Arrested. Tortured. Martyred. Burned at the stake. I read an article the other day discussing how so many people gave up their lives fighting for our right to have the Bible in our own language. It also discussed how the latest studies show that only a small percentage of Americans actually read the Bible. We don’t know how to discern truth from lies because we’re not reading and studying the truth for ourselves. We just trust that whatever our pastor is saying or whatever nice “Christian” thought we see on facebook must be true. It’s not because we don’t have a Bible available to us. It’s because we choose to not read it. So this post comes with a challenge: don’t let those martyrs’ sacrifices be in vain. Open up your Bible and read God’s Word for yourself – as many days a week as you can!
Some might question giving a journaling Bible to children, but children take their Bibles to Sunday School, mid-week programs, camp, and some even have Bible studies or study time in their homes. They can write notes on the lessons they are learning. I have sent through plenty of messages for children that include things children could write down in their Bibles. I personally think that while study Bibles are great, turning your own Bible into a study Bible is even better! I have notes in my Bible from the time I was a child! (They were copied from a previous Bible and this Bible has been rebound after falling apart, but they are still notes from childhood and teen years.) If I had children, I would strongly, strongly consider giving them a journaling Bible – and teaching them how to use it!
The Wonders
of Creation – Holy Bible
This Bible,
NIrV, 2014 is a Bible meant to appeal to boys or girls with a chalkboard
drawing style cover. It includes over 300 devotions. The advantage of these
devotions is that they really push the kids to be reading their Bibles. Each
devotion begins with a passage the kids are supposed to read. Then there’s the
short devotion. It concludes with a suggested other reference to look up to further
the lesson. That’s the weekday devotions. The Saturday and Sunday devotions are
combined into one, but still have separate reading assignments for each day.
They also include an activity to do. Each devotion even has a little box to
check to say you’ve read the devotion.
Should you
mark up a book? We get told from the time we are young to not draw or write in
a book! Treat books with respect! Especially library books! Then we reach
college and learn that it’s an advantage to buy a used textbook that someone
else has highlighted – it saves you the trouble of trying to find the main
points or the answers to a test question! But Bibles? Aren’t they sacred? Don’t
they need to be sat on an altar on display or something? Actually, there’s a
great quote that says “A Bible that is falling apart is the sign of a life that
is not.” And Bibles have started to take a direction to specifically encourage
us to mark in them! Some of the latest Bibles for children and teens are no
exception to the rule. Like all good business companies, the publishing
companies of Bibles know how to follow trends. The latest Bibles sent to me for
review are examples of the benefit of following trends though!
The Plans I Have For You Holy Bible
This Bible is another NIV, 2011 children's Bible. It is targeted at elementary aged children - from kids old enough to read to about 6th or 7th grade.
This Bible contains various insert pages written by the author of The Plans I Have For You (Amy Parker). These show how God had big plans for the characters in the Bible and then apply it to kids' lives today - how God has big plans for them. For example: one of the "God's Big Plans" inserts focuses on how God had a plan for Esther and then at the end it says "Take some time to consider where God has placed you and why. Perhaps you have been chosen for such a time as this." Another example, a bit different, is for Psalm 37:4. It it entirely application focused since the verse isn't a story of a character. It discusses how learning more about God brings you true joy and how His desires become your desires.
The other insert found in this Bible is "Promise Prayers" - a verse and then a prayer written out for children to pray. For example, there is one for Proverbs 24:14, thanking God for wisdom and guidance and asking God to help "be loyal to the study of Your Word."
There are also 100 key verses highlighted in light blue.
The biggest criticism of this Bible is that there are no book introductions. It is clearly meant to be focused on application, not study. It doesn't explain or help children understand any of the context or culture.
The Investigator's Holy Bible
This Bible is an NIV, 2011 children's Bible. It is almost like a study Bible for kids. It is jam packed full of special features that help kids understand the Bible times, people, and places. Each book of the Bible is introduced with who wrote it, when it was written, what happens in it and a "best part" in the opinion of the fictional characters who are explaining all of it. There are "Breakthrough" sections where it explains answers to questions kids might have about the text such as "What is a genealogy" or "What does it mean when Jesus says 'Show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices'?" Another interesting element is "The Witness" sections where it explains the meaning of names and helps children understand a tiny bit about who characters were. "The Scene" sections tell about places mentioned in the Bible such as Mount Zion or Thessalonica or Sheba. It explains even what some of those places are called today. The final element added to this Bible is the "Case Closed" section where, at the end of every book of the Bible, they give a brief summary and an application challenge. It also includes 7 maps at the end of the Bible and a concordance with 2,474 word entries.
Overall, this seems to be a very good Bible to give children. It explains a lot of things, making sense out of parts that can be confusing to children. The only common children's Bible element I see missing from it is the highlighted memory verses. If this were my preferred translation, I would purchase a number of copies to be the giveaway Bibles for my Awana clubbers and campers.
The Holy Bible – Journal Edition – For Girls
This Bible is another NIV, 2011 children's Bible. It is targeted at elementary aged children - from kids old enough to read to about 6th or 7th grade.
