Tag: devotionals (page 1 of 1)

A Giant List of Christmas Favorites

I love gathering information into neat little piles. It sometimes surprises people to learn that as arty and right-brained as I am, I enjoy spreadsheets and lists and charts, but it’s true: I make sense of ideas by sorting and labeling them.

I have reached the point with this blog now where I have reviewed so many Christmas books over the years that I find they need their own pile. Today’s post is my attempt to do that: here, for the first time ever, is a complete list of all the Christmas books I’ve reviewed since starting this blog in 2013 (plus a few extras I haven’t reviewed yet!).

A Giant List of Favorite Christmas Books | Little Book, Big Story

I hope this heap of book titles helps you find some new favorites. And, as always, if I’ve missed any of your favorites, please add them in the comments below!

Merry Christmas to you all, and happy Advent reading.


Advent Devotionals for Families

4 Family Devotionals for Advent | Little Book, Big Story

The Advent Jesse Tree, by Dean Lambert Smith
Prepare Him Room, by Marty Machowski
A Jesus Christmas, by Barbara Reoach
The Littlest Watchman Advent Devotional and Calendar, by Alison Mitchell
Christmas Carols for a Kid’s Heart, by Bobbie Wolgemuth & Joni Earekson Tada


Nativity Stories

A Very Noisy Christmas, by Tim Thornborough | Little Book, Big Story

The Christmas Promise, by Alison Mitchell
The Stable Where Jesus Was Born, by Rhonda Growler Greene
Song of the Stars, by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Who is Coming to Our House?, by Joseph Slate
The Friendly Beasts, by Tomie dePaola
Little One, We Knew You’d Come, by Sally Lloyd-Jones
The Littlest Watchman, by Scott James
Mary’s First Christmas, by Walter Wangerin, Jr.
A Very Noisy Christmas, by Tim Thornborough


Other Christmas Stories

An Early American Christmas, by Tomie dePaola
One Wintry Night, by Ruth Bell Graham
Good King Wenceslas, by John M. Neale
Great Joy, by Kate DiCamillo
Saint Nicholas, by Julie Stiegemeyer
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, by Susan Wojcieowski
The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry
Shooting at the Stars, by John Hendrix


Christmas Chapter Books

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever | Little Book, Big Story

The Twenty-Four Days Before Christmas, by Madeleine L’Engle
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson
Christmas With Anne, by L. M. Montgomery

More Great Resources for Family Devotions

Two years have passed since my last post on family devotionals, and in that time I’ve learned that there’s more to Orion than his belt, and that hot sauce is actually, in moderation, most of the time, pretty good. I have also learned that we’re not great at following through with real devotionals, but there are so many good ones out there that I keep finding them and trying them and reviewing them for you. I have reviewed so many since that last post that it’s time for another compilation, one that features two of our favorites—two that we have successfully read from cover-to-cover and, in one case, even read a second time.

6 More Resources for Family Devotions | Little Book, Big Story

This list features books that span a wide range of ages and that will appeal to different families at different times. Some are rooted in Scripture, some around a catechism, and some are systematic theologies for kids. But they all strive to communicate the gospel clearly and beautifully to families, and they all offer excellent jumping-off points for discussion, either in the form of questions or in content that begs for further conversation.


The Ology, by Marty Machowski

A systematic theology for children? Yes, please! Introducing The Ology, by Marty Machowski | Little Book, Big Story

I’ll begin with one of our favorites. Marty Machowski’s The Ology is a systematic theology for kids that covers everything from the nature of God to the calling of the church to the end times, and he does it in a way that our four-year-old will sit through and our older girls engage with and love. The Ology is even structured so that can be used with still older readers, middle- and high-school readers, with additional questions and study ideas, as well as verses in each reading to research. We’re almost done reading this one for a second time, and it’s still excellent. (Read the full review.)


Everything a Child Should Know About God, by Kenneth N. Taylor

Everything a Child Should Know About God, by Kenneth N. Taylor (Review) | Little Book, Big Story

This book is also a systematic theology, but it’s written for young readers. (At four, Phoebe adores it.) The readings are short and simple (but not overly simplified), and they end with questions that tie the big concepts to the illustrations, so little ones have something visual to refer to while they listen. If you’ve finished The Jesus Storybook Bible with your little ones and want to know what to read next, try this! (Read the full review.)


My ABC Bible Verses from the Psalms, by Susan & Richie Hunt

My ABC Bible Verses from the Psalms, by Susan and Richie Hunt | Little Book, Big Story

These readings, drawn from the psalms, focus on the life of one family as they explore the psalms together and put what they learn into practice. I worried at first that these readings might feel too cheesy, but no! The girls loved them, and they gave momentum to some deep discussions. These readings are practical, which can be helpful for kids who hear often how they ought to behave but struggle to know what that looks like, but they’re not moralistic: grace weaves through each one, reminding us all that we are forgiven and loved even when we fail. (Read the full review.)


Wise-Up, by Marty Machowski

Wise Up, by Marty Machowski | Little Book, Big Story

These ten-minute devotions from Proverbs are—as every Marty Machowski book I’ve read is—excellent. They’re short, but give ample fodder for deeper discussion, and they bring families back each night to Scripture itself. We didn’t finish this one, but that doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the book itself. This might be a good place to start if you’re interested in his other books, Long Story Short and Old Story New. Or it might be a great thing to read if you’ve finished those and want something shorter and focused on one book of the Bible. (Read the full review.)


New City Catechism

The New City Catechism | Little Book, Big Story

Our older girls memorized parts of this at school, and we’re getting ready to start it here at home. It’s a rich catechism, written beautifully, and with so many partnering resources to help families memorize it together. The answers are two-part—one for children, one for adults—with print editions available for both children and adults. There is also a book of devotions, as well as recorded songs for the questions and answers, and an app. (If you’re just starting, you probably want either the black book or the app.) This is a resource I’m excited to explore together as we grow in our knowledge of God and help equip our kids to follow him. (Read more about why the New City Catechism was written and what the authors believe.)


Exploring the Bible, by David Murray

Exploring the Bible: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids, by David Murray (review) | Little Book, Big Story

Exploring the Bible is our current read, and we continue to love it. This is not really a devotional but a Bible reading plan for kids, with a short Scripture reading (about five verses) designated for each day, followed by a simple question.

Exploring the Bible: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids, by David Murray (review) | Little Book, Big Story

Mitch, Lydia, Sarah and I all read ours individually in the morning and then reread it together in the evening, with Phoebe. Some nights, the conversation branches off into deeper things, or we find ourselves tying some event to the reading as we interact throughout the day. Murray’s goal is to introduce kids to the whole story of Scripture through this year-long, fly-over view. And so far, our family loves it. (Read the full review.)