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Big Questions
What Happens When We Die?:
Answers to tough questions that help 9-13s grow in confident and considered faith.
Sooner or later, kids have big questions about God, life, faith and the Bible, especially when their friends start asking them about what they believe. A common one What happens when we die?
Big questions deserve good answers. This warm, empathetic book looks at what the Bible says to help 9-13s think through this big question for themselves. It tackles common fears and stereotypes about the afterlife, and will excite readers about the promise of the new creation. Lively stories and illustrations make this book easy for this age group to engage with.
Sooner or later, kids have big questions about God, life, faith and the Bible, especially when their friends start asking them about what they believe. A common one What happens when we die?
Big questions deserve good answers. This warm, empathetic book looks at what the Bible says to help 9-13s think through this big question for themselves. It tackles common fears and stereotypes about the afterlife, and will excite readers about the promise of the new creation. Lively stories and illustrations make this book easy for this age group to engage with.
96 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2021
8 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Chris Morphew
36 books152 followersChris Morphew is an author, teacher, and school chaplain living in Sydney, Australia.
He has written twelve books for the best-selling Zac Power series, as well as his own six-book young adult series, The Phoenix Files. He’s also co-written The Gateway, an eight-book series for primary school kids about a hotel for aliens, alongside Rowan McAuley and David Harding.
His latest books are Best News Ever, a 100-day guide to the Gospel of Mark, and The Big Questions, a series of short books answer tough questions about life and faith.
Chris enjoys Mario Kart, obscure board games, and superhero movies, and has been told he looks like Chris Hemsworth from the back.
He has written twelve books for the best-selling Zac Power series, as well as his own six-book young adult series, The Phoenix Files. He’s also co-written The Gateway, an eight-book series for primary school kids about a hotel for aliens, alongside Rowan McAuley and David Harding.
His latest books are Best News Ever, a 100-day guide to the Gospel of Mark, and The Big Questions, a series of short books answer tough questions about life and faith.
Chris enjoys Mario Kart, obscure board games, and superhero movies, and has been told he looks like Chris Hemsworth from the back.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 23, 2025
Incredible. Such an accessible book for students and adults alike. A biblical & practical look at the difference between "heaven," the coming Kingdom, and what that means for God's people now. Excited to use this as a springboard to teach the next two Sunday mornings with my youth. I highly recommend this little six-book series, but especially this one!
October 2, 2022
This is a great little book that gives simple, biblical answers for a range of questions about what happens when we die. It’s perfect for younger teens with short, easy to read chapters and relevant illustrations. This book is also a quick, helpful read for kids church/youth leaders who may be leading children wrestling with these questions. Overall, I really enjoyed the 2ish hours I spent reading this book and was left feeling thankful for Jesus’ huge sacrifice, looking forward to the new creation and wanting to share the everlasting hope of the gospel with my friends.
October 24, 2025
I picked this up to help answer my 7-year-old’s deep questions but now I’ve got a few of my own! Short, clear, and surprisingly thought-provoking.
June 21, 2022
Forget children, I want the adults around me to read this book.
(Don't actually forget children. Children need this, too.)
(Don't actually forget children. Children need this, too.)
May 27, 2021
Chris Morphew, a teacher and school chaplain from Australia, has written a series of short books to answer kids' common questions about Christianity. What Happens When We Die? addresses a question that everyone asks, and Morphew writes in an engaging, conversational style, explaining complex ideas in a kid-friendly way without oversimplifying answers to this universal question. He addresses what the Bible really says about earth, heaven, and hell, how we can have eternal life with God, what will happen when Jesus returns, and various related issues. In all of this, he focuses on what the Bible says, making it clear what we don't know and what additional questions he can't answer.
This book is about eighty pages long, but covers a lot of information. I am impressed with Morphew's ability to express complex ideas in a concise way, and he brings in concrete illustrations and real-life examples that kids will relate to. My only critique is that he overuses italics for emphasis, and that is an incredibly minor thing to nitpick. Everything else about this book is perfect, and I would have loved it when I was the target age for it. I also would have found it very eye-opening then, because Morphew dispels common myths of Christian culture, helping readers see past our vague ideas of heaven to understand the significance of the bodily resurrection and God's redemption of the earth.
