Books for Teens: Some Miscellaneous Recommendations from Fred G. Zaspel
A few weeks ago someone gave me the idea to recommend some books that would be good for Christian teens, especially homeschoolers (who read so very much!).
Below are some books that came to mind. I hope you enjoy!
On Reading Well
Mortimer Adler
- How To Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
- Wildly popular and highly acclaimed, helpful guide to reading well.
Thinking & Writing Clearly
Robert Gula
- Nonsense: Red Herrings, Straw Men and Sacred Cows: How We Abuse Logic in Our Everyday Language
- A good help to clear thinking.
Richard Holland
- Good Arguments: Making Your Case in Writing and Speaking
- A good help to clear thinking
On Worldviews
James Anderson
- What’s Your Worldview?
- Simple, brief introduction. With free study guide.
James Sire
- The Universe Next Door
- Survey of competing worldviews. Very good and very accessible to high schoolers
On Contemporary Culture, Issues, and Challenges
Dave Breese
- Seven Men Who Rule the World from the Grave
- Excellent introduction to important men and ideas.
Kevin DeYoung
- What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
- The best accessible book on the subject.
Marcus Honeysett
- Meltdown: Making Sense of a Culture in Crisis
- The best introduction to postmodern thinking for high school age. Only a bit challenging, but still accessible for high schoolers.
Erwin Lutzer
- Twelve Myths Americans Believe
- A Christian view on various contemporary cultural issues.
Albert Mohler
- Desire & Deceit
- Assessing contemporary views of sexuality
- Culture Shift
- Assessing the contemporary secular approach to society
Robert Morey
- Islam Unveiled
- Islamic Invasion
- Morey is excellent on Islam (both the above titles)
Nancy Pearcey
- Total Truth
- Finding Truth
- Saving Leonardo (Nancy gave me a study guide for this that I can share if you like.)
- Love Thy Body
Neil Postman
- Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
- An entertaining read but very important analysis of our shallow culture
R.C. Sproul
- The Dark Side of Islam
- Christianity and Islam compared
- Not a Chance
- Analyzing the idea of “chance” as used in contemporary science.
- Lifeviews: Understanding the Ideas that Shape Society Today
- Just what it says
- Ultimate Issues
- A Christian view of ultimate questions
- The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts that Shaped Our World
- Just what it says
Andrew Walker
- God and the Transgender Debate
- An excellent contemporary title. See my interview with Walker here.
On Science
Nancy Pearcey
- The Soul of Science
- An important book for students of science; probably the best place to start.
Vern Poythress
- Redeeming Science
- A very important read for students of science.
John Lennox
- Can Science Explain Everything?
- A helpful explanation of the limitations of science by an Oxford prof.
J.P. Moreland
- Scientism and Secularism: Learning to Respond to a Dangerous Ideology
- The book I mentioned in Sunday School recently. You can see my interview with Moreland here.
On Creation and Evolution
Andy Davis
- Creation
- An excellent little booklet on the doctrine of creation
Lee Strobel
- The Case for a Creator
- The Case for a Creator DVD
- Very popular, strong on evidence
Apologetics / Responding to Attacks on Christianity
Köstenberger, Bock, Chatraw
- Truth Matters
- Written specifically for teens. Answers some contemporary attacks on Christianity. Excellent.
Lee Strobel
- The Case for Christ
- The Case for Christ DVD
- Very popular, strong on evidence
- The Case for Christianity Answer Book
- A general reference resource
Tim Keller
- Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
- Making Sense of God: Finding God in the Modern World
- Keller is sophisticated but plain and accessible. Addresses contemporary challenges to Christianity.
R.C. Sproul
- Reason to Believe: A Response to Common Objections to Christianity
- Just what it says. Sproul is always very accessible.
Bible Content
These first three are excellent “big picture” introductions to the Bible.
Charles Ryrie
- The Young Christian’s Introduction to the Bible
- A really great little (very little) book. Really good, even though very elementary. Now long out of print – must buy used. Useful for middle schoolers and up.
Wayne Grudem
Stephen Nichols
This is a simple but excellent guide to each book of the Bible
Leland & Phil Ryken
These next two are probably the best Old & New Testament surveys. They are larger in size but manageable and very user-friendly – side panels, many photos, etc.
Arnold & Beyer
Elwell & Yarbrough
Interpreting / Understanding the Bible
This has been enormously popular. Basic, simple, and helpful.
Fee & Stuart
The Gospel
John Blanchard
Bryan Chapell
Greg Gilbert
Don Whitney
Bible Doctrine
Bruce Shelley
- Theology for Ordinary People
- Just what it says. Very good.
Scott Oliphint
- Know Why You Believe
- Basic Bible doctrines.
Kevin DeYoung
- Taking God At His Word
- An excellent, easy read about the nature and character of Scripture.
Greg Gilbert
- Who Is Jesus?
- An excellent, simple, brief study.
- Why Trust the Bible?
- Good, brief; answers basic questions.
Sinclair Ferguson
- The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction
- I’ve given out a hundred of these over the years, high schoolers included. Wish every Christian would read it!