{"id":20877,"date":"2025-10-17T12:43:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T17:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/?page_id=20877"},"modified":"2025-10-17T13:36:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T18:36:36","slug":"christian-books-for-kids-and-teens-why-bother","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/es\/christian-books-for-kids-and-teens-why-bother\/","title":{"rendered":"Libros cristianos para ni\u00f1os y adolescentes: \u00bfpor qu\u00e9 molestarse?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"20877\" class=\"elementor elementor-20877\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8013eff e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"8013eff\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9f89543 newTitle e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9f89543\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd49d1a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cd49d1a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">From our Resource Library<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-828424b e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"828424b\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9dd3a7f e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9dd3a7f\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1206ce1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1206ce1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog-4-1024x1024.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-20880\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog-4-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog-4-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog-4-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog-4-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog-4-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog-4-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog-4.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9c5a3c2 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9c5a3c2\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-31612f7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"31612f7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>Libros cristianos para ni\u00f1os y adolescentes: \u00bfpor qu\u00e9 molestarse?<\/strong><\/h3><p><em>As writers and publishers, what can we do to help kids grow up hearing the good news of Jesus?<\/em> This is an edited transcript of Janet Wilson\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PSVBzR2HuUs&amp;list=PLP2DMn25OOPRaSC-lXC8CU1VhFWnNnvUZ&amp;index=5\">webinar<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-686bd36 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"686bd36\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-39b9fb1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"39b9fb1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Edited transcript<\/strong><\/p><h3><strong>The need for more Christian books for young people<\/strong><\/h3><p>According to the United Nations, 25% of the world\u2019s population is under 14. That\u2019s a lot of kids. If we include under 21s, it\u2019s probably about 35%\u2014a third of the world\u2019s population.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4c228d6 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4c228d6\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d2562a e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5d2562a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1e1bd41 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1e1bd41\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4><strong>Key ideas<\/strong><\/h4><ul><li>Jesus was the greatest storyteller ever, and shows us how stories are the best way to share truth.<\/li><li>While about a third of world\u2019s people are under 21, a third of Christian books produced are not for kids and teens. We need more\u2014 food for their souls in their own language.<\/li><li>As writers, publishers, and concerned Christians, we must carefully consider how to provide excellent, relevant, godly content that points young people to Jesus.<\/li><li>Many children are growing up in darker places than we ever did. So let\u2019s give them fun, laughter, and light along with spiritual truth.<\/li><li>In some countries, Christian books for children are banned. Why? Because governments know how powerful these stories can be.<ul><li>Buy Christian books for kids and teens. This helps publishers be financially viable and keeps the work going. Giving a child a Christian book is like bringing them to Jesus.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4ae4861 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4ae4861\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-29c5d2f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"29c5d2f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>But is a third of Christian literature produced for under 21s? Probably not.<\/p><p>In most Christian bookshops, you\u2019ll find beautiful picture books for the under fives, shelves of Bibles, and plenty for adults.<\/p><p>But if you look for books for 10\u201312s, 12\u201314s, or 14\u201316s, you\u2019ll likely find only a tiny section.<\/p><h3><strong>Our children are the church of today and the church of tomorrow<\/strong><\/h3><p>We should be deeply concerned, because children and teenagers are the church of today as well as tomorrow. They need encouragement as much as we do. An estimated half of children growing up in church leave\u2014a UK statistic, but one many of us have seen in our own communities. The pandemic only added to this loss.