Children's Book Suggestions | Christian Fiction

Some of our favorite Christian-themed books for young readers, from board books and picture books about God's love to chapter books for older readers exploring Biblical stories and Christian beliefs. While the title says "fiction," we've expanded this list to include some popular nonfiction books as well.

Fiction stories with Christian themes are integrated into our general fiction sections and shelved under the author's last name.

Bible stories, books about prayer and faith, and other religious topics are shelved our Children's Nonfiction section starting at the number 220.

Books about Christmas and Easter are shelved at the end of our Christmas and Easter section under the number 225.

Updated November 2, 2023
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
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God is kind
Calloway-Hanauer, Jamie
Paper Book
Discover all the wonderful ways God spreads kindness and you can too in this heartwarming board book for babies and toddlers! Celebrate the blessings and kindness all around us! Filled with heartwarming rhymes and gorgeous animal illustrations, this inspirational book proves just how...

A story of God's love written for the youngest readers (Board Books Age 0-2)

A spoonful of faith
Holliday, Jena
Paper Book
A sweet rhyming picture book that reminds young readers that to make their dreams come true--"a spoonful of faith is all it takes!"--from debut author-illustrator Jena Holliday. An encouraging and hopeful picture book, perfect for anyone nervous about activities such as going back...

Christian influencer Jena Holliday tells a sweet story about using faith to navigate childhood challenges (Picture Books Age 4-8)

What is given from the heart
McKissack, Pat
Paper Book
CORETTA SCOTT KING - JOHN STEPTOEILLUSTRATORAWARD FOR NEW TALENTWINNER This final, magnificent picture book from three-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and Newbery Honor author Patricia McKissack is a poignant and uplifting celebration of the joy of giving. ...

A story about generosity by one of the greatest Black children's authors of the 20th century (Children's Holiday Age 4-8)

The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe
Lewis, C. S.
Paper Book
Don't miss one of America's top 100 most-loved novels, selected by PBS's The Great American Read. A mass-market paperback edition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, book two in the classic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. This edition features cover art by Cliff Nielsen and...

A sweeping fantasy allegory of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The green ember
Smith, S. D.
Paper Book
Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world. Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants...

A gentler take on the Redwall series, with animal protagonists in a medieval European-inspired setting centered on a Christian worldview (Children's Books Grades 3-5)

Little pilgrim's progress
Taylor, Helen L.
Audiobook
Fifty-five years ago, Helen L. Taylor took John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and simplified the vocabulary and concepts for young readers while keeping the storyline intact. The result was a classic in itself, which has now sold over 600,000 copies. It's both a simple adventure story and a profound...

Animal protagonists take the spotlight in this retelling of John Bunyan's Christian classic, The Pilgrim's Progress (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The beginning
Thomas, M. J.
Ebook

A Magic Treehouse-style time travel story about two siblings and the scroll that transports them to their favorite Bible stories (Christian Fiction Grades 3-5)

Ways to make sunshine
Watson, Rene?e
Paper Book
From Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Renée Watson, the first book in a young middle grade series about Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit, kindness, and sunshine. Ryan Hart can be and do anything. Her name means "king", that she is a leader, and she...

A modern story inspired by Beverly Cleary's Ramona books, this series features familiar Portland-area landmarks and seamlessly integrates the Hart family's Christian faith into descriptions of their everyday life (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Wishing upon the same stars
Feldman, Jacquetta Nammar
Paper Book
This powerful and poignant coming-of-age middle grade debut novel follows an Arab American girl named Yasmeen as she moves to San Antonio with her family and navigates finding friendship--and herself. Perfect for fans of Other Words for Home, Front Desk, and American as Paneer...

An interfaith story about a Syrian Christan girl finding her place in a new community (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The door in the dragon's throat
Peretti, Frank E.
Audiobook
A mystery as old as the desert sands... When teenagers Jay and Lila Cooper and their archaeologist father travel to Nepur, an uninviting land of deserts and danger, they must search to uncover the truth behind an ancient legend. Locals claim that inside a dark cavern called...

A classic Christian fiction adventure story set in an archaeological ruin, great for fans of the Indiana Jones movies (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Pilgrim's progress
Schmidt, Gary D.
Ebook
National Book Award finalist and two-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary D. Schmidt recaptures the classic tale of one man's spiritual journey in this contemporary retelling of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, masterfully illustrated with watercolors by artist Barry Moser.

An illustrated retelling of John Bunyan's Christian classic The Pilgrim's Progress by an award-winning children's author (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The bronze bow
Speare, Elizabeth George.
Paper Book

An award-winning historical fiction novel by the author of The Witch of Blackbird Pond, telling the story of a young boy who comes to Christianity during Jesus' final days (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

God's smuggler
Andrew, Brother
Ebook
Sixty years after Brother Andrew's first trip, his classic, thrilling account of smuggling Bibles across closed borders will inspire new readers.

A memoir by a Dutch Christian who smuggled Bibles into Communist countries during the Cold War (Children's Nonfiction Age 9-12)

What is God like
Evans, Rachel Held
Ebook
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The late, beloved Rachel Held Evans answers many children's first question about God in this gorgeous picture book, fully realized by her friend Matthew Paul Turner, the bestselling author of When God Made You. Children who are...

A book answering children's questions about God by the late writer Rachel Held Evans (Children's Nonfiction Age 3-7)

How to pray : a guide for young explorers
Greig, Pete
Ebook
2021 ECPA Award Finalist in the Christian Living Category"An instant spiritual classic." ―Christianity TodayIs prayer the most challenging area of your Christian journey? It doesn't have to be. Pete Greig, one of the founders of 24-7 Prayer International, is...

A fun, interactive guide to helping elementary-age kids develop a daily prayer habit (Children's Nonfiction Age 8-11)

The tale of three trees : a traditional folktale
Hunt, Angela Elwell
Paper Book
Featuring beautiful illustrations, this best-selling children's book helps children understand the significance of Easter.   "Once upon a mountaintop, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up ..." So begins...

A lovely story featuring three trees who find their purpose illustrating important moments in the life of Christ (Children's Nonfiction Age 4-8)


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