Disclosure: I received these books to review. Post contains affiliate links; opinions shared are mine.

A change of seasons is a good time to change the books on the shelf, too. My kids recently started picking up faith-based books on their own, so I decided to keep a good assortment throughout the house.  These are some books that we’ve enjoyed in September.  Hopefully, you’ll find something to read with your kids in this list!

This “I Can Read” book has a deep message. My son, who is in 1st grade, is developing his reading skills. The Good Samaritan was the perfect level for him. The illustrations provided enough support that he could understand the story, and the vocabulary was challenging yet not too difficult. I appreciated the fact that the book has an actual plot. Sometimes I find that short story books like this are lacking in depth, which make them uninteresting to readers who look for meaning in a story. Looking more carefully, I saw that the book is written in the Action Bible style. My kids love the Action Bible, so this made perfect sense!  The Good Samaritan provides good opportunities to strengthen inference skills, too. When reading this book, talk with your child about those who miss the chance to help others. Discuss the benefits and warm fuzzies that result from offering help to those who need it.  Consider following up with a family project to benefit a charity, such as collecting canned food for a shelter, or donating gently used toys to a local daycare.

This Means War has a cool paintball-ish type splatter on the front cover. Doesn’t it just seem perfect for the teen in your life?  It goes right along with the feature film War Room that I posted about a few weeks ago.  What I liked about This Means War was the in-touch way the journal spoke to my heart.  It seems like a message that will really hit home with teens.  Unlike other devotional style journals, this book leaves plenty of space between the wide lines on the pages.  Perhaps I only relate to that as a teacher, but I know many children who need those wide lines!  Additionally, the pages have a washed-out look that adds to the teenage flair.  The entries are different for each section; sometimes kids can circle their responses to the thought-provoking questions. On other pages, they might make lists of priorities. This type of variation keeps things interesting.

The only downfall that I could see is that the cover really looks like what I’d consider a “boy book.”   That’s unfortunate because the message inside these pages is so meaningful!  My daughter was hesitant at first, but when I showed her the interactive pages, and read a little of it with her, she said, “Oh, cool!”  She couldn’t wait to get started on it.  I know it will deepen her understanding of God’s love!  If you’re looking for something to read with your kids  — especially if they’re teens– then you need to check out War Room!

It’s hard to find Christian based books for teens that are interesting, yet clean.  Luther and Katharina is an amazing new title from Jody Hedlund that will catch the attention of just about any young adult.  First of all, the cover declares the book “a novel of love and rebellion.”  Music to a teenager’s ears!  The story is based on a scandalous relationship with one of Christianity’s biggest rebels, Martin Luther.  You may scoff at me for saying this, but I had NO IDEA that the basis of this story is actually true.  This forbidden love story was shocking to me on so many levels.  It’s a part of history that was, for some reason, kept from me. I feel so resentful for not knowing about Luther’s ultimate departure from the Catholic faith!  Jody Hedlund is one of my favorite Christian authors anyway, so I already had high expectations.  She still surpassed them with this novel.  When teens read this, they’ll wish there was a reality show from the Reformation!

Which of these books catches your eye?