My goddaughter is a couple of years younger than yours, so your mileage may vary, but we’ve enjoyed these…
Bibles & Bible Stories
My First Catholic Bible - a story Bible that’s not a paraphrase but actual selections from the Bible with additional reflection questions and prayers
by SikuThe Manga Bible: From Genesis to Revelation - not an actual Bible, but a selection of Bible stories retold in the form of a manga-style comic book
Catechisms
Think of these as stepping stones, one to the next. I think every Catholic child should have these:
by Inos Biffi and Franco VignaziaAn Illustrated Catechism - This is, hands down, one of the best investments I ever made. I cannot speak highly enough of this book. The full-color illustrations are striking and gorgeous, the text is excellent, following the basic outline of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. (Check out the other books by the same people.)
Youcat - the Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, with a foreward by Pope Benedict XVI
Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church - the shorter version of the Catechism
Lives of the Saints
by Amy WelbornBook of Saints - pretty engaging for people of this age, with entries of a good length and a decent number of saints included
Devotional Materials
by Gene Luen YangRosary Comic Book - Think of this as a comic book version of a “scriptural rosary” book. Each mystery is presented as a story in which each panel represents a bead. So you can read it straight through like a short comic book, or you can read it while praying the rosary, etc. It’s designed for younger readers, but I think even a 4th grader could appreciate this as an aid.
by Jean VanierI Meet Jesus: He Tells Me “I Love You” - Sadly, this is out of print, but you can sometimes get decent used copies, and I frequently give it as a gift. The layout and wording are incredibly simple, but the content is much more profound than one might realize. Honestly, it’s just as good for adults as it is for kids, if any are willing to read it.
I Walk with Jesus is an excellent companion book (also out of print, look for a good one used periodically). For adults, I would highly recommend Jean Vanier’s
Jesus: Gift of Love.
Fiction
If she hasn’t read Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia yet, now is the age to start.