This Bible contains various insert pages written by the author of The Plans I Have For You (Amy Parker). These show how God had big plans for the characters in the Bible and then apply it to kids' lives today - how God has big plans for them. For example: one of the "God's Big Plans" inserts focuses on how God had a plan for Esther and then at the end it says "Take some time to consider where God has placed you and why. Perhaps you have been chosen for such a time as this." Another example, a bit different, is for Psalm 37:4. It it entirely application focused since the verse isn't a story of a character. It discusses how learning more about God brings you true joy and how His desires become your desires.
The other insert found in this Bible is "Promise Prayers" - a verse and then a prayer written out for children to pray. For example, there is one for Proverbs 24:14, thanking God for wisdom and guidance and asking God to help "be loyal to the study of Your Word."
There are also 100 key verses highlighted in light blue.
The biggest criticism of this Bible is that there are no book introductions. It is clearly meant to be focused on application, not study. It doesn't explain or help children understand any of the context or culture.
The Investigator's Holy Bible
This Bible is an NIV, 2011 children's Bible. It is almost like a study Bible for kids. It is jam packed full of special features that help kids understand the Bible times, people, and places. Each book of the Bible is introduced with who wrote it, when it was written, what happens in it and a "best part" in the opinion of the fictional characters who are explaining all of it. There are "Breakthrough" sections where it explains answers to questions kids might have about the text such as "What is a genealogy" or "What does it mean when Jesus says 'Show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices'?" Another interesting element is "The Witness" sections where it explains the meaning of names and helps children understand a tiny bit about who characters were. "The Scene" sections tell about places mentioned in the Bible such as Mount Zion or Thessalonica or Sheba. It explains even what some of those places are called today. The final element added to this Bible is the "Case Closed" section where, at the end of every book of the Bible, they give a brief summary and an application challenge. It also includes 7 maps at the end of the Bible and a concordance with 2,474 word entries.
Overall, this seems to be a very good Bible to give children. It explains a lot of things, making sense out of parts that can be confusing to children. The only common children's Bible element I see missing from it is the highlighted memory verses. If this were my preferred translation, I would purchase a number of copies to be the giveaway Bibles for my Awana clubbers and campers.
The Holy Bible – Journal Edition – For Girls
This Bible,
NIV 2011, has no extra devotions of special features. What makes it so special
isn’t the pretty cover with a design that will appeal to girls of all ages or
the pretty pink elastic bookmark to help shut it. What makes it special is that
on every single page, there are a couple inches of extra margin on the side of
it with faint gray lines you can write notes on.
Some might question giving a journaling Bible to children, but children take their Bibles to Sunday School, mid-week programs, camp, and some even have Bible studies or study time in their homes. They can write notes on the lessons they are learning. I have sent through plenty of messages for children that include things children could write down in their Bibles. I personally think that while study Bibles are great, turning your own Bible into a study Bible is even better! I have notes in my Bible from the time I was a child! (They were copied from a previous Bible and this Bible has been rebound after falling apart, but they are still notes from childhood and teen years.) If I had children, I would strongly, strongly consider giving them a journaling Bible – and teaching them how to use it!
Published by Zonderkidz, 2016
The Wonders
of Creation – Holy Bible
This Bible,
NIV 2011 also lacks the special features or devotions. What makes it so unique
is that it has followed one of the biggest trends of 2016 – adult coloring
pages. Of course, you wouldn’t call the coloring pages in a children’s Bible “Adult”
coloring pages, but they are that same style – lots of small elements to color
in. There are about 50 coloring pages themed around a verse contained in the
Bible.
Kids’
Devotional Bible
This Bible,
NIrV, 2014 is a Bible meant to appeal to boys or girls with a chalkboard
drawing style cover. It includes over 300 devotions. The advantage of these
devotions is that they really push the kids to be reading their Bibles. Each
devotion begins with a passage the kids are supposed to read. Then there’s the
short devotion. It concludes with a suggested other reference to look up to further
the lesson. That’s the weekday devotions. The Saturday and Sunday devotions are
combined into one, but still have separate reading assignments for each day.
They also include an activity to do. Each devotion even has a little box to
check to say you’ve read the devotion.
Published by Zonderkidz, 2016
One of the most popular conversation topics between young boys this year is minecraft. The video game that allows you to build and interact sucks hours of time away from boys. So Zondervan has released a Bible themed around that favorite subject. It actually does not contain much for special features. The cover is minecraft themed and there are 22 pages inside that contain a minecraft assignment. It highlights a Bible story and then tells readers to go build something specific on minecraft in response to it. Beyond that though, it's just a plain Bible. There are no special features in the text or at the beginning/end.NKJV Color Code Bible
When I am studying something or trying to memorize something, I color code my notes or memory verses to help me remember them. So I was really excited when I saw this Bible up for review and I was not disappointed! It uses 7 colors to identify themes in the Bible - Spiritual growth/living your faith, prayer/praise, Heaven, God, Jesus, Sin/evil, Cleansed of sin/New life. So as you read through the Bible, certain verses have a colored background behind them to help you recognize it fits into the theme. That alone makes this Bible a great resource, but it goes beyond that. There are a bunch of pages of introduction at the beginning explaining the following: What Is The Bible? Who Wrote The Bible? Why Should You Read The Bible? What The Color Code Is, Why Did God Send Us The Bible? About The New King James Version. Daily Bible Reading Plans (4 options) and an index of all the highlighted verses. Then at the end there is a journal section for a family tree, listing favorite verses, songs, etc, prayer requests, and 1 page for notes. It includes 4 maps as well.
