Book(s)

At first glance, Edge of Sadness by Edwin O’Connor is a walk down memory lane. A memory of the American Catholic church before Vatican II, before the priest scandals. A lovely, nostalgic read.

But the thing that makes this book worthy of the Pulitzer Prize it won in 1962 is the fact that O’Connor’s story is truly ageless. The characters are drawn from humanity, painted with the author’s word-brush so lovingly and carefully that by the end of the book you know each of these folks intimately. And, you like them, in spite of their less-than-virtuous actions.

I am so excited to post a review on this new coloring book! My girls and I spent a great part of the last weekend working on these beautiful pictures to color! Sean Fitzpatrick, the artist, knows very well what gets young artists to want to grab those colored pencils...

This volume contains two books "Emily's Book" and "Mary's Book" - both written for relatives of the author who were interested in learning more about Emily Dickinson. Martha O'Keefe has been studying Emily Dickinson