First Communion and Confirmation Faith Filled Gift Ideas
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And with Baptisms, First Communions and Confirmations filling up my calendar for the next several months of Sundays, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite faith filled gifts with you. Click on the titles to take you to the links for purchase.
by Carey Wallace (Author), Khoa Le (Illustrator)
Ages 3-8
This gorgeous book invites children and grown ups alike to see the wonder of the Psalms. Psalms are sometimes joyful, worried, angry or peaceful. There is space for all the emotions in the Psalms and with God. These poems echo and condense the Psalms, recalling the phrases that hold power in our hearts and minds.
My sons received one of these from their grandmother when they were small. It is now our go to gift for baptisms and first communions. Give the bear a squeeze and it plays the Lord’s Prayer. A great way to teach the prayer to the child and also comfort them in the midst of dark dreams.
by Lisa M. Hendey (Author), Katie Broussard (Illustrator)
Ages 4-8
With delightful illustrations from my friend Katie Broussard, this book reminds children (and the adults reading it aloud!) that we each have a special call and connection with God. In enchanting prose, Lisa Hendey, shares stories of saints to help the reader see God’s calling in their own lives.
Finding Calm in Nature: A Guide for Mindful Kids
By Jennifer Grant
Ages 8-12
I adored Grant’s Dimming the Day, a marvelous little book to read a chapter before bed for sweet dreams so much, that I bought it for all my friends. Now she has a little cousin book for children, teaching children to manage their feelings and find calm. This book is gorgeous! With quotes, stories and beautiful illustrations, a kid will love to get lost in this sweet book.
by Carey Wallace (Author), Nick Thornborrow (Illustrator)
Ages 5-10
Carey Wallace’s stunning book, Stories of the Saints, recalls tales of real people who struggled through difficult times but held to their hope and faith. Gorgeously illustrated by video game and comic book artist Nick Thornborrow, Stories of the Saints inspires with accounts of supernatural strength (both inner and bodily) and courage of ordinary people who answered God’s call.
The stories are told in chronological order. There is something special about reading them this way, spanning the panorama of church history from Polycarp, who was taught by the apostle John (one generation away from Jesus), to Teresa of Calcutta, whose work we saw shining from our television screens.
by Daniel Nayeri
Ages 11 and up
Even as a grown up, this book was my favorite of 2020. Both my sons read and reread it and then handed it off to their friends. It was a hit.
This is a true story of Daniel’s escape from Iran when a fatwa was placed on his mother for becoming a Christian and his attempt to fit in middle school in Oklahoman but it is so much more than that. Daniel is a storyteller. In the tradition of One Thousand and One Nights in the midst of middle school culture, Daniel tells stories to help his classmates understand who he is but also to make sense of his epic tale of God’s presence in his life.
happy are those: ancient wisdom for modern life
by Heather Choate Davis
For teens who might be a little skeptical about faith at the moment. This little book of wisdom says it is “spiritual but not religious” and points to the Psalms for that wisdom. I slipped this in my teens stockings this year and caught them reading it.
I just picked up this precious rosary for a special young lady being Confirmed this month. It is gorgeous and I love that she will have her own as she learns to pray and hold Jesus close.
Of course, they have other colors too. I thought the pink was lovely.