Young Readers

At age twenty, Julia Gonzaga was one of the most envied women in Italy. A property owner, she entertained artists, poets, and musicians at her castle; and she was the prettiest woman in the country! Yet Julia was confused and anxious about God and her own sin. No matter how hard she tried not to sin, she often put her desires to please other people before obeying God. She finally found peace when she understood the gospel, and then she devoted her life to sharing the good news with others.

No one could have imagined that the frail seven-year-old slave girl who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1761 would become the first published African American, achieving fame for her poetry in both America and England. Upon her arrival, Phillis quickly learned to read the Bible and other classic literature, publishing her first poem in 1767 when she was thirteen and a book of poetry in 1773. Her poetry encouraged freedom for all people, and she proved to a doubting generation that intelligence and creativity are not limited to a particular race.

In 1730, nineteen-year-old Marie Durand was arrested and taken from her home in a village in Southern France for the crime of having a brother who was a Protestant preacher. Imprisoned in the Tower of Constance, Marie would spend the next thirty-eight years there. Simonetta Carr introduces us to the inspiring life of a woman who could have recanted her Protestant faith and gained release, but held fast to the truth and encouraged others to do so as well.

Living only until her execution at age 17, and ruling England for less than two weeks, Lady Jane Grey is still remembered for her intelligence and steadfast defense of the gospel. Declared by the dying (Protestant) King Edward as his successor to the throne—instead of his half-sister Mary, as his father's will decreed—his quick decision caused confusion for Jane's succession, which was quickly overcome by Mary's gathering forces and Naval support.

John Owen was a great Puritan preacher who lived in England. In this book, Simonetta Carr informs listeners about Owen's life, revealing some of the things that interested him while in school, the care he showed to people when he became a pastor, and the influential books that he wrote. Listeners will also come to understand the difficult times in which Owen lived, and how he handled the terrors of war and religious persecution.

John Newton's life was full of adventure, danger, travels, exotic places, and romance. Young listeners will encounter each of these things in Simonetta Carr's carefully narrated book. But more importantly, listeners will come to appreciate the way Newton's life was changed for good, even when he was attempting to run as far as possible from God. In spite of Newton's rebellion and sin, God's grace finally won—a grace that Newton recognized as amazing, invincible, and completely undeserved.

Simonetta Carr introduces young listeners to the story of John Bunyan, from his rebellious youth to preacher of the gospel and prisoner for the sake of Christ. His example of faithfulness to God will inspire listeners as they learn about this important figure of church history.

Anselm is probably the greatest theologian who lived during the time between Augustine of Hippo and Thomas Aquinas. His compelling yearning to know and love God as He is revealed to us in Scriptures shaped his life and permeates all of his writings. He found the greatest joy in communion with God, but was thrusted into the difficult political scene of the 11th-12th centuries. He didn't work well with kings and, at one point, he had most of the English leaders against him.

In this attractive volume, Simonetta Carr introduces young listeners to the life, thought, and work of one of the most famous Reformers of the Christian church. She tells about the life of John Calvin from his birth to his death, placing him within the troubled context of the sixteenth century. She also introduces Calvin's writings in a way that children will desire to know more about his ministry and influence.

Byang Kato grew up in Nigeria in a family devoted to juju, a religion of magic and superstition. Although from a young age he planned to become a juju priest, his encounter with missionaries and the gospel changed that. In this book, Simonetta Carr tells how the eager young Byang devoted himself to learning about Jesus and sharing Him with others.

Jonathan Edwards lived at a time when many people were seriously questioning long-accepted ideas about the world, life, and God, and his answers to these questions have left a mark on the way we think today. While he is often remembered as the preacher of a scary sermon about a spider dangling over a fire, he remains significant as one of the greatest thinkers America has produced.

B. B. Warfield lived at a time when many people—even those who considered themselves Christians—were questioning the authority of God's Word. For centuries most people in Europe and North America had taken for granted that the Bible was the word of God, but in Warfield's lifetime they were wondering whether it could still be trusted. Warfield was confident that the Bible could be trusted, and as a professor of theology at Princeton Seminary, he devoted his life to teaching and writing about its authority and other important issues of theology.

The name St. Patrick is associated with three-leaf clovers and leprechauns, but what was his life really like? Simonetta Carr tells the inspiring story of how Patrick's suffering as a slave opened his eyes to the mercy of God and prepared him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Get to know the real Patrick of Ireland as young listeners learn that the joy of the Lord will sustain them through difficult times and strengthen them to share the gospel.

Charles Spurgeon is considered one of the greatest preachers in the history of Christianity. In this book, Simonetta Carr informs us how young Charles learned to look to Christ alone for salvation, and how he never tired of point others to his savior. See how God used this young country boy to preach to thousands, provide training for pastors, start orphanages, and stand against those who denied basic teachings of the Bible. Interesting facts and a compelling story combine to introduce young listeners to this important British preacher.

From armed bodyguard to galley slave, from loving husband and father to fiery preacher, John Knox was moved by a relentless passion for the honor of God and the purity of His truth and worship. Yet when he was a schoolboy growing up in the small Scottish town of Haddington, he could never have imagined that he would become a major leader of the powerful movement that transformed Scotland into one of the most committed Protestant countries in the world.

Five hundred years ago, a monk named Martin Luther wrote ninety-five questions, hoping to start a discussion about sin and repentance at the University of Wittenberg in Germany. In a few months those questions had stirred the nation; a few years later, the continent. Today we know that those questions changed the course of both the Western church and world history. In this volume for children, Simonetta Carr tells the compelling story of this father of the Protestant Reformation.

A complex and fascinating character, Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, is best remembered as the Father of Orthodoxy, upholding the doctrine of the Trinity against the Arian heresy. In the newest addition to the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series, author Simonetta Carr introduces children to the life and times of this important church father who tirelessly defended the Nicene Creed, which many of us today recite as a confession of our faith.

Take the disgusting quiz and find out if this is the right audiobook for you!

Do you do any or all of the following: pick your nose, talk in burps, or wee in swimming pools? Do you ever wear the same undies two (or more) days in a row? Do you wish you knew the most disgusting thing in the world? Do you think brussel sprouts are a delicious mouth watering treat? Do you like stories about dead flies, giant slugs, and mysterious brown blobs?

When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa routinely captured American sailors and held them as captives demanding ransom and tribute far beyond what the new country could afford.

In this young learners’ adaptation of his adult memoir Dear America, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas tells his story, in light of the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently in the US.