Stories Woven in Silver: Pointing Kids to the Gospel Through Children's Literature

by Kathryn Butler, Korrie Johnson

A Practical Guide to Raising Gospel-Centered Readers

From epic quests and evil villains to happily-ever-afters, there seems to be a formula for every good book. But good stories do more than entertain. They echo deeper truths that reflect the greatest narrative ever written. They speak truth, stir hope, and point us toward the ultimate happy ending: salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This concise and practical guide helps parents and caregivers navigate the world of children’s literature through a gospel lens. Exploring Christianity’s most beloved children’s books, children’s author Kathryn Butler and book reviewer Korrie Johnson—both mothers themselves—offer wise advice and tools to improve read-alouds and biblical discussions with kids. Summaries of featured books include accessible content for quick reference, including a brief synopsis, key gospel themes, Scripture connections, and notes for discernment. With the help of this guide, these stories will work in the hearts of children as they recognize both the beauty and brokenness of the world and place their hope in Christ, the true Redeemer.

• Practical Resource for Parents: Advice and helpful notes for those approaching family read-aloud time as an opportunity for discipleship
• Offers Wisdom: Helps caregivers thoughtfully evaluate books while addressing topics such as magic, the role of bad guys, and other objectionable elements
• Concise: Designed for quick reference, these brief yet rich summaries provide the perfect tools for busy parents and caregivers
• Tools for Family Discipleship: Each book entry includes a short synopsis, gospel themes, Scripture connections, and notes for discernment
• Explores Beloved Christian Kids Books: Including The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Wingfeather Saga, and more

Genres: Christian, Parenting, Nonfiction, Christian Non Fiction, Childrens, Books About Books, Education

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 6, 2026

About the author

Kathryn Butler (MD, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons) is a trauma surgeon turned author and homeschooling mom. Her books Between Life and Death: A Gospel-Centered Guide on End-of-Life Medical Care, and Glimmers of Grace: A Doctor's Reflections on Faith, Suffering, and the Goodness of God, reflect upon faith and medicine. She is also the author of The Dream Keeper Saga, a middle grade adventure series with Christian themes. She lives in the woods of Massachusetts, where she loves to read stories with her kids, explore the outdoors, and chase dragons from her kitchen.

Reviews

[Becky Aniol]

Finally, authors with both biblical AND literary understanding answer the common questions of faithful Christian parents (magic, mythology, and more) and offer practical guidance through some of the best children's literature. This is much needed and an invaluable tool! Parents, you’ll want to pre-order this one!

[Rachel Johnson]

When I saw it on the shelf I was excited and a little peeved because this is a book I have thought about writing myself many times.

It did however turn out to be different than I expected.

For those in the know about read alouds, there will probably be no surprises here. The authors address the benefits of reading with your children and using it to point to the gospel, then the rest of the book is break downs of specific books and all the places you can talk about Scripture within them.

I was already familiar with all the books addressed, and I felt like anyone who is Biblically literate and has fundamental reading comprehension skills could have come up with at least most of the examples given.

This is a great book for those starting out on their children’s literature journey, but nothing revolutionary for those who are already steeped in it.

[Rachel]

Fantastic resource for parents wanting to encourage and cultivate a love of reading in their children. Very practical, with lots of book recommendations!

[Dave Weathers]

Part 1: 4 stars
Part 2: 2 stars
Part 3: 3 stars

This book came out the gate strong and built a good case on the benefits of reading fiction with your kids and broaches the question of how Christians should interact with fantasy. Should anything with a hint of other-worldliness (much less magic) be verboten?

I’m generally comfortable with the genre but I don’t think I could fully defend why. Part 1 brought up several lines of reasoning I hadn’t considered before, and so for that, it was helpful. I wish Part 1 was twice as long and spent more time engaging with counterarguments.

