There’s a trend in our culture to give girls real life heroes through literature. I love that trend, but I want to encourage you to focus on pointing your girls to women who lived their lives for Jesus. There are some wonderful Christian books for girls that showcase the lives of women God used to the glory of his kingdom.
We want our girls first and foremost to know the women of Scripture. After that, we have 2,000 years of history to choose real life heroes from!
Note: A ‘hero story’ in literature focuses on a person with some redemptive qualities who struggles for good. Not all ‘heroes’ are good all of the time! In fact, none are–all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We know, though, that God chooses to work in those who are weak to his glory–that way we know HE is the great one, not the ‘hero’!
Teaching about real life heroes from Christian history is a wonderful way to expand your daughter’s perspective, and to give her a deeper understanding of the way that godly character changes a woman’s life. She will be able to see a vibrant relationship with Jesus affect the lives of people in history.
I love the Christian history series available today. My boys and I have read so many books about both men and women together. I’m going to highlight some of my favorite!
Do you have boys? You’ll also want to check out Christian Books for Boys: Real Life Heroes.
Christian Books for Younger Girls
Catherine MacKenzie has a wonderful Little Lights Christian history series on real life heroes of the faith that we used with our children when the were young. These little picture books have simple text on one page and a sentence for them to try reading on the next. The stories focus on how God used imperfect children (who became women) to his glory. Ms. MacKenzie has steadily expanded the series and you can now read to your young children about a number of real life heroes.
The Lightkeepers set from Irene Howat was also a popular read in our home. Each book tells the stories of ten girls who served the Lord. They are perfect for bedtime reading! The books include:
- Ten Girls Who Made a Difference
- Ten Girls Who Used Their Talents
- Ten Girls Who Changed the World
- Ten Girls Who Made History
- Ten Girls Who Didn’t Give In
From Shirley Raye Redmond, Courageous World Changers: 50 True Stories of Daring Women of God is a lovely volume with one Christian figure per spread. Your child will have a one-page illustration to see while you can read aloud a short biography of a man who glorified God.
Lottie Moon: What do you need? (Little Lights)
Gladys Aylward: Are you going to stop? (Little Lights)Amy Carmichael: Can brown eyes be made blue? (Little Lights)Corrie Ten Boom: Are all of the watches safe? (Little Lights)Mary Slessor: What is it like? (Little Lights)Helen Roseveare: What’s in the parcel? (Little Lights)Lightkeepers Girls Box Set: Ten GirlsCourageous World Changers: 50 True Stories of Daring Women of God
Christian Books for Older Girls
Girls from the ages of 7-12 can benefit from reading historical fiction, fictionalized biographies, and narrative biographies which introduce them to meet real life heroes of the faith.
My Who What Why series of Christian biographies and history are a lot of fun for kids! Help them see the who, what, and why of God’s hand of providence in history.
Catherine Mackenzie’s Christian Heroines Just Like You is a fabulous volume of short stories about 26 women who loved God.
Our favorite fictionalized biographies are the Trail Blazers novels from Christian Focus Publications. The books closely follow the stories of the main character, but with fictionalized dialogue. We used the Trail Blazers line as family read alouds with our children from the ages of 7 and 8, and by upper elementary and through middle school, I was assigning them as individual reading for school. I appreciate the fact that Christian Focus has worked to include the lives of heroic women in their line of books, and that their collection of engaging stories grows every few months!
The books below will give you plenty of great options for Christian books for your girls about real life heroes.
Why did the Reformation Happen? (Who What Why)Who Were the Abolitionists? (Who, What, Why)What Was the Underground Railroad? (Who, What, Why)Why Did Slavery End? (Who, What, Why)Christian Heroines: Just Like You (Biography)Betty Greene: Courage has Wings (Trailblazers)Elisabeth Elliot: Do the Next Thing (Trail Blazers)Gladys Aylward: No Mountain Too High (Trail Blazers)Helen Roseveare: On His Majesty’s Service (Trailblazers)Amy Carmichael: Rescuer By Night (Trail Blazers)Corrie Ten Boom: Watchmakers Daughter (Trailblazers)Lilias Trotter: Daring in the Desert (Trailblazers)Mary Slessor: Servant to the Slave (Trailblazers)Isobel Kuhn: Lights in Lisuland (Trailblazers)Joni Eareckson Tada: Swimming Against The Tide (Trailblazers)Patricia St John: The Story Behind the Stories (Trailblazers)Lottie Moon: Changing China for Christ (Trail Blazers)Hannah More: The Woman Who Wouldn’t Stop Writing (Trail Blazers)Frances Ridley Havergal: The Girl Who Loved Mountains (Trail Blazers)Fanny Crosby: The Blind Girl’s Song (Trail Blazers)Mary of Orange: At the Mercy of the KingsElizabeth Prentiss: More Love (Trailblazers)Francis & Edith Schaeffer: Taking on the World (Trailblazers)Maud Kells: Fearless in the Forest (Trail Blazers)Elaine Townsend: At Home Around the World (Trail Blazers)John and Betty Stam: To Die is Gain (Trail Blazers)
Learn more about the Who What Why series and get your FREE Abolition Lapbooks here.