<\/p><p>Even more children worldwide are growing up never hearing that God loves them, never hearing the good news of Jesus, forgiveness, and eternal life through Him.<\/p><p>That\u2019s why this talk is titled <em>Libros cristianos para ni\u00f1os y adolescentes: \u00bfpor qu\u00e9 molestarse?<\/em> As writers, publishers, and concerned Christians, we must carefully consider how to provide excellent, relevant, godly content that points young people to Jesus.<\/p><h3><strong>My journey into publishing<\/strong><\/h3><p>So what got me onto this topic? I\u2019m the founder of Dernier Publishing. We publish Christian fiction\u2014chapter books for kids and teens.<\/p><p>I grew up in a little town on the South Coast of England with my mum, dad, brother, and sister. That\u2019s a picture of me and my sister in our school uniforms\u2014late 60s, with that lovely brown tie! We were a book-loving family. The weekly trip to the library was always exciting, bringing home bags of treasure to devour.<\/p><p>We weren\u2019t a churchgoing family, but many books in those days in England contained some Christian material. For example, I loved the <em>Little House on the Prairie<\/em> series, where faith was important to the Ingalls family. Those books gave me an idea of what it meant to be a Christian, to have faith, and that going to church was something special.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee862b8 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ee862b8\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-93383a7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"93383a7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>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\u2014mainly because I didn\u2019t 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\u2019s when my walk with God began.<\/p><p>And I still devoured books. Biographies especially\u2014<em>God\u2019s Smuggler<\/em> by Brother Andrew, and many others. They were food to me in those early years.<\/p><p>After finishing school, I did a gap year with the Belgian Evangelical Mission, serving with a team of young people.<\/p><p>Then I came back to England to finish my education, met and married my first husband, and had three children.<\/p><p>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.<\/p><p>I kept wondering\u2014where 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.<\/p><p>Like me, my children loved to read\u2014but I couldn\u2019t find anything suitable.<\/p><p>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\u2019t afford to keep producing those books. But children still need books. The children in church, and even more so those who don\u2019t go.<\/p><p>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.<\/p><p>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.<\/p><p>I began with two books I had written: <em>The Treasure Hunt<\/em> (for ages 8\u201311) and <em>London\u2019s Gone<\/em> (for ages 10\u201314). I had tried to find a publisher first\u2014oh me of little faith!\u2014but 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.<\/p><p>When <em>The Treasure Hunt<\/em> came out, the very first review I received was from a girl named Emily. She emailed me to say: \u201cThis is the best book I\u2019ve ever read.\u201d<\/p><p>I didn\u2019t know her. I didn\u2019t know where she was from. But I knew in that moment that this was the Holy Spirit at work. God\u2019s Word is alive and active, and here was proof\u2014it was reaching her in a way no ordinary secular book could.<\/p><p>And I thought, \u201cRight then\u2014I\u2019d better get going!\u201d<\/p><h3><strong>Our call to write for future generations<\/strong><\/h3><p>They say that 75% of believers take their first steps of faith in their youth.<\/p><p>I was 13. Praise the Lord for those who weren\u2019t\u2014it\u2019s wonderful to hear of older people too. But it\u2019s incredible to see how God is moving in young people and how much they need our help.<\/p><p>So why are we concerned? Because Jesus will build His church\u2014the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Amen? But we can\u2019t just quote scripture. We have to do something.<\/p><p>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\u2014food for their souls in their own language.<\/p><p>In Luke 12:42\u201343, Jesus says, <em>\u201cWho then is the faithful and wise manager\u2026? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.\u201d<\/em><\/p><p>But what if we only fed the under-fives and the adults? Anyone who has raised 8\u201316 year olds knows how much they eat\u2014they\u2019re growing fast. And in the same way, they need spiritual food too.<\/p><h3><strong>Our young people are searching for answers<\/strong><\/h3><p>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\u2019t make that decision for them\u2014only the Lord saves\u2014but we can point them to Him.<\/p><p>Giving a child a Christian book is like bringing them to Jesus.<\/p><p>Remember how parents brought their children to Him for blessing, and He rebuked the disciples for turning them away? He said, <em>\u201cLet the children come to me.\u201d<\/em> But to do that, we need books to give them.<\/p><p>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 \u201creligion,\u201d but they are seeking truth. They want answers.<\/p><p>In the UK, Bible reading and sales have surged\u2014up about 61% in the last five years, much of it among young people. That\u2019s wonderful news. But alongside the Bible, let\u2019s also give them other books that can feed their souls.