What's New

Presenting Miss Jane Austen

Author(s): 
May Lamberton Becker

Whether you have read any of Jane Austen’s novels or not, Presenting Miss Jane Austen offers a fascinating glimpse into her family’s life. Although none of her family are famous for any extraordinary, worldly accomplishments, they are still far from dull or boring. By reading about her family life, we come to understand the many characters and plots in her novels. Woven throughout the biography are snippets from her novels and correspondence with others, providing insight between actual occurrences and scenes in her novels. While today we might consider the romance between Mr.

Catholic Bible Stories for Children

Author(s): 
Ann Ball
Julianne M. Will
Illustrator(s): 
Kevin Davidson

This is a very cute and sturdy volume for children who are ready to begin enjoying the stories from the bible but not quite ready for the real thing yet. The paraphrasing is cross-referenced with the corresponding biblical passages and the language is warm and simple yet not overly toned down. Some important passages are kept in the traditional language, such as Psalm 23, the Beatitudes and the Our Father.

Here is an example of the language from the chapter Daniel in the Lions' Den:

The Blood Red Crescent

Author(s): 
Henry Garnett

The year is 1570. The Turkish Ottoman Empire has wrested control of the Mediterranean Seas, instilling fear in all who wish to sail there. They have been raiding the coastal towns of Italy, France and Spain, plundering and burning, and kidnapping Christians as slaves. On top of this, the Sultan has been rapidly increasing his fleet of galleys and Corsair pirates have been massacring more and more Christians or kidnapping them as slaves.

Peterson Directed Handwriting

Grade 1 Complete Kit
Author(s): 
Rand H. Nelson

I noticed pretty early on that my boys did not have the same facility with writing as I myself had had as a child. All of them have learned to read long before they could write anything legible. And even when they learned to write, their handwriting left much to be desired. I tried various programs, and even made extra worksheets on the computer, but nothing really seemed to help much. Friends advised me – some said to make them practice more; others said to just wait for them get older. But as they got older, their writing got faster – but worse.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Author(s): 
G.K. Chesterton

This is a truly amazing and beautiful "sketch" of St. Francis of Assisi - not so much a story (though a number of stories are included) as an appreciation and elucidation of who Saint Francis was and, quite simply, the impact he had on the world.

The Man Who Was Thursday

Author(s): 
G.K. Chesterton

The Man Who Was Thursday is a great classic, beloved by many, and not easy to do justice to in a review (even after reading it twice, leading a teen discussion on the book and attending a Chesterton conference which particularly highlighted this book!), but I'll give it my best shot.

The Rosary is Alive

Author(s): 
Vincent J. Baratta, M.D., AAFP

The premise of this simple volume revolves around the Rosary and only around the Rosary. Designed to be used during prayer, it provides for a very directed praying experience. Introductory pages explain how to use the book and how to pray the Rosary, and final pages offer references and extras such the story of the Rosary. Each double page displays one mystery, with written reflections and five illustrations. I found it interesting to find a clever mirror image sketch of Swiss painter Antonio Ciseri's famous Ecce Homo painting among the Sorrowful mysteries!

What Catholics Really Believe

Author(s): 
Dr. Ray Guarendi
Rev. Kevin Fete

This is a DVD apologetics series produced in 13 half-hour segments. Dr. Ray Guarendi and Rev. Kevin Fete discuss major issues of Catholic belief which are often misunderstood by Protestants and others - with an emphasis on support for Catholic belief from Scripture and from the Early Church Fathers. It's a lively discussion (Dr. Ray often breaks into "devil's advocate" mode!) with substantial but very accessible content. Basic topics covered are the following: Jesus, the Bible, Scripture and Tradition, Eucharist (2 episodes), Baptism, Morality, Confession, Mary (2 episodes), St.