This encouraging, compact exploration of the Bible's teaching about the afterlife is an excellent resource for families, Christian schools, and church groups. The publisher is marketing this book for kids from ages nine to thirteen, but the age range is flexible. Older teenagers who are reluctant readers will find this book's brevity and conversational style appealing, and there is no content in this book that would make it inaccessible or inappropriate for younger kids. The wide age range suitability would make this an excellent choice for a family read-aloud together, and it can encourage and enlighten adults as well.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book is about eighty pages long, but covers a lot of information. I am impressed with Morphew's ability to express complex ideas in a concise way, and he brings in concrete illustrations and real-life examples that kids will relate to. My only critique is that he overuses italics for emphasis, and that is an incredibly minor thing to nitpick. Everything else about this book is perfect, and I would have loved it when I was the target age for it. I also would have found it very eye-opening then, because Morphew dispels common myths of Christian culture, helping readers see past our vague ideas of heaven to understand the significance of the bodily resurrection and God's redemption of the earth.
This encouraging, compact exploration of the Bible's teaching about the afterlife is an excellent resource for families, Christian schools, and church groups. The publisher is marketing this book for kids from ages nine to thirteen, but the age range is flexible. Older teenagers who are reluctant readers will find this book's brevity and conversational style appealing, and there is no content in this book that would make it inaccessible or inappropriate for younger kids. The wide age range suitability would make this an excellent choice for a family read-aloud together, and it can encourage and enlighten adults as well.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2021
Chris Morphew is a new author to me, but he is obviously an elementary educator, and I learned he lives in Australia. These books are written by a man who knows kids well and should have a great appeal.
What I like about the books:
Using many engagement and teaching techniques, the author explains the answer to a common question. Strategies like: story-telling, metaphors, questions, thinking aloud, and biblical connections and explanations.
I found the books easy to read, informative, great thinking aloud about potential questions, misconceptions, and wonders.
And there are illustrations of each chapter's title throughout the book. Done in fun, engaging ways.
Each book is only around 80 pages of reading, which is well spaced, with breaks in sections, and makes an easy-to-follow read.
What I wonder about the books?
These are non-fiction biblical-centered books, so there is a certain reader that will love this style, but I doubt these books will appeal to every child that they are geared toward. My 11-year-old girl looked at them and did not pick one up to read.
Are these more appealing to adults than their intended audience?
Will well-intending adults insist that kids read these? and forgot that there are multiple ways to discover the answer to these questions?
Could the style, the chapter divisions, and perspectives, be built into a more graphic novel, with a wider appeal? how about a Bible study and more book-driven investigation?
Thankful to partner with thegoodbook company and review this new tool for tween kids.
What I like about the books:
Using many engagement and teaching techniques, the author explains the answer to a common question. Strategies like: story-telling, metaphors, questions, thinking aloud, and biblical connections and explanations.
I found the books easy to read, informative, great thinking aloud about potential questions, misconceptions, and wonders.
And there are illustrations of each chapter's title throughout the book. Done in fun, engaging ways.
Each book is only around 80 pages of reading, which is well spaced, with breaks in sections, and makes an easy-to-follow read.
What I wonder about the books?
These are non-fiction biblical-centered books, so there is a certain reader that will love this style, but I doubt these books will appeal to every child that they are geared toward. My 11-year-old girl looked at them and did not pick one up to read.
Are these more appealing to adults than their intended audience?
Will well-intending adults insist that kids read these? and forgot that there are multiple ways to discover the answer to these questions?
Could the style, the chapter divisions, and perspectives, be built into a more graphic novel, with a wider appeal? how about a Bible study and more book-driven investigation?
Thankful to partner with thegoodbook company and review this new tool for tween kids.
June 8, 2021
Writing this review was no easy task, it took a lot of effort to come to terms with the fact that this amazing book series had come to an end. Now I know that I can reread these books at any time, but it is not the same. I loved seeing where Morphew took us through each book.
To me, I think that this book might have been the hardest to write. This is because no matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, explaining what happens after death is no easy task. It takes study, and the Lord to be able to understand the answer to this question, and even after that, it still is difficult to answer. When I started reading this book, I was a bit scared of what would be the outcome of this book. I was afraid that the whole book would be a difficult read for Children. Instead, what I found in this book was an answer that took some time to understand. Through the book, Morphew pulls out key passages that tell us about what happens after we die.
