Camping Chaos: Jack & Bea's Survival Guide to Church

I recommend reading the series in order, but children will still enjoy and appreciate ‘Camping Chaos’ if they haven’t read the earlier books.

Jack and Bea are camping with their church. Their friend Bob the church caretaker helps them to navigate both camping and faith, as they witness the good, bad and ugly side of Church People and their relationships. My boys and I love the humour in these books, but also the way questions are raised and addressed – they’re perfect for any child raised in the church who might be slightly (or very) cynical of church culture. They’re very easy reads, but manage to pack in a lot of helpful framing for kids on all aspects of Christian life – from how Christians treat each other, to what the bible says about different situations.

I read them to my boys, but they’re set out well for young readers who want to read independently: whilst these are chapter books (suitable for 7-11s), there are pictures on most pages, and the text is well spaced out, making it an un-daunting reading prospect. A great encouragement for older-primary aged church kids.