What to read to children about Orthodoxy and which books about faith to choose

What to read to preschoolers

Childhood is not only a period of learning about the world, but also a time of character formation and soul development. It is important for parents not to miss this important point.

Children's literature is the foundation on which a child will build his spiritual life; it is one of the first steps along which a child will rise to Christ.

Stories and Orthodox fairy tales for children tell readers about the faith itself and its great followers; they contain the meaning of good and evil, good attitude towards family and friends. That is why respectable parents often ask for such books in bookstores.

Bible for children

• Children's Bibles are often found on the shelves of church stores . Colorful illustrations and a simple language of presentation of information that is understandable to a modern child allows you to understand the essence of good and evil, choose the right guidelines in life, learn about your forefathers and what is said in the Old and New Testaments. Your child may not be able to finish the entire book at once, so it is recommended that you return to it periodically. Biblical parables form a special spiritual framework, which the child will subsequently enrich with his life experience. Without knowledge of the Bible, we cannot understand how to resist vice.
• Probably every child has been to church at least once. And if a child grows up in a believing family, then he should know the saints depicted on the icons. It was for such families that priest S. Begiyan wrote the book “Lives of Saints for Kids . In it, he talks about the earthly path of ordinary people and explains why they became saints and look at us from icons with severity and love, so that it seems as if they know everything about us.
• Orthodox teacher B. Ganago published a book with many answers to children's questions, “For Children About the Soul.” Short stories and educational stories make children think and reflect, charge them with positivity and teach kindness and tolerance. Young readers learn to contemplate the beauty of the world, cultivate self-sacrifice, kindness, generosity and loyalty. All of B. Ganago’s works are imbued with the idea of ​​the need to rely on the Almighty for support in any life situations.
• The children's prayer book published by the Novo-Tikhvin Convent is not just a collection of prayers. Each of its sections is preceded by an article telling about faith, the Sacraments of the Church, and the correct attitude towards prayer and its creation. A special place is given to the Jesus Prayer, which helps every person grow in piety.
• “The Earthly Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Children” as presented by V. Nikolaev. A large colorful book tells about the life on earth of the Virgin Mary and Her Son Jesus Christ. Good stories will be of great benefit to little Christians and will help them choose life priorities and a worthy path in life.
• The book “Biblical Traditions” was invented by K. Chukovsky specifically for preschool children. It describes eternal truths over which time has no power. The book includes legends about the creation of the world, about Adam and Eve, about Noah and his ark, about the global flood, about the Tower of Babel, and the prophets. This publication will be interesting to read in a warm family circle.
• The book “The Summer of the Lord” by I. Shmelev written in 1923. The writer talks about the life of the country at the end of the 19th century. The depth of the world, its traditions, holidays, trips to holy places is shown to children through the eyes of a merchant’s son. He sees all situations from different sides, feels good and evil, understands the need for repentance and life changes. The reader, unnoticed by himself, becomes a participant in the events taking place.

  
  “Summer of the Lord” by I. Shmelev

  Read also:  Psalm 20 “Lord, in Your strength the king will rejoice”
• The work of C. Lewis “The Chronicles of Narnia” was created at the beginning of the twentieth century. The publication consists of seven books, the writing style is fantasy. The reader discovers a magical land, into which several ordinary guys from England find themselves. Here the animals understand human language, talk and make friends with people. There is a lot of magic in the country, good fights evil, friendship and compassion are tested by difficult trials. At the end of the book, the author tells children about the sacrificial love of the Creator of the World, about His Resurrection. Lewis reveals to readers many Christian truths, thereby filling children's hearts with drops of faith in God.
• “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is a novel in the form of a fairy tale-parable by a writer-pilot from France. The Little Prince is a hero from a distant planet, who the author supposedly met in the Sahara. The boy tells the writer that his homeland is a small asteroid that needs to be put in order every day, because his favorite beautiful rose grows there. Although the main character, before meeting the author, traveled to many planets and met a whole string of human passions, his fragile childish soul, despite everything, remained pure. The book teaches readers to love and see the depth of real feelings hidden behind external, sometimes negative qualities.

On Christian parenting:

• How to explain to a child what death is
• How to raise and instill in a child the love of God
• Orthodox cartoons for children

Orthodox children's books

Literature for teenagers

The modern world is full of vices and temptations that destroy the psyche of children and contribute to personality degradation. That is why the interests of a child, especially a teenager, must be directed in the right direction.

His parents and good, correct books can help him with this.

• It is especially useful for children to read during adolescence God's Law and the New Testament, because it is at the age of 10-16 that fragile minds touch upon philosophical questions of existence. Christian parables and legends can broaden a child’s horizons. And familiarity with books telling about the history of the Church contributes to a more attentive attitude to church services.

  
  God's law

• The work of monk Alexy of the “Spark of God” cycle contains biographies of saints, martyrs, miracle workers, and ascetics of Orthodoxy. Every life story is an example of purity of soul and spirit. The book contains ancient photographs, reproductions of icons and paintings.
• Y. Voznesenskaya’s work “Lancelot’s Pilgrimage” describes the near future: the consequences of an environmental disaster and the unification of European countries under the rule of a president who calls himself the “messiah.” Readers travel to Jerusalem with an alien named Lance, who longs for healing from a newly minted “savior.” The events that took place make travelers think about love, faith and goodness.
• A. Limonov’s book “The Praskovya Girl” describes a chance meeting between the modern Moscow boy Zhorka and the God-fearing provincial girl Praskovya. The guys find themselves in the dense taiga, many scary but exciting adventures await them. A common goal unites the teenagers, as a result of which the smug and proud Zhorka comes to faith and repentance.
• “Spark of God. For the courageous and brave." Each chapter of the book tells about people who loved their Motherland and devotedly served the Fatherland. Among them are great commanders, noble princes, discoverers, generals, heroes. Strength of spirit and trust in God helped them fight the enemy. The work is supplemented with bright illustrations.

Conversations with children on Orthodox topics:

• Conversations with children about St. Nicholas
• Conversations with children about the Orthodox cross
• What to do if your child doesn’t want to go to church