Young Readers

At age twenty, Julia Gonzaga was one of the most envied women in Italy. A property owner, she entertained artists, poets, and musicians at her castle; and she was the prettiest woman in the country! Yet Julia was confused and anxious about God and her own sin. No matter how hard she tried not to sin, she often put her desires to please other people before obeying God. She finally found peace when she understood the gospel, and then she devoted her life to sharing the good news with others.

No one could have imagined that the frail seven-year-old slave girl who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1761 would become the first published African American, achieving fame for her poetry in both America and England. Upon her arrival, Phillis quickly learned to read the Bible and other classic literature, publishing her first poem in 1767 when she was thirteen and a book of poetry in 1773. Her poetry encouraged freedom for all people, and she proved to a doubting generation that intelligence and creativity are not limited to a particular race.

In 1730, nineteen-year-old Marie Durand was arrested and taken from her home in a village in Southern France for the crime of having a brother who was a Protestant preacher. Imprisoned in the Tower of Constance, Marie would spend the next thirty-eight years there. Simonetta Carr introduces us to the inspiring life of a woman who could have recanted her Protestant faith and gained release, but held fast to the truth and encouraged others to do so as well.

John Owen was a great Puritan preacher who lived in England. In this book, Simonetta Carr informs listeners about Owen's life, revealing some of the things that interested him while in school, the care he showed to people when he became a pastor, and the influential books that he wrote. Listeners will also come to understand the difficult times in which Owen lived, and how he handled the terrors of war and religious persecution.

John Newton's life was full of adventure, danger, travels, exotic places, and romance. Young listeners will encounter each of these things in Simonetta Carr's carefully narrated book. But more importantly, listeners will come to appreciate the way Newton's life was changed for good, even when he was attempting to run as far as possible from God. In spite of Newton's rebellion and sin, God's grace finally won—a grace that Newton recognized as amazing, invincible, and completely undeserved.

Simonetta Carr introduces young listeners to the story of John Bunyan, from his rebellious youth to preacher of the gospel and prisoner for the sake of Christ. His example of faithfulness to God will inspire listeners as they learn about this important figure of church history.

Born in Florence, Italy, in 1499, Peter Martyr Vermigli decided that he wanted to teach God's Word when he grew up. After many years of study, he became a well-respected leader in the Roman Catholic Church, yet he questioned the church's teachings because he believed they were contrary to the Bible. Eventually forced to flee Italy and the Roman Church, Vermigli joined the Reformers north of the Alps and devoted the rest of his life to teaching, preaching, and writing about the great truths of the Protestant Reformation.

Byang Kato grew up in Nigeria in a family devoted to juju, a religion of magic and superstition. Although from a young age he planned to become a juju priest, his encounter with missionaries and the gospel changed that. In this book, Simonetta Carr tells how the eager young Byang devoted himself to learning about Jesus and sharing Him with others.

Jonathan Edwards lived at a time when many people were seriously questioning long-accepted ideas about the world, life, and God, and his answers to these questions have left a mark on the way we think today. While he is often remembered as the preacher of a scary sermon about a spider dangling over a fire, he remains significant as one of the greatest thinkers America has produced.

B. B. Warfield lived at a time when many people—even those who considered themselves Christians—were questioning the authority of God's Word. For centuries most people in Europe and North America had taken for granted that the Bible was the word of God, but in Warfield's lifetime they were wondering whether it could still be trusted. Warfield was confident that the Bible could be trusted, and as a professor of theology at Princeton Seminary, he devoted his life to teaching and writing about its authority and other important issues of theology.

The name St. Patrick is associated with three-leaf clovers and leprechauns, but what was his life really like? Simonetta Carr tells the inspiring story of how Patrick's suffering as a slave opened his eyes to the mercy of God and prepared him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Get to know the real Patrick of Ireland as young listeners learn that the joy of the Lord will sustain them through difficult times and strengthen them to share the gospel.

Charles Spurgeon is considered one of the greatest preachers in the history of Christianity. In this book, Simonetta Carr informs us how young Charles learned to look to Christ alone for salvation, and how he never tired of point others to his savior. See how God used this young country boy to preach to thousands, provide training for pastors, start orphanages, and stand against those who denied basic teachings of the Bible. Interesting facts and a compelling story combine to introduce young listeners to this important British preacher.

From armed bodyguard to galley slave, from loving husband and father to fiery preacher, John Knox was moved by a relentless passion for the honor of God and the purity of His truth and worship. Yet when he was a schoolboy growing up in the small Scottish town of Haddington, he could never have imagined that he would become a major leader of the powerful movement that transformed Scotland into one of the most committed Protestant countries in the world.

A complex and fascinating character, Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, is best remembered as the Father of Orthodoxy, upholding the doctrine of the Trinity against the Arian heresy. In the newest addition to the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series, author Simonetta Carr introduces children to the life and times of this important church father who tirelessly defended the Nicene Creed, which many of us today recite as a confession of our faith.

Seven beautifully illustrated traditional stories that immerse the reader in the ancient culture of India as well as impart important life lessons Shares classic tales from India, including stories drawn from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Puranas, translated by the authors ...

Adventure, heists, and teamwork abound in this fun, witty middle grade audiobook! Life is short. Diamonds are fur-ever. Internationally famous cat burglar Ophelia von Hairball V adores jewels­—the only thing she loves more is a challenge. She's never met a safe she couldn't crack. Now the...

Thirteen-year-old Jakob’s family has hidden their true identity as Jews and are living as Catholics in Budapest during WWII. One day, in a burst of loyalty, Jakob decides to reveal that he is Jewish, a choice that puts his whole family in danger. Jakob hopes his best friend Ivan, a Christian whose father is a high-ranking military official, will help his family, but he comes to believe that Ivan has abandoned them. Sent as a prisoner to Auschwitz, Jakob is kept alive by his passion for revenge against Ivan. When Jakob is freed, he discovers that Ivan, too, made a choice that day.

In this young readers’ adaptation of his adult memoir Dear America, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas tells his story, in light of the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States. Jose Antonio Vargas was only twelve years old...

An adaptation of the powerful New York Times bestselling account of growing up Black and female in America, completely rewritten with new stories for young readers Austin Channing Brown’s first encounter with race in America came at age seven, when she discovered that her parents had named her...

Discover the life of Martin Luther King Jr.—a story about standing up for civil rights for kids ages 6 to 9 Martin Luther King Jr. became one of the most important civil rights leaders in America by fighting for equality for Black people. Before he made history with his powerful speeches and...