Connecting Parents to Clean Chapter Books

I used to believe all chapter books for children ages 6-9 were clean.

Everyone believes sex, sexualized behavior, violence, or inflicting harm on one’s body are inappropriate topics for young children.

Right?

Sadly, secular children’s entertainment has demonstrated the definitions for inappropriate content has changed.

These days, it takes a little more work to find good entertainment for your kids.

I know. At the time of this writing, my twins are ripe targets for preschool TV shows pushing themes of racial injustice, gay parents, and gender-fluid characters.

With this blog series, I hope to save you some work by sharing the results of my own research efforts. Below, you’ll find a list of clean reads for your chapter book readers.

Does Not Contain

All authors have consented that their books contain no . . . 

• language that would constitute swear words on network television
• gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender content
• references to quasi-spiritual activities which could be carried out in a way that opposes the Bible (meditation, clearing your mind, envisioning your future, believing in karma)

Might Contain

Many of the books on this list are written by authors who identify as Christians, but not all.

A Note About Fantasy & Magic

Please note: Books containing heavy fantasy and magical elements are beloved in our household and therefore will appear on this list. Some books may even contain vocabulary such as witch, wizard, spell, or casting.

While I understand (and respect) families who draw a boundary here, I personally feel it’s simply a matter of genre set dressing. You can’t have sci-fi without spaceships, Westerns without cowboys . . . or fantasy without magic.

I will not recommend a book if a story goes out of its way to focus on real-life pagan religious procedures.

Exercise your family’s guidelines as you see fit.

Happy reading!

We also have a Middle Grade Spotlight which follows similar guidelines.

P.S. If you encounter something in a book that goes against my posted guidelines above, please email me at amanda@jtrumpower.com.