10 Books Every Christian Teen Should Consider Reading

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Teenagers are in the most formative years of their lives. They are learning by leaps and bounds and soaking in information and ideas like sponges. A major medium through which they grow is books. Books can be educational, enriching, brilliant, beautiful, stimulating, mind-bending, and life-changing. Books are the tools that change minds, hearts, and, ultimately, the world. Think of how the invention of the printing press revolutionized everything. As the ever-wise Dr. Seuss wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Growing, responsible, culturally-engaged teenagers need books. As graduation season fast approaches, parents and friends are looking for gifts for the young people they know. Have you considered giving a book? It’s more long-lasting than technology, more soul-nourishing than money, and more transformative than almost anything else you could get for them. Here are 10 books that every Christian teen should consider reading.

The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness

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This book is even shorter than the last. Tim Keller’s thin volume, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, rings in at under 50 pages. But don’t let its brevity deceive you – this is a weighty and convicting treatment of humility. Of course, this is hardly an irrelevant or inappropriate subject for young people to read on. Keller is pastoral yet firm, and he holds no punches. Here’s a quote: "True gospel-humility means I stop connecting every experience, every conversation, with myself. In fact, I stop thinking about myself. The freedom of self-forgetfulness. The blessed rest only self-forgetfulness brings.” Consider buying a copy of this for the young adult you know – and then consider buying a copy for yourself.

Don’t Follow Your Heart

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Jon Bloom’s Don’t Follow Your Heart: God’s Ways Are Not Your Ways sounds initially like the worst sort of book you could give a teen. How uninspiring and unmotivating. “Don’t follow your heart” – isn’t that the opposite message of what we should teach our kids? Actually, as Jon Bloom keenly and compellingly argues, it is the message of the Bible and therefore exactly what our kids need. The 31 chapters are what he calls “31 meditations to recalibrate your heart.” Part devotional, part reflection, part theology, Bloom writes warmly and kindly yet with a deep and practical wisdom. His words would minister to any young person trying to navigate their feelings and desires in light of God’s Word.

To the Rising Generation

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This is a much older book than the previous entries on this list. To the Rising Generation is a collection of 13 sermons that the Puritan pastor and author Jonathan Edwards preached to children or young adults. They are surprisingly relevant and spiritually inspiring. While some criticize Edwards’ dry and legalistic approach, these sermons are anything but. Rich with wisdom and joy, they are the instructions of a godly older father in the faith. Teens would benefit from these sermons aimed directly at them. Here’s a quote: “There is a peculiar honor done to God when persons devote their youthful age to God. This is more to the glory of God than it is to spend all the best of life in the service of Satan, and in slavery to lust, and then to come in our old age and offer to God an old, decayed body and mind that have been almost worn out in the service of sin, so that there shall be nothing left for God but Satan’s leftovers.”

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

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For teens who want to go deeper in their faith, Donald Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life is a must-read. Donald Whitney talks about things like Bible intake, prayer, fasting, journaling, evangelism, and other disciplines that the Bible commands or implies. He offers a fresh perspective and unique insights; he’s readable, winsome, and convicting. This might be a valuable read for a teenager and a parent together, or a teenager and a pastor. It has a strong theological backbone but is immensely practical and is guaranteed to lead to fruitful conversation. There is also a study guide sold separately that goes even deeper into personal application.

The Valley of Vision

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This is another old book, dating back to the seventeenth century. The Valley of Vision is a collection of Puritan prayers, edited by Arthur Bennett. This book teaches you how to pray more biblically – a subject every Christian, teen or not, needs more counsel on. While its age suggests it might be old-fashioned or out-dated, the language is actually surprisingly modern and filled with life. The prayers in The Valley of Vision touch on areas of both theology and practice – who God is, the joy of salvation, repentance, needs, gifts, ministry, and more. They serve as templates and training for how we ought to pray. Teaching for teens on prayer is something that is seriously lacking. The Valley of Vision is your answer.

The Pilgrim’s Progress

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This famous allegory by John Bunyan is imaginative, clever, theological, yet beautifully readable. Consider picking up the version edited by C.J. Lovik and illustrated by Mike Wimmer. Christian teenagers are just starting to grapple with their own Christian walk and the perils, dangers, and joys that mark it. The Pilgrim’s Progress couldn’t be more relevant for them. Think of the topics Bunyan covers – temptation, sin, conviction, lust, vanity. This is the perfect novel for the young Christian. It’s colorful and interesting yet communicates much deeper truths. Here’s a quote: “This hill, though high, I covet to ascend; / The difficulty will not me offend. / For I perceive the way to life lies here. / Come, pluck up, heart; let's neither faint nor fear. / Better, though difficult, the right way to go, / Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.”