Books for Schools
Jesus told stories! Stories with a spiritual meaning, relevant for his listeners.
In a speech entitled, The Importance of Storytelling, The Rt Hon Nick Gibb, MP, said, “Would the teachings of the Bible have been so powerful had Jesus never told the story of the Good Samaritan, but simply instructed his followers to care for all humankind? … Humans are hard-wired to remember stories, to the point that psychologists have referred to stories as ‘psychologically privileged’ in the human mind.”
Dernier books are all exciting stories written from a biblical worldview!
They are excellent for:
- Class readers
- Libraries
- Gifts and Prizes
Christian values are woven into the stories, so teachers can use them with confidence, knowing they are sharing their faith in a respectful way, allowing students to consider issues of faith for themselves.
Pam Daunton, primary school teacher and author of The Dove Stone, says,
“When I go into schools to talk about my writing, I talk about how the characters in The Dove Stone learn to pray when they’re facing difficulties in life.”
We provide FREE downloadable Discussion Questions for all our titles, to help you deliver curriculum requirements and engage children with the issues raised in the stories.
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Dernier novels:
- Help church schools demonstrate their distinctive Christian character (helping with school inspections)
- Present Christian themes to students in an engaging, non-threatening manner
- Help pupils reflect on how the Christian faith might work out in practice in their own lives
- Have engaging characters, exciting plots and are great reads!
- Are also available in large print and Braille versions for pupils with sight loss*
All our newer titles are dyslexia friendly.
The easy readers have black and white illustrations. This is Claire, who has moved to the UK from Hong Kong, and is finding the winter chilly!
Reviews From Children:
“This is the best book I’ve ever read.” (We’ve had quite a few of these!)
“It was epic . . . it helped me understand what life was like as a child in WW1. It reminded me that God is interested in helping us through tough times.”
“When I read it, it makes me forget my worries and problems because I get into the book so much. Anyone would enjoy it.”
“Cool, interesting, exciting; it was a great book! I liked it that the children were detectives.”
“Another brilliant adventure!“
“I liked this book very much. I think that that overall message from this book is that people from different countries can be friends, that we are all equal and that God does answer prayers.”
Reviews From Parents And Teachers:
“I have been a passionate story-teller for much of my adult life, and not least as a teacher and then a Headteacher taking assemblies. I was always on the look out for compelling stories – and especially ones with a sensitive, appropriate and clear (and non ‘cringy’) Gospel message! Books by Dernier Publishing absolutely fit this bill! Janet Wilson, their founder, has spoken at two TISCA regional meetings and I can certainly endorse Dernier’s wide range of books across the age range (6+ to young adults) – and commend choosing such books both for assemblies and for speech day and end-of-year prizes.“
Alastair Reid, General Secretary of TISCA (The Independent Schools Christian Alliance)
“The Treasure Hunt will be very good for our juniors to read. It is an exciting story but also introduces the idea of modern day slavery. The author has successfully woven the thread of prayer throughout the story, giving children a ‘window’ on the reality of living with the Lord day by day.”
“I use the book for further discussion and learning. We have a map of the world on a wall. After each chapter we look for the country in Africa mentioned in the chapter. Then we go on the Internet and look for images and videos of other things mentioned, for example what mangroves look like, oysters, traditional dress in Gambia, village life in Uganda, crocodiles and their nests etc.”
“One of my boys was very impressed with the part where the kids killed the snake. He also learned from that book that all children around the world have dreams about the future and he was touched by the hardships and challenges they face.”
“Schools have to show they are promoting diversity and giving opportunities for moral and spiritual development so the books are great for both of these.”
CURRENT TITLES:
Easy Readers
Oliver’s Secret
Excellent for children newly arrived from Hong Kong/refugees, and to develop compassion for new arrivals.
Clare has moved house with her family, from China to England, and doesn’t know anyone. At first she is lonely, and is nervous about making friends. She prays for a cat, and Oliver turns up, but whose cat is he? Fun easy reader, with ten chapters.
Themes: New home/country, loneliness, friendship, prayer.
Nobody’s Dog
A popular book for introducing the topic of prayer.
Themes: trust, prayer, faithfulness, caring.
Luke is worried about the stray dog in the park. He wants to look after it. It’s not as easy as he thought, but he learns to trust God, as the dog gradually learns to trust him. Another lovely story for 6-8s, with dyslexia friendly text, and line illustrations.
For Readers 8-11
The Dove Stone
Brilliant for use as a class reader. Join Doran, Nico, Rhiannon and Wolf on this action-packed adventure about friendship, hatred, facing fears and finding faith, set in post-Roman Britain.
Themes: prayer, faith, friendship, bullying. Read more here.
Deepest Darkness
Perfect for sensitive children, those who enjoy thoughtful books and those who struggle with anxiety. Facing her fears one by one, Abi opens here life to the light and finds a freedom she never thought possible. No magic solution, but a book full of hope. Read more here.
