When I was 13, my sister started going to a Christian youth club with a friend. And, as little sisters often do, I tagged along. We began hanging out with a group of young people who went to church. One day I decided to go with them—mainly because I didn’t have a lift home. But when I walked into that little church on the South Coast of England, I just knew I had come home. That’s when my walk with God began.

And I still devoured books. Biographies especially—God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew, and many others. They were food to me in those early years.

After finishing school, I did a gap year with the Belgian Evangelical Mission, serving with a team of young people.

Then I came back to England to finish my education, met and married my first husband, and had three children.

Fast forward a bit: when my children grew out of picture books, I struggled to find fun, exciting stories for them from a Christian worldview.

I kept wondering—where are the stories that include faith? At the same time, I noticed some of the books they brought home from school had content that was, frankly, shocking. Vampires and witchcraft were very popular then.

Like me, my children loved to read—but I couldn’t find anything suitable.

I later discovered that there had been plenty of excellent Christian books for young people. But when Sunday school stopped being a cultural norm, the bottom fell out of the market. Publishers couldn’t afford to keep producing those books. But children still need books. The children in church, and even more so those who don’t go.

Then, when I was 40, tragedy struck. My husband suddenly died of meningitis. Some of you will know the depth of grief that comes with losing someone close. It changes you. It makes you realize how short and uncertain life really is. And in that season, I felt God nudging me: if He had put this burden on my heart, perhaps I ought to do something about it myself.

It was, honestly, the most ridiculous, crazy thing I had ever thought of. But I decided to push some doors and see what would happen. And so Dernier Publishing was born.

I began with two books I had written: The Treasure Hunt (for ages 8–11) and London’s Gone (for ages 10–14). I had tried to find a publisher first—oh me of little faith!—but at that time nobody was publishing Christian youth fiction. So, with some trepidation, I put them out myself. And then something happened that confirmed everything.

When The Treasure Hunt came out, the very first review I received was from a girl named Emily. She emailed me to say: “This is the best book I’ve ever read.”

I didn’t know her. I didn’t know where she was from. But I knew in that moment that this was the Holy Spirit at work. God’s Word is alive and active, and here was proof—it was reaching her in a way no ordinary secular book could.

And I thought, “Right then—I’d better get going!”

Our call to write for future generations

They say that 75% of believers take their first steps of faith in their youth.

I was 13. Praise the Lord for those who weren’t—it’s wonderful to hear of older people too. But it’s incredible to see how God is moving in young people and how much they need our help.

So why are we concerned? Because Jesus will build His church—the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Amen? But we can’t just quote scripture. We have to do something.

As writers and publishers, our job is clear: to provide excellent, relevant, fun material that encourages children in their walk with God, strengthens their faith, and reaches those who have never heard about Jesus. Not just picture books for the very young, but literature for older children too—food for their souls in their own language.

In Luke 12:42–43, Jesus says, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager…? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.”

But what if we only fed the under-fives and the adults? Anyone who has raised 8–16 year olds knows how much they eat—they’re growing fast. And in the same way, they need spiritual food too.

Our young people are searching for answers

Around the age of eight, children begin to consider faith for themselves. Before then, they usually believe their parents or teachers without question. But as they grow, they start to weigh things up. Each child has to decide whether to follow Jesus. We can’t make that decision for them—only the Lord saves—but we can point them to Him.

Giving a child a Christian book is like bringing them to Jesus.

Remember how parents brought their children to Him for blessing, and He rebuked the disciples for turning them away? He said, “Let the children come to me.” But to do that, we need books to give them.

The world offers plenty of sugary, shallow material. What about real food? What about bread that feeds their souls and spirits? Our children worry about the planet, wars, and violence they see on the news. Many may reject “religion,” but they are seeking truth. They want answers.

In the UK, Bible reading and sales have surged—up about 61% in the last five years, much of it among young people. That’s wonderful news. But alongside the Bible, let’s also give them other books that can feed their souls.

Of course, nothing replaces the Bible—God’s Word is God’s Word. And by the age of 10 or 11, most children are ready to read it for themselves, provided it’s in a version they can understand. The Bible is everything—God’s message to us.

What do our kids need?

So what exactly do our kids need? Let’s get practical.

• Fiction—we all love stories.
• Non-fiction—some children prefer facts: science, creation, biblical astronomy, and more.
• Bible stories and teaching—relevant to their age and the challenges they’re facing.
• Cartoons and comics.
• Biographies—not only missionaries (though those are inspiring), but also sports figures and people making an impact today—role models they can look up to.
• How-to books—Christian living guides: how to pray, navigate high school, be a good friend, and build strong family values.
• Devotionals—daily thoughts, prayers, and encouragement.
• Sunday school materials.
• Motivational and inspirational books—like the ones those girls were holding.
• Poems and prayers.
• Jokes! Kids love them. My 11-year-old grandson can’t get enough. Quick one for you: Who was the most knowledgeable man in the Bible? Abraham—because he knew a lot.

