I want my children to know the Bible. I want them to understand the theology. I want them to read the Bible cover to cover.
I also want them to know about the Bible: how it’s structured, how it came to be, how it relates to their day to day lives, and the overarching themes–the theology–of the Bible.
If you love Jesus, you probably feel the same way about your kids and teens knowing his written word.
Bible Road Trip™ will take your kids through the Bible in three years. In addition to going through the Bible as a family, there are some wonderful books about the Bible for kids and teens available. They are books your kids will enjoy that are worth keeping around for your grandkids or passing onto the neighbors.
I’ve put together a list of some of our favorite books about the Bible for kids, and another list for teens. I looked for books that covered the canon of Scripture, the grand themes of the Bible, the importance of the books of the Bible, Bible application (devotions), and theology of the Bible. You’ll find my favorite Bible atlas on the list for teens as well. My teens and I often reference it as we read through Scripture.
Great Videos about the Bible for Kids and Teens
Buck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 1- In the Beginning
Buck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 2 – Let My People GoBuck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 3 – Wanderin’ in the DesertBuck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 4 – Battle for the Promised LandBuck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 5 – Israel Gets a KingBuck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 6 – A Nation DividedBuck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 7 – Exile and ReturnBuck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 8 – Words to Make Us WiseBuck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 9 – God SpeaksBuck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 10 – Jesus is the Good NewsBuck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 11 – Spreading the Good NewsBuck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 12 – Letters from PaulBuck Denver Asks: What’s in the Bible? Volume 13 – God’s Kingdom Comes!Drive Thru History® – The Gospels – For TeensDrive Thru History® – Holy Land – For Teens
(Find more videos on teaching the Bible to your kids over at my YouTube channel!)
Books about the Bible for Kids
I’ve organized these books about the Bible for kids according to age range, with books for toddlers through kindergarten at the beginning and books for tweens at the end. You’ll find books about the Bible for teens in the list below this one.
- Bible Investigators: Creation ~ Activity book bursting with brain-teasing puzzles, which helps kids investigate the Bible for themselves.Bursting with 90 brain-teasing puzzles, 40 Bible passages, and 30 concepts regarding God’s creation, this lesson-and-activity book will give kids aged 8-12 skills to investigate the Bible for themselves―like a real investigator!As kids apply logic and solve challenging puzzles, they will dive deeply into Scripture and examine the Bible’s account of creation, picking up lots of skills for reading and interpreting the Bible.As well as lots of puzzles, there are journaling boxes for kids to reflect on, interpret, and apply what they have learned.
Your kids will love this puzzle-based Bible study for 8-12 year olds. Grab a sample here!
- Who Was Moses? ~ Meet Moses: a baby born in slavery to, a prince, an outlaw, the leader of God’s people. Dive into this amazing story. This engaging book follows the life of one of the most important figures in the bible and recounts key events such as the burning bush, the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the receiving of the Ten Commandments. Far from being a boring biography, the narrative is engaging and there are plenty of pictures and maps included. Readers are also pointed to God’s big picture and will discover how the life of Moses relates to us today.
- What Was the Tabernacle? ~ God gave the Israelites the tabernacle as a place to worship him, but also as a wonderful picture that points to Jesus. Although God had rescued his people out of slavery in Egypt, they rebelled against him and worshipped other gods. So God gave Moses rules to teach his people how to love God and each other. He also gave him instructions for how to build a moveable temple for the Lord.This tent provided a way for the Israelites to serve and worship God his way, in reverence and awe. But the tabernacle was also full of symbols that pointed to Jesus – when God became a man and lived amongst his people.
- Why Did the Exodus Happen? ~Learn all about God’s character through a major event in the history of Israel: the Exodus. God’s people had been in slavery in Egypt for hundreds of years. But God had promised their ancestors that the people of Israel would have their own land someday. So, they cried out to God and he heard them and rescued them. He used a shepherd and his brother to lead a nation of slaves in opposition to the most powerful ruler of the world’s most powerful kingdom.
- Who Were the Disciples? ~ Ever wondered what it was like to walk alongside Jesus? Dive into this exciting exploration of the twelve disciples – regular guys who became part of the greatest story ever told! With fun black–and–white illustrations throughout, you’ll discover how fishermen, tax collectors, and even a former terrorist became Jesus’ closest friends and changed history forever.
- What Was the Cross? ~ Just like pieces of a puzzle coming together, this book shows how God’s plan unfolds through history. Kids will love learning about the true meaning of the Cross through stories, examples they can understand, and friendly illustrations that bring each scene to life. Perfect for curious young minds, this book makes big ideas about faith easy to grasp and remember.
- Why Did the Resurrection Happen? ~ You’ll learn about the Feast of Firstfruits in the Old Testament and how it pointed to Jesus’ resurrection. Follow along as women discover the empty tomb, disciples race to see for themselves, and over 500 people witness the risen Jesus! The book explains how Jesus appeared to his followers for 40 days, even eating meals with them, before ascending to heaven. It explains how Jesus conquered death so that everyone who believes in him can have eternal life. You’ll discover what the “already–and–not–yet kingdom” means and learn about the amazing new Jerusalem that awaits believers.
Learn more about the Who What Why series here.
- 365 Great Bible Stories ~ A wonderful retelling of the Bible, including stories not usually seen in a children’s Bible story book. This is the spine book for the Preschool and Kindergarten level of Bible Road Trip™.
- The Biggest Story ABC (Board Book) ~ Toddlers will learn about the biblical narrative in one A to Z board book.
