Nothing makes history exciting like reading about it from the point of view of someone who lived it. Biographies, historical fiction, narrative nonfiction–we love them all (and it’s one of the reasons I write about Christian history for kids!). One of my favorite writers for middle grade and teens is Douglas Bond. His work is inspiring, fast-paced, and fun to read!
Heroes and History Series | Christian Historical Fiction for Teens
Douglas Bond has written a number of historical series for young people. The Heroes & History series is one my boys enjoyed, and your kids will love having it on your bookshelves! The four-book series covers turbulent times with young heroes working to survive–and to overcome–their circumstances. The books feature faith as a strong feature of the narrative.
Books in the Heroes and History series are:
- Hostage Lands | Third Century Rome | Britain
- Hand of Vengeance | Middle Ages | Vikings
- Hammer of the Huguenots | The Reformation | France
- Battle of Seattle | 1855 | Pacific Northwest
I’ve included a brief overview of each book, with a more detailed review of Hammer of the Huguenots.
Hostage Lands
Told from the point of view of an English Latin student who discovers a third century Roman manuscript, Hostage Lands is the story of a Roman centurion serving on the frontier at Hadrian’s Wall. He is rescued by a Celt whose life was transformed through witnessing the martyrdom of Christians in the Roman Coliseum.
Your middle and high schoolers will love this story that showcases the difference between paganism and the early Church.
Hand of Vengeance
Shunned for his mixed race, framed for murder, a young man living in a broken-down Viking ship faces the harsh judgment of an Anglo-Saxon community.
This murder mystery showcases the discovery of God’s love.
Hammer of the Huguenots
(Written in 2015.)
Friends, finding books on the Huguenots for kids is hard work. (The Huguenots were the Reformed French Church originating from the writings of John Calvin in the 16th century.) There truly aren’t many resources, and I’m (ahem) kind of picky, so when I found out one of my favorite authors of Church history had penned a young adult novel just in time for us to study the Reformation this year, I could barely contain myself.
Douglas Bond’s Hammer of the Huguenots (P&R Publishing, 2015) is every bit the fabulous work I hoped it would be. Narrated from the viewpoint of a Catholic youth apprenticing for a wealthy shipbuilder, this is a story of intrigue, conflict, and–ultimately–redemption.
Hammer of the Huguenots begins around 1560, just before the attack on Chateau d’Amboise, and indirectly focuses on the revival facilitated by the preaching of Pierre Viret. The Huguenots were slaughtered by the Roman Catholic French government–men, women, and children. Unwilling to allow their loved ones to suffer such violent deaths, the men formed armies and fought for their lives. The Pope eventually issued a bull calling for all Catholics to take up arms against their Reformed neighbors. Whole cities were decimated. Douglas Bond deftly moves the plot through the First, Second, and part of the Third Wars of Religion. The Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre is mentioned in the epilogue, as it falls outside of the book’s timeline.
I was interested to see how Mr. Bond would cover such a violent and emotional topic as the indecencies which the Huguenots were subjected to. I think he did an excellent job. You’ll find phrases such as “hung, drawn, and quartered”, and he mentions the bodies of the martyred Huguenots being mutilated and hung from the city walls. However, there are no detailed descriptions of gore. Also, much of the devastation is “witnessed” through news reports and in the aftermath. There isn’t much description of combat involved (although the main character is involved in a very exciting chase with gunfire). Even so, the book maintains a tension and excitement throughout. Because of the subject matter and the level of the vocabulary (one of the things I love about Mr. Bond’s writing), this is definitely a middle or high school level novel. There is a fair amount of loss involved in the story of the Huguenots, and I expect that younger students will be more sensitive to that.
Hammer of the Huguenots is engaging, fast-paced, theologically rich novel that is a must-read for anyone studying the Reformation. It’s also a lovely stand-alone historical fiction read for young adults. Douglas Bond’s writing is artfully crafted and a joy to read.
Battle of Seattle
On the frontier of America, Native Americans and white pioneers find themselves at odds. The sparring leads to murders on both sides. A young Ranger is sent to end the bloodshed before war breaks out, and finds his beliefs challenged.
Teens will learn about the philosophy of the time–and contrast it to the teachings of Scripture.
Purchase the Heroes & History Series
Perfect for middle and high school teens, the fast-paced Heroes and History series is a great addition to your family library!
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Martin Luther and the Reformation
Teach your teens about Martin Luther and the Reformation in an exciting, new way with When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther!
As Luther’s understanding of the spiritual corruption within the Church grew, and he despaired of true salvation, Luther (now a scholar and priest) sought the Bible for answers. Following his discovery of the true gospel in Scripture, Luther began to preach spiritual freedom to his congregation, and to teach biblical (rather than philosophical) theology at the University of Wittenberg.
It was on October 31, 1517 that Martin Luther penned his Ninety-Five Theses in Latin in response to the abusive indulgence sales practices of the monk Johann Tetzel in a nearby town. Luther nailed the Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, the scholarly bulletin board of his day, and mailed a copy to the Archbishop of Mainz. Luther hoped to start a scholarly debate about the practice of selling salvation through plenary indulgences. The response he received was greater–and more dangerous–than he imagined it would be.
Luther’s story is exciting. There are death defying moments, epic spiritual battles, narrow escapes, a kidnapping, revolution, and war. As the “Father of the Reformation”, Luther is a vital figure in Church history. His sacrifice and willingness to wage battle against the spiritual, religious, and political powers of his medieval world allowed Christians throughout time to embrace the truth of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as explained by Scripture alone once again. May all glory be to God alone!
Read portions of the first eight chapters of When Lightning Struck!:
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Well said. Huguenot fiction is hard to find! Besides Bond’s work, the only other title concerning the Huguenots I can think of is one by G.A. Henty. But it is such an important piece of history. I have read many of Bond’s books (not Hammer of the Huguenots yet) and have met him once – he is an amazing writer. I can’t wait to read this book sometime.