Part 2 was a bit of a stretch with its summaries of a handful of Christian book series. While it highlights some of the solid connections between the books and Christian themes, it occasionally felt like an exercise in finding a Christian allegory whether the text supported one or not. Some of the examples were embarrassingly superficial.

I appreciated the references to scripture in most instances, but those references were glaringly absent in the “notes for discernment” section of each book.
If Scripture is the standard used to identify what is good in these stories, why move away from that standard when identifying what is objectionable?
I understand what the authors were going for in giving parents a heads-up about potentially concerning material. But at its worst, this approach ends up calling bad what the Bible calls good, which seems particularly at odds with the framework established in Part 1.

Part 3 is fine enough with its list of book recommendations, but there was so much redundancy with previous chapters by this point that it felt like the book had already run its course.

[Tracy]

This book is exactly what it sets out to be. Loved that about it! I enjoy both this author and have followed the one’s blog and read the others books, so this was a fun mashup for me. Thanks for this great resource!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review

[Beth]

An excellent resource for Christian parents. The authors provide practical wisdom for parents to begin cultivating a family read aloud and highlight why this is a formative practice to disciple our children. The authors also include in-depth reader’s guides for book series such as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and The Wingfeather Saga. The guides include a synopsis, Gospel themes, words of truth, and notes for discernment. Highly recommend! Thank you, Crossway Books for a complimentary copy!

[Rachel Florida]

This book offers a wealth of knowledge on various children’s literature. It gives in depth synopsis and points of biblical discussion in a variety of classic books for kids through young adult readers. I will absolutely be buying this book for my own bookshelf as my daughters get older.

[Zak Mellgren]

A very helpful discussion guide for parents reading modern and classic fantasy to their kids, with some minimal guidance for non-fantasy classics thrown in. Makes a beautiful case for reading aloud as a family. I would have preferred the guides to be chronological rather than thematic so parents can avoid spoilers if they hadn’t read the book themselves previously. I skipped the chapters on series I haven’t read. But very good thematic guides to some wonderful books. Every parent would benefit from having this on their shelf.

Click here for my full review: https://zakmellgren.substack.com/p/a-...

Also, thank you to Crossway for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Molly Duncan]

This is such an excellent resource and a very enjoyable read. I loved every minute, and I'm so looking forward to returning to specific sections as my family starts to move closer to reading middle grade fiction together.

At this point, I've read several of the "standard" books about reading aloud to your children, and I have several good sources of booklists when I'm looking for our next readaloud, but I have to confess that the long part at the front of those books where they spend at least a few chapters discussing the benefits of and methods for reading to your children and raising readers always leave me a little cold. I totally buy that reading aloud can bring you closer as a family, can build vocabulary and language skills, and even that it can do things like gently teach and encourage morals, but in my experience those books invariably oversell the benefits by claiming something along the lines of "reading aloud is the single most important thing you can do for your children", and I don't understand how any Christian can make or believe that claim. But Stories Woven in Silver is such a refreshingly honest book and puts reading aloud in the right place--it can be used a gateway to the most important thing you can do for your children, discipling them. And it's wonderfully helpful about how to do so. For the most part this book follows the usual format, where there are some chapters at the beginning with practical discussions and tips about how and why (which I found especially helpful and to-the-point), and at the end there are some recommended booklists. But in the middle are several chapters that each detail the Gospel themes in a particular series of their most highly recommended books.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to beginning the Narnia series with my two oldest children this winter, and you can be sure I'll be revisiting that chapter before we begin, and that I'll be checking and rechecking this book as we (hopefully) continue on with some more advanced books than the early chapter books we've been enjoying together for a while.

[Christine Gustin (christinebookstagram)]

“Dear friend… as ordinary as it may seem, the time you spend with your children wandering through stories is kingdom work.”

This is SUCH a gem of a book!! Highly recommend to all Christian parents of young kids (regardless of whether you homeschool or not).

The topic of reading with your kids is one that I’m very passionate about (the list of books referenced in this book could have come directly from my bookshelf)! This book echos much of what has already been said on this topic, yet it does so in a fresh way and offers significant practical insight.