- The Bible’s Big Story ~ Rhymes, Bible verses, and narrative explain the story of salvation.
- The Biggest Story ~ Learn the overarching narrative of the Bible story in this delightful picture book.
- The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross ~ Children will learn about the victory of the Resurrection story through an overview of the Bible.
- The Ology: Ancient Truths, Ever New ~ A must-have for every household, The Ology covers systematic theology in a fun and understandable way.
- 66 Books One Story ~ Perfect for reading aloud after dinner, this book covers the themes, style, purpose, and plan for salvation found in each book of the Bible.
- The Bible is God’s Word: The Evidence ~ This fun book for 8-12 year olds helps them explore each question about the Bible’s veracity they may have.
- Guarding the Treasure: How God’s People Preserve God’s Word ~ Alternating between historical fiction and engaging nonfiction, each chapter of this book for 7-12 year olds tells a part of the story of how the Bible was written, assembled, translated, and preserved for new generations.
- The Think Ask – Bible! Series (God’s Word and…) ~ This excellent series helps 8-12 year olds apply God’s word to issues they face today.
- Fascinating Bible Facts Devotions ~ Learn a little more each day with devotionals about God’s promises that contain interesting facts and brief stories about the Bible for 7-12 year olds.
These are some great options for books about the Bible for kids. Keep reading for some wonderful choices for teens.
Books about the Bible for Teens
With your teens, you’ll want to take learning about the Bible and about biblical doctrine up a notch. Your teens will soon encounter resistance to Scriptural truth and to the Bible itself. These books will help them understand God’s Word at a whole new level.
- ESV Bible Atlas ~ My teens and I love the ESV Bible Atlas. It has incredible 3D diagrams, photographs, timelines, maps, and more. We refer to it often as we’re going through Bible Road Trip™ together.
- 60 Scriptures You Can Pray ~ Danika’s devotional 60 Scriptures You Can Pray covers eight types of prayer from the Bible, the expectations we should have when we pray, and the right heart attitude for prayer. It features prayers of praise, thanksgiving, confession, supplication, intercession, deliverance, lament, and guidance.
- How We Got the Bible ~ With over a million copies sold over 40 years, Lightfoot’s How We Got the Bible is a must read for your students. I went through this with my boys when they were upper elementary. Your middle and high school students could certainly go through this adult text on the origination of the Bible and its translations. They would likely benefit from reading it with you.
- Taking God at His Word ~ Another must read for teens, Taking God at His Word is concise and readable. The book covers the truth that God’s Word is enough, clear, final, and necessary.
- How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible ~ Your teens will benefit from learning 10 tips for reading their Bible. Each tip will help them approach the Bible from a new angle. Each chapter has group questions and a devotional aspect.
- Visual Theology ~ For your visually oriented teens, this is a great book to cover the basics of their relationship with Christ, God’s plan for salvation, the process of sanctification, and living for Jesus.
- Bitesize Theology ~ Short chapters and easy to understand explanations cover 18 important Scriptural doctrines like the Trinity, grace, atonement, justification, sanctification, election, and the Second Coming.
- Christian Beliefs ~ I’ve been going through the meaty Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem with my teens for a few years. Here, his son distills Grudem’s writings to 20 essential Christian doctrines that every teen must know. It should be much more accessible for your teens.
- Questions Jesus Asks ~ This fascinating book uses 20 questions Jesus asked to cover topics like Christology, the virgin birth, healing, fear, and demonology.
- Questions God Asks ~ 19 questions asked by God are examined to learn more about subjects such as anger, service, evangelism, syncretism, missions, and more.
The books above will help your teens understand more about the veracity of God’s word and how it relates to them. Check here for 10 faith-growing books for teens.
Bible Resources for Your Kids
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Puzzle-Based Independent Bible Study for Kids!
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2, ESV
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- Observe: They pay attention to what they’re reading.
- Interpret: They figure out what the Bible means in that section.
- Apply: They decide how the truth of God’s Word impacts their life today.
There are a great many truths in life to be found—some interesting, some boring, and some that really matter. You can be the kind of investigator who spends time puzzling out important truth so that you can know all the knowable knowledge that God has given us. That’s right. God, the Creator of the Universe, gave you a great big letter from him to explore and study so that you can discover the truths that really matter to your life!”
Bible Investigators: Creation, (The Good Book Company, 2024), page 7
The Bible Investigators: Creation Bible study for kids, written by Danika Cooley and published by The Good Book Company, is 272-pages of learning, puzzles, and fun activities designed to help your kids become amazing independent Bible investigators–observing, interpreting, and applying God’s Word as they learn what the Bible teaches on a particular subject.
Bible Puzzles for Kids
Middle grade kids, aged 8-12, love puzzles. After all, their brains are just built for figuring things out and memorizing facts. Puzzles are a wonderful way to help kids develop logic skills and retain important information. And, the book is written in a fun, conversational tone your children are sure to love!
What types of puzzles and activities will you find in Bible Investigators?
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- Word Searches
- Crosswords
- Rebus Puzzles
- Dot-to-Dots
- Logic Puzzles
- Missing Letter Puzzles
- Cryptograms
- Word Sudoku
- Mazes
- How-to-Draw Pages
- Matching Pairs
- Word Scrambles
- Journal Pages
Every child is sure to find activities they’ll love!
Elementary-aged kids need hands-on middle grade resources that engage them and equip them to process important truths.
Bible Investigators is the perfect resource to teach your kids about an important biblical doctrine, while helping them apply God’s Word to their lives today.
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