Naturally, I have not reviewed all of the available Orthodox books for children and teenagers on the market. This list is in no way comprehensive, and there are many more wonderful books available for the edification of Orthodox youth, some of which I may have not even come across. However, the works included here are favorites, books that I keep using in my class and in our parish catechesis program, and recommend unreservedly. In addition to their distinctly Orthodox, inspiring text, they feature captivating illustrations and well-crafted design. (Design should actually not be that important when considered in context, but as a designer myself, I can’t help but pay attention to it. I love a well-designed Orthodox book for children, it used to be a hard thing to find – thankfully, this has greatly changed the past few years.) Enjoy!
YOUNGEST CHILDREN
You are an Orthodox Christian Very pretty colorful illustrations.
I Pray Today. A sweet story of day-long prayer with charming illustrations.
Goodnight, Child of God. A poetic book with evocative illustrations.
Josiah and Julia Go to Church. This fun board book of two siblings going to church is a favorite with kids.
The Littlest Altar Boy – This is an entertaining book that the children usually enjoy very much.
The Light. This is an atmospheric Pascha-themed little book.
My Church and My Other Church dry-erase books. This is a relatively new category of Orthodox books for little ones and it is really very sweet – and also practical!
ELEMENTARY
Beautiful… (four coloring books). Endearing images for coloring.
A Walk Through Acts: An Overview of the Acts of the Apostles in 26 Lessons. An excellent curriculum on the Acts of the Apostles, masterfully illustrated.
In the Candle’s Glow. An enchantingly illustrated book about prayer.
Love at Lent. A beautifully illustrated collection of cards with everyday tasks, ideal for a take-home project.
Stories from the Gerontikon. An excellent comic book-style book. An absolute favorite, both for its illuminating stories and its masterful illustrations.
The Little Way of the Pilgrim. An adaptation of the spiritual classic, with exquisite colored pencil illustrations.
The Miracle of the Red Egg. Children always enjoy this Pascha story.
We Pray. A sweet book on prayer with enchanting illustrations.
My Little Liturgy Book by Potamitis Publishing. Even though this book is aimed at younger children, I have used it with my 2nd-3rd grade students after teaching about the Liturgy, as an in-church guide during the actual service. It is colorfully illustrated in a friendly way and simple enough for them to follow in real time. Potamitis Publishing is an excellent resource of Orthodox books for kids, they carry one of the most extensive and edifying collections. They have many books that are worth sharing, browsing through their website is definitely recommended. My only minor reservation is the quality of the illustrations which is not consistent throughout. In the past few years, the illustrations have greatly improved and their most recent books really look very nice.
The Good Samaritan: A Children’s Catechism. This beautifully illustrated book, written by a priest with years of experience catechizing youth, is addressed to children aged 6-12, and presents the basics of our faith in clear and gentle language.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Among the Saints graphic novels (three books). These are truly excellent. Their illustration is magnificent and the script is brilliant. They are full of suspense and drama and are overall among the most engaging Orthodox books I have seen for this age group.
Anastasis: The Harrowing of Hades. This graphic novel can be very helpful for explaining the Resurrection to this age group.
101 Orthodox Saints and 102 Orthodox Saints. Encyclopedia-style books with lives of saints. Masterful illustrations, contemporary layout, excellent execution overall.
Special Agents of Christ: A Prayer Book for Young Orthodox Saints. The aim of this aesthetically and engagingly designed book is to serve as a “training manual” to prepare children for serving Christ in the real world.
From I-ville to You-ville. This is a classic book drawn from the teachings of St. Paisios of Mt. Athos.
TEENAGERS/HIGH SCHOOL
Hear Me: A Prayer Book for Orthodox Young Adults. This small and elegantly designed pocket prayer book is not only meaningful for teens and young adults – I find that older adults can be equally moved by it.
Woven: An Interactive Book for the Modern Teenage Girl on Orthodox Christianity. It is designed and organized by the Metropolis of Atlanta for use with groups.
Forged: An Interactive Book for Young Men on the Orthodox Christian Faith. A companion to Woven above.
Everyday Saints and Other Stories. This is a Russian book describing various monastics and everyday situations in communist Russia. The author, Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov, says, “In this book I want to tell you about this beautiful new world of mine, where we live by laws completely different from those in ‘normal’ worldly life”. A very moving book, it is not specifically written for young adults, but can resonate very well with them.
The Christian vs the University. I also included this excellent apologetics book in the resources for the catechist’s spiritual growth, as I find it very helpful for adults as well as for older teens. In my opinion, it is a must for high-schoolers, and it is now a standard Sunday School gift to our parish graduating high school seniors. The Orthodox author, known as “The Willard Preacher” for his open-air evangelism on Penn State University’s campus since 1982, addresses important moral and controversial issues of our time in clear and accessible language.
Orthodox Pebbles 