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This book tells of the life of St. Monica (332-387 A.D.), mother of St Augustine of Hippo. As a young girl in a Christian family, she heard the stories of the early martyrs and asked God to let her suffer for Him. Her prayer was granted in an unexpected way as she became the wife of a pagan and the mother of a son who, though brilliant and talented, soon fell into sinful ways and in time adopted the heretical beliefs of the Manichees. For many years, Monica prayed and wept for her son -- "It is not possible that the son of such tears should perish" a bishop told her - and she had the joy of seeing her husband, her haughty mother-in-law and finally her son baptized and fervent Christians before she died.

The author, F.A. Forbes, was a nun who converted to Catholicism at the age of 31 and joined a contemplative order. She wrote several other saints' books. This is a short book, and told simply enough so that an 11-year-old could read it, though I would think a slightly older child would get more out of the book. Patricius' infidelity and Augustine's sins of the flesh are referred to only in the most general terms. Included are several prayers to St. Monica, including a litany and a novena.

It could be read as part of a historical study of the early Church or as a devotional reading. It would also be a good book for mothers to turn to when they are weary of the inevitable frustrations of being a wife and mother - and daughter in law! St Monica's perseverance and continual turning to God for strength make her, indeed, the model of Christian mothers.

Suitable for ages 11 and up.

Our homeschool moms' group met monthly this past year and studied this book from cover to cover. We read aloud Fr. Pacwa's text, looked up and read aloud the bible passages, and discussed the questions posed. We learned a lot about Saint Paul! We did it during the year of Saint Paul, but needless to say this book is perfect for a group at any time, as the life of the great Apostle is always relevant, and speaks to our life any time!

The book is divided in six chapter or "sessions", and each one has several "investigate" tables with passages to be looked up and studied according to each chapter' theme. Chapter's themes revolve around the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Eucharist, Holy Orders and Matrimony.

Fr. Pacwa is well-known for his biblical and language scholarship and his knowledge and passion for these fields of study shines vividly in this Bible Study for Catholics.

This little book is interesting. It is NOT the definitive work on St. Thomas. It is NOT a primer on his philosophy. It is an interesting mix of: a story of his life (or rather stories from his life), a little taste of his genius, another taste of what his ideas mean to the world (including how relevant they are today) and ideas about why he was the way he was.

It does not seem adequate to compare it to a TV show but it reminds me of one of those really good PBS documentaries that gets you totally involved in something you didn't ever think was that big a deal.

Chesterton uses these different angles on Thomas and Thomism to leave you in admiration. Here was a man who by his diligence, incredible intelligence and humble love of the Truth contributed clarity to Catholic teaching - and to the WORLD (physical and spiritual). Wielding Aristotle's long forgotten philosophy Thomas makes sense of the World and the Church in a way that is profoundly true and incredibly accessible. Chesterton gives us enough of a taste to seriously whet the appetite and provides enough momentum to carry us past this book right into Thomas himself. Which is perfect. Thomas Aquinas, despite his genius (probably BECAUSE of his genius) can be understood by anyone who can read even this simple book of Chesterton's.

As Thomas was not only brilliant but humble it is fitting that Chesterton imitates the saint in this work by being both insightful and modest. Since, thankfully, Chesterton's prose is both more lucid and more delighful than my own I will defer to Chesterton's own introduction: "This book makes no pretence to be anything but a popular sketch of a great historical character who ought to be more popular. Its aim will be achieved if it leads those who have hardly even heard of St. Thomas Aquinas to read about him in better books." I would go further and suggest the reading of St. Thomas's OWN books - you will be amazed how enlightening, straighforward and refreshing it can be.

Unit Study-loving families may find in Starting with Shakespeare a very useful resource! This book is literary filled with Shakespeare-related activities!

In the introduction we get to know the authors and their passionate belief in the benefits of bringing Shakespeare to elementary school. They are quite convincing with a top 20 reasons list, secrets for success and even some criticism of how memorization has been dropped from school curricula a long time ago. The introduction also helps the reader understand how the book is organized and what to expect. The first part of the book is entitled "Setting the Stage" and it offers biographical sketches on Shakespeare, very detailed ways to get the students interested, and creative tips for success.

The second part presents four William Shakespeare plays, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Macbeth," "Hamlet," and "Romeo and Juliet" introduced for kids in a unique way alongside a plethora of resources and ideas for each one. As the publisher states: "a complete historical background, an introduction to the characters, a retelling of the story, a variety of integrated activities, verses for memorization, a complete script for class performance, and a list of resources accompany each play. Activities extend learning to history, geography, science, art, music, movement, math, and language arts." Each play is explained, character by character, plot, themes, and then told to children in prose with points for discussion in class. The authors encourage the making of a class film or video, as opposed to a performance, stating that it is simpler to use a video camera than setting up a live performance.

What I enjoy about this book is that, albeit geared towards elementary school aged kids, it makes plenty of use of genuine Shakespeare language. Each play is also presented in "Will's Words--Selections for recitation", where key excerpts of the play are quoted on top of the page. Obscure words are defined and explained right below under "Say what?", and then a paragraph explains what is going on in plain English under "Kispeak". The illustrations are all made by elementary school students and some of them are quite interesting.

All in all this book can be a wealth of resources for homeschool families daring the tackle the Bard of Avon in elementary or middle (or even high) school!