Monday 12 December 2016

Searching Second hand Shops for Children's Books

Recently, a friend asked me about the children's books that I would look for in a Christian second hand bookshop. This post is about the authors that I would check. Please note that I haven't read everything by these authors although I have read some books by each author.

I am planning another post about children's books that I would look for in a general second hand shop.



  • Paul White's Jungle Doctor books. We love these stories about a medical missionary and especially, that the stories are full of the Gospel. They are still in print but the older editions can often be found quite cheaply.

  • Patricia St John's books especially Rainbow Garden, Treasures of the Snow and Tanglewood Secrets. My understanding is that some of the later books are for older readers so do check first.

  • Mrs OF Walton's most famous book is Christie's Old Organ. Some of the books are still published. I haven't read all of her books by any means but do be aware that some have quite sad endings, particularly, in the older editions. Some modern editions have changed the endings.

  • Piet Prins. I haven't actually seen these books in a second hand shop but it is well worth looking. Piet Prins was a Dutch author who wrote Christian historical fiction, particularly popular with boys. These books have been increasingly difficult to obtain so worth checking second hand!

  • Amy le Feuvre is most well known for Teddy's Button. 

  • Deborah Alcock is an author whose books I have often found second hand although many have been republished. She wrote historical fiction for older children often about Reformation type themes. There is often a mild romantic theme in her books although it is always very proper. I have particularly enjoyed The Czar, Crushed Yet Conquering and The Spanish Brothers.

  • The Faith and Fame (Lutterworth Press) series of biographies are interesting reads. Sometimes, they seem to concentrate more on fame than faith but can be helpful introductions to historical figures.

  • Louise Vernon wrote historical fiction about Christians for children. We have found the quality to be variable. The book about William Tyndale, The Bible Smuggler, is excellent whereas the book about the translation of the King James Bible is odd. I would suggest glancing through these books or quickly prereading them before handing them to children.

  • Don't forget to look for second hand copies of books by more recent authors,for example, Irene Howat's Ten Boys and Ten Girls series and Helen Taylor's Little Pilgrim's Progress.

  • Heidi by Johanna Spyri has a clear Christian message, particularly, in older editions. The same applies to Robinson Crusoe.
Which authors would you check for in a Christian second hand shop?

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1 comment:

  1. Agreed on Patricia St John's later books- we were given I Needed a Neighbour and Nothing Else Matters and discovered that they're suitable for older children- at least mid-teens, so only our son has read them. Thanks for recommending the other books.

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