You will really enjoy and benefit from this book if you:

•Have elementary aged kids and are unsure where to begin with reading aloud.
•You homeschool (in particular if you lean toward a Classical or Charlotte Mason philosophy).
•You are a parent that wants to pre-read everything your kids read.
•You are hesitant about reading books with magical/mythological elements and want a solid Biblical understanding of how to navigate this.

The only thing that I would add to the beautiful content of this book is this: just because your kids become teenagers, it doesn’t mean that the “cozy read aloud” time will necessarily end. YES, the vibe and flavor changes in each season; but, as a parent who has been reading aloud to my kids since they were littles, I can wholeheartedly say that the past few years of reading aloud with my teens has actually been one of the sweetest seasons.

Huge THANK YOU to NetGalley and to Crossway for allowing me to read an eARC of this delightful book! All thoughts expressed here are my own.

[Miranda Hale]

This is an excellent resource for Christian parents desiring to dive deeper into literature with purpose with their families. It goes through a few different well-known series like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, along with newer explicitly Christian series like The Wingfeather Saga and The Green Ember series (amongst others), drawing out different Christian themes for discussion with your children. Many of the books mentioned were works I’m very familiar with and in each list of themes for the different series I found points I’d never noticed or considered before. While this is a good resource to keep on your shelf and reference just before embarking on those specific books with your family, there is also helpful advice for integrating reading into your family rhythms, prioritizing Scripture first, and using wisdom when selecting books and reading them to your children.

[Luminous Reads]

This is such a fantastic resource! In this book, Kathryn Butler and Korrie Johnson provide parents and educators with a goldmine for discipleship through stories. They show us how the greatest tales draw on God's grand narrative of redemption, and how we can use them to nurture lifelong faith and point kids to the gospel message!

I loved the practical, quick-reference guides on popular children’s book series!

Every featured book and series guide breaks down:
🌲 A Concise Summary: Perfect for a quick refresher before you read.
🕊️ Key Gospel Themes: The spiritual parallels and truths in the plot.
🛡️ Notes for Discernment: Helpful notes on possibly scary or concerning elements.

From exploring the importance of building a foundation in Scripture first, to learning how to incorporate reading into your family's daily routine, and raising children to be discerning readers this book is a must-read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Brianna Gifford]

This book is a helpful addition after reading a book like the “read a loud family” or “Honey for a child’s heart.” This book offers a different perspective, especially for Christian families, that complements the priority of reading a loud and choosing quality books to then tie back into the Gospel.

[Jan]

June 21, 2026 * 2.5 stars

Books-about-books is one of my favorite categories of books to read, so when I saw this recommended by several people, I "had" to read it. Plus, I was thinking it would be a great book to get for my nephew to use with his kids, since he does the bedtime read-alouds with them.

Unfortunately, for me, it was a big disappointment. It's okay, and while there are some good things in it, the information is already in better books on the subject. Therefore it won't be replacing any of my top ten books on the subject and I think my nephew will be better served by reading other, better books on the subject (many of which this author also recommends), An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis and listening to The Literary Life Podcast as he reads to his children.

[Panda Incognito]

3.5 stars, rounded down.

Kathryn Butler and Korrie Johnson are writers and mothers who are passionate about children's literature. In this book, they share guidance for Christian parents who want to provide good books for their children, and who desire to use family read-aloud times as discipleship opportunities. Butler and Johnson write about practical topics like how to foster family Bible reading times, how to select good novels to read, and how to navigate different concerns with magic-driven stories, Shakespeare, and mythology. Later chapters share advice for reading classics and managing practical aspects of a read-aloud time. The authors also include recommendations for other resources.

