Books for Young Readers [New Year 2024]

Here’s a look at some new books from Zondervan this month for your family:

*Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.

*Sunny Days Ahead: 150 Devotions for Health and Happiness

Author: Lindsay A. Franklin
Released: 11/7/2023
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Page Count: 160
Grades: 7-9

A quick verse, devotion, and reflection for each day is great for a busy day. I love that each devotional is a reminder of health and happiness. The reflection space is very helpful to see where one is in this health and happiness. The book just contains text, so there’s no fluff, just real talk about how to take the negativity out of our lives and live in a place of hope in our Lord.

“Create a positive mindset and build a happier life with these 10-minute spiritual reflections for teens and young adults. With all the challenges and hardships we face in our lives and in the world around us, it’s harder than ever to preserve our happiness, faith, confidence, and well-being. Sunny Days Ahead contains 150 devotions and writing prompts for readers 13 and up to restore inner peace and find more joy in your everyday life.”

Get your own copy *HERE.

*Faithful Friends: Favorite Stories of People in the Bible

Author: Marcy & Michael Kelleher
Released: 10/10/2023
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Page Count: 96
Ages: 4-10

This is such a cute book! It is a different way for kids to learn about some of the people in the Bible. The artist made little dolls to really show the personalities of the people, and the author highlights some Scripture passage for readers to explore some more about each person. There’s a featured verse and a page all about the person and how God worked in their life. Each doll is unique with a background to really capture the scene of their story.

“Bring some cozy charm to your child’s room and a touch of whimsy to story time, with this beautiful keepsake book of characters from the Bible. This accessible collection includes both familiar and lesser-known figures like Noah, Joseph, Esther, John the Baptist, Miriam, and many more. Each story is told in a short, easy-to-understand passage and accompanied by a photograph of a handcrafted doll, specially made to capture both the character and themes of the story.”

Get your own copy *HERE.

*Tiny Truths Little Lights Devotional: Shining God’s Light in the World

Author: Joanna Rivard & Tim Penner
Released: 11/7/2023
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Page Count: 160
Grades: 3-4

I have enjoyed all the Tiny Truths books and this one is also fabulous. The illustrations are adorable and the colors are bright. The message of each devotional is relatable and easy for young ones to understand. There is always a verse that is highlighted that talks about being a light. And each devotional is about a situation in which we can be a light in the world that may sometimes seem so dark.

“The Tiny Truth Little Lights Devotional is a collection of more than 60 accessible, Scripture-based reflections reminding children they are the lights in God’s world. Deepen your child’s faith through fun-to-read devotions that remind kids of God’s deep love and inspire them to let God’s light shine in ways both big and small.”

Get your own copy *HERE.

*The Berenstain Bears Storybook Bible Search and Find

Author: Jan & Mike Berenstain
Released: 10/17/2023
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Page Count: 16
Ages: 2-6

I’ve loved a good “search and find” book ever since doing the Hidden Pictures from the Highlights magazines. This book is a fun and easy way for little ones to be introduced to some of the stories in the Bibles. There is a scene in every spread of the book and you can look for some items on the pages together. There is also an easy-to-understand paragraph about each of the scenes. For some of the pages, there is a number listed next to the items you’re asked to look for so that you can also count together. 

“Search and find through your favorite Bible stories with the Berenstain Bears! Readers will love exploring each and every page of this interactive book and discovering all the carefully hidden objects. Perfect for quiet time, traveling, summer reading, or any time, The Berenstain Bears Storybook Bible Search and Find will deliver hours of fun while also building important skills, such as concentration, reading comprehension, attention to detail and early math skills like counting 1-10.”

Get your own copy *HERE.

*Wimee Learns About Money

Author: Stephanie Kammeraad, Kevin Kammeraad, and Michael Hyacinthe
Released: 1/2/2024
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Page Count: 32
Ages: 4-8

If you watch PBS, you may be familiar with Wimee and friends. This is a great and simple book about money. It goes into the basics of income and expense, as well as other financial terms. Wimee gets some money from Grandma but he doesn’t understand much about it. Mr. Bill explains how money works when Wimee’s friends has some questions about how they can get some money after finding out what they can do with money – spend it on stuff they need or want! Your little one can learn some more about money in this colorful, fun book.

“Join your favorite robot Wimee from the show Wimee’s Words (as seen on PBS) as he learns about what money is and how it works. Readers will have fun as they discover earning, spending, saving, giving, and other money facts.”

Get your own copy *HERE.

*God, I Feel Scared: Bringing Big Emotions to a Bigger God

Author: Michelle Nietert and Tama Fortner
Released: 10/3/2023
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Page Count: 32
Ages: 4-8

This book about feeling has great illustrations that demonstrates facial expressions of various emotions. It shows some different scenes of when children might feel scared. I like how it talks about how your body might feel when something scares you. And not to just leave children with those scared feelings, the book also discusses what to do when you start to feel scared. It’s good to know there are solutions so that you don’t have to stay stuck.

“Kids have big feelings, but none of their feelings are too big for God. In this picture book from licensed counselor Michelle Nietert and Tama Fortner, young readers will explore what it means to feel scared and discover how to manage their emotions in a healthy way.”

Get your own copy *HERE.

OTHER REVIEWS

• Sunny Days Ahead – Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook | Goodreads
• Faithful Friends – Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook | Goodreads
• Tiny Truths Little Lights Devotional – Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook | Goodreads
• The Berenstain Bears Storybook Bible Search and Find – Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook | Goodreads
• Wimee Learns About Money – Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook | Goodreads
• God, I Feel Scared – Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christianbook | Goodreads

*Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we’ll receive a tiny percentage if you make a purchase through our link at no extra cost to you. We received one or more items for review. Read our disclosure policy here.

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Zonderkidz for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.