Dear Parents,
Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the internet.
In Jan. 2020, I decided to fill a need and stepped into the role of Sunday school teacher at my Dad’s church. After several years, it felt so good to be back in the Word and teaching it to children. But, I was still living one foot in the world and one foot in the church. That all ended in March, though, when everything shut down.
In April, I started writing a fictional short story about my nieces and nephews that I could read aloud to them during lockdown. Since we had our family “bubble,” and I was spending so much time with them. But I didn’t do much with the tale and soon forgot about it.
Fast forward to May when I found myself pondering my life. (As I am sure many others did at that time.) I realized I had been such a selfish person, living only for me. I was ready to start living for God. He never stopped calling me, always watched over me, and answered my prayers. He saved my life a few times and the life of my daughter when her appendix burst. He is such a faithful Father. I felt it was time to fully recommit myself to His purpose.
I knew that the world would go back to normal again, so I asked God for a task that could benefit His Kingdom when the time came. He reminded me about the short story I started writing about my family, and suddenly, it came to life. All these ideas started flowing. Ideas that were so fantastic, I knew they were from the Holy Spirit. I felt Him call me to write a Christ-centered series for middle graders and that I needed to self-publish it.
Now, when I was ten years old, I read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It made such an impact on me that I told myself someday I would write a book for God. But over the next 40 years, the dream was forgotten in what I refer to as my time in the “wilderness.” But God remembered it. He is so amazing how He never forgets our dreams. Isn’t He? Still, the thought of self-publishing terrified me. Where would I even start?
I researched everything I could find on how to do this properly. And one thing I discovered is that the Christian fiction market is sorely lacking in Christ-centered middle-grade books. I’m talking about stories that include transparent gospel themes.
There are a few out there, and of course, there are bible-story chapter books and devotionals. And let’s not forget about The Dead Sea Squirrels. But mostly there are fantasy books with underlying Christian themes (allegory) which could be interpreted any way, whether you are a Christian or non-believer.
Don’t get me wrong, I love fantasy with Christian allegory. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is my all-time favorite book after all. And Wingfeather Saga—hello! But isn’t it time we gave our middle graders bold stories that include the Gospel without hiding them under symbolism?
Most parents say their kids aren’t enthusiastic about reading Christian fiction. The stories are boring or cheesy or too preachy. But the answer isn’t watering down the Gospel message or hiding it under symbolism. The answer is to offer middle graders exciting adventures with kids like them who pray to God, ask Jesus for strength, and hear the Holy Spirit—fun tales filled with humor, love, relatable characters, redemption, and spiritual growth.
I soon understood why God gave me this task. There is a great need for Christ-centered middle grade fiction. He gave me this series to fill only a small fraction of the void. It’s way past time for a middle-grade revival, and maybe books could be the answer. We’ve all seen secular book series start movements. I’m not saying that could be The Chosen Kids Saga, but maybe it will open the door for Christian publishers to start producing bold, Christ-centered books that actually say the name of our Savior. Maybe it could even lead to a middle-grade Jesus revolution. Wouldn’t that be amazing? With God, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26).
I hope you will consider The Chosen Kids Saga for your child. God gave me this Gospel-centered series to help edify their walk with Him. I hope they find joy in reading about flawed young believers, answering their calling and finding their identity in Christ, while becoming warriors for God.
And maybe you might enjoy the books too.
Blessings,
RM Ruiz
