Parents: Use Children’s Literature to Point Toward Christ

While our kids were still finishing up their dinner, my husband would often pick up our latest shared book and begin reading to us. Many nights of reading passed by uneventfully, but a few linger in our collective memory—the ones when my husband choked up, grew quiet, and couldn’t go on because he was crying. Those moments came when something powerful jumped off the page, reminding us all of God’s greater promise of redemption.

I thought of these episodes as I explored the new title from Kathryn Butler and Korrie Johnson, Stories Woven in Silver: Pointing Kids to the Gospel Through Children’s Literature. The authors approach the text as attentive mothers who have tended their own kids’ reading. But they also bring expertise: Butler is the author of the popular Dream Keeper Saga; Johnson runs Good Book Mom, which reviews and recommends children’s books for parents.

When families are equipped to enjoy the freedom and joy that come from good stories, a world opens up: one that emphasizes the goodness of God’s world, the fallenness of man, and the truth found in the pages of the Bible. Butler and Johnson set out to help families build a sense of shared enjoyment of good stories by learning “to marvel at how God’s story—greatest and most magnificent story for which we all yearn—weaves itself into the most memorable children’s narratives” (xvii).

Two Ditches

Parents run the risk of falling into two ditches when they’re evaluating kids’ books. Some parents end up pursuing “safety” above all, avoiding any non-Christian fiction. Other parents throw in the towel and allow their kids to read anything they can reach from the children’s section.

There are certainly benefits to focusing on explicitly Christian fiction and well-crafted discipleship material. When the boundaries are clear, it’s easier to avoid battles arising over popular books with themes that may be too mature for a child. Yet those who adopt this approach often miss out on the joy that comes from finding truth in surprising places because of common grace.

Forgoing any boundaries is another way to avoid conflict. Reading challenging stories can sometimes spark good conversations about cultural questions. Yet this approach underestimates the formative nature of stories and the confusion that can result from trying to wrestle with difficult topics too early. For example, kids need to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust, but a precocious second grader may have the skills to read books that depict those horrors more vividly than he’s ready to emotionally process. Parental discretion is vital for children’s well-being.

A middle way between these ditches requires establishing boundaries but also helping children to appreciate good stories. The authors, quoting Acts 17:25, show “the power of beautiful stories to direct our minds and hearts to the one who gives us life and breath and everything” (245). Because of common grace, we find in books like E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web compelling images of self-sacrifice that point beyond the pig and spider to faithfulness and loyalty.

Worldview Building

This balanced approach to reading is part of a bigger project of building a worldview. That, of course, begins by establishing a solid foundation in Scripture. The Bible is the book of books; it’s not only life-giving (Ps. 119:93) but also alive (Heb. 4:12).

But the purpose of building a worldview isn’t just to know Scripture better; it’s to learn to see the world through a biblical lens. Families who have a solid foundation in Scripture have opportunities to discuss themes that arise in the books they read, like the importance of personal character, the patterns that appear through history, and sin’s unavoidable repercussions.

The purpose of building a worldview isn’t just to know Scripture better; it’s to learn to see the world through a biblical lens.

As Butler argues, “Well-told stories are instruments for the shaping of minds and hearts” (x). Thus, we rightly feel indignation at Amy March’s burning of Jo’s manuscript in the early pages of Little Women. We see ourselves in Marmee’s confession of anger as she counsels Jo. We can encounter our inclination toward greed and self-pity as we see Eustace’s dragonish struggle in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Additionally, Butler and Johnson wrestle with perennial topics like magic and witchcraft, the value of mythology, and the sometimes-bawdy content in classics like Shakespeare. Their approach isn’t polemical. Their goal is to help readers evaluate the various arguments and chart a path with their own children. Says Johnson in her chapter on magic, “While I do think many rich and beautiful stories can be cherished in this genre, I would never desire you to go against your conscience, but rather for you to be fully convinced in your own mind” (42).

Patient Cultivation

The didactic approach Butler and Johnson take keeps this from being some sort of “discernment manual.” Rather than warning parents off specific books or topics, they emphasize enjoyment of quality stories and delight in the goodness those stories illuminate.

Above all, they remind parents to leverage well-told stories to illuminate the gospel without becoming overly preachy. “While we want to bring gospel truths to light,” they write, “we don’t want to dampen [our kids’] enthusiasm for a book with constant interruptions. Nor should we drain away the joy of reading by withering it into a didactic exercise” (77).

Part of discipling our children is filling them up with content that catalyzes their imaginations and being ready to help them process connections and questions that bubble to the surface. Reading stories together and allowing the seeds of truth to germinate on their own is an act of faith. Sometimes parental wisdom requires patience with the process.

Part of discipling our children is filling them up with content that catalyzes their imagination and being ready to help them process connections and questions that bubble to the surface.

This volume will aid parents trying to help their children navigate the shelves of libraries and bookstores, in part because of the literature they highlight. They explore gospel themes and character development in books like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The Wingfeather Saga, and the Green Ember series.

As Butler and Johnson model how to delight in good stories as a way to enjoy the best story—the gospel—they also give parents excellent recommendations for building their home library. Stories Woven in Silver helps families see how fiction can point children to the gospel and reinforce a love for God’s truth.