<\/p><p>Of course, nothing replaces the Bible\u2014God\u2019s Word is God\u2019s Word. And by the age of 10 or 11, most children are ready to read it for themselves, provided it\u2019s in a version they can understand. The Bible is everything\u2014God\u2019s message to us.<\/p><h3><strong>What do our kids need?<\/strong><\/h3><p>So what exactly do our kids need? Let\u2019s get practical.<\/p><ul><li><strong>Fiction<\/strong>\u2014we all love stories.<\/li><li><strong>Non-fiction<\/strong>\u2014some children prefer facts: science, creation, biblical astronomy, and more.<\/li><li><strong>Bible stories and teaching<\/strong>\u2014relevant to their age and the challenges they\u2019re facing.<\/li><li><strong>Cartoons and comics.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Biographies<\/strong>\u2014not only missionaries (though those are inspiring), but also sports figures and people making an impact today\u2014role models they can look up to.<\/li><li><strong>How-to books<\/strong>\u2014Christian living guides: how to pray, navigate high school, be a good friend, and build strong family values.<\/li><li><strong>Devotionals<\/strong>\u2014daily thoughts, prayers, and encouragement.<\/li><li><strong>Sunday school materials.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Motivational and inspirational books<\/strong>\u2014like the ones those girls were holding.<\/li><li><strong>Poems and prayers.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Jokes!<\/strong> Kids love them. My 11-year-old grandson can\u2019t get enough. Quick one for you: <em>Who was the most knowledgeable man in the Bible? Abraham\u2014because he knew a lot.<\/em><\/li><\/ul><p>You see, the enemy has stolen much of our kids\u2019 joy. Many are growing up in darker places than we ever did. So let\u2019s give them fun, laughter, and light along with spiritual truth.<\/p><p>So do kids just need books?<\/p><p>Well, no. Books are vital\u2014paperbacks, hardbacks, picture books, and comics\u2014but that\u2019s not the whole picture.<\/p><ul><li><strong>Audiobooks and eBooks<\/strong>\u2014perfect for kids who love screens or come from cultures where reading print isn\u2019t as common.<\/li><li><strong>Magazines<\/strong>\u2014one of our writers\u2019 group members in Haiti runs a wonderful children\u2019s magazine. She\u2019s doing a fantastic job.<\/li><li><strong>Comics, podcasts, and blogs<\/strong>\u2014great for older children and teens.<\/li><li><strong>Videos<\/strong>\u2014everything from 50-second clips to full-length films or cartoons.<\/li><li><strong>Tracks and leaflets.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Social media<\/strong>\u2014especially for those over 13.<\/li><li><strong>Songs, poems, and prayers.<\/strong><\/li><li><strong>Colouring books and activity sheets<\/strong>\u2014downloadable resources for families, homeschoolers, church schools, or Sunday schools.<\/li><\/ul><p>There are so many ways to reach children\u2014not just one or two, but a whole variety.<\/p><p>And this isn\u2019t 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.<\/p><h3><strong>Accessible as well as available<\/strong><\/h3><p>And one thing I think is really important to mention is to make things as accessible as possible.<\/p><p>We do chapter books, story books, and all our books are dyslexia friendly.<\/p><p>We try to make them attractive, but really simply laid out because that helps the most children.<\/p><p>Somebody asked how to get children to read now that they don\u2019t read as much as they used to.<\/p><p>The answer is to make it really easy: don\u2019t make the words tiny or the text difficult.<\/p><p>Keep it simple, have a hook at the end of every chapter, short chapters, and of course an exciting story.<\/p><h3><strong>Stories are the best way to share truth<\/strong><\/h3><p>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\u2014go into a bookshop and you\u2019ll see shelves and shelves of wonderful stories.<\/p><p>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.<\/p><p>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\u2014fiction made up with a purpose that allows you to think and lets the Holy Spirit teach you through it.<\/p><p>Here are a few ideas we learn from the story of Joseph:<\/p><ul><li>Don\u2019t favor one child over another. It won\u2019t go well.<\/li><li>Don\u2019t tell everyone your dreams, and how special you are. That won\u2019t go well, either.<\/li><li>Holding on to your integrity is a good thing, even if it gets you in trouble.<\/li><li>Tough times can go on for many years.<\/li><li>Bad can get a lot worse before it gets better.<\/li><li>People can change.<\/li><li>Forgiveness is a good thing.<\/li><li>God has everything in hand.<\/li><\/ul><p>We are hardwired to remember stories to the point psychologists call them \u201cpsychologically privileged\u201d in the human mind. It&#8217;s really quite incredible that this is the way the Lord has created us.<\/p><p>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&#8217;s reading or telling the story as they&#8217;re working on the story together.<\/p><p>It\u2019s how we process the world\u2014by telling stories. And stories are powerful. The Holy Spirit can move powerfully in and through stories.<\/p><h3><strong>The power of stories for children<\/strong><\/h3><p>In some countries, Christian books for children are banned.<\/p><p>Maybe that\u2019s true for you, even as you\u2019re watching this\u2014you 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.