Faith and Fun in Fiction: Why Kids Need Both

Why Fun Matters
Fun is the hook. It’s what keeps kids reading when they’d rather be on a screen. Humor, adventure, and a sense of discovery pull them into a world where anything feels possible.

Think about the books you loved as a kid. Chances are, you didn’t stick with them because they were “good for you.” You stuck with them because they were exciting, funny, or just plain fun. Kids today are no different.

In The BUG Boys: The Great Scavenger Hunt, the laughter often comes from David, the loud and goofy one. He cracks jokes at the worst times, trips over his own feet, and makes his friends roll their eyes — but without him, the story wouldn’t sparkle the same way. Kids need that joy. They need characters who remind them that life with God can still be full of laughter.

Why Faith Matters
But fun by itself isn’t enough. Stories also have the power to shape a child’s worldview, to give them language for questions about courage, friendship, forgiveness, and God’s love.

Middle-grade readers are in a season of asking big questions: Who am I? What do I believe? Where do I belong? Books can either skate across the surface, or they can go deeper — gently pointing kids toward truth without making it feel like a sermon.

Faith in fiction doesn’t mean dropping a Bible verse on every page. It means letting biblical truths breathe naturally inside the story. Sometimes it’s in a moment of forgiveness, sometimes in a clue tied to scripture, and sometimes in the way a character wrestles with doubt. That’s where fun and faith meet — not as two separate ideas, but as parts of the same story.

The Blend: Where Faith Meets Fun
The real strength of storytelling shows when faith and fun aren’t separate lanes but are woven together. In The BUG Boys: The Great Scavenger Hunt, the clues themselves are a perfect example. On the surface, they’re exciting challenges that push the boys from one adventure to the next. But underneath, each clue is rooted in scripture — nudging the boys (and readers) toward spiritual discoveries.

That’s the heartbeat of this kind of writing. Kids can laugh one minute and pause in thought the next. They don’t feel lectured to, but they do feel invited to wonder about who God is and how He works in their everyday lives.

My Why
When I was in middle school, I couldn’t get enough of mystery books. I loved the “who-done-it” style stories that kept me guessing until the very last page. I wasn’t interested in faith-based books back then, but I was a voracious reader. Given the right story, I probably would have read one if it had landed in my hands.

Later, when I came to Christ in my early 20s, everything changed. It wasn’t just a small adjustment — it radically changed me as a person. My entire outlook on life shifted. What I wanted most was no longer about my own plans or dreams; it became about asking God what He wanted for my life. From that point on, I only wanted His will and His direction.

Fast forward to when I became a dad. Schools had certain requirements for kids’ reading, but my wife and I wanted to be intentional about what shaped our son’s heart and mind. We pushed back respectfully, searching for alternatives that reflected the values we wanted to pass on. We scoured bookstores, Christian bookstores, and online shops, but came up empty. There just weren’t many options for boys that combined strong storytelling with a Christian worldview.

At some point, I realized we couldn’t just keep waiting around for someone else to write that kind of book. Other boys needed Christian-based stories too — books that were fun, exciting, and faith-filled. Books that wouldn’t compromise the gospel, but would meet kids right where they are.

That’s when God stirred something in me. I’d already been involved in writing and had even co-edited a nonfiction project. But this time, the calling was clear: maybe I could try fiction. Maybe I could take my love of storytelling, my faith, and my desire for kids to know Jesus — and put it all together.

That’s how The BUG Boys was born. My deepest desire is to lead kids to Christ in a way that feels natural, not preachy. To show them through story that faith and fun can go hand in hand.

What This Means for Families and Teachers
I believe kids need stories that give them both faith and fun. Parents want books their kids will actually read, not just ones that gather dust on a shelf. Teachers and homeschoolers want stories that spark conversation and character growth without feeling heavy-handed.

When you find that balance, stories can do more than entertain. They can shape hearts. They can open doors to conversations about forgiveness, prayer, courage, and grace. And most importantly, they can plant seeds of faith in young readers that might not sprout until years later.

That’s why I believe Christian fiction for kids isn’t optional; it’s essential. Our kids need stories that don’t just entertain but also equip them for life and faith.

An Invitation to Join the Adventure
If you’ve ever wished for stories that combine belly laughs with biblical depth, that’s exactly why I wrote The BUG Boys: The Great Scavenger Hunt. It’s an adventure book kids will love — but it’s also a book that points them gently toward Jesus.

Because kids don’t have to choose between fun and faith. They need both.

I’d love for you to follow along and join the adventure. You can connect with me and other families over on The BUG Boys Facebook page