7 Benefits of Christian Young Adult Books

Christian young adult literature can have a great positive influence on teens, say experts. Christian teen fiction is coming into its own these days as sales rise for both digital and traditional books, and as publishers look for the next best-selling series, reports Publishers Weekly. 

The Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series—now modern Christian YA classics—have sold more than two million copies between them, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl books have sold more than 600,000 copies since 2008, Slate.com reports.

Richard Paul Evans, author of novels for adults such as "The Christmas Box," has found big success in the YA market with his Michael Vey series. "Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25" reached number one on the "New York Times" best-seller list (teen fiction), Publishers Weekly states.

 

Most Christian publishers have guidelines regarding the use of language, taboo words, and certain plot situations, and some have in-house theologians that vet content to make sure it adheres to Biblical principles, Slate.com reports.

 

I think it’s great to see children enjoying literature with spiritual themes and to see publishers expanding this genre. This literature can help teens to understand religious beliefs and the world in which they live.

Young-adult oriented stories can more easily hold a teen's attention, and that's perfect if your goal is to help kids learn values and concepts that might be difficult to understand.

Christian young adult novels generally have clean language and are not preachy like many people think. Christian values are presented through themes, plots, and characters to which teens can relate. This way young readers don't feel like they're in school. Instead it gives them a wonderful opportunity to understand and get familiar with religion and religious values.

Through Christian YA novels teens can learn:

* Family values, particularly with a religious slant

* Morality as described in the Bible

* How to accept and offer forgiveness, which is crucial for maturing teens

* The importance of friendship, cooperation, and loyalty

* The merits of acceptance, kindness, and charity

* The importance of having faith and a spiritual life

* Hope, which is a necessary virtue in a world filled with seemingly insurmountable obstacles

It is important to build a spiritual foundation in teenagers and to instill and reinforce moral and social values. Through engaging, entertaining books that emphasize Christian themes, teens can more easily learn values and understand faith, which will help them to go through their lives as richer, stronger, wiser adults.

 

And I cannot stress enough the value of daily Bible reading. There we find the greatest story of all, to which all other stories pale in comparison: a miraculous birth, pity, scorn, hatred, deception, betrayal, torture, and murder, all for the sake of true love. But it doesn't end there. There's much more. If you haven't read it, here's a spoiler for you...it can have a very happy ending.