Franklin and Bessie’s Picks—August 2026

August 13, 2026


Each month, Franklin Graham picks a book based on its inspirational message, while the Library staff selects a “Bessie’s Pick” book for children to enjoy.


Franklin’s Pick: The War on Children: Providing Refuge for Your Children in a Hostile World by John F. MacArthur

“The war for the hearts and minds of our children is on, and John MacArthur’s new book will show you where the strategic battles are being fought and how to engage biblically.” Kirk Cameron – Husband, Father, Actor, Filmmaker

In The War on Children, bestselling author, John MacArthur, offers the tools needed to understand the enemy’s battle plan and be ready for the next assault. As God’s people, we need to:

  • Teach our children God’s Word
  • Train them in righteousness
  • Give them wise and biblically based guidance
  • And above all, give them our extravagant love

Every day, on a multitude of battlefronts, Satan is deploying weapons of mass corruption against our children. Modern culture has been systematically designed with an agenda that is aggressively anti-God, anti-Christ, and anti-Scripture, intended to corrupt and consume young, impressionable hearts and minds.

We are in the middle of a dangerous ideological conflict with eternity at stake. Christian parents cannot simply float passively along with the drift of our culture. We need to:

  • Be aware of the threats this world poses to our children
  • Understand the enemy’s battle plan and be ready for the next assault
  • Prepare our children for the attacks they will face from a culture intent on their destruction.

Bessie’s Pick: The Man in the Tree and a Brand New Start by Carl Laferton with Illustrations by Catalina Echeverri

Teach children that genuine faith in Jesus leads to a transformed life.

Zacchaeus was very short, very rich, and not very happy, but his encounter with Jesus changed everything.

In response to the grace Jesus showed him, Zacchaeus was transformed from the inside out. He repented, treasured Jesus above everything else, and showed kindness and generosity to others like never before.

Use this story to teach children that only following Jesus will make them truly happy and fulfilled, and that genuine repentance and faith is demonstrated by loving others.


Stop by Ruth’s Attic bookstore in the Billy Graham Library to purchase your copy of these featured books and more. Not in Charlotte? Call (704) 401-3242 or email ralibrary@bgea.org to place your order. Orders can be shipped within the U.S. or curbside pickup is available in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the Billy Graham Library.


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