Recently my author friend Cheri Swalwell told me about a new website, Shepherd, which has the goal of competing with GoodReads and is really excited to work with authors.

Shepherd asks authors to recommend their top five picks for a very specific category. I chose five books to encourage Christian teens in their faith.

It was hard to narrow down this list to just five, so I:

1. started with Christian fiction stories (in case you’re wondering why I didn’t include the Bible or books by Bethany Hamilton, Sadie Robertson Huff, etc.), and

2. picked books intended for readers between ages 11-19 (the list would’ve been huge if I included books for young children and new adults, too),

3. with messages that have really stuck with me since I first read them.

In no particular order, this list includes:

A Shadow on the Snow by JPC Allen

See You Monday by Kristen Terrette

Faith Under Pressure by Courtney M. Whitaker

Speak Your Mind by Allyson Kennedy

The Perfect Blindside by Leslea Wahl

For an explanation on why I think these books are great for 11-19 year-olds to read in addition to regular Bible study, see this page.

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Authors and readers, what other books do you recommend for this age group? Post your book recs below!

Readers, browse the various categories on the site and comment below with the lists that interest you. I think the list of books about why my Christian faith is confirmed through science looks intriguing.

Authors, if you’re interested in compiling a Best Books for… page, check out Shepherd.com and let me know which category you emphasize!