Missional Books for Kids.

Books are my love language. Is that a thing? If someone has a new baby, gets engaged, has a major life event or generally crosses my path with a similar interest to me, I the need to give them a book.

All those pithy little sayings about books, "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one." (George RR Martin) and "Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination and the journey. They are home." (Anna Quindlen) are totally true for me. I have traveled the world and through time with a book open in my lap. I've been reading books to my kids since they were infants and desperately hope they fall in love with reading as I have.

Reading is more than an escape or the way to live another adventure. Books help explain new ideas, show new places and form new thoughts. I have tried to surround my kids with books that help them see this huge world God made--and to love the people in it.

By reading these books (and others) we've been able to have conversation about how God loves every one of us, how we can tell others about Jesus and I hope it's helped to ignite a passion for missions in their hearts.

Here's a few of our faves:

1. Ruby Slippers School by Stacy Towle Morgan

These are chapter books for new readers that tell the story of homeschooled sisters who follow their parents around the world meeting new people and solving mysteries. In each story, they learn about the culture and make a new friend. We love these because they put a face on people in far away country and help my kids see how God and Christianity is perceived in other places. For example, in their Egyptian adventure the kids learn about the hardship of a Muslim becoming a Christian.

2. Missionary Stories

Of course biographies of real missionaries are a must-read! We have several of Barbour Publishing's Heroes of the Faith which are perfect for bedtime stories. If you have a new reader who wants to experience the story for themselves, Heroes for Young Readers by YWAM are short books with simple text and great illustrations.


3. Adventures in Odyssey Imagination Station by Paul McCusker

These are the Christian version of Magic Tree House, I think. In them, two cousins travel through time to solve a giant mystery. Sometimes they are experiencing a famous historical event like the Revolutionary War, other times they are meeting a historical character like Leif Ericsson. In each story (ok, each one I've read--my daughter has read all 16...), there's teaching of how Christianity was in that time and place.

{You can get a free PDF version of book 1 on my blog!}

4. African Heartbeat by Barb Christing

This is a picture book from World Vision about a little girl in the United States who sponsors a child and gets to see how much it changes both of their lives. It's a great look at child sponsorship and an easy way for our kids to see what small monthly giving can do. You might not sponsor through World Vision, but look into the organizations you do support and see if they have any resources for children. Even their websites sometimes have special sections to help kids understand their ministry.

5. Operation Christmas Child: The Story of Simple Gifts by Franklin Graham

We are big Operation Christmas Child fans in this house and even though this book is not designed for kids, my kids have loved it! It's full of short stories of how God has used the simple shoebox gifts to influence kids around the world for Jesus. Again, look at the organizations you support and love--they may have all kinds of stories and resources to read as a family.

Just as I hope my kids love to read books about pioneers crossing the prairies and soldiers winning battles and kids going on adventures, I hope they see books as a way to discover God's world. I pray the stories we circle around will pull tethers deep in their heart to people across the globe. After all, isn't that what God did? Gave us His story in the Bible so we could know Him and tell others of His love, too?

What books give you a heart for God's people?

About Amanda

Amanda White is a stay-at-home mom of two who blogs at ohAmanda.com and is the author of Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands. In her former life, Amanda was a Children’s Pastor — overseeing, organizing and developing ministry for kids in nursery through middle school, but now that she is a mom, her “skills” are used up on her kids!

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