The authors write with both biblical knowledge and literary understanding, and they share advice for creating a reading culture in your home and fostering gospel conversations based on the themes of books you're reading. They show that it is possible to use books as a launchpad for spiritual conversations, while still prioritizing the experience of reading together. The authors caution parents against turning reading into a chore by interrupting constantly with questions or lectures, and they urge parents to follow the flow of a narrative, saving discussion for a good stopping point.

Several chapters offer book-by-book summaries of some popular Christian fantasy series, including Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and The Wingfeather Saga. The authors provide an overview of each series, and they delve into each novel's content, describing every story's gospel themes and moments of wisdom. There are also brief notes for discernment, alerting parents to any issues related to violence, curse words, racism, and so on. 

These detailed overviews will be helpful to parents who aren't familiar with these books, and who want to take in a bird's eye view in advance. Many parents will appreciate the spiritual notes, which include references to related Bible verses. However, the summaries spoil major plot developments. Knowing these details in advance may be helpful for some parents, but it removes the shared sense of discovery in a family read-aloud. Also, since these series are mostly obvious choices for Christian families, I thought the focus on summaries was excessive. For many readers, this half of the book will just review familiar territory.

I also would have preferred more attention to genres other than fantasy, to keep this book relevant to a broader range of tastes and interests. In addition to this, the authors primarily focus on books written by Christians for Christians, with a tone of avoidance towards current, mainstream titles. That is understandable for many families, given how many children's books push the envelope with edgy content. However, if parents are looking for guidance on navigating the best of secular publishing, a better book for them would be The Redeemed Reader: Cultivating a Child's Discernment and Imagination Through Truth and Story, by Janie Cheaney and her fellow book reviewers.

Stories Woven in Silver is a helpful guide for Christian parents who want to foster a culture of reading in their homes, and who desire to use good books to start spiritual conversations with their children. This book offers a mix of practical advice, spiritual encouragement, and resource recommendations. I found the series overviews excessive, and prospective readers should be aware that almost half the page count involves summaries of beloved Christian fantasy series. Nonetheless, this is a helpful guide that will bless many families.

I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Emily Paul]

A Goldmine for Parents: Navigating Children's Lit with a Kingdom Mindset

As a parent trying to navigate the massive world of children’s literature, I found “Stories Woven in Silver" by Kathryn Butler and Korrie Johnson be an absolute treasure. Instead of giving parents a rigid list of rules or standard "banned" lists, the authors beautifully equip us to read with a kingdom mindset, showing us how great stories echo the grand narrative of Scripture.

For those looking to see how the book is laid out, here is a quick overview of what you will find in each section:

📖 Book Overview
Part One: All That Glitters Is Not Gold (Discernment for Children's Literature)

This section builds the foundational framework. It encourages parents to ground their children in Scripture first and addresses the heavy-hitting topics that Christian parents frequently wrestle with, including mythology, fairytales, and the boundaries of imagination.

Part Two: Stories Woven in Silver (Mining Read-Alouds for Riches)
The practical core of the book. It establishes a healthy read-aloud rhythm before diving into comprehensive, gospel-centered breakdowns of beloved series (like ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Wingfeather Saga’ complete with discussion tools.

Part Three: A Treasure Trove
A highly practical reference appendix packed with curated lists, reading resources, and extra recommendations to help families continue their reading journey.

🌟 What I Personally Appreciated Most
While the entire book is excellent, a few specific elements made it a standout 5-star resource for me:
1.Discipleship Through Intentional Questions
I deeply appreciated the actionable tools provided to turn simple entertainment into discipleship. The authors include fantastic, thought-provoking questions to ask children that go beyond surface-level plot points. These questions actively help kids discern a book's underlying message and naturally bridge the gap between the story's themes and the truth of the Gospel.

2.The Nuanced Chapter on Magic, Fantasy, and Original Languages
The chapter tackling magic and fantasy is brilliantly done. The authors take a close look at the original languages used in biblical prohibitions against sorcery and witchcraft, contextualizing what Scripture actually condemns versus the literary, world-building mechanics of fantasy. While I acknowledge that some Christian readers may still disagree with their conclusions on this topic, I found their approach to be incredibly respectful, academically robust, and biblically faithful.

