Finding Faith in Fiction: Book Review of Wondrous Reading

 A Presbyterian minister told me that many of the young parents in her inner city church were and are in great need of basic training, so she extended help by offering a Sunday afternoon class. No, not the kind of class with a popular Christian parenting book or a video channel with the latest blend of faith and child psychology. Rather, her session centered on healthy family habits, beginning with the most basic interactions.

In this class, she described a typical parenting day with ups and downs and casually mentioned bedtime prayer and stories. By the expressions she saw, she instantly knew that few of the parents and guardians prayed or regularly read to their children. She hadn’t even made it to the point in her notes where she asked them to read the Bible. And so, a solitary parenting class became a full year of discipleship.

Yes, studies show that the ease and rise of screen time competes for these precious evening minutes or any gap of time in the day, but the HarperCollins UK survey from 2025 also reveals that fewer parents see a purpose for reading together. They simply don’t do it. The lack of purpose is altogether disheartening. It is likely what my minister friend discerned—that all families do not know that spending purposeful time interacting together as readers can strengthen God-given bonds, love, and affection. My friend responded to the need by adding weekly classes and introducing these families to many activities and ideas, not to fill schedules but to show them that they could shape who they were becoming as families with God in the center.

According to cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, when children develop a sense that being a reader is part of who they are, a virtuous cycle of growth begins. It’s not just how they feel about reading. It becomes a daily choice whenever time offers an opportunity. And reading together is about what we give and receive. It can be more than a school reading program, more than minutes we count, more than conversation, even more than the nurturing moments of holding a child on a lap. These times can hold greater potential if we can see it.
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In Wondrous Reading: Encountering the Catholic Faith in Children’s Literature, LuElla D’Amico makes a spiritual distinction that equips those struggling to see reading’s purpose. The shared literary space with our children not only cultivates reading habits but also “nurture[s] a space for meaningful conversations that can bond you and develop your spiritual acumen.” This intention sets it apart from other family guides. It is with others, in communion, that our minds and hearts are engaged, not only our emotions but also our spirits. . . .​

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