Ultimate Bible for Children: Adventure Bible Review (2025)

Looking for the perfect full-text version for your child? The Adventure Bible is full of features for young hearts and a first choice for Christian homeschooling families.

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Storyschooling Top Pick

NASB, Adventure Bible, Hardcover

Age 6-13

This is a great full text Bible for children without commentary. Includes helpful notes and historical and cultural details for context as well as maps and many other features. Read My Review below to see why I recommend the NASB.

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As Christian homeschool mamas, we’re always on the lookout for tools that help our children not only learn God’s word but love it. We don’t just want to check off a box on a reading plan — we want our children to meet Jesus on every page. If you’ve been wondering whether the Adventure Bible is a good fit for your family, you have come to the right place.

What is the Adventure Bible?

This great Adventure Bible has been a much-loved favourite in many Christian homes and homeschool circles and for good reason. It strikes a beautiful balance between solid Scripture and engaging, age-appropriate content that helps kids explore God’s Word. It is a full-text children’s Bible designed specifically for ages 8 to 12. However, with illustrations and text boxes on almost every double-page spread, I am happy to recommend this edition for children as young as 6 years of age.

While targeted at children, I don’t believe the content and illustrations are too juvenile that it couldn’t take older readers right through to their teen years. In fact, some parents have claimed their teens haven’t been ready to let their Adventure Bible go when they are older.

Published by Zondervan, it comes in different translations which include the NASB (New American Standard), NKJV (New King James Version), NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), NIrV (New International Revised Version) and NIV (New International Version). The NIrV Adventure Bible and the NIV Adventure Bible are for a lower reading age. The NIrV is a less accurate thought-for-thought translation while the NIV sits somewhat in the middle between a word-for-word and a thought-for-thought translation.

Thought-for-thought translations can leave room for variations in the interpretation of what the original Hebrew and Greek texts mean. The NRSV is on the lower end of a word-for-word translation, the NKJV a little further along, with the NASB being on the higher end of the word-for-word translations.

The NASB version is a huge plus for mamas who prefer a more word-for-word approach to Scripture, meaning each word in the original Hebrew and Greek is considered, making for a more literal translation of the original. It is for this reason that I recommend the NASB Adventure Bible for readers of all ages.

I don’t believe young children necessarily need an “easy” full version of the Bible while they are learning to read. Unless your child has learning or developmental challenges, early readers can learn to read with any translation. In fact, exposing children to advanced vocabulary at a young age helps them to comprehend classic literature, such as Shakespeare and other older works, that they will be encountering throughout their Storyschooling Journey. However, if your child is struggling with reading or you prefer another version, choose the one that works best for your family.

One of the main goals here at Storyschooling is for our children to know God’s word, all of it, and to know it well before they become adults. While the NKJV and the NIV are considered to be written at a grade 7 level and the NASB at a grade 11 level, I do not believe the more literal translation of the NASB is sufficiently more advanced in its vocabulary to preclude it from being considered for early readers. When you consider that many children achieve fluency in their reading in the first year or so of learning to read, the expense of an interim translation for such a short period of time can often be unnecessary.

NKJV, Adventure Bible, Hardcover, Full Color

Features That Shine

I find the layout and graphics appealing, even as an adult. While it is designed to appeal to children as young as 6 years of age, I feel it could easily be used by children into their teens years due to the fact that the graphics and special features are not overly juvenile.

What makes it so helpful for children are the thoughtful, faith-building extras and special pages scattered throughout the Bible for ease of use and added comprehension and application. It is filled with colourful, themed features that bring the Bible to life for young readers. Here’s a peek at some of the extras inside:

Words to Treasure: Carefully selected key verses to help children hide God’s Word in their hearts.
Did You Know?: Fun trivia and interesting facts that make kids stop and think. The helpful explanations are perfect for trivia-loving learners.
Life in Bible Times: These fascinating snapshots teach about ancient culture; what people wore, ate and how they lived, helping children visualise the biblical world.
People in Bible Times: Text boxes with summaries of the major players in God’s big story.
Live It!: Practical applications encouraging children to put their faith into action. These incorporate simple activities to use as memory prompts to recall what they have learned.
Book Introductions: At the beginning of each book of the Bible is a title page with the book name, followed by a short summary that explains who wrote it, why it matters and how it points to God’s bigger story.
Topical Index: A great tool for researching the major themes, key events and featured people that will enhance your Bible study.
Dictionary/Concordance: A comprehensive guide for researching the meanings of words used in your Bible adventures.
Full-color Pages: 20 full-color pages containing important information and beautiful themes are placed throughout the Bible.
Color maps: Colorful visuals for the main events of the Old and New Testaments.

The Adventure Bible website also has lots of great resources you can use alongside your Adventure Bible reading and study time.

Why Families Love It

One of the things I appreciate most is how it helps children transition from condensed story-based text to full-text. If your child isn’t quite ready for a standard adult Bible, this bridges the gap beautifully. It also makes independent reading feel accessible.

The layout also matters. This Bible is clean and not overwhelming. The illustrations are bright but reverent and the text is in an appealing readable font, great even for reluctant readers. Even as an adult, I find the layout and graphics appealing. Even something as a simple as different coloured font for the page number, chapter numbers and subheadings make for ease of navigation for those who are unfamiliar with the layout of the Bible.

As well as all books of the Bible having a title page, the NASB version starts each verse on a different line making verse numbers easier to find for younger readers. The Table of Contents lists each book in Canonical as well as alphabetical order, allowing for ease of navigation.

The Adventure Bible is faithful, engaging, and designed with a heart for children’s spiritual growth. It is a great way to take your children through their Storyschooling Journey: Bible, Christian History & Literature and beyond.

As mamas, we want tools that strengthen our children’s faith, not just entertain. I have owned and read many children’s Bibles throughout my 30 parenting years and believe the Adventure Bible is one of the best. It will help your child connect with Scripture in a personal, meaningful way. A copy of this Bible makes a great gift for any child you would like to bless or as a special addition to the start of your homeschool year.