3. The 6 Book Series Guides
The deep-dives into 6 major children's book series are worth the price of the book alone. For each series, Butler and Johnson provide a clear roadmap on how to find organic opportunities to point children to Christ. Crucially, they pair this with balanced notes on things to show discretion about, allowing parents to approach potentially sensitive or intense plot elements with wisdom rather than fear.

📝 Final Verdict
This is not a book that dictates *what* your children are allowed to read; rather, it trains you *how* to read alongside them to the glory of God. It is a refreshing, timely, and incredibly needed tool for family discipleship. Highly recommended!

[Aaron]

In Stories Woven in Silver, Kathryn Butler and Korrie Johnson point children to the gospel through children’s literature.

This book shows how good stories delight us because they reflect the true story—the gospel story—and point us to the hope of the ultimate happy ending: our adoption as God’s children through Christ’s death and resurrection.

What I loved most was the idea of “storytime as a ministry.” Parents reading books aloud to their children provides daily discipleship opportunities and encourages them to encounter Christ.

Practical Counsel

In Part One, Korrie Johnson draws on her experience as a book reviewer to offer practical counsel on selecting children’s books in a culture that seems determined to undermine Christian discipleship.

What challenged me most was the reminder to make Scripture reading and family worship a priority for my family. Children should know the difference between a Bible storybook and the Bible itself.

I was especially pleased to read about how to use and effect change in your public library—something I know she is passionate about, having seen her share about it on social media. I appreciated her solid wisdom on magic versus miracles in the Bible, Shakespeare, and Greek mythology.

Guidance

In Part Two, Kathryn Butler offers guidance for fostering gospel-centered discussions of literature with children. Themes such as sacrificial love, light and hope in the darkness, the reality of sin, redemption, and the new heavens and the new earth are presented.

She guides us through The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, the Wingfeather Saga, among others, as case studies, showcasing a synopsis, gospel themes, words of truth, and notes for discernment.

In Part Three, they offer recommended websites and book titles. Classics such as Anne of Green Gables and Charlotte’s Web are discussed.

Train Your Minds

Perfect for teachers, parents, and teens – reading this book will train your mind to see gospel themes and threads of the Christian narrative in children’s literature.

Three questions to ask of books:

What is the goal of this book, and is it a good goal?
Does the book achieve its goal, and, if applicable, does it do so biblically?
Does this book glorify and normalize sin, or does it condemn it?

I received a media copy of Stories Woven in Silver and this is my honest review @diveindigdeep

[Becky]

Reading stories with our children is a wonderful gift. Although scripture is the most important thing we can read with our children, as we read other books, we have the opportunity to discuss with our children Biblical and redemptive themes.

In "Stories Woven in Silver" Kathryn Butler and Korrie Johnson guide parents in thoughtful engagement with their children over good literature. The book is in three parts: Part one is about discernment in children's literature. In this part, Korrie Johnson gives good tips on how to choose good literature for our children, and discusses common problems with popular literature that Christian parents may have. In part two, Kathryn Butler breaks down several series very clearly giving a synopsis of each (and each book in the series), providing gospel themes, words of truth, and notes for discernment. All of these series are written by Christians. Some of the series she mentions are "The Chronicles of Narnia," "The Green Ember" Series and "The Wingfeather Saga." Part three provides more resources for parents with a brief synopsis of each book or series. Many of these books are Christian, while some simply have Christian themes, such as "Charlotte's Web" or "The Little Princess."

If you have benefitted from "Honey for a Child's Heart" (Gladys Hunt) or "Books Children Love," this book will be an excellent resource for you. The way this book is written is a little different form the previous mentioned books, but it also includes many books that had not been written when the other two books were published.

