bibles for 8 and 10yo..recommendations please!

[timetosmile]

Hi, DS (10) and DD (nearly 8) both good readers, have decided to graduate from Bible story books to the real thing.
I have looked at the NCV version Youth Bible, and although the text is bang on for DS's reading age, and probable OK for DD too, I wonder whether some of the 'added extra' topics are a bit grown up in content for him (definately for her!)
But then, I would like to get one they can grow with for the next few years.
What versions worked/didn't work for you and your children? ?NCV ?NIV youth ??
Thanks

dd has the golden children's bible and works through it with the christian study books (I-III) from Memoria Press. Not too much detail - spilling seed on the ground , angels visiting Lot etc. I didn't want all that

So depends what you want. Lot of pictures

The Manga bible here. My boys all loved it. Youth Bible definitely more teen oriented.

Also Lion Graphic Bible and the International CHildren's Bible, DD has this (it's a proper, full bible, just in a fairly readable translation.)

this and this are bible story books, but very beautiful and a bit more advanced than some others.

I can recommend this one:

www.eden.co.uk/international-childrens-bible

There is a youth bible which is virtually the same, but the extra topics, whilst dealt with in a sensitive manner, aren't things that 8/10 year olds generally think of (like alcohol consumption etc)

Was also going to recommend the ICB, it's good.
The Message version for children is a good one but not a translation, more the stories, but a bit more grown up than all those little kids bibles, my two (10 and 7) love it.

Or there's always the Good News - old but does the job, my children have one each and can understand it easily.

The Candle editions are brilliant, and they also have a prayer book which is fab!

I'm a novelist, and I am currently penning my 2nd draft of a childrens' Bible (slightly younger 5-6 year olds!).

For when your 10 year old is about 12 I'd recommend the new century version (in a youth Bible format) I found that brilliant when I was saved as it breaks things down and explains each book of the Bible and who wrote it etc.

I think the best bible for children is the Good News Bible.
It's written in an accessible way, but doesn't change too much of the text.
(i think the message seems to leave chunks out, and it's a bit too "street")

My bible was Good News, and I still use it now, 23 years later (i was given it when I was 9, i think), as a modern version of the KJV.

do not like the NIV at all (although the 2010 version seems to be a bit better)

I wouldn't keep to Bible Stories format, if they're moving on from that - so basically avoid anything that markets itself as a children's bible.

Why don't you like the NIV out of interest, nickel? When I studied for my theology degree we used the RSV/NRSV but my lecturers told me the NIV was actually just as accurate if not more so, that's always stuck with me as I hadn't thought it was. Do want to get a new NIV though. I love the NIV study bible, mine is very bashed up now as it's the version I still use the most.

the NIV is notorious for making the language too difficult to understand - it was supposed to be a more modern translation, and more easy for people today to understand (up-to-date language), but tehy used over-complicated words and phrases, and sometimes it was easier to look in the KJV and translate it into modern english from there!
The latest edition of the NIV does address some of those complicated lanugage problems, and in doing so, becomes closer to the KJV in its translation. (allowing for the use of the the non-gender-specific person, which apparently the Greek does, but the old english uses "man" or "he" when they mean "person" or "he/she", but that's how they did it, then, so it wasn't inaccurate from the Greek , it was just out-of-date)

the new NIV is more accurate, and the RSV is quite inaccurate, compared with the Greek, mainly because they tried to do a new modern translation, but were actually translating from old english translations, rather than directly form the Greek.

the KJV is a very accurate translation (there was a programme on this the other night), but certain words and phrases are chosen over others, which mean the same in essence, but can be misinterpreted, because they chose words that basically said that KJ was brilliant, and his divine right was protected iyswim.

Interesting nickel, thanks. May well invest in a new NIV study bible. I do hate the old 'mankind' language etc.

I would go for the NIV or possibly ESV as a proper bible and as previous comments a youth version is more for teenagers and try and find suitable reading scheme the bible does have some scary bits and lots that's difficult to explain but then so does the six o'clock news

Was brought up with KJV (but now read NIV at church and mostly ESV at home) which is more old fashioned but has truly beuatiful english and if you ever want to memorise it is easier as flows well

some have metrical versions of psalms my sunday school class liked finding ones that had their feelings such as I am lonely and no-one is my friend

nickel I saw that programme too it was really good as so many chrsitian programmes are really critical and this one was positive!