I do not think I have spent as much time as I would have wanted to tell you how much I loved the artwork in this book. While it is a picture book, each title and cover is beautifully decorated with artwork done by Randall. I love to finish each chapter not only to hear what Morphew has to say but also to see the amazing artwork. Each drawing connects with the topic to help kids and even teens follow along. The artwork also draws your eyes to the book in a way the prevents you from missing what a beauty it is.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are my own and not paid for.
To me, I think that this book might have been the hardest to write. This is because no matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, explaining what happens after death is no easy task. It takes study, and the Lord to be able to understand the answer to this question, and even after that, it still is difficult to answer. When I started reading this book, I was a bit scared of what would be the outcome of this book. I was afraid that the whole book would be a difficult read for Children. Instead, what I found in this book was an answer that took some time to understand. Through the book, Morphew pulls out key passages that tell us about what happens after we die.
I do not think I have spent as much time as I would have wanted to tell you how much I loved the artwork in this book. While it is a picture book, each title and cover is beautifully decorated with artwork done by Randall. I love to finish each chapter not only to hear what Morphew has to say but also to see the amazing artwork. Each drawing connects with the topic to help kids and even teens follow along. The artwork also draws your eyes to the book in a way the prevents you from missing what a beauty it is.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are my own and not paid for.
October 20, 2024
Clear, concise, direct. This book series is written to pre-teens but honestly it was a great reminder of simple truth. Morphew was able to summarize really big truths into simple language for kids that was beautiful and refreshing to me. Some nuggets I liked:
1. The absolute worst God will do to anyone is to be completely fair to them.
2. The only way anyone can be part of the new creation is by putting their truth in him (John 14:6). Now, some people are really offended by this. They say it’s really narrow and mean to say there’s only one way to God. And in a way, it is narrow— but that’s how it almost always is with the truth. Take gravity, for example. If I strap on a cape and leap off the balcony of my apartment building, I’m going to end up seriously injured— not because gravity is mean but because it is true. Gravity is just how things are. I’m the same way, Jesus isn’t being mean by saying he’s the only way to God. He’s just explaining how things are so that we can reach out and take the life he’s come to offer us.
3. We don’t need to stress about cramming this or that experience into our lives because we’ll have the rest of forever to explore God’s new creation.
1. The absolute worst God will do to anyone is to be completely fair to them.
2. The only way anyone can be part of the new creation is by putting their truth in him (John 14:6). Now, some people are really offended by this. They say it’s really narrow and mean to say there’s only one way to God. And in a way, it is narrow— but that’s how it almost always is with the truth. Take gravity, for example. If I strap on a cape and leap off the balcony of my apartment building, I’m going to end up seriously injured— not because gravity is mean but because it is true. Gravity is just how things are. I’m the same way, Jesus isn’t being mean by saying he’s the only way to God. He’s just explaining how things are so that we can reach out and take the life he’s come to offer us.
3. We don’t need to stress about cramming this or that experience into our lives because we’ll have the rest of forever to explore God’s new creation.
September 21, 2023
While only a short read, this book was superb in answering big questions from the Bible that we wondered as kids. It perfectly uses examples and intertwines them with passages within the Bible. For instance, it answers my questions regarding friends who may not be Christians and how they could enter heaven. I highly recommend this book to parents or kids as it is an easy read and breaks complex ideas into digestible thoughts.
December 30, 2023
As someone who spends too much time trying to grapple with the concept of death and whatever comes thereafter, I actually quite enjoyed this! It answers common questions about eternity in the simplest of terms. A great read for not only children but adults too! I particularly enjoyed the last chapter about our friends/family that haven’t been saved. A very short and nicely flowing read too! :-)
March 14, 2024
Another wonderful quick read by Chris. He explains well the common misunderstanding of Heaven and explained in a genuine and honest way of how wonderful the New Heaven and the New Earth will be. Chris also didn’t sugar coat anything, he explained hell and separation from God, all while emphasizing trusting in God’s goodness! A great book that is bite size and comprehendible for kids!
April 14, 2023
Great! Perfect for younger students!
September 25, 2023
Another excellent entry in this series.....highly recommended for all ages!
May 15, 2024
helping tweens understand that heaven and hell are real places and we should take them seriously
May 2, 2025
A great study on life after death for teenagers.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews