A Short Guide to the Bible

Tim Chester

This is a fantastic little booklet. It's fun. It's clear. It answers all the questions about the Bible that you were afraid to ask in case you sounded stupid. And best of all, it will help you to start reading the Bible for yourself. I wish someone had given it to me when I was 10 years old.

Caroline Saunders

A Short Guide to the Bible is the perfect primer to come alongside tweens as they get into God's Word. It's practical, clear, foundational, and engaging, and it wisely counsels kids through aspects of the Bible that may overwhelm them. I cannot wait to give it to my own kids and the kids at my church!

“Short and Sweet Scripture Primer”

A Short Guide to the Bible is just that! It's a helpful resource for kids cultivating Bible literacy habits for the first time. This booklet contains hand drawn illustrations similar to infographics, making it a fun, captivating read. A Short Guide to the Bible explores how the Bible came to be, an overview of the story of redemption, and the literary genres of the Bible. It helps readers learn about various people mentioned in the Bible and has a few different Bible reading plans for those new to habitual Bible reading.

The pages Useful Bible Verses contain three columns of verses about various topics, and I love that the first two columns are verses about God. The third column includes verses that address various feelings Bible readers may have, and I love that the order of the verses indicates that reading the Bible is primarily for learning about God and then for applying it to our lives.

The booklet includes pages detailing who Jesus and God are. While the page about God does mention the Holy Spirit, I was a little disappointed to see that there was not an entire page dedicated to Him. In the section, A Very Helpful Habit, readers are encouraged to pray and ask the Holy Spirit for help as they read the Bible, which was encouraging, but it would have been nice to see Him receive the same amount of attention as Jesus and God.

Despite this, this booklet is still a fabulous resource that receives my recommendation. This would be a great resource for distribution in children's ministry classes, especially amongst children who can read on their own. At just under $5, A Short Guide to the Bible is worth every penny.

“A Short, Helpful Guide”

This brief, staple-bound book introduces kids to the basics of reading and understanding the Bible. Each double page spread covers a different topic, such as finding your way around the Bible, understanding who Jesus is, and what the Old and New Testaments are about. The book introduces some significant biblical figures, answers common questions, directs kids to particular Bible passages to learn more about something, and includes a timeline of the redemptive story throughout Scripture. Katy Morgan encourages kids to feel confident exploring the Bible on their own, and she assures them that it is okay to not understand everything yet.

This is a quick, easy read, and it can help kids better understand the Bible and know where to start, if they want to develop a personal Bible-reading habit. However, the font is sometimes extremely small. Also, there are a few cases where I thought the author's brevity worked against her.

On the Bible dictionary page, she says about Jesus's sacrifice, "...If we make Jesus the Lord of our lives, we already have a perfect relationship with God the Father, and we don't need to do anything else." I agree with what she really means, which is that we don't have to do anything else to earn our salvation. However, the phrasing implies that you can't improve your relationship with God, and that you can just believe in Jesus and then live however you want. This sentence needed more nuance and explanation.

This is a helpful resource for kids who want to learn about the Bible, but who feel overwhelmed when they try to read it. This book can help kids understand and pursue reading the Bible for themselves, and it would be a nice gift for a child who has recently professed faith or been baptized. Also, because of its low price point and the option for bulk discounts from the publisher, this could also be a great giveaway for kids in a church class.

I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

“Helping Kids Understand God’s Word”

A Short Guide to the Bible by Katy Morgan is a helpful and approachable book designed for young students—especially those around age 8 and up. It serves as a gentle introduction to the most important book they’ll ever read: the Bible.

Illustrated by Patrick Laurent, the book is filled with black-and-white drawings that kids can color in—making it interactive and fun while they learn.

Helping Kids Understand God’s Word

This guide equips kids to read and understand the Bible for themselves. It explains how the whole Bible fits together, gives short intros to each book and genre, and includes a clear timeline of the Bible’s story to show the big picture.

This book would make the perfect gift for young graduations and baptisms. Honestly, it’s the book I wish I had when I was a kid and wanted to dive in to God’s word!

I received a media copy of A Short Guide to the Bible and this is my honest review.

“Clear, Grounded, and Encouraging”

This little book was such a refreshing read. In just a few pages, Katy Morgan manages to offer a sweeping, clear, and deeply encouraging overview of the Bible—without ever feeling overwhelming or dry.

What I appreciated most is how she connects the big story of Scripture with the heart of God. It’s not just a summary of events, it’s an invitation to see the Bible as one unified story of redemption, filled with purpose and hope.

Morgan writes with clarity and warmth, making this a perfect book for preteens, new believers, or anyone who wants to understand the Bible better without needing a seminary degree. Even as someone who’s read the Bible for years, I found myself learning, reflecting, and feeling re-grounded in truth.

Highly recommend this for family devotions, homeschool Bible time, or as a gift for someone who’s just starting to explore faith.

“So great!”

This little pamphlet packs so much helpful information into just 30 pages! From simple ideas like how references work to the history of how we got the Bible, this supplement is an incredible resource for kids to better understand the Bible!

It includes maps, breakdowns of the categories of New and Old Testament books, key people, useful Bible verses, a picture of how the whole Bible works together, and more. The graphic style makes it super easy to read, and it’s less than $5 (a must-buy, IMO).

*I received a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

“Perfect guide for kids!”

This is a fantastic book for little (growing!) disciples who are reading the Bible more and possibly even on their own!

💥A lot is packed in to a small book:
Timelines, maps, definitions, a breakdown of the old and new testaments, common questions, overviews, and even more!

💥It gets right to the point and helps the reader to start their time in the Bible with a bird's eye view before diving deeper.

This is something that I would've loved as a child and you better believe I'll be passing it to my 8 year old just as soon as this is posted. 😆🙌🏼

“Easy to navigate”

This is a easy to use resource that can help children understand the Bible! There are many prompts and questions that can help your child gain independence as they dive deeper into the Bible. This resource does a great job of defining words and concepts in a way for children to understand while not under cutting the theological significance. If your child is looking to dive deeper into the Bible or even has a small interest in the Bible, this would be a great resource for them!

“Gives kids the confidence to open their Bibles!”

I wish I had something like this when I was little. The Bible appeared massive, intimidating, and incomprehensible. Having a guide that explained the simplest things (like how to find a verse), to the more complicated things (like the overall story of the Bible), would have made a huge impact on my approach to the Bible.

Morgan answers big questions in a clear and engaging way. Some topics include: What is God Like? How Did We Get the Bible? Useful Bible Verses. A Fact File on Jesus. A Bible Who’s Who. There are also maps, definitions, and a glance at the whole Bible as a timeline with books of the Bible and key people.

Overall, this short book presents the Bible in an approachable and understandable way that will give kids and adults the confidence to open their Bibles! This book is recommended for ages 8-12, but I think anyone new to the Bible, or still struggling with where to start, can benefit from this handy, information packed guide. The style, set-up, and look of this book is also fantastic as it helps draw you in to keep learning more!

*I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

“Wonderful Resource”

This is another wonderful resource from Katy Morgan. We have had the privilege of reading and reviewing several of her books and we have loved all of them.

This is not a book but rather a guide to navigating The Book - The Bible. The Bible can be quite intimidating for adults, teens and kids. This short but impactful guide provides several basic foundational stepping stones.

Sections included:

- Where to start with reading the Bible

- A brief summary of the entire Bible

- Historical and literary facts about the Bible

- Verses to fit specific situations

- Short character studies

And much more! My kids and I very much appreciated the graphics included in the guide. It's very engaging for older children who are beginning their journey of independent Bible reading.

This is a handy little book to assist children as they explore the beauties of the Bible.

I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.