As always, the Bible I most highly recommend for your son or daughter is the one they are willing to read. Put aside cosmetic considerations, whatever "extras" are included between the covers, or the particular translation and discover first whether this Bible will be read by them. Whatever factors are important to them - size, readability, extra features - should be your main criteria.
For that reason, don't give a Bible as a surprise, but enlist your child in picking one out. You'll know immediately, for instance, if the Bi
ble "zines" have topics of interest to them by how much time they spend browsing one. You'll get a sense for their tolerance of small type - for many kids, that's an immediate turn-off.
Since last year's writing, our Calvary Chapel Books and Gift store has relocated to the new building - and a makeshift presence in the main hallway. As a result, the number and variety of Bibles they keep stocked is limited. But, they are able to order anything in print (allow about a week for delivery). And, they appreciate feedback from customers on what kids are reading, as that helps them know what to order and stock. Here are some of the Bibles for kids that are now on the shelves there:
This is a classic devotional Bible for kids, by Zondervan. This appears to be a new cover design, but it's the same content. The Adventure Bible has lots of charts and sidebars and other helps for kids as they read.
Another NIV choice is the Discoverer's Bible:
Not as many textual notes as the above, but what it does have going for it is that it is in large print (12 point type). Don't underestimate this for the effect it has on readability for kids. Large type can increase the speed and fluency at which kids read. It also makes the text more accessible - if a kid opens a Bible and sees small print, reading through it may seem like a daunting challenge.
The only real features are a dictionary & concordance at the end, book introductions, and some full-page, full-color pictures. (But why didn't they place the pictures adjacent to the story it depicts in the Bible?? You'll see a picture here of David and Goliath, a story decidedly not in the book of Nehemiah.)
If type size is not an issue, and easy portability is, then the pocket-sized Bibles are a good choice. The key words are "thinline" and "slimline" and each refers to the thickness of the Bible (and, consequently, the size of the type). Not many extras here - portability and cover design are the main selling points.
Another Bible targeted to girls, and with more features inside, is the FaithGirlz Bible. (Personally, I cringe when marketers intentionall
y use colloquial spellings for words in order to appear edgy to kids, but I digress.) FaithGirlz is all about helping girls discover an "Inner Beauty/Outward Faith."
At the front you'll find "The Faithgirlz Promise", which is to "Focus on my inner beauty/Remember that God loves me always/Love myself the way God made me/Look at others' gifts without jealousy/Treat other people the way I want to be treated/Love my neighbor/Forgive others when they sin against me/Love my enemies/Seek God's will in all that I do/Focus on the inner beauty of others." Good stuff.
Here's a more boy-friendly pocket Bible - although there's nothing specific in it that's directed at either boys or girls. You're getting the cool "treasure chest" motif and the ICB translation. Includes a dictionary and some maps.The FaithGirlz Bible and its devotional intent reminds me of the Bible "zines" that came out a few years ago, and are still available. These are targeted at various age groups - a link is here: BibleZines
"Magnify" is one example - aimed at older elementary kids, while Blossom hits preteen and young teenage girls.
The Bible we use in our classroom, and one of my favorites, is "The Illustrated Bible - New Testament", available from www.biblesplus.com. I like it for the wealth of diagrams and cartoons, and because it's NIrV (New International Reader's Version), a simplified version of the NIV.
And I'm still a fan of these, especially for kids who need pictures to aid comprehension. The Picture Bible does not contain the full text of the Bible, but it does depict key stories from the Old and New Testaments.The Illustrated New Testament is the full Bible text, presented in panel form (think comic strip, but the pictures are very realistic). So far, they have only done the complete New Testament and selected books of the Old Testament (some individual NT books are also sold). A full list of available titles is here.
