Book Review: Martin Luther-Christian Biographies for Young Readers

One area which I think tends to get neglected in Christian circles is church history. I don’t know whether it is because some do not like history in general or if they do not see the history of the church as important. The truth is church history has much to teach the current church in being faithful to the Word of God and standing firm for it. In reaching and raising the next generation, I think it is beneficial to point them to figures in church history who have boldly stood for the Word of God. That is why I am excited to share with you Simonetta Carr’s new addition to the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series. In this work, she teaches children about the life and work of Martin Luther.

Carr begins by informing the reader why it is important for Christians in general and for children in particular to know about Martin Luther. She writes, “Today, Martin Luther is considered one of the most influential leaders of the Protestant Reformation, and his words are still impacting Christians all over the world” (Carr 5). From there, she takes the young readers on a journey starting with his upbringing (chapter 1), then onto his search of finding peace with God (chapter 2), culminating in his contribution to starting the Reformation (chapters 3-5). Simonetta does not end the story there, though. She ends the book with chapters on Luther’s family (chapter 6) and his death (chapter 7). The appendices feature a timeline of Martin Luther’s life, a portion of Luther’s small catechism, and a very informative section entitled “Did You Know?”

While this book is targeted at children, adults will enjoy reading it too. Some of the stories Carr shares about Martin Luther I did not know about. She includes other details which helped clarify thoughts I had before. For instance, one might ask why Martin Luther did not come to his conclusion of justification by faith alone sooner than he did. In chapter 2, Simonetta states regarding Luther entering the monastery that “the monastery was the first places where Martin could seriously study this book” (Carr 13). Simply put, this book for young readers will inform adult and child alike.

Simonetta Carr’s Christian Biographies for Young Readers: Martin Luther is an excellent resource for teaching children about a key contributor of the Protestant Reformation and is a great conversation starter on what is truly means to be a Christian, justified by faith in Christ alone.

I received this book for free from Reformation Heritage Books via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and are my honest review of the book.