody with a heart for the American West! In The Justice Riders, dangerous outlaws pursue devilish dreams of fortune and their faith-filled opponents: unsung Civil War heroes bent on bringing justice to places that have none. 304 pages, softcover from B&H.

Our next son is an avid fantasy lover. I have been extremely thankful that there are now quality, God-honoring Christian books for teens in the genre of fantasy and science fiction books now!

(I'm working on a whole separate page with fantasy Christian books for teens.)

He also enjoys Frank Perretti's Christian books for teens which are full of suspense. Surprisingly, our youngest daughter also enjoys these. :)

Hangman's Curse: The Veritas Project #1 - Movie Edition By Frank Peretti / Thomas Nelson The Veritas Project is a mysterious team cloaked in secret identities and classified assignments. When others are too frightened to dig any deeper, that's when this team of twin teens and their parents step in. Whether they're battling otherworldly forces or facing all-too-human issues like acceptance among high school peers, the Veritas Project is determined to get to the truth of the matter. In Baker, Washington, three popular athletes lie in incoherent comas, with loss of muscle coordination, severe paranoia, and hallucinations. It's whispered that they're victims of Abel Frye, a ghost that's haunted the school since a student hanged himself there in the 1930's. Now the hangman's curse is spreading, and students are running scared. The Veritas project is headed to Washington looking for answers to the recent appearance of a ghostly figure with a glowing hawk perched on his shoulder. Is this Abel Frye's ghost, a dark angel...or something else? And who is responsible for the bizarre hangman symbol that suddenly appears scrawled on the victims' lockers? One thing's for sure...they have to find the truth at Baker High School fast or Abel Frye and his crawling minions will make this the final exam for the Veritas project. This movie edition features an 8-page, 4-color photo insert section with stills taken from the motion picture. The new cover is a scene from the movie poster. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Several of Frank Perretti's Christian books for teens as well as adults have a scary element to them. For this reason, I would highly recommend them as a Christian alternative to any of the "Fear Street" or even Stephen King books.

Our youngest child is an all around "girly-girl." She loves anything with a bit of romance. It has been amazing how many of the following books have impacted her view of boys, dating, friendship, self-image, and other teen concerns. Through the stories she is able to experience these as God intended them to be experienced.

Christy Miller Series: 3-in-1 Collection, Volumes 1-4 By Robin Jones Gunn / Multnomah Publishers, Inc. Beginning with fourteen-year-old Christy's commitment to Christ, this series follows her high school years as she grows in her walk with the Lord. Throughout, Christy learns about friendship, dating, responsibility, Christ's faithfulness, and God's reward for obedience. She has become a role model and close friend for thousands around the world. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Best Friend, Worst Enemy, Holly's Heart Series #1 By Beverly Lewis / Bethany Holly Meredith is turning thirteen on Valentine's Day, and she cant wait! Maybe this will be the year she'll visit her dad in California, where he moved when her parents divorced several years ago. Since then, Holly has grown very close to her mom and little sister, and she has a best friend she can share everything with and tell everything to...well, almost everything. Holly and her best friend, Andie, were having a great seventh-grade year. But now a new boy in their class has them fighting over him--and this is one thing the girls can't share! According to the Loyalty Papers they created a few years ago, one of the girls has to back off. Should Holly forget about Jared to save her friendship with Andie? Or should she force Andie to stay away? When Holly's secret plan backfires, she discovers the true meaning of friendship earns the miracle of forgiveness. Recommended for ages 11 to 14.

Sierra Jensen Series: 3-in-1 Collection, Volume 1 By Robin Jones Gunn / Multnomah Fiction She's the bold, free-spirited type. She's cute, she's fun, and she's following God. She's Sierra Jensen, Christy Miller's good friend, ready for her junior year of high school! All 12 books in the popular Sierra Jensen series come together in four volumes to reveal the ups and downs of Sierra's incredible God-led journey! Recommended for ages 12 and up. Book 1: Only You, Sierra The Europe mission trip brought Sierra Jensen the best gift possible: two new friends, Katie and Christy. But now Sierra is headed home, and she can't help but wonder, will her friendships last? And what about her new home? Her family moved while she was gone, and that means facing a new high school. And the biggest question of all: Will she ever find love? Then a chance meeting in a London airport answers that question. Paul makes her heart leap. But she'll never see him again! Or will she? Book 2: In Your Dreams Sierra has had it! She's done everything she can to find the right job, good friends, and most important, true love. But nothing is working out. Now she has to stay home to care for her grandmother. By herself. for the whole weekend! It will be terrible. But a series of starling surprises shows Sierra just how wrong she is--and before she knows it, she's on her way to the perfect job, her first real date, and an encounter with a mysterious stranger. Book 3: Don't You Wish Sierra has three wishes: visit her California friends; have her older sister, Tawni, disappear; and learn more about the mysterious stranger. When Easter break arrives, Sierra's first wish comes true! She's headed to Newport Beach for fun, sun, and surf. Unfortunately, not only does Tawni not disappear, she accompanies Sierra on her escape. What's worse, everyone has a boyfriend except Sierra. But will her wishes begin to change as she realizes God wants to mold her according to His wishes?

Stuck in the Sky, Brio Girls Series #1 By Lissa Halls Johnson / Tyndale House Jacie Noland's art seems to be going nowhere when the opportunity to attend a prestigious art conference halts because of a lack of funds. To her surprise, the only part of her life moving forward is her unexpected relationship with the "bad boy" at school. Now the new girl, Hannah Connor, is preaching to Jacie what she already knows--that she should be more open with her faith. But even when the opportunity to share her faith seems just right, she winds up tongue-tied. Will she ever be able to figure out what God wants from her? 181 pages, recommended for ages 12 to 16.

Brio Magazine is available online and full of articles, advice, devotions, and Christian stories for teenage girls.

One of my favorite Christian authors is Lori Wick . I've introduced our daughters and other teenage girls to her books, and they've loved them too.

Join your daughter or son in reading Christian books for teens or adults and share the moments!

Non-Fiction Christian Books for Teens

There are also many wonderful non-fiction Christian books for teens that are written on their level.

Lee Strobel's Christian books for teens will help them defend their beliefs:

Case for Faith, Case for Christ, & Case for the Creator, Student edition, 3 vols By Lee Strobel with Jane Vogel / Zondervan Your teens are on the frontlines of faith every day. Equip them with the answers they need to solidify their own beliefs and defend Christianity in a cynical world! Softcovers.

Joshua Harris' Christian books for teens on dating -

I Kissed Dating Goodbye/Boy Meets Girl, 2 Pack By Joshua Harris / Multnomah Publishers, Inc.

Most of us are familiar with the short stories in the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books. Now there is one in which teens share their own inspirational stories with each other.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talkin' Faith By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Michelle Trujillo / Health Communications Chicken Soup for the Soul and author and educator Michelle L. Trujillo have teamed up to inspire teens to share their faith with one another and call upon God's divine guidance in their search for answers to the challenges they face. Chicken Soup for the Soul Teens Talkin' Faith is filled with inspirational stories from teens about the tragedies and difficulties they've experienced, they reveal how they found the strength to face them with the help of God. Stories relay to readers what it means to accept God's grace and rely on his divine guidance and how this grace has impacted their lives.

There are so many wonderful Christian books for teens out there. As a mom, I'm so thankful to all of these Christian authors for hearing God's call to this important area of ministry.

Christianbook.com offers a great Teen Store with other Christain books for teens as well as gifts, devotionals, etc.

More reviews of Christian books for teens ....