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A Visit to the Bookstore

Blogger: Rachel Kent

I’m beyond excited that my nephew asked for books for his birthday! He turned 14 on Sunday. I looked and looked for books that I thought were just right for him and then decided I couldn’t be the one to make this decision. He’s at that in-between age where he likes adult books and teen books and I don’t know what he’s already read.

So my solution: I told him I would take him for a trip to the bookstore and he can pick out his own books! I remember LOVING trips to the bookstore and I am not sure he goes very often in this digital age. I took him more when he was a tiny guy and we haven’t been to the bookstore together in a long time. We are also going out to breakfast. It is going to be an awesome trip.

It is unfortunate that teen books are getting increasingly dark these days. While I was looking at books I found it hard to find something that I would want him to be reading. I understand that the world is a tough place–but do our teens really need to be forced into exploring these dark places with what they are reading? I am glad that we will be able to page through the books at the book store to look for foul language and questionable content. This is one of the many reasons why bookstores are invaluable. We no longer have a Christian bookstore in our area. Picking a book at a Christian store comes with a sense of safety. You know what won’t be in the book and anything that is dark in the book is handled with thought and care. When I was a teenager we would shop at the Family Christian Store for books all the time!

I have always enjoyed representing Christian YA fiction but it is becoming increasingly hard to sell, unfortunately. I do still try to find homes for new YA-genre authors because I passionately want more books for teens like my nephew and (eventually) my own kids.

Do you have any fiction suggestions for Christian teens? I’d love to hear what you or your teens have enjoyed!

Here are some books I recommend Christian teens check out:

The Story Peddler by Lindsay Franklin

Betrayal of the Band by Sarah Tipton

Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

The Word Changers by Ashlee Willis

 

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  1. I used to love trips to the bookstore, too, until illness made it impossible. An weekend afternoon at Barnes and Noble was something to be treasured.

    Books for teens? This dates me, but Andre Norton’s Sci-Fi still offers a lot of good, solid reads.

    And speaking of booksore trips, there’s something I earnestly pray everyone reading this gets to experience.

    Keep writing guys. It’s worth it…

    Sometimes I long to call for aid
    beneath this fading sky;
    so many were the plans I’ve made,
    and it’s hard to watch them die.
    Still and all I can’t complain
    ere my heart be stilled,
    for in both detail and the main
    I saw a dream fulfilled.
    At B&N I saw my books
    on the Local Authors shelf
    between a weighty tome for cooks
    and the story of an elf.
    No matter how the end may run,
    I;ve had a moment in the sun.

    Reply

    • He likes Sci-Fi so I will tell him to check out Andre Norton! 🙂 And I love the poem! Thank you.

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  2. I appreciate this. It made me think of a difficult struggle that happened when my daughter was a teen. She read a library book with content in direct contradiction with spiritual truth. The author’s memoir sited scripture that made the argument more palatable and convincing.. As a result, daughter was quite confused and she believed the author more than me (it seemed). I like the idea of participating in the process with your nephew. Thank you.

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    • Thank you!
      And your experience with your daughter is a common one. It is such a tough world out there these days, and everyone wants to make the truth fit what they think it should be. We all just have to keep turning to the Bible.

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  3. The JourneyForth division of BJU Press has some good books for teens. I haven’t bought anything from them in a while, but bought several when my nieces and nephews were that age.

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  4. Rachel – May I suggest my own novels?.. My humorous historical fiction, Mrs. Odboddy books weren’t written as YA books, but are read and enjoyed by teens. No explicit sex, violence or profanity. They takes place during WWII on the home front and incorporate life during an era before television, internet, etc. including rationing, and also several little known top secret events during WWII. A humorous cozy mystery/adventure with an elderly self-appointed sleuth who exposes conspiracies and Nazi spies. Mrs. Odboddy Hometown Patriot, Mrs. Odboddy Undercover Courier, and Mrs. Odboddy And Then There was a Tiger., Available at Amazon in ebook or paperback. There’s my commercial for the day!

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  5. How wonderful that you get to spend that time with your nephew, and how fabulous that he loves reading!

    My son and I both loved K E Ganshert’s The Gifting series.

    My other son and I recently read Launch, by Jason Joyner, and we both really enjoyed that one.