<\/p><p>Why? Because governments know how powerful these stories can be. Otherwise, why bother banning them?<\/p><p>Those of us who live in free countries\u2014do we think like that? Do we make the most of the freedom we have?<\/p><p>I\u2019ve 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\u2014and to us\u2014so we can learn together.<\/p><p>So what about you? What material would you love to place in the hands of children\u2014your own kids, grown kids, Sunday school children, or those in your community\u2014if it were available?<\/p><p>And what could <em>you<\/em> do to help? Maybe it\u2019s time to start thinking about it.<\/p><p>I have a dream: What if we filled the world with excellent, relevant, fun content that points to Jesus\u2014content in the heart language of every child, presented in the ways that speak best to them?<\/p><p>Do you know what? If we work together, we can do it.<\/p><p>If you\u2019re a writer\u2014could you write for young people? Or perhaps you could sponsor a writer to attend training.<\/p><p>Maybe you could create films, cartoons, or videos for young people.<\/p><p>Could you write books or stories? Could you mentor a new writer?<\/p><p>If you\u2019re a publisher, could you consider launching a new line for children ages 8\u201311, or for teens 12 and up\u2014or expand what you already have?<\/p><p>Yes, books for children may not bring in as much revenue as adult books\u2014simply because there are fewer children than adults. But what if you approached it as ministry rather than business?<\/p><p>And even if you can\u2019t 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\u2019s already available.<\/p><p>And especially\u2014buy books. That helps publishers, makes the products financially viable, and keeps the work going.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-20266cc e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"20266cc\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-84cbba3 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"84cbba3\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-24c3430 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"24c3430\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-Jan-QA-5-1024x1024.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-20879\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-Jan-QA-5-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-Jan-QA-5-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-Jan-QA-5-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-Jan-QA-5-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-Jan-QA-5-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-Jan-QA-5-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2025-Jan-QA-5.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8057144 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"8057144\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40bc17c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"40bc17c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5><strong>What trends in Christian literature are currently relevant to their context now, and which may be effectively used by Christian writers in engaging them?<\/strong><\/h5><p>There is no global answer. You need to know your target readers (what they watch, read, like, and need in their specific culture). Engage with them, ask them about their favorite books, see what they watch on YouTube, and pray for inspiration.<\/p><h5><strong>How can we ensure we have a lot of Christian children&#8217;s books as trade books in stores? How do we sustain publishing, printing, and reproduction without relying heavily on external funds?<\/strong><\/h5><ul><li>Embrace external funds if available and use them to get books out.<\/li><li>Find two or three books that sell well and use part of that funding to subsidize the children&#8217;s books.<\/li><li>For older children\/paperbacks, use minimal images (or find free illustrators from local art schools who want to build a portfolio).<\/li><\/ul><h5><strong>How do you foster a general love for books for kids where the culture is oral and books are hard to get?<\/strong><\/h5><p>Embrace the oral culture. Write the stories and read them aloud (such as at a story club after church or school). Consider going straight to audio so kids can listen on their phones, utilizing the technology they already use.<\/p><h5><strong>Should Christian books for children and teens always retell Bible stories in order to spread the good news of Jesus?<\/strong><\/h5><p>Both are great. The Bible is unique and the Word of God, but stories where kids can identify with the characters (who live, speak, and dress like them) make the Christian teaching &#8220;relevant to me.&#8221; It moves the message from \u201cjust the Bible and church\u201d to something relatable.<\/p><h5><strong>What are the challenges of publishing books for young readers nowadays?<\/strong><\/h5><p>Many challenges, including finances and keeping up with what&#8217;s relevant\/new. The key is to concentrate on the goal and pray. My prayer team is vital, and the Lord has made the way for me despite starting with no experience.<\/p><h5><strong>How can we increase children and teenagers&#8217; interest in reading (given social media) and how do we sell books to them?<\/strong><\/h5><p>Reading is a link in a chain\u2014a vital step on a journey, even if the results aren&#8217;t immediately visible.<\/p><ul><li>Tap into their interests (nonfiction, fiction, dancing, world missions, etc.). If you can&#8217;t find a book on their interest, you&#8217;ll have to write it.