26 Best Christian Books for Teens

If your teen enjoyed A Wrinkle In Time, this book has similar elements of fiction, mystery, and fantasy for young teenagers. When Sheena’s father has a car accident, she visits him at the hospital, where she witnesses her father miraculously being healed. Sheena is the only one who sees the supernatural being that does it. One Amazon reviewer who is cautious about what her 13-year-old daughter reads said: “I read all three books in the series before giving them to her and loved them myself! The first day I had her start reading she read 11 chapters in The Girl Who Looked Beyond the Stars because she could not put it down!”

This book centers on family values, loving relationships between siblings, and a love for God. It is perfect for young Christian teens who love mystery and adventure. Teenage siblings Caleb, David, and Lizzy help a 12-year-old boy named Lens find his missing parents, who disappeared on their expedition to find a lost city. The teens discover light in dark places to help them find Lens’ parents.

With a storyline similar to Hunger Games, Bane’s Eyes is a Christian fiction story about a town with a dark yearly practice: they harvest organs from imperfect teens. This story is about three months before a final decision needs to be made. Will they continue the practice or abolish it? Will Margo, a politically savvy teen, and Bane, a teen who lost his eyes in the previous year’s harvest, save the lives of millions of young people and Believers? This book has the answers and is excellent for teens ages 14 to 18.

A witty, challenging, and driven 18-year-old teen, Finley Sinclair, has an impending interview at the Manhattan Music Conservatory but experiences writer’s block when her brother dies. On her way to study abroad in Ireland, hoping to retrace her brother’s travels and experience where he felt closest to God, she meets Hollywood bad boy heartthrob Beckett Rush. The two connect, and soon, Finley finds herself in a dangerous new vice. A tale of God showing up when we’re at our lowest point and answering the questions we were too afraid to ask, this fiction novel touches on the themes of love, intimacy, and growing up that older teens face.  

As Taja Brown attempts to find her sense of identity in a religious Christian family, she learns to reconcile her human flaws, social and sexual feelings, and religion. Taja Brown’s relatable journey from middle to high school is one of self-discovery and an exploration of spirituality, family, and belonging. This poetic coming-of-age novel has a 4.7 rating on Amazon, and one grandmother stated that she enjoyed reading it with her teenage granddaughter.

Four teenage girls have deep secrets that they hope will never be discovered. Still, they each have unanswered questions. The protagonist is a shy, awkward, and depressed Mackenzie who hopes to find a real friend among an angry track star named Krystal, a gloomy musician named Tammi, and a people-pleaser dancer who goes by Sadie. They do their best to hide their secrets, but this leaves them vulnerable to “an invisible realm where demonic creatures fight to keep the girls chained to their pasts while angels of light work to free them.”

In this coming-of-age romance, 18-year-old Teeyana Sparks believes in controlling her destiny as she recovers from bullying and family tragedy. She meets 19-year-old Jayden Williams, who, while recovering from depression, exercises his deep faith in God and shares his faith with Teeyana. Their budding relationship faces trouble as each decides whether to face God’s call or turn away.

This popular series dedicated a book to teenagers with 101 stories from teens about their experiences using their faith to navigate this rocky time of life. The stories are relatable because they are true stories about friendships, relationships, love, school, forgiveness, and even dives into teen pregnancy and dealing with parents’ divorce. Teens of almost all ages will find something here as the book is written for those in the 12 to 17 age range.

As a teenager, witnessing the need in the world can feel overwhelming and like there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s easy to think your efforts don’t matter in changing the world. This book is an inspirational guide for the purpose God has for teens to act in helping the world right now. Whether your teen is a future leader or just someone with a compassionate heart, this book will encourage them to make a difference in the world

This sports biography, adapted for a young adult audience, is a tale of survival and not giving up when life’s obstacles seem impossible. A courageous young soldier, Louis Zamperini, shares his Christian testimony through his epic odyssey of survival during World War II after a crash lands him alone in enemy territory in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This book is an encouraging story about leaning on God in the toughest times.

In a time when the Christian faith is challenged on social media, at schools, and in peer groups, it can be tough for teenagers to defend their faith and keep believing. What will your teen say when questions arise like “Hasn’t science disproved Christianity?” Better yet, how will they feel? Using research, personal stories, colorful illustrations, and the Bible, this book encourages teens to ask the tough questions they face and gives answers based on God’s word.

The Pillar of Light is the first book in The Milana Legends Christian fantasy series. It follows the journey of a teen girl named Nani who lives with missionaries in Brazil. After three years, she discovers a clue to her forgotten past, and a crash sends her and her group into another world. In this world, she and her group duck and dodge Hunters who are mercilessly tracking them down. This story is one of romance, trust, forgiveness, and finding light amid darkness, and it is a Christian fantasy book that is perfect for young teens.