You see, the enemy has stolen much of our kids’ joy. Many are growing up in darker places than we ever did. So let’s give them fun, laughter, and light along with spiritual truth.

So do kids just need books?

Well, no. Books are vital—paperbacks, hardbacks, picture books, and comics—but that’s not the whole picture.

• Audiobooks and eBooks—perfect for kids who love screens or come from cultures where reading print isn’t as common.
• Magazines—one of our writers’ group members in Haiti runs a wonderful children’s magazine. She’s doing a fantastic job.
• Comics, podcasts, and blogs—great for older children and teens.
• Videos—everything from 50-second clips to full-length films or cartoons.
• Tracks and leaflets.
• Social media—especially for those over 13.
• Songs, poems, and prayers.
• Colouring books and activity sheets—downloadable resources for families, homeschoolers, church schools, or Sunday schools.

There are so many ways to reach children—not just one or two, but a whole variety.

And this isn’t something for just a few of us to do. This is Kingdom work. We all need to play a part in making these resources available.

Accessible as well as available

And one thing I think is really important to mention is to make things as accessible as possible.

We do chapter books, story books, and all our books are dyslexia friendly.

We try to make them attractive, but really simply laid out because that helps the most children.

Somebody asked how to get children to read now that they don’t read as much as they used to.

The answer is to make it really easy: don’t make the words tiny or the text difficult.

Keep it simple, have a hook at the end of every chapter, short chapters, and of course an exciting story.

Stories are the best way to share truth

Stories are absolutely the best way to share truth. Jesus was the greatest storyteller ever. You can tell so much truth in a story. Think of the vastness of the movie industry. Fiction—go into a bookshop and you’ll see shelves and shelves of wonderful stories.

And of course, the Bible itself is a story. It starts with God walking with people in Eden, then through a massive story arc where evil enters the world, conflicts rage, and finally evil is defeated and God walks once again with his people in paradise.

Within that great story are many stories, and we all have our own story within it. Some are true, like Joseph and his brothers. Others, like the Good Samaritan, are parables—fiction made up with a purpose that allows you to think and lets the Holy Spirit teach you through it.

Here are a few ideas we learn from the story of Joseph:

• Don’t favor one child over another. It won’t go well.
• Don’t tell everyone your dreams, and how special you are. That won’t go well, either.
• Holding on to your integrity is a good thing, even if it gets you in trouble.
• Tough times can go on for many years.
• Bad can get a lot worse before it gets better.
• People can change.
• Forgiveness is a good thing.
• God has everything in hand.

We are hardwired to remember stories to the point psychologists call them “psychologically privileged” in the human mind. It’s really quite incredible that this is the way the Lord has created us.

There have been studies done where when a story is being told, the brainwaves of the listeners begin to follow the same pattern as the person who’s reading or telling the story as they’re working on the story together.

It’s how we process the world—by telling stories. And stories are powerful. The Holy Spirit can move powerfully in and through stories.

The power of stories for children

In some countries, Christian books for children are banned.

Maybe that’s true for you, even as you’re watching this—you may have to keep them under the radar. Some of you may live where writing or publishing stories for children outside the church could get you into serious trouble.

Why? Because governments know how powerful these stories can be. Otherwise, why bother banning them?

Those of us who live in free countries—do we think like that? Do we make the most of the freedom we have?

I’ve already mentioned that giving a book to a child is like taking a child to Jesus. Of course, we can also pray for them. But how wonderful it is to share a book together, allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to them—and to us—so we can learn together.

So what about you? What material would you love to place in the hands of children—your own kids, grown kids, Sunday school children, or those in your community—if it were available?

And what could you do to help? Maybe it’s time to start thinking about it.

I have a dream: What if we filled the world with excellent, relevant, fun content that points to Jesus—content in the heart language of every child, presented in the ways that speak best to them?

Do you know what? If we work together, we can do it.

If you’re a writer—could you write for young people? Or perhaps you could sponsor a writer to attend training.

Maybe you could create films, cartoons, or videos for young people.

Could you write books or stories? Could you mentor a new writer?

If you’re a publisher, could you consider launching a new line for children ages 8–11, or for teens 12 and up—or expand what you already have?

Yes, books for children may not bring in as much revenue as adult books—simply because there are fewer children than adults. But what if you approached it as ministry rather than business?

And even if you can’t do any of these things, you can still make a huge difference: buy books, read them to kids, start a book club, write reviews, promote what’s already available.

And especially—buy books. That helps publishers, makes the products financially viable, and keeps the work going.