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This is the kind of book that is written for children and yet any adult will enjoy it immensely. We listened to it during a summer trip, and all of our children, from 6 to 20 years old, were enthralled. Reader Ralph Coshan won an audio award for the reading of the book and we have truly grown to love the sound of his voice.

Gombrich's A Little History of the World is right up there with Hillyer's A Child's History of the World, but even better--which I never thought I would say, as A Child's History of the World has been a favorite of mine for years. Gombrich himself revised and translated his 1930's text into English before his death in 2002. This is why we have a recent publication in English of a European bestselling history text for children from the 1930s! The text is geared to children a bit older than the Calvert School classic, which is good for a homeschooling family.

I love the way the author dealt with a huge Catholic theme: the Reformation! And I love the fact that there is a whole chapter on the Counter-Reformation, which is largely ignored by the American public when studying European history. His account of Saint Ignatius Loyola's story and the founding of the Company of Jesus (Jesuits) makes this volume very Catholic-friendly indeed, which is something to be said for a history book from any major secular publisher. The way the author refers to God, and to the person of Jesus Christ, and to His teachings, is very respectful and wonderfully done. In my research about Gombrich's faith life, I learned that he converted to Christianity from Judaism early in his life.

I am currently leading a History 3rd/4th grade small class using Hillyer's text and comparing/complementing it with Van Loon's Story of Mankind. I believe these three volumes together can make up a superb World History curriculum for elementary school! Hedgeschool's First Timeline, done in first and second grades, would be a great place to start.

Highly recommended. This will be a great addition to your homeschool audio library.

A surprisingly interesting (and fairly in-depth) picture book that introduces children to minerals - which include metals and gems. Many full color photos highlight and enhance the text, which covers topics such as Mohs' Scale of Mineral Hardness, ice crystals, cleavage planes (the way minerals break when cut) of various minerals, metals in their natural state, special metals like gold, silver and platinum, how various minerals form and what they look like in their natural state. My children and I found this to be quite an interesting book.

This is a VERY well-done rendition of the story of St. Thomas More. Thomas More was a well-respected lawyer who was named Chancellor of England under King Henry VIII. He is a model statesman - modest, intelligent, and principled. He was martyred for not condoning the actions of the King toward the Catholic Church and his first wife. (Quite a refreshing contrast to modern-day politics!) I would suggest this for high school students as younger students (unless they are familiar with the story and accustomed to somewhat complex dialogue) may find it "boring". We were very pleased to find this movie at our local library. Available on VHS or DVD.

The very interesting aspect that first called my attention while doing this review is that the author of Our Sunday Visitor’s A Marian Bible Study took up the project of writing it before she had ever developed a relationship with Our Lady. This writing of the book, thus, is a reflection of someone's own "journey into the heart of Our Lady" as she states simply in the preface.

The book is divided into eleven chapters, or guides for eleven monthly meetings. Each chapter titles mirror the Marian Rosary mysteries, but go beyond the traditional mysteries, touching on each of the evens of Mary's life: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, through the sorrows of the escape to Egypt and the finding in the Temple, the Crucifixion, and culminating with the Assumption and Coronation in the last chapter. There is an appendix entitled "Frequently asked questions" which may prove to be very valuable to both Catholic and non-Catholic involved.

The way the chapters are organized is a dream-come-true to Bible Study leaders: an opening verse from Scripture, personal anecdotes opening the chapter's theme, even suggestions for songs, and of course answers provided in the back. Short Scripture passages are part of almost every question, and many interesting biblical facts are brought up about issues related to Mary's life. For example: in the chapter entitled The Wedding at Cana, the theme is "Marys' Intercession", the short introductory Bible verse is from John 2:5, "Do whatever He tells you", and the first part's questions revolve around readings that relate to both Old Testament and New Testament weddings. Old Testament passages from the books of Judges and Tobit, the parable of the wedding feast and the parable of the ten virgins are used so participants can form a picture of a wedding feast of that time period. Then the theme if intercessory prayer is brought forth, and several passages in the Old Testament are again read to explain intercessory prayers. A closing prayer is suggested at the end of each chapter, before a final memory verse.

The organization of the chapters also loosely follow the liturgical year: if the group starts in the beginning of the school year, the chapters should reflect (more or less) the liturgical year themes of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter. I also love the short passages from the Saints relevant to the chapters-- Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Pope John Paul the Great, St. Teresa of Avila--sprinkled throughout the book.

Mary is our Heavenly Mother, and a Marian Bible Study for mothers is a wonderful idea. By studying, learning and getting to know Mary we can only become better mothers! This volume will please both those who have an established devotion to Mary as well as those who are still to begin their own "journey into Mary's heart".