Connecting parents to Christian middle grade books!
This is a list for parents who are looking for middle grade books written by Christian authors.
Middle grade fiction is written for 8-12 year olds.
Does Not Contain
All authors consent their books contain no . . .
- language that would constitute swear words on network television
- sexual content
- gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender content
- extreme violence or gore*
- 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)
Does Contain
All authors identify as a type of Christian. (I don’t investigate theology or denomination.)
Some book contain overt Christian content.
Other books are written from a Christian worldview with no religious content in the story itself.
*PG battle scenes, action sequences, and story peril (including death) are allowed. The focus of these story beats is not to shock or horrify the reader but to achieve a narrative purpose.
A Note About Fantasy & Magic
Books containing fantasy elements will appear on this list. Some may even contain words like witch, wizard, spell, or casting.
While I 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 the story goes out of it way to focus on real-life, pagan, religious procedures.
Exercise your family’s guidelines as you see fit.
Happy reading!
We also have a Chapter Book Spotlight which follows similar guidelines.
If you encounter something in a book that goes against my posted guidelines above, please email me at amanda@jtrumpower.com.
Middle Grade Spotlight: The Dragon and the Stone by Kathryn Butler
Meet Kathryn Butler, author of the Dream Keeper Saga for kids ages 8 to 12 years old, as well as their families!