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This is a lovely and engaging story set in early 17th Century Scotland and Colonial America. A mysterious "gray-cloaked" stranger leaves a toddler to be found by a passing priest. A young boy notices that he looks surprisingly unlike his "twin." It is a story of a boy being suddenly thrust into great challenges to faith and life. Secret passages, mysteriously changing identities and subtleties of who you can trust surround a story that stirs the blood to stand up for the faith - inspired by true stories of long ago. Devotion to the Eucharist and Our Lady come alive in noble characters who are boldly ready to die for their faith.

The story is Catholic through and through, but the characters are so real and the enemies are not exaggerated. I was pleased to see that not only are Protestants not demonized, but seen as fellow-sufferers (however misguided) under corrupt men . The action will keep you on the edge of your seat while surprises await you at every turn. My children and I really enjoyed this story as a read-aloud.

This is a powerful film; it made me weep, and turn away, and flinch. During much of the movie I was thinking, "I'm sorry, Lord, I'm sorry". My husband and I walked out of the theater barely able to speak, feeling raw and emotionally exhausted. It was absolutely the most intense movie I've ever seen, and every time I began to think, "It's only a movie", I also heard, "He really went through this."

For the most part, the story is just as we know it from the Bible and the Stations of the Cross (including a touching scene with Jesus and Veronica). Our Lady is portrayed beautifully, as a loving Mother to Jesus. Her love and faith are evident throughout. The affection of the apostles for Mary is also evident; Peter calls her "Mother" in one heartbreaking scene after the denial. Flashbacks during the horrific scourging bring blessed relief as we see peaceful moments in His life, including a scene from His childhood, a playful moment with Mary, the Last Supper, and more.

Mel Gibson has taken poetic license with certain elements of the story, but those things only made the larger Truth of the story even more compelling. For example, his portrayal of Satan is absolutely chilling, and while I couldn't say that the images he uses are necessarily Biblical (though some are), they are appropriate. The movie leaves no doubt about the supernatural element of the battle between good and evil. There is a great deal of literary symbolism, especially regarding eyes, and there is a running theme of Truth ("I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life", and a discussion of "Veritas" that Pilate has with his wife.)

As a work of art, it is superb. It is expertly directed, the cinematography is stunning, and the original soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful. I have only minor quibbles with a few things (for example, some of the costuming). Others have pointed out problems with the historicity of the languages used, or the length of hair of the characters. In no way, however, do these small things compromise the effect of the film overall.

Many have complained of possible anti-Semitism. Yes, some of the Jews come off very badly in the film; so do virtually all of the Romans. This film is no more anti-Semitic than it is anti-Italian. It is a story set in a particular place with particular ethnic groups. Jesus was a Jew; some of the Jews loved Him, others wanted Him dead. As Christians, we know that all of us are sinners; we all are responsible for the death of Christ.

One warning: I would not take young teens, and certainly not younger children, to see this movie. The sadistic cruelty displayed by the Roman soldiers would destroy the innocence of children who do not yet know the full extent of evil in the world, and the graphic, bloody scenes would be too shocking for them. Should any teens see it? Yes, older teens, if they are mature, and well-grounded in their Faith.

In spite of the violence and brutality pictured so vividly in the movie, the images that linger are the beautiful ones; His compassion, His strength, and above all His Love. This movie is certainly not entertainment. Instead, it is an opportunity for prayerful reflection on the sorrowful passion of our Savior and Redeemer, and His infinite Love and Mercy.

It may have been the old fashioned cover with all those happy children, or the subtitle, but the fact is, I grabbed a copy of the Penderwicks from the library even though it’s a 2005 copyright: our read-aloud selections are almost never beyond 1950! It took me a while, however, and some research online, before I inserted the CD into the van’s stereo, and not without some trepidation. Needless to say my personal experience with contemporary children’s materials has been… bumpy at best. But this one promised to be different.

By the second chapter, we were hooked. Four sisters and a dog? My girls loved that. A professor dad? With lots of Latin phrases? I loved that. I found pro life themes all over, in references to their loving, deceased mother and other positive references to large families. The story revolves around the family's summer spell in a rented cottage located in a wealthy estate with breathtaking, manicured gardens. The sisters' personalities emerge real and believable: in our conversations about the book we discussed things such as Skye's decision to learn Algebra over the summer, or our desire to read Jane's Sabrina Star stories.

I am delighted to recommend The Penderwicks for family reading. Jane Birdsall’s writing will undoubtedly improve your young readers’, or listeners’ as in our case, writing. It’s like if someone, while captivating them with a simple yet profound story of family and friendship, is able to exemplify to them all of the good writing skills we’ve been trying to instill in them for years!

We can't wait for the sequel, coming out next month. And I just love the fact that the author, 42, had never written anything until this. Her writing, to us, had a crystalline quality. And a National Book Award to boot! The CD audio version was read carefully and with very well-done character voices.

This is a fascinating and very readable history of Ancient Egypt - suitable for family reading or independent reading from mid-grade school and up. The first chapter describes the rediscovery of Ancient Egypt in the late 18th and early 19th century. This is a particularly fascinating account because it describes the amazement of the first Europeans (at the time of Napoleon) to view the great monoliths. The author briefly relates the history of the deciphering of Egyptian Hieroglyphics which, of course, have provided the text of the history of Egypt which comprises the rest of this book. We found the tale engaging and fascinating.

The only disappointment we had was that there is no mention of the Bible, of Moses, or of the Hebrews enslavement in Egypt. This may be simply because this is a secular text, but it must be partly because the details of how (and when) exactly the Hebrews fit into Ancient Egyptian history is not precisely known.