The adventure of Sleeping Beauty is reimagined in this realistic and fast-paced fairytale. Romance, royalty, and danger follow Rose, a woodcutter’s daughter newly appointed to an unlikely opportunity as a healer’s apprentice. If she succeeds, she can stay away from the man she is betrothed to at home, who makes her ill at the sight of him. She falls in love with the future Duke when he falls sick, and she is called to care for him. The forbidden love confuses her, and she must learn the steps she needs to take on her own. This book is ideal for all teens ages 13 to 18.

In Jerel Law’s debut novel, supernatural forces of good and evil fight and collide. This fight ensues between the Nephelium, the children of angels and men, and fallen angels. When Jonah and Eliza’s mother, Nephelium, are kidnapped by fallen angels, they must tap into their God-given powers to save her. This story is for adolescents to early teens and makes Bible principles exciting for this age group.

While intended for kids 8 to 12, readers in their early teens might find this series fascinating as it mixes fantasy with Christian themes to tackle coping with grief through faith. When Lily McKinley’s father dies, she deals with it by escaping to a fantasy world where she discovers her father’s secret history and embarks on an epic quest. As she battles through grief, she encounters evil creatures she must conquer to save the world from evil and to encounter redemption’s power.

Paralleling the story of God’s chosen people being led into the promised land, Kingdom’s Dawn follows Leinad and Tess, along with all the king’s people, who arrive as free people in Chessington Valley. When they forget the king, they are captured by Lord Fairos and must battle between good and evil to determine if they will be captured for good or be free again. This book series continues to follow the King’s people in this epic tale connecting Medieval Times with Biblical storylines and is appropriate for young teens.

This Bible study book guides teen girls on how to make and maintain friendships with Christian principles. It touches on the need to be vulnerable in friendship, encouraging friends, and knowing when to walk away. Both teens and adults will walk away with gems for healthy friendships and realistic expectations.

For Christians of all ages, this book is helpful for teens who are beginning to think about intimacy, relationships, and finding Biblical love. This book challenges everyone to consider why they want to have relationships and marriage over who they will be in a relationship with or marry. Author Gary Thomas emphasizes the need to share a spiritual mission with one’s partner and start with the end goal in mind: eternity. We recommend this for teens and their parents or caregivers to read together.

Christian teachings encourage honoring God through how you treat and use your body. With the onset of puberty and a new interest in sexual desires, the teen years are the perfect time to help teen boys Biblically navigate love and sex. This book covers pornography, dating, and premarital sex while answering challenging questions young men may have straightforward language they can understand. The lessons focus on God’s love.

This book, geared toward young women, encourages teen girls to pursue Jesus first. It emphasizes guarding the heart and mind while resisting temptation all around them. The author, Sarah Mally, challenges teen girls to honor God in their relationships and rely on him for their deepest satisfaction. Mally uses a fairytale throughout the book to drive home Biblical principles for the teenage girl.

With diary entries, letters, and memories, the author of this book shares a truthful peek into the temptations, difficulties, victories, and sacrifices between her and her boyfriend, who chose to put Christ first in their relationship. The story of navigating Christianity as a young person in love includes difficulty in a world that encourages temptation at every corner. One Amazon reviewer called it a book with “Wonderful Godly truths.”

Friendships with boys, crushes, meeting boys through online interactions, and unrequited love are just a few of the modern topics covered in this book. Though it was written in 2011, many of the topics are still relevant today. The authors cover these topics from a Christian perspective with humor and wit, and one reader recommends it for ages 10 through marriage. 

How does your teen respond when times get tough? In Porch Swing Girl, the trials and tribulations of the main character, sixteen-year-old Olive Galloway, test her resilience and faith. The realistic struggles of the characters show imperfect teens fighting through life’s difficulties to find hope and joy in God. The characters include a determined protagonist, a “fussy” youth group worship leader, and a mysterious teen named Jazz. This realistic fiction story will encourage your teen to keep the faith when the going gets tough.

It is never too early to learn the principles of putting faith in God. Though this book is meant for Christians of all ages, curious teenagers will find insight through the lessons of an adult who dug deep during a time of darkness in his life and found answers to his most challenging questions in the Bible. He asks questions like Is God in control? Can I trust God? How can I grow through adversity? Your teen will gain new perspectives on how to stand on God’s word when it seems impossible.

God’s grace is ever-present throughout the Bible, and in Wild Grace, Max Lucado reminds teens of this against the world’s pressures. The book recalls that God can change their lives in powerful ways if we allow his grace to work through us even when we’ve messed up, feel off track from our purpose, or are facing trouble. This is a book that parents can read along with their teens for open discussion about God’s love and grace during difficult times.