My 8-year-old son has also had the Bible read to him since he was young and now is an excellent reader who can sit down with me and read through the NKJV, so he has this adventure Bible and LOVES it. It makes Bible reading exciting for him and comes in various translations depending on what you are looking for or your preference.
When it comes to picking out a Bible for your child, the good news is: there are TONS of options out there today. So you can find pretty well anything and pretty much exactly what you are looking for with the click of an "add to cart" button. The bad news is: there are TONS of options out there today, which means it can be a big job sifting through them all, researching, reading reviews, and finding what you're looking for in a Children's Bible.
It wasn't so much like this when I was little, so my brother and I would have had the same Children's Bible that many other children had at that time. And even when it came time for us to have a Teen Bible, there was still a much more limited amount of options to choose from than what we see today.
So, as a Mom of three kids spaced apart in age: I compiled a list for you that includes five different stepping stones through the Bible, so to speak, for little ones who are not yet readers all the way up to the Teenage years.
They are as follows:
1. Read Aloud Bible Stories, Volumes 1-5, Ella K. Lindvall, Ages 2-5
I love these read-aloud Bible story volumes for little ones who aren't reading yet or who are learning to read and still love to and need to be read to.
These volumes fit my two little ones now because I have a 3-year-old non-reader who loves when I read stories to him and a reader who just turned six but still loves to be read to. You can even extend the ages on these a bit and get more use out of them.
I chose this set because it sets up your little ones to have a background in stories from the Bible to help grow their knowledge and understanding before they jump in and start reading on their own. They can also stop you and ask you questions while you're reading out loud to them, which is great. My daughter does this all the time, and she learns a lot. She knows so many Bible stories by heart simply because I had read them to her over and over again before she could even read them herself. Little kids are like sponges, and the things they learn now stay with them for later.
Find it here.
"Pre-schoolers and early school-age children love to be read to. They quickly develop favorites, and what better favorites can they have than stories written and illustrated just for them, which careful attention paid to the authority of Scripture? Your little listeners will come to you again and again, asking to hear these cherished Bible stories and to see the colorful illustrations."
2. Early Reader's Bible, V Gilbert Beers, Ages 4-8
"A Bible to read all by yourself!"
My daughter is now getting to an age where she wants to read Bible stories by herself. And instead of me reading them to her: she is far more proud of herself when she can confidently sit down and read them to me. This is why I love this Early Reader's Bible:
It's true to its title and great for early readers. Easy to follow and applicable to their lives. I love the questions at the end of each chapter that always get my daughter thinking and often talking non-stop. I also think it's great that the questions at the end of each chapter prompt her to ask even more questions about life and God at such a young age.
A tool such as this is really teaching her how to study the Bible early on. How to read and ask questions. And as she relates the things she has read back to her daily life, she's learning how to apply Scripture to her everyday life, which is what we don't see enough in our world today: and it is so important. Not only to read the Bible: but to live God's love out loud and in color to those around us.
"The age-appropriate, thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter encourage wonderful discussions between you and your children for an experience with God's Word that will last."
3. The Adventure Bible, Lawrence O. Richards, Ages 8 and up
My 8-year-old son has also had the Bible read to him since he was young and now is an excellent reader who can sit down with me and read through the NKJV, so he has this adventure Bible and LOVES it. It makes Bible reading exciting for him and comes in various translations depending on what you are looking for or your preference.
"The Adventure Bible is available in multiple translations including NIV, NIrV, NKJV, NRSV and NASB, with options for early readers (Ages 6-10) and seasoned readers (Ages 8-12). As kids read, they will meet all types of people, see all sorts of places, and learn all kinds of things about the Bible. Most importantly, they will grow closer in their relationship with God!"
It includes beautiful illustrations and questions that make him think. So it's also an excellent discussion starter Bible that sometimes carries us into an hour or more of conversation before he goes to bed. I will point out here that if your child is going to read through the whole Bible at a young age, you will want to be there with them to ask questions if they start with you in the Old Testament: because they will have a lot of questions:
Because of this, I suggested that my son start in the New Testament as the Old was a bit too much for him at the time, but now he knows how to read the Bible, and I'm always there with him to ask questions to and guide him along the way. He's learning a lot from this beautiful Adventure Bible.
4. The Action Bible, Sergio Cariello, Ages 9-11
This is an absolutely amazingly illustrated Bible, with images that will capture and keep your Pre-Teen's attention which is so important. They're getting to an age where they believe certain things are no longer "cool," and we don't want the Bible to be one of these things:
"Every page sparks excitement to explore God's Word and know Him personally. Readers will witness God's active presence in the world through stories from the life of Jesus and great heroes of the faith.
Let this blend of powerful imagery and clear storytelling capture your imagination and instill the truth that invites you to discover your own adventure of life with God. Sergio Cariello's illustrations for The Action Bible leap off the page with the same thrilling energy that earned him international recognition for his work with Marvel Comics and DC Comics."
I think this Action Bible is a labor of love and a gift to our younger generation. I wish I'd had it when I was their age!
5. NKJV Extreme Teen Study Bible, Thomas Nelson, Ages 13 and up
I LOVE that the focus of this Teen Study Bible is on making your faith your own: it's one thing to have us as parents teaching our kids, spending endless hours finding the right Bible for them to read, praying with them, and teaching them about God:
It's a whole other thing when they step out into the world and decide to make their faith their own, not just something we taught them. This Extreme Teen Study Bible is a great tool to help them do just that!
"Real Faith for Real Life!"
"Make your faith your own! The Extreme Teen Study Bible is about discovering who God is, what He's doing in the world, and what He promises for your future."
Crosswalk also offers countless resources for teaching your kids God's Word. Here are just a few:
10 Best Bible Apps for Kids That They'll Love
The Best Kids Bible Study Recommendations for Each Child Age Group
5 Bible Stories for Kids to Teach Them Faith
