Bible Review: The Family Reading Bible

The Family Reading Bible: a Joyful Discovery: Explore God’s Word Together, NIV. Zondervan, 2010, 2336 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: all ages

Bottom Line: The Family Reading Bible includes the full text with scriptures arranged in three separate reading tracks for growing families.

Just like it says, this version is meant to be used during family devotional time. It sets out three reading tracks, first a short path for “tight schedules and children under nine”: 150 readings that take about three minutes each. The long path is for “longer devotional times and older kids” and includes 270 readings, at least one from every book of the Bible. The “Off the Beaten Path” readings follow specific topics, such as “Nature Goes Berserk, “Angels and Demons,” “Great Escapes,” and more, as well as readings for holidays and specific times of the year. The in-text features are geared to family interaction, with observation questions (“Just the Facts”), discussion questions (“Let’s Talk”) and applications (“Why This Matters”). The latter is not a question but a statement—moms and dads may have other ideas about “why this matters,” but they are free to improvise. Each reading includes an introductory paragraph as well as the questions and application. Even though it won’t all be read by following the various tracks, the entire Bible text is included, making this a good choice for families who want to go right to the source but may need a little help getting into regular devotional times. It’s a good idea that I would like to see developed in other translations.

Overall Rating: 4

Categories: Bibles and Bible Stories, Devotionals, Read Alouds, Christian