<\/li><li>Get churches to buy books (for their own kids, community, local schools, or aid programs).<\/li><li>Suggest churches sponsor a book for a child (and pray for them).<\/li><li>Give a book\u2014this reaches the whole family, and is simple and non-threatening.<\/li><li>Write shorter books, shorter chapters\/paragraphs, have the action start immediately.<\/li><li>Make books available on audio and eBook so they can read\/listen on their phones.<\/li><\/ul><h5><strong>Which teenage age is better to focus on (11-14 or 15-18)? <\/strong><\/h5><p>Both are good; start where the need is greatest without being overwhelmed.<\/p><h5><strong>How do you see the AI revolution impacting books? Are you worried about the future or do you believe it will be a good help to writers and illustrators?<\/strong><\/h5><p>Not worried. While AI can be used for things like generating titles, an AI story will never truly &#8220;cut it&#8221; because it&#8217;s not human. People need human stories.<\/p><h5><strong>What resources are available for those who want to write books for young people in Africa?<\/strong><\/h5><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/es\/mai-africa\/\">MAI-\u00c1frica<\/a> runs face-to-face training<\/li><li>You can check out <a href=\"https:\/\/write-for-a-reason.com\/\">my website for free writing tips<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/kenyaclc.org\/?v=a2e1f137298d\">CLC Kenya in Nairobi<\/a> for resources on writing for kids<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c135b8c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"c135b8c\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c57db07 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c57db07\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>About Janet<\/strong><\/h3><p>Janet Wilson is founder of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.dernierpublishing.com\/\">Dernier Publishing<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.write-for-a-reason.com\/\">Write For A Reason<\/a>, a training resource for aspiring writers of stories for young people that includes a podcast, courses and membership group. An author as well as a publisher, Janet established Dernier to produce novels for children, teens and young adults written from a Christian perspective. She is the author of\u00a0<em>The Treasure Hunt, Mystery in the Snow, Suspicious Deliveries, Revenge of the Flying Carpet<\/em>, and\u00a0<em>Year 0033<\/em>\u00a0under the name J.M. Evans.\u00a0Dernier Publishing has a growing list of titles with several authors. Janet also serves as Chair of\u00a0MAI-Europe and runs a monthly\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mai-europe.org\/writers-community\/\">Online Writers Friendship Group<\/a>. Janet is married to Andrew and lives on the edge of London, where she \u201cgoes out and about, plotting new adventures.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-69f4357 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"69f4357\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-89f7946 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"89f7946\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><strong>Related resources and links<\/strong><\/h2><ul><li><strong><strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=l8FCNZYK9JU&amp;list=PLP2DMn25OOPRaSC-lXC8CU1VhFWnNnvUZ&amp;index=141\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jesus loves the little children (that&#8217;s why we write picture books!)<br \/><\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 a webinar with Yna S. Reyes, volunteer trainer &amp; secretary, MAI<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RMk9FHkMzC0&amp;list=PLP2DMn25OOPRaSC-lXC8CU1VhFWnNnvUZ&amp;index=46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>What are the elements of a successful children&#8217;s book?<br \/><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 a webinar with Carl Laferton, Publisher and bestselling author<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=B9gPcOs18qM&amp;list=PLP2DMn25OOPRaSC-lXC8CU1VhFWnNnvUZ&amp;index=186\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Even Dr. Suess Needed an Editor: The art of editing books for children<br \/><\/strong><\/a>\u2013 a webinar with Stephanie Rische, Senior Editor, Tyndale House of Publisher<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From our Resource Library Christian Books for Kids and Teens: Why Bother? As writers and publishers, what can we do to help kids grow up hearing the good news of Jesus? This is an edited transcript of Janet Wilson\u2019s webinar. Edited transcript The need for more Christian books for young people According to the United [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2000,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"iawp_total_views":37,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-20877","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Christian Books for Kids and Teens: Why Bother? - Media Associates International<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/maiglobal.org\/es\/christian-books-for-kids-and-teens-why-bother\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_MX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Christian Books for Kids and Teens: Why Bother? - Media Associates International\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From our Resource Library Christian Books for Kids and Teens: Why Bother? 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