I first heard of Kathryn Butler when my oldest daughter devoured "The Dreamkeeper Saga" a five-book series that is published by Crossway. Kathryn Butler gave up her job as a trauma surgeon who gave up her career to homeschool her children. Her writing (and Korrie Johnson's) is excellent. Reading this book not only gave me ideas for my children to read, but also made me eager to read some of the selections with my children and be more intentional about discussing gospel themes with them.

[Elizabeth Mayberry]

I loved the first several chapters of this book – all of part 1! So much good and encouraging information about reading good books, embracing the classics, soaking our kids in literature, and letting it feed and fuel their learning. It was a balm to my heart and encouragement for this upcoming year of homeschooling – I highlighted many a quote! I didn’t expect part 2 to be laid out as a guide – specifically walking through several books and the gospel themes / discussion ideas. I didn’t hate this part, but it did feel more like a list of blog posts back to back. I skimmed through that section and, since I own it, will be able to reference it when we read some of these books again together as a family. As it is impossible to be exhaustive in a book format, I did feel like it included a lot of the obvious ones (like Narnia and LOTR) leaving out a lot of Classics that would be more helpful to have the Gospel themes laid out. Part 3 reads like a good book list (similar to Honey for a Child’s Heart) and I was grateful to see that included as well as other resources. Still many books missing, but you cannot list them all! Overall, a great book filled with so much Truth, yet lacking a bit practicality in the ways I would have liked to see. Still worth the read clearly since I rated it 5 stars! HAHA.

"Above all, approach your read-aloud time not as a chores, not as another assignment or item to check off your list, but as a chance to delight. Delight in your kids. Delight in the elegance, the beauty, and the power of the written word. Delight to overflowing in the majesty, holiness, and almighty power who invented stories and words, children and parents, sunlight, moonlight, and everything else." Pg.68

[Johanna Keister]

Johnson and Butler encourage Christian parents to see story as discipleship, and equip readers with many rich resources for finding redemptive literature. The authors write from a theologically reformed perspective, while still respecting authorial intent (ex: CS Lewis writes as an Arminian. When this is made explicit in his a few of his tales, the authors respectfully point out where disagreement may be had.)

The first third of this book (the best part) focuses on discernment (Biblical grounds for fiction literature, why magic can absolutely be tastefully included in children’s lit, how Christian families can minister to/engage with the public library system, etc.).

The second part of the book pivots to lit analysis of popular Christian children’s lit (Narnia, LOTR, Mistmantle, Wingfeather, etc.). The themes they trace out are thoroughly examined book by book, with loads of scripture proof texts to accompany. However, this section reads more like a “Kids in Mind” guide, includes many spoilers, and was admittedly harder to read through or enjoy.

The last part of the book offers parents encouragement (as reading time with children isn’t always peaceful, uninterrupted, or sweetly savored). Despite the hiccups of daily life- God inevitably does so much more through stories than we can imagine and He will always grant overflowing grace within our imperfect reading lives.

Therefore, we are free to take up and read together as families- in anticipation of the Best Story.

[Carol]

I hesitated when picking this book to read. On the one hand, I love reading books to children and encouraging them to read, but the audience for this book has different religious beliefs than I do. I will tell you what I liked about this book and also why it was not for me.

First, what I liked. The cover and title are enticing, and it is well-bound; it has a great index and it is well-researched. I am sure that the group of readers that it is aimed at will love it. I agree with the authors that reading out loud to your children and later, when they are beginning readers, reading with them is one of the best gifts that you can give your children.

One of the undertones of this book that offended me was an underlying theme of exclusion instead of inclusion of people unlike you. My personal religious belief is that God is love.

A lot of the books explored were in the fantasy genre, which I was not familiar with as a child. I did read some of the classics referred to in this book, but I remember reading a more expansive group of genres. What about non-fiction, biography, and my favorite memoir, The Diary of Anne Frank?

What about reading about different cultures? And does every children's book need to be examined for its religious message? What about a book about friendship?

[Amb]

5 standing ovation stars!