    It’s disappointing that Christian YA is such a hard sell. It’s such a great genre, especially when written with a Christian worldview.

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    • Reading with your kids–a great way to handle it, Jeanne. Back when my youngest son was in middle school, he suggested I read some of the books assigned in his classes. We could discuss issues raised by the books without me getting all preachy and him getting all rebellious. Overall, it was one of my better parenting moments.

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  6. Rachel,
    Please, give your nephew at least one book by Ralph Moody, The Fields of Home, and if possible another one–Man of the Family. these are the Little Britches series, all true, and excellent beyond words. I actually feel the first one, and flagship of the series, Little Britches, is the one least interesting, but if your nephew liked the others, he should of course read it, as well as all the others Mr. Moody wrote. What a wonderful gift–a trip to the bookstore! Have a great time.

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  8. I agree about the unfortunate increase in darkness in YA fiction, and I’m so glad to hear others are in agreement that today’s teens need alternatives. My sixteen-year-old enjoys the Ranger’s Apprentice series and the Brotherband Chronicles, both by John Flanagan. Also, Robert Liparulo has enjoyable YA books.

    I’m curious,!why is Christian YA fiction becoming harder to sell? Is it because of the growing tolerance for darkness previously mentioned?

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  9. As far as Christian YA–Fawkes by Nadine Brandes, Tainted and Awakened by Morgan Busse, The Crescent Stone by Matt Mikalatos, The Button Girl by Sally Apokedak. Secular but amazing and clean I recommend The Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter, Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson, and the How to Train Your Dragon books by Cressida Cowell. There are a lot of amazing books out there for teens! I love reading with my sons!

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  10. It is hard to find teen books that handle realistic topics with a faith basis. So many of them have a good story, but offer no hope or real answers. That is why it is my hearts’ desire to break into YA fiction. I have two manuscripts that I worked through with a professional fiction writer, and she made me rewrite and rewrite until the stories were ready. Still, I can’t find a home for them because no one seems to be looking for YA.

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  11. Great post, Rachel! I so appreciated all you wrote; I share your concern for what is available to teen todays, and I applaud the Christian YA authors. While this first recommendation is technically for younger readers, the first book of the Arcade series is receiving rave reviews from even adults who enjoyed it. Jill Osborne partnered in the writing of it with NFL star Rashad Jennings, and I wanted to let you know about it: https://amzn.to/2XtQiZt

    From my years of running school libraries, a few authors come to mind who were favorites of students: Lloyd Alexander, Chronicles of Prydain fantasy series (I haven’t read myself, but do read the rave reviews); Ben Mickaelsen (He writes both middle and YA fiction); as does award-winning author Gary D. Schmidt; Gary Paulsen (Hatchet is his classic); Wilson Rawls (Like many, I loved Where the Red Fern Grows, but Summer of the Monkeys made me laugh out loud–such a great book. I read both as an adult).

    After I wrote all of this, I reread your post and saw that your nephew also enjoys adult books, so these may or may not be a good fit. Enjoy your time together–he’s blessed to have you as his aunt!

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  12. What a treasure you are, Rachel! Have a few suggestions that cover a wide range of ground.

    Recently our family enjoyed C. J. Milbrandt’s The Galleries of Stone trilogy, beginning with Meadowsweet. I reviewed them on my blog. Here’s a snippet: “Milbrandt weaves a marvelously creative, whimsical world where mountains have moods and some people can discern those moods … Where mountains have keepers to protect their hearts. And stone statues can be woken. This is a tale brimming with love, loyalty, and delight ~ where every person and thing is valuable.”

    We also loved Confessions of an Imaginary Friend, Michelle Cuevas. These are all extremely creative and, though marketed for 12 year olds, even the adults in our family were entranced.

    Also our teen-age son was captivated by Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness. These changed the way some of us saw prayer. Enjoy your book store sojourn!

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  13. Rachel, YA is so challenging to find at bookstores. I tried so hard to shelter my girls in their reading. I remember being so afraid of Hunger Games, etc. But I finally caved and the girls loved the books and movies. They loved Harry Potter series. My daughter enjoyed Ronie Kendig’s Discarded Heroes series, and she said that with the action involved, boys might enjoy it, too.

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