Family Advent Resources
Christian Books for Daily Advent Reading
by Latisha Sexton
With Christmas quickly approaching you may be looking for some family Advent resources to share with your little ones. Last year, I waited until the last minute to find an Advent devotional that we could do with the kids each night. We ended up using one of John Piper’s and while it was good, it was also a bit much for my then 6, 4, and 3-year-olds.
I wanted to do things differently this year, so I posted in a couple of homeschooling Facebook groups and also did some research on my own. Today, I’m going to share with you which books that we decided to purchase.
**Note** This post does contain affiliate links. This means that if you purchase using my link, I will receive a small percentage of the purchase (but you won’t be charged extra!)
The Lightlings by R.C. Sproul
The Lightlings is a whimsical retelling of the Gospel by R.C. Sproul. In this story, your children will meet a race of tiny fairy-like creatures called, Lightlings. The book takes the children through an adventure as they watch the creation, fall, and finally the redemption of the Lightlings.
The illustrations in this book are beautifully done and the story is a wonderful way to reinforce the Gospel message for young children.
You won’t regret adding this book to your collection.
Joy to the World: Daily Advent Readings by Charles Spurgeon
We love adding children’s stories that present the Gospel or expound on certain stories in the Bible. However, we still wanted to have a book that was devoted to daily Advent readings. I searched through a lot of books on Amazon and tried to pick one that I knew would be theologically and Biblically sound, but also one that wouldn’t be too far over the kids’ heads.
Then I came across, Joy to the World: Daily Advent Readings by Charles Spurgeon.
I will admit that we have not read through it yet (afterall, we’re still in November), but from the looks of it, this is going to be a much better choice for our young children.
The daily readings are brief, only 1-2 pages. And we know that it will be Biblically sound as well.
I’m really excited to start reading this together as a family!
The Donkey Who Carried a King by R.C. Sproul
Have you seen this book by R.C. Sproul? If not, then you need to add it to your Christmas list! This sweet story is about the young donkey who carried Jesus through Jerusalem.
The Donkey Who Carried a King is a beautiful story that illustrates how Jesus was different than what the Jews were expecting Him to be. Instead of being served, He came to serve. The little donkey in the story gets a glimpse of Christ’s service while he watches him carry the cross up the hill.
*Although this story could be more of an Easter story, I think it’s important as Christians to not make Christmas ONLY about Jesus’ birth. But rather, use it as an opportunity to read and tell about the entirety of Jesus’ life-including His death on the cross and resurrection. Christmas isn’t just about His birth. It’s about the good news of the Gospel.
Jotham’s Journey by Arnold Ytreeide
This last book that I’m going to share is one that I haven’t purchased yet. Jotham’s Journey by Arnold Ytreeide is about a ten-year-old boy who is searching for his family. Along the way he runs into trouble-thieves and kidnappers-but he also meets shepherds and wise men, before finally meeting Jesus.
I may be wrong, but from reading the description, I feel it may be a little too old for my kids. Amazon has the Grade Level listed as 4th-6th grades.
I do plan on using this next year, as I’ve heard so many good things about it. If you search online, you can also find many paid and free activities and lessons to go along with this book.
Advent Books & Resources for the Entire Family to Enjoy
There were so many wonderful books and resources to choose from when I went searching for Christian Advent books. However, I didn’t want to overwhelm myself or my kiddos! I’m a bit of a book hoarder and have to refrain myself from buying “all the books”. When I started researching various family Advent books, I knew that I wanted one or two storybooks for the kids, but also one book that was for daily Advent readings and devotionals.
I believe the books that we purchased are both age appropriate and Biblically sound in presenting the Gospel to my children. I hope that you will check them out to see if these resources would be a good addition to your family library.
As always, I would love to hear from you! Drop me a line. I would love to know if you’ve read any of these books or what Advent books you have instead.
Be sure to follow me on IG @sincerely.latisha
Also, if you are looking for book reviews on Christian fiction and clean romance, then check out my weekly roundup blog!