For Parents

The most important thing your kid will ever know is what God already says about them.

We wrote this series for the moms and dads raising tweens in a world that yells louder every year. Six books, one Stranger, ninety lives, built to help your kid walk away knowing they are known, loved, and sent.

Buy the Curriculum →

The Philosophy

Identity first. Performance second. Always.

Most kids' Bibles teach kids what to do. I Changed the World teaches kids who they are. The order matters.

Belonging before performance

Adam was loved before he did one thing. Same with David in the field. Same with your kid right now. Every book closes with the truth that they belong before they earn it.

"My story begins with love, not performance.", from the Adam curriculum

Identity is revealed, not earned

Sin is believing lies about who God is and who your kid is. Growth is learning to agree with God. Your kid doesn't have to become someone, they have to discover who they already are.

"I am who God says I am.", Anchor Truth, Rahab curriculum

The Stranger is always there

Christ shows up in every Old Testament story, sometimes obvious, sometimes hidden. Across the series, your kid learns to see Him on every page. By the last book, they know who He is.

God is always Near · Kind · Pursuing · Inviting (never forcing).

What we believe, in one sentence

We are not teaching kids to try harder, perform more, or be braver. We are inviting kids to trust God's presence, live from belonging, and discover the courage that already exists within them.

Pastor Mark · On Video · For Your Kid

Mark Batterson reads to your kid himself.

When you pick up the curriculum, every week comes with a short video of Pastor Mark speaking directly to your kid. The same NYT bestselling author of The Circle Maker and Chase the Lion, anchoring each chapter, looking your tween in the eye, ending with prayer.

In production, first episodes drop with the curriculum launch.

A Connected Universe

Six books. One Stranger. Ninety lives.

Every story in the series connects to every other one. The same Stranger threads through all six. Tap any cover to step inside that hero's world, the same pages your kid will explore.

Adam

Miriam

Rahab

David

Benaiah

Zachariah

Get a Sample Chapter →

Meet the Stranger

One man. Every book.

He shows up in every story. Different time. Different place. Same scarred palms. By the end of the box set, your kid will know who he is. Until then, the mystery is half the magic.

Walk His Trail →

Sample Scenes

Two scenes. One God who shows up in both.

A look inside two books. Each page in the series reads like this, every one a film moment with a lesson seed.

Miriam coating the basket with pitch by firelight

Book Two · Miriam

Coating the basket by firelight.

From Miriam · Chapter 3 · Exodus 2

It's the dead of night. Miriam, twelve years old, is awake while her mother coats the inside of a papyrus basket with pitch and tar. They are sealing it watertight because tomorrow, before sunrise, her baby brother will be inside it, drifting down the Nile. The river is full of crocodiles. The current is strong. And there is no other plan.

Miriam isn't crying. She is paying attention. Whatever happens to that basket on that river, she is going to be on the bank watching.

Lesson Seed

"Trusting God when I don't understand." Miriam doesn't know how the story ends. She just doesn't look away.

✦

Young Adam meeting the Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit, in the wild garden of Eden

Book One · Adam

The first kid met all three.

From Adam · Chapter 1 · Genesis 1, John 1

Adam opens his eyes for the first time, and standing in front of him are three. The Father with His arm around him. The Son to his right, smiling like He has been waiting for this moment forever. The Spirit glowing through the wildflowers. "Let us make him," they had said. And here he stands.

There are waterfalls behind him he has not yet named. There are creatures in the trees he has not yet greeted. He is not afraid. He is the most loved kid in creation, and he can feel it before he understands it.

Lesson Seed

"Experiencing the wonder of God." Adam isn't being taught about God. He is standing in front of all three of Him.

About the Curriculum

A 30-week curriculum for your home or church.

Six books. Five weeks per book. Bible-based, story-driven, and built so a tween walks away with deep convictions about who God is and who they are. Weekly video teachings from Pastor Mark Batterson, a discussion guide for the dinner table, and a rhythm any family can keep.

See the Curriculum →

Resources

Four ways to read this with your kid

Read one chapter at a time.

The simplest way to use these. One chapter at bedtime, four to five times a week, and your kid finishes a hero's whole life in about three weeks.

Open the book at chapter one. Don't preach. Just read.
Read it like a story. Use voices. Pause on the cinematic pages.
Stop on the cliffhanger. Let them want tomorrow.
Ask one question. Use the discussion guide at the back of each book if you want a prompt.

Conversations over dinner.

The real fruit of these books shows up at the kitchen table, not on the page. The discussion guide at the back of every book is built for a five-minute conversation, not a Bible study.

Pick one question per chapter. You don't have to do all of them.
Let your kid answer first. Don't correct.
Share what the story made you feel before you ask what they think.
Pray a one-sentence prayer at the end of dinner.

The full curriculum, when you're ready.

For families who want a structured rhythm: the 30-week curriculum gives you a weekly lesson plan, scripture passages, video teachings from Mark Batterson, and prompts that take your kid all the way through the series.

See the Curriculum →

The Interactive Map.

Step into the 3D living map of every story we're telling. Ninety lives. Eight eras. Find the Stranger in every world.

Open the Story Map →

Parent Q&A

Things parents ask us

Is this just another kids' Bible?

No. A kids' Bible retells the whole Bible at a kid's reading level. I Changed the World dives into one life at a time as a cinematic novel, David's whole world for 120 pages, Miriam's whole world for 120 pages. By the time your kid finishes the series, they have an emotional, visual map of how the Bible's story fits together.

What translation are the scripture quotes from?

The Message (MSG), Eugene Peterson's paraphrase. We chose it because it lets a tween hear scripture as language, not as homework. Discussion guides include parallel ESV/NIV references for parents who want to compare.

Are these stories appropriate for sensitive kids?

Yes. We don't sanitize the danger, David really does fight Goliath, Rahab really does live in a city under siege, but we never make the violence the point. The tone is closer to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe than to a war movie.

Do I need to read them in order?

No. Each book stands alone. But the Stranger thread builds across the six, by the time your kid finishes them, they will see Christ everywhere in the Old Testament. Reading order doesn't matter; reading all of them does.

How does this fit with our church or homeschool?

The 30-week curriculum aligns with a school year and works inside Sunday school, midweek small groups, or homeschool Bible time. See the curriculum →

Why only six books published when you mention 90 lives?

Six are out now. Eighty-four more are in development. The 3D universe map shows you every life we are writing toward, from Adam in the garden to John on Patmos. We are building a full cinematic biblical universe for tweens, one book at a time.

Stay Connected

Join the mailing list

New books, new films, learning resources, events. We write a few times a season, only when there's something worth saying.

Reach a real person

Questions about the books, the curriculum, or speaking? Email us directly.

hello@ichangedtheworldbooks.com

Share with Others

Pass it on

Know a family raising tweens? Send them the link.