History

I am always very receptive to this kind of book -- suggestions for activities kids will enjoy completing, factual data presented in a pleasing way, and an author who obviously loves the subject matter. The book recommends the book for children aged nine and up. Sounds like it would be a great resource for homeschoolers, yes?

Well, I think it would be useful for some home bookshelves, but not for all. First, I don’t think the “age 9” is do-able. It seems to me the level of the activities and the text are more suited to a very interested 11- or 12-year-old and up. However, the text contains no pronunciation key for any of the terms, and some of the technical terms do not even have contextual definitions. Although there is a glossary in the back, this too doesn’t tell the reader how to pronounce some of the unusual words and is not an exhaustive glossary – many of the technical terms used in the book are not in the glossary.

Taking into consideration the above shortfalls, this book would still be a useful resource in the homeschool classroom, particularly for a student interested in history or archaeology. The material is written by an author who is very interested in the subject matter. The chapters progress in a roughly chronological way: from “how archaeology works”, through the first peoples, the Ice and Stone ages, the first civilizations (including their economic base), and then on to the Greeks and Romans and the ancient cultures of the New World.

Mr. Panchyk is covering much ground here and so his information is going to be broad-brush rather than fine-point. But this book would be useful as a supplementary resource when studying ancient cultures or to pique the student’s interest in archaeology and help them to follow-up with other resources. For a high school student, this would be a wonderful “elective” to tag onto history class as he goes into detail of how archaeology is done.

This is a lovely gem of a book, covering about thirty saints, organized according to the calendar year, by their feast day. Like her previous publications from Bethlehem Books (Once Upon a Time Saints and More Once Upon a Time Saints), these stories are intended to capture the essence of holy men and women through the sometimes fantastical stories that are likely to capture the imagination of young children. Here is what the author wrote about her own stories:

Fairy tales clear the way for sanctity. They are the child's first morality play, clear-cut, no-nonsense black and white, good and evil, life and death - with a bit of fun thrown in to alleviate the pain. The lives of the saints, so filled with derring-do, gaiety, charm and courage, are all the more fantastic because the persons are real, even though they might seem right out of the pages of Hans Christian Andersen.

You will not find dates and statistics here, except where they seem necessary to explain how or why a saint got to his particular spot. And I have used the embroidery of legend because I feel that under its eye-catching trivia, there is the good homespun of fact. Sometimes it has been hard to discover which facts are the real facts. In reading six books about one saint, you may have as many versions of his or her death - he may have died on the battlefield, in the arms of a wife or son, pinned to a tree with seven arrows... or a combination of all three.

There was a little bit in the story of Juan Diego that bothered me (a little off on the Aztec story) and an aspect of the story of St. Nicholas that I thought pretty disturbing for young children. These little things make it probably better for a read-aloud with younger children (and really, it makes an excellent read-aloud!). A few spots made me furrow my brow or seemed just a little too silly, but these have been more than compensated for by some incredibly beautiful stories that are really well done.

One story that particular stood out for me was the one St. Paul Miki and St. Charles Lwanga. It has an absolutely stunning and incredibly appropriate explanation of the martyrs for children. Fabulous stuff and my children and I enjoyed the book very much.

Oh yes, and Ben Hatke's illustrations (he also illustrated Angel in the Waters by Regina Doman) are wonderful!

We've found "Augustus Caesar's World" by Genevieve Foster to be a wonderful resource. The book covers the period from 44 BC to 14 AD with events and ideas for that time, all over the world. I feel the stories really give my son a great sense of life during this period. The illustrations are outstanding line drawing of characters, maps and especially the time lines. Just wanted to share a great resource.

Note from the Webmaster: A number of Catholic homeschool parents have commented that the book has some problematic sections of a secular nature - soft on paganism, etc. It may well be a worthwhile book, but should only be used with a reasonable amount of caution and parental supervision.

Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley, 2006, HarperCollins Publishers, 278 pages, Hardcover.

Bella at Midnight is a surprising find in the world of modern fiction. While Bella at Midnight includes all the basic elements of the classic Cinderella tale, such as glass slippers, a grand ball, a handsome prince, a sweet godmother, an unkind stepmother and two distant stepsisters, this is a story for older children. Touching on many themes that young people have to deal with, such as peer pressure, acceptance and love, the struggle for virtue and goodness in a world gone awry, and much more, it is sure to appeal to those who are searching for a hero, “pure of heart and most virtuous.”

Rejected by her wealthy, noble father, Bella is brought up by a good peasant family that “taught her all that is good.” Her childhood is filled with many happy and contented memories. As she is growing up, one of her playmates is the prince. Their relationship as children is really quite charming and sweet as well as totally believable and touching. Finally, when her father summons her to his estate, he has married again. His new wife has two daughters and distains Bella.

Bella’s new life lacks the love and joy of her former family and she is scorned and ridiculed. When things begin to look their worst, Bella must come to the aid of the prince or fear he must die on account of the treacherous aspirations of the king. Will Bella be able to save the prince in time?

Set in an imaginary kingdom during the Middle Ages, Bella at Midnight is a story of chivalry, honor and a “worthy knight.” While Bella at Midnight is based on the classic Cinderella tale, the heroine breaks the mold with a courageous young woman who is also gentle, kind, and good. While quite the dramatic character, she exhibits many of the same fears as anyone who is about to embark on a serious, life-threatening mission.

As in most fairy tales, there is some magic and miracles, but nothing evil. The bulk of the story rests on circumstances based on reality.

Unlike some modern fiction set during this time period that delights in taking pot shots at the Catholic Church, the Church is spoken of respectfully throughout the story. It is refreshing to see the positive references to God with the “good” characters displaying a deep and abiding faith and trust in God as well as showing a well-formed conscience. People recognize that it is dishonorable to break an oath. This does not mean that the main characters are all holy and good without blemish or flaw, far from it. It is clear throughout the story that selfish motives can lead to destructive consequences.

This is a unique story in that each chapter is written from a different main character’s point of view, including Bella, Prince Julian, the stepmother, and more. This did not disrupt the flow of the story, but rather added an interesting aspect in that everyone does not see a situation from the same point of view. By doing so, we understand the motives, thoughts, regrets, and more behind key characters’ actions, giving the story a greater depth.

With intrigue, chivalry, and adventure, Bella at Midnight is a refreshing version of the Cinderella tale that late middle school and above age children will enjoy.