Themes: anxiety, fear, panic attacks, night terrors, peace, safety, taking risks, friendship, family, prayer, hope.
I Want to Be an Airline Pilot
Perfect for children who love reading about other cultures. Through a series of adventures, Shema, an eight-year-old Rwandan goatherd from a child-led family discovers that he has a Father in heaven who cares for him. You can read more here.
Themes: education, inequality, opportunity, fear, child-led families, hope, prayer.
Living in Hope
The thrilling sequel to I want to be an Airline Pilot. Shema and his friends still have many exciting and dangerous challenges to face. A gentle introduction to the issue of child slavery. You can read more here.
Themes: new start, coercion, deception, lies, honesty, domestic slavery, caring, celebration.
Under the Tamarind Tree
Perfect for children struggling with a change in their life, and to learn about living in a new culture from a child’s perspective. The third book in the “Rwanda” series. Timo and Joshua don’t want to go and live in rural Rwanda, soon make new friends and learn that God knows best. You can read more here.
Themes: racial harmony, equity, caring, prayer, health.
The Treasure Hunt
Great for kids who love exciting mystery stories. Four Christian friends go on a treasure hunt with the church youth club, but while looking for clues they fall into another adventure. A gentle introduction to people trafficking. You can read more here.
Themes: adventure, safety, trafficking, working together, prayer, action.
Mystery in the Snow
Not long after solving their first mystery (The Treasure Hunt), Debbie, Ravi, Lance and Joel find themselves with another problem; Ravi’s shed has been burgled. Join the Christian friends as they find answers in unexpected places. You can read more here.
Themes: adventure, caring, working together, deception, theft, second chances.
The Birthday Shoes
Emily Jane goes on a series of adventures in Africa wearing her magic shoes, making friends and some exciting discoveries about God and crocodiles along the way! You can read more here.
Themes: African adventure, school work, disability, equality, gratitude, faith.
A Pennyworth Of Peppermints
A spy story set in WW1. Two lads find a message in a bottle; what does it mean? Exciting story with fascinating background to what life was like for children in the Great War. You can read more here.
Themes: war, fear, poverty, working together, prayer, enemies.
For Readers 10-14
A New Me
Jess has many challenges in her life, but when she moves house and joins a church youth club, she begins to find a new way to live. You can read more here.
Themes: alcohol abuse, new start, hope, bullying, family, care for animals.
The Beech Bank Girls Series
Brilliant for helping girls make good life choices.
These four fun stories are written from the viewpoint of six friends who have lots of fun together, but also face all sorts of troubles and disasters! You can read more here.
Themes: friendship, church, belonging, body image, step-families, bereavement, caring, online safety.
The Only Way
When a mysterious, disaffected teenager meets the beautiful and mysterious Lily, he discovers a new way to live. A brilliantly written novelwith a gripping story. There are allegorical features in this novel on many levels, making it an excellent choice for a class reader. You can read more here.
Themes: racial hatred, mystery, family, bullying, fostering, running away, meaning of life, spirituality.
London’s Gone
London has been bombed by terrorists and three teens have to make their way to safety. Only one of them is a Christian – will it make a difference to the way he reacts to the situation? You can read more here.
Themes: terrorism, fear, flight, danger, prayer.
Revenge of the Flying Carpet
Paul hates his sister, and when he finds a magic carpet in his gran’s loft, he plans revenge… but gets a lot more than he bargained for. You can read more here.
Themes: revenge, faith, mercy, dysfunctional family, hope, forgiveness.
For Readers 13+
Year 0033
Chella has lived all her life in Area IF208. Religion is banned, so Chella is used to keeping her Christian faith a secret. But when her best friend disappears and her fiancé is arrested, a new chapter of her life begins.
Themes: coercive relationships, persecution, danger, choices, consequences, forgiveness, working together.
The City Kid
Gritty story for young adults. John wants to live the high life in the city, but when he gets involved in corruption and his life falls apart, he finds new life. You can read more here.
Themes: corruption, suicide ideation, finances, choices/decisions/consequences.
D.L. Moody, famous 19th century evangelist, is reported to have said, “If I could relive my life, I would devote my whole life to reaching children for God.”
We give quantity discounts, to help with the cost of books. Please see the individual books for more details.
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* Pupils with Sight Loss
Torch Trust* makes all Dernier books available in Braille, audio, large print and giant print versions for children who need extra help to enjoy stories.
They are available in large and giant print (17pt; 20pt; 25pt; & 30pt), audio and Braille format.
We are delighted to provide the text of our books to Torch Trust free of charge. We believe children with sight loss should have the opportunity to enjoy our stories.
For further information please contact us. Or visit the Torch Trust website.
*Torch Trust is a UK charity which works to provide Christian resources and activities for blind and partially sighted people.