Candice Watters: Shaping young hearts through story

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NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Tuesday, November 18th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Up next, WORLD Opinions contributor Candice Watters reviews a new book from a trustworthy source, it’s for discerning parents who seek good literature for their children.

CANDICE WATTERS: “We’re reading ahead for you.” That’s the tagline of RedeemedReader.com, a 14-year-old website that reviews new children’s books from a Christian perspective. WORLD senior writer Janie B. Cheaney and her fellow editors of the site have now released a book of their own: The Redeemed Reader, published by Moody Publishers.

The goal is to help parents cultivate their children’s discernment and imagination through Truth and Story.

Parents who are weary of too much screen time don’t always know where to begin. And those concerned about what’s being offered to their children by their public library will be glad for the help.

These four women have condensed years of book wisdom into a relatable guide that covers everything from “what to read when,” to navigating hard stories, reading across genres, and organizing a home library. Each chapter ends with suggested book titles by reading level.

These authors love books. But they’re also clear that the books they point to are not meant to take away from the Book. They include a whole chapter on choosing Bibles for your children. And more than once they remind readers that “The only required book is the Bible.” All the other books on the “To Be Read” pile are “optional.” They say that’s because “Books and stories impact readers, but they do not save readers. Jesus saves.”

They help parents choose books that will do more than entertain. They recommend books that will, in the words of Hebrews 10:24, “spur children on to love and good deeds.”

Some readers might be nervous with their inclusion of titles like: The Hunger Games, The Great Gilly Hopkins, and Everything Sad is Untrue. They call books like these that “grapple with sin…‘messy books’.” And they review them because they are stories that “honestly reflect the human condition.” They say the goal of messy books is “discernment, not comfort…[and] growing in discernment includes facing uncomfortable topics.” But their selections don’t present sin as funny or entertaining and they don’t recommend books with sinful characters who “don’t mature out of their deplorable state.” They recommend messy books with care, and with qualifications. They also offer a helpful list of elements for deciding which of these messy books have a place in your home.

Still, they caution parents about giving children messy books too early. Just because middle grade students can decode the words doesn’t mean they can handle the stories. They say children who aren’t developmentally ready for messy books “may get caught up in the … sinful actions” of the characters and “miss the greater [redemptive] story.”

The authors trust parents to know their children best, to know what’s in the books they’re giving their children, and to steer clear of books that glorify sin at every age. They say “we pray regularly for wisdom…and encourage you to do likewise.”

The Redeemed Reader in book form is both practical and inspiring. A worthwhile reference that doesn’t require a WiFi password. Whether you’re a new parent who's just starting to read aloud, or have been at it for years and are in search of new ideas for your voracious readers, this book will help you “shepherd [your] children’s imagination” through books.

I’m Candice Watters.

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