Selecting the best Bible for kids will ensure that they will get the most out of the Bible. This article reviews three kids Bibles for ages 9-12. Selecting a Bible for kids is all about finding one suited for their age level and even style. If you give a child a Bible that is designed for adults, they won’t read. If you give your child a Bible that was designed with kids their age in mind, your child will eagerly engage in learning, seeking, and understanding God’s Word.
Best Bible for Kids – NIV Adventure Bible Review
The NIV Adventure Bible is designed especially for kids ages 9-12 that are seeking an adventure. The cover is a of a treasure map and compass on jungle leaves. Life as a Christian is an adventure, one filled with all the excitement and even danger of a real life adventure. The color scheme throughout is very nature oriented with black text with green accents. The adventure and treasure theme is spread throughout with pictures of treasure chests, jungle animals, tropical vegetation, and more.
The NIV Adventure Bible is the Best Bible for Kids – both boys and girls. It is the top-selling kids Bible for a number of reasons. The NIV Adventure Bible makes learning and reading God’s Word fun!
Kids will love the 20 glossy full color pages sprinkled throughout with amazing treasures of God’s Word. Each of these pages give your kids an adventure activity including daily reading plans, lessons on how to pray, Q&A time about the heart of Jesus and God’s Word, special prayers and verses to bury in their heart, and more!
Throughout the NIV Adventure Bible, your kids will find themselves on a journey to far off lands of Bible times and learning application on how God’s Word is real and waiting for them to join in the adventure.
To understand the Bible for kids ages 9-12, the NIV Adventure Bible illustrates what it was really like in the ancient world including what they ate, where they slept, the work they did, how they dressed, and more.
- People in Bible Times – These call-outs help explain to kids who the people of the Bible were.
- Life in Bible Times – These call-outs include simple graphics and explanations on how it was to live in Bible Times.
- Words to Treasure – With the treasure box graphic, this feature highlights important verses that kids need to focus and even memorize.
- Did You Know? – Your kids will learn facts that they didn’t even know were in the Bible with this trivia-like part of the Bible that is spread throughout.
- Live It! – This real-life application feature gives kids fun activities to do that will help them apply what they are reading into their real life. Also in the back of the Bible are Activity pages that direct kids back to the Live It! application sections based on topic. This is a great way to start a study in the Bible based on a topic and hands-on activity that they can do alone or with their parents.
I like that at the beginning of each book of the Bible, the NIV Adventure Bible includes an introduction of each Book. These pages break down the entire book of the Bible into the main idea including who wrote the book, why it was written, to whom it was written, what happens in the book, key people, when it happened, and where. The main stories listed out with corresponding chapters for easier locating of the most important stories of that book.
There is even a dictionary/concordance for kids to look up tricky words and full colored maps in the back of the Bible.
I highly recommend the NIV Adventure Bible, American’s #1 kids Bible with over 5 million copies sold. This kids Bible will get your boy or girl ready for the adventure that lies ahead – it takes an other-wise overwhelming large book for 9-12 year old kids and turns it into an adventure map to shape, mold, and live their lives by.
The NIV Adventure Bible includes a free adventure Bible Memory app too!
Buy the NIV Adventure Bible on Zonderkidz website for $27.99, e-book version also available. Also available on Amazon.com.
Best Bible for Kids – NIV Boys Bible Review
The NIV Boys Bible is designed especially for boys ages 9-12. The cover is a cool, industrial design meant to look like steel. The color scheme includes a dark blue text with orange and blue accents throughout. This is a very “boy” looking Bible – which makes it cool for boys to read. I like how they continued the industrial theme of the cover throughout the Bible with the design of gears and mechanical parts as backgrounds and even as letters within the title texts.
Throughout the NIV Boys Bible, there are various call-outs that give boys real-life applications, extended explanation, and cool facts.
- What’s the Big Deal? – This is a great feature that gives boys the big picture of important Bible stories and the people of the Bible they need to remember.
My son, Elijah particularly like the “What’s the Big Deal” in 1 Kings 17-18 because it talks about the prophet Elijah. It does a great job summarizing his unusual life of serving the Lord.
- Check It Out! – This includes fun facts about Bible times and characters that most people don’t know, making it exciting to dive in
- Grossology – Gross and gory stuff that boys will love to share with little sisters, their friends, and mom!
- Makin’ It Real – This feature takes the lessons in the Bible and puts it into real life applications that boys ages 9-12 can relate to and understand
- Words to Live By – This feature includes stand-out verses for boys to remember and even memorize.