Bible Resources for Your Kids
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Christian Biographies for Kids | Christian History for Kids | Theology for Kids
Christian History Matters for Our Kids.
History matters. Now, more than ever, we see how important it is for our children to know and understand history and the Bible.
Here’s why:
- God is the sovereign ruler of all things. It’s important for our kids to see his hand in the history of nations and in the lives of both peasants and kings.
- Christian history is the story of our family history. Our kids get to see how people who love Jesus follow him.
- Understanding history can help our kids learn historic and biblical theology. They learn what the Bible says and what that means for us. They also see when the study of Scripture has taken important turns that have changed the Church.
- Reading Christian biographies and history can be a wonderful way for kids to think outside their own time and culture. God’s Church spans centuries and includes people from every nation.
- Christian biographies help kids consider their own faith, walk with Jesus, and the impact their witness may one day have on others–and on history.
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My oldest loves reading biographies and introducing her to people of great faith at a young age would be wonderful!
These all look fabulous!!
My daughter loves history!
We love hero books, thank you for your giveaway!
These look like true heroes!
This would be a great gift for operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, a donation to Children’s Hospital, a local Hospital, or Nursing Home… possibilities are endless!!!
I can’t wait read more abouth these books. They look really good!
These look like wonderful books! I’m not familiar with several of the men and women and would love be to learn about the heroes along with my kids!
I’m new to this site. Very excited to get some of these for my daughter!
What a generous giveaway. Thank You.
Marion
This is my first time to the site, but I’m very interested in learning more. Our little girl loves to read and I look forward to having christian literature for her to read.
Thanks for offering this giveaway. My daughter has been going through books like crazy…want to get her good ones in her hands.
Would love these for my three readers!
Thank you for offering this giveaway! My daughters love to read and I would love to read about these amazing real life, Christian heroes together!
These books look great for my 8 children!
As a Homeschooling Mama who is an avid reader, these books look like they would be a fantastic addition to our growing collection! I have two girls and a boy, and I am constantly searching for ways to teach character, discipline and real-life “hero-ship”!!
My kids love true stories!
So excited to read these with my kids!
Thank you for the giveaway. It would be a great set of books to win for my daughter!
Wow these books look great – my 3 book worms would love them 😊
My daughter remembers history and morals better when wrapped in a story. The fact these stories illuminate people worthy of being her hero is an added bonus!
I can’t wait to start these books with my girls. Thank you for the recommendation!
These books look wonderful and I love introducing my daughter to real people who followed Jesus.
My children love to read and I love when they can read about people of faith who did what was right no mater the cost
My eight year old loves reading biographies of missionaries and Jesus’ followers. We are going through YWAM Publishing right now, but these will be wonderful for independent reading for her and read aloud for my younger daughter.
These look great! I love that they offer different age ranges! And lots of girl titles!
I really like that these are good quality stories of real people who kids can look to as heroes and not someone who is just famous that’s not a good hero.
Being able to show my kids the real-life people – imperfect, but still heroic in their actions – is so helpful in showing them what may be possible for their futures! Sometimes it’s easier to relate to more recent figures than those in the Bible, too, though obviously the Bible is our first go-to for heroes!
My kids Love reading so this would be great to win!
Thanks for having this giveaway! It’s always exciting to read about how God has worked in the lives of men and women throughout history.
We love books! We love learning through them. I think these real life stories would captivate my kiddos and would be a great addition to our homeschool.
These books will be a great way to encourage my children’s faith—true stories of God’s faithfulness are so powerful.
I love that we are able to find books that help point our girls toward women who lived their lives for Jesus. Thank you for offering this giveaway!
Wonderful reading suggestions!
When Lightning Struck looks great! (It’d be really nice to win it…! 😉
So many rich stories of sacrificing saints!
These books look great.
Would love to win these books! Thanks for the opportunity! 🙂
Thanks for the giveaway and all the great information you share with us.
Looks like some captivating reading for any child’s imagination!
Travel, geography, history, adventure and service for Chist – What a great combination!
Thanks for pulling all these great resources together into one spot!
What a wonderful giveaway! My son read the boy book. So excited to introduce my daughter. And this list has other books I am putting on my wishlist ❤️