The Adventure Bible
has been around for years. It’s probably the most popular Bible for children.
In the past few years though, they’ve taken that further and released a number
of companion items. This one is a little board book (and therefore “safe”) for
toddlers. It contains (with creative titles) the stories of Creation, Noah’s
Ark, Moses, David & Goliath, Daniel and the Lion’s Den, Jonah, Jesus’
birth, Jesus’ baptism, Jesus’ ministry, Jesus’ ascension. It ends on a creative
note, focusing on how “the adventure” isn’t done yet – noting Jesus’ second
coming. Unfortunately and surprisingly, it leaves out the most important story:
Jesus’ death and resurrection. NIV, Adventure Bible, Hardcover, Full Color –
I personally grew up with the
Adventure Bible. It is the NIV translation. You can still purchase on amazon
some of the 1984 translation Bibles, but if you want to buy in the bookstores,
you will need to go with the 2010/11 translation. The unique features to this
Bible are: maps in the back, Jesus words in red letters, inserts on things such
as children in the Bible, kings of Israel & Judah, the ten commandments for
kids, etc. It also has “words to remember” within the text – little sections
highlighting particular verses for kids to memorize. It has “Life In The Bible
Times” sections where it explains some custom or cultural aspect of the text.
It has “Let’s Live It” – sections where it provides an application challenge,
often an actual activity children can do. NIV, Faithgirlz Bible, Hardcover –
It’s kind of hard to go wrong with
a Bible that has it’s special features 
written by your most favorite author.
Nancy Rue is the designer of all of the little sections in the Faithgirlz
Bible. The features of this Bible are: “Dream Girl” – a section that helps you
imagine yourself in t he setting, “Bring It On” – application focused quizzes,
“Oh I Get It” – interesting facts and explanations to confusing things, “Book
Introductions” which includes a hint of application along with a summary of
what the book is about, “Is There A Little ______ In You” – this takes a
character of the Bible and challenges you to learn the lesson they did/didn’t,
“Between You And Me”, a place to journal about your life, “Between God and Me”
– a place to journal about your walk with God, writing out prayers to Him. The
whole thing is beautifully done to attract young girls. It’s part of the whole
faithgirlz brand which creatures materials for girls about 10-14 to help them
grow spiritually. NIV, Big Dreams, Big Prayers Bible for Kids, Hardcover –
This is a
brand new Bible. It could target either gender, but I think 
especially boys
would be drawn to the black, green, red and blue colors. It seems to be geared
at about middle elementary-Jr. High, maybe ages 8-15. It’s not “kiddish” enough
that a teenager would feel a need to get a new Bible though. The highlights of
this Bible are the devotions focused around prayers and prayer journaling
pages. It also has some insert pages with things such as “how to use the Bible”
or “books of the Bible”. It puts a light blue box around verses it recommends
for memorization or meditation. It has an introduction to each book with the
facts such as who wrote it, when it was written, etc. It is also in the NIV
2010/11 translation.NIrV, Faith Builders Bible, Hardcover
–
Ok, this is a winner. You know
your boys are going to flip through this and be proud to own it because it has
lego pictures in it. It doesn’t even feature that 
much. It could have been even
more lego themed, but the mere fact that the front cover has legos on it will
make boys want it. It’s geared at younger kids – it is the NIrV translation –
the New International Readers Version, from 2014. It’s not a literal
translation, but a simplifying of the NIV – which is a literal translation. The
special features are inserts with very short simple devotions but half of the
page it a picture of the featured Bible Story – a picture shown by lego mini
figures. Instead of calling their memory verses, memory verses, they use the
term “Build Block Verse”. It is careful to not use the word lego anywhere as
“lego” is a copyrighted term. Instead it just calls them “building blocks” but
to the kids, it’s just legos.NIV, Bible for Teen Girls, Imitation Leather, Blue: Growing in Faith, Hope, and Love
– Well, the name kind of reveals most of what you need to know – the translation, the target gender and the target age. It’s actually designed in such a way that teens would
be embarrassed to use it as an adult. The cover is
just pretty, not too “current pop culture”. The book introductions include the
basic facts and then a few paragraphs summarizing and showing how it fits in
with the rest of the Bible. There are inserts with devotions from a number of
different authors, some of whom are well-known names. There is a very thorough
index in the back – I wish my Bible had as big of one as this! It also includes
inserts on “Character Profiles of Women of the Bible”.Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Thank you to the publishers for sending me a free review copy of 4 of
these in exchange for my honest opinion! I can’t wait to find some kids this
summer who need a Bible of their own and give one to them!
