Arch Books

Our own Rebecca Belt shares her love of Arch books for kids, a selection of which are available right now in the church library and are the featured books for this month! (See below for catalogue):

Arch books are such a treasure to have!

I remember looking at my parent’s bookshelves when I was younger and seeing all of the larger, off-limits books (who wants a 5 year old changing the order of the encyclopedias on the shelf?!)

As many of these books were too large and complex to read on my own, I always gravitated toward those that weren’t off-limits.

One particular book that I can still picture is their Arch book (“Jon and the Lost Lamb” to be exact; the 4th Arch book in the series to be published). My grandparents also owned this book, so the familiarity was also comforting.

Fast forward 20 years. We are living at the seminary with two infants. The campus library, which had a large children’s section and was soon to be going through a remodel, was getting rid of its children’s books (which is a travesty we will touch on soon). Their whole selection of children’s books was now up for grabs.

I remember walking in and seeing the book from my childhood. This brought about a glad feeling in my heart, and I couldn’t help but get excited. But then the excitement just continued to grow as we discovered Arch book upon Arch book on the shelves. They dated from the earliest editions all the way to some of the most current. We filled bag after bag with the treasures we had found – the library was happy to see them moving, and we were happy to see the books being saved.

As I have said before, the Arch book collection is a treasure indeed. The Bible always remains the same, which means that these stories aren’t going anywhere. As many things change with the times, these stories will remain constant, and will be relevant from generation to generation. They have stood the test of time as the Arch book series, which started in 1964, enters its 56th year of publishing books for all children to read, learn, and enjoy as they explore their faith.

Each Arch book (many which rhyme) presents stories of the Bible in a way so that kids can visually see the stories with the stunning illustrations, hear the beautiful poetry that makes up each book, and experience stories from all sections of the Bible; some that are well-known and loved, and others that are lesser-known!

Our own LCMS publishing company, Concordia Publishing House (CPH) has created a legacy of these books, and takes pride in the many options that are available to obtain these books for your own. From individual books, to combined volumes, to collections, subscriptions, and treasuries, the goal is to make it an option for every home. And when that is not possible, we have such a treasured resource in our own church library! Many of the Arch books are available to be borrowed for FREE!! Once again, what a treasure we have available to us!

Kids NEED to be read to – they soak it up, and that time you get to spend reading to them and cuddling up is so precious.

I said we would touch on the travesty of not reading books with our children…Reading is when development, learning, imagination, and memories take place, why not use that time to utilize the tools available to us to teach our children about the faith?! Because when you start early, spend that time together and truly enjoy it, the benefits will last for years to come.

The Arch books are treasures, the church library is a treasure, and our children and grandchildren are certainly treasures. Do not let any of them fall by the wayside. Find an Arch book, help keep our church library stocked with quality books, and grab your children close as you explore what all of these treasures have to offer.

From the Librarian:

Arch books are available at the church library (by the Sunday School office past the Fellowship Hall; just remove and fill out the checkout card in the back.)

Arch Books Catalogue:

The 10 Commandments

The Easter Victory

The Shepherd’s Christmas

Jesus Calls His Disciples

Jesus and the Woman at the Well

Joseph Forgives His Brothers

The Baby King

Jesus Rides into Jerusalem

The Boy Who Ran Away

God Called Abraham, God Calls You

The Christmas Connection

David and Jonathan

God Provides Victory Through Gideon

Jesus and the Woman at the Well

Jesus Walks Away

God Provides Victory Through Gideon

Holy Spirit my Helper

The Great Surprise

Jesus Forgives Peter

God my Creator x2

Timothy Joins Paul x2

Jesus my Savior x2

The Boy with a Sling x2

Wishlist:

-Arch Books Treasury: Life of Jesus (CPH)

-Any Arch books not in collection

View the New Books catalogue here. Many have been added! Be sure and browse this new resource to aid your study. Many of the books have been published in just the last few years.