Holiday gift guide, 2014

Kristy Shelton. Blind Hope
Set in rural Tennessee at the onset of World War II, this novel is the second for Shelton, a teacher, coach and member of Northlake Church of Christ in Tucker, Ga.
More Christian fiction: Prolific Christian thriller author Ted Dekker’s first attempt at biblical fiction, “A.D. 30” (Center Street, 2014), has a Bedouin princess heroine who encounters Jesus during a “Lawrence of Arabia”-type quest.
For Children and Teens

Houston and Karen Heflin. I Promise It’s True . Abilene, Texas: Stealthy Bee, 2014. 36 pages. $11.99.
For tweens: Tweens (ages 10 to 12) who are looking for a

Michael Mitchell. Life Lessons for Dad: Tea Parties, Tutus and All Things Pink. Nashville, Tenn.: B&H Publishing Group, 2014. 224 pages. $12.99.

Drawn from his blog, “Life to Her Years,” (lifetoheryears.com) and illustrated with personal photos, Mitchell offers simple, touching advice for dads with daughters. The author is director of admissions at Oklahoma Christian University and a member of the Mayfair Church of Christ in Oklahoma City.
Also for parents: Jill Savage and Kathy Koch urge parents to stop forcing their children to live out their parents’ dreams — and to stop comparing their kids to their friends’ offspring — in “No More Perfect Kids: Love Your Kids for Who They Are
FOR EVERYONE

Phil and Al Robertson. Duck Commander Faith and Family Bible . Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson, 2014. 1216 pages. $29.99.
With the full text of the New King James Version, this Bible comes hardcover or leather-bound and includes 30 stories from Phil and Al Robertson, “Duck Dynasty” stars and elders of the White’s Ferry Road Church of Christ in West Monroe, La. It also includes 125 topical articles written by the Robertson patriarch and his oldest son.
For church leaders: The “Ministry Essentials Bible-NIV” (Hendrickson Publishers, 2014) promises elders, ministers, missionaries and church members quick access to tools for everyday ministry issues. The Bible includes 250 articles by church leaders on topics including managing and motivating volunteers, managing conflict and ministering to someone with an eating disorder.