I like that at the beginning of each book of the Bible, the NIV Boys Bible includes an introduction. This gives boys an idea of what is going to take place in that book as well as the main people, location, etc. This is a great way for boys to find a specific story that they are looking for in that particular book of the Bible as well. The main stories are listed with the associated chapters.
There are resources at the back of the Bible to search for Bible verses by topic, how to read through the Bible in a year, as well as pages on becoming a Christian and more.
My 8 year old son thought this Bible was cool! He is still a year or so too young, so there is a better Bible for his age. However, if you have a boy that is ages 9-12, I would highly recommend the NIV Boys Bible. The features will get your son turning the pages that were designed with him in mind.
Buy the NIV Boys Bible on Zonderkidz website for $27.99, e-book version also available. Also available on Amazon.com.
Best Bible for Kids – NIV Faithgirlz! Bible Review
The NIV Faithgirlz! Bible is designed especially for tween girls ages 9-12. The cover is a modern style of pink background with purple text accents. Also on the cover are purple, pink, green, white and orange flowers. The color scheme includes a dark purple text with purple and dark fuchsia pink headers and accents throughout. The whimsical floral and swirl patterns are carried throughout the NIV Faithgirlz! Bible with call-outs.
Throughout the NIV Faithgirlz! Bible, there are various call-outs that give girls real-life applications, extended explanation, and cool facts.
- Bring It On! – Take quizzes to really get to know yourself.
- Is There a Little (Eve, Ruth, Isaiah – insert person of the Bible) in You? – This fun feature asks the reader questions to see what they have in common with the person of the Bible they are studying. Girls will feel amazed when they see just how similar they are to those that lived many years before them that God used for His glory.
- Treasure This – Call-out boxes with Bible verses to memorize and treasure keeps the point of the text right in front of girls.
- Dream Girl – This feature gets girls thinking more in depth about the passage they are reading, putting themselves in the story and how it relates to the choices they make in their lives today.
- Oh, I Get It! – These fun call-out boxes breaks down some of the questions of the Bible that you’ve always wondered about in a easy-to-understand way though a question and answer format with Bible references to back it up.
- In Your Own Words – This feature gives a recap of what just happened in the book, ask the reader a question and provides blanks to fill in. It ends with a “Word to the Wise” with a life application phrase.
I like that at the beginning of each book of the Bible, the NIV Faithgirlz! Bible includes an lovely looking introduction page. The introduction breaks down the book of the Bible with a short summary of the book including who wrote it, when it was written, where it takes place, cool characters you’ll meet, bad guys to watch for, the point of the book and how it connects with the rest of the Bible. This is a great way to excite girls to read on!
The end of the NIV Faithgirlz! Bible has resources for girls to dive deeper into the Bible through learning about promises from the Bible, perspectives from the Bible about topics of interest to girls, how to read throught the Bible in 1 year, and how to begin a relationship with Jesus.
My daughter wanted this book as soon as she saw it, it is designed and styled to catch the eye of tween girls. My 6 year old is too young for this version. If you are looking for the best Bible for kids and you have a tween girl, I highly recommend this girl-centered Bible. She will enjoy reading and flipping through the pages of this beautiful Bible.
Buy the NIV Faithgirlz! Bible on Zonderkidz website for $27.99, e-book version also available. Also available on Amazon.com.
Best Bible for Kids
The above 3 Bibles are all great choices for kids ages 9-12. They are designed with kids in mind to engage them in reading the Bible and applying what they learn to their own life with the kid-friendly features. Zondervan makes Bibles, devotionals, and books for kids of all ages. Stay tuned for my review on Bibles for young kids and for teens.
Like Zondervan on Facebook
Follow Zondervan on Twitter
I hope that this article has helped you decide which is the best Bible for kids. If it has, please like this article on Facebook, tweet, and share this article with friends and family!
Win NIV Adventure Bible
The NIV Adventure Bible is perfect for both boys and girls! You have the chance to win your own NIV Adventure Bible!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. In order to comply with the latest Facebook Promotion Guidelines (revised 5/11/11), the following statements are true:
* Giveaway participants release Facebook from any responsibility whatsoever.
* Giveaways on this blog are in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.
* Giveaway participants are providing information to this blog and giveaway sponsors only; not to Facebook.
30 Day Winning Rule applies. For complete contest rules, please see our Contest Statement and Blog Disclosure.
Contest ends at 9pm EST on April 10, 2013 when a winner will be drawn at random. I will notify the winners and they will have 36 hours to respond or another winner will be selected!
This was not a paid post. My own opinions were used based on my perceptions and experience. Thank you to Zondervan who provided books for review and giveaway.