This book is truly a treasure. Even if you aren't looking to follow their exact recommendations, the chapters before those listed are solely worth picking up this book. What a beautiful handling of truth with such grace and gusto!

I appreciated these ladies' perspectives & practical wisdom and how every Christian family ought to take up and read with the Gospel in mind. I was so encouraged and emboldened to try and read new titles that had originally intimidated me as an inexperienced reader. But their chapters with thorough explanation of why classics shouldn't be avoided (they encourage following your conscience most of all) & their origins really convicted me and made me want to read even more. I am looking forward to adding new titles to our library of read-alouds & am so very thankful for this helpful read. Over and over their emphasis on reading in light of the greatest Story and Ending for every Christian really inspired me to want to read better for my children.

I really cannot commend it enough!

Thank you, NetGalley, Kathryn Butler, & Korrie Johnson for allowing me the privilege to read an A-R-C. My review is solely my own and was not solicited in any way.

[Ashley]

I LOVED this book! I believe there are a few like it and if you've read those, you may not get as much out of this book as I did. But my kids are just now old enough that I can get them to sit through read-alouds, so I was looking for some more book suggestions and help in bringing the gospel into the conversations.

This book was a great compilation of tips for family reading, how to address complex issues like magic and sin, and book recommendations for all ages. My favorite section was the middle, where the authors gave overviews of some classic book series like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, giving individual book synopsis and pointing out gospel themes (with page numbers and corresponding Bible verses).

What I liked most about this book was that it felt very attainable. I read the book fairly quickly, picking up lots of tips and book recommendations, but I didn't feel overwhelmed or intimidated. I know there are entire books out there discussing the gospel themes in books like Lord of the Rings, but I know I'll never read them.

But just 4 pages about the Hobbit, giving me a handful of gospel themes and symbolism to point out to my kids? This I can do!!

[ET]

Special thanks to Crossway, the author and NetGalley for this arc.

This book is an excellent tool for parents who desire to disciple their children in the LORD and dive deeper into children's books. The authors do a great job of sharing practical tips for busy families. The book opens with the authors discussing how to use this book, sharing the ways they disciple their kids through reading books and other practical tips. One of my biggest takeaways is how much children can grasp if we just allow them the opportunity! The authors give a synopsis of each book, Gospel themes + corresponding scripture and notes about sensitive topics that might appear in the book. Just a few of the included reviews include the Narnia series, Wingfeather Saga and other regarded classics. Additional reading recommendations and resources are included at the end.

I would recommend this book to parents (especially homeschooling ones!) who want to spend more time with their children and are trying to instill a love of reading in them. I'm not a parent, but this book left me excited to (hopefully) live in that season one day, and encouraged that read-alouds can serve as a Gospel tool.

[Katie - Mud Pies with Sprinkles]

If you are hesitant to wade into fantastical stories with your children, this book is for you!
__________
If any of the featured books are on your TBR READ AlOUD list, this book is for you.
__________
If your babies are still in diapers and you are praying for discernment in the literature you bring into your home for your precious children, this book is for you.
_________

Remember the best of stories point to the BIGGEST story, stirring up hope and guiding us to truth. Kathryn and Korrie give you tools and guidance on discerning the stories that lead your children to "gazing heavenward."

I love Korrie's reminder to give our children scripture first. "No fiction can replace God's inspired word."

Fellow like-minded mamas, this book is a reference book that I will return to especially when we read aloud the featured books. I love the book synopsis followed with gospel themes, words of truth, and discernment notes. There is also a treasure trove of recommended read alouds tucked in the back of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5.0 out of 5 stars!

____________
I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The above are my thoughts and opinions.

[Kelly]

A book about books :). Written from the perspective of a children's author and a book reviewer, this resource is one I had always hoped would be released. Spurgeon said, "Visit many good books, but live in the Bible." This resource emphasizes both. They point to the importance of the Bible being the first book to share with your children and then they go on to share the importance of providing other solid resources that will continually point back to Christ and His redemptive work. The authors then review books that they recommend by giving a breakdown of the target audience, an overview of the book, and what Gospel themes and words of truth are woven throughout it. They also bring to light any sensitive content that may require a parents discernment such as violence, romance, derogatory terms, etc. I appreciated that they did not exclusively recommend only Christian authors but also point you towards classic literature. Overall this book is a fantastic resource for new parents, homeschooling parents, as well as the more seasoned parents who are navigating the abundant resources that are out there.

**Gifted from NetGalley

[Meagan | The Chapter House]

I really appreciated this read. It's well written and gave me plenty to think about even in my own reading life, not just that of the kids in my life! Parents, aunts/uncles, grands, and anyone else with kids in their lives will, I think, appreciate this book.

It read somewhat like Sarah Clarkson's excellent book Book Girl: A Journey Through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life, just, of course, with kids in mind. The overviews of many books/series, and a spotlight on series in progress, were particularly helpful (though I'll admit I didn't always agree with the "words of discernment"). Still, everyone is different, and I think the material there is helpful to be aware of, whether you agree with the authors or not.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Zorina Shepard]

What an incredible resource! The booklists alone are worth getting this book.
I also especially appreciated the book guides for series like Narnia and the Lord of the Rings and many others.These guides help parents pick out the gospel themes presented in the books and point out words of truth. Each book, they give a little synopsis and there are notes of discretion at the end. There is a very helpful section on magic in books which I really appreciated and the perspective on magic was presented very graciously–reminding parents not to go against their conscience. There was also a lot of helpful advice on creating a read aloud rhythm.
I also really appreciate their emphasis on Scripture first. This book is one I will be coming back to as a resource as I read literature with my own children and point them to the Gospel. This book is a helpful guide with so many resources throughout to help parents on their literature journey with their children.

Highly recommend!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest thoughts.

[Ross Treadway]

I saw an advertisement for this book, and immediately bought and read it. It is a pretty unique book, with the purpose of helping parents not only to develop the habit of reading aloud to their kids, but to do so as a means of discipleship.

The book consists of two parts. In the first half, the authors discuss various topics related to reading aloud…why it’s important, addressing the topic of magic, choosing good literature, whether there’s a place for reading abridgments, and so forth. They also talk about family worship, and reading the Bible to your kids as the most important read-aloud time. This first part I think is especially helpful for those who are newer to reading aloud. However, even for me (who has been blessed with a long heritage of family read-aloud time), there were many nuggets of helpful advice and insight, as well as encouragements for how to be yet more intentional and make the most out of that time.

Throughout the book there is a definite emphasis on the value of fantasy, and there is a chapter dedicated to the subject of magic, which will probably be helpful for some.

The second half of the book works more like a source-book for parents to return to. The authors walk through each book in several fantasy series and talk about various redemptive aspects in each one. These are pretty detailed, and would definitely help jump-start conversations with your kids about what you’re reading together. In addition to this, there are several chapters with different kinds of book lists and recommended reading, which I appreciate.

Throughout, this book is biblical and Christ-centered, something we have come to express from Crossway. I would gladly recommend this to all parents!

[Kate Conder]

Thank you to NetGalley and Crossway for giving me the opportunity to read the digital ARC for this book.

As a Christian mom who homeschooled her kids, this book would have been a fantastic tool!

I love that this book evaluates the importance of reading, providing clear examples of Biblical truth and practical lessons that can be found in works of fiction.

I appreciated that the authors offered guidance for Christian parents seeking to navigate the complex process of selecting books that are a good fit for their families, without blanket rejections of whole genres of books.

This book was clear and easy to read, with practical examples and a well thought out process. The authors drew on their extensive experience and knowledge, and included some great book recommendations.

I would definitely recommend this book for any parent who is navigating the wide, wonderful, sometimes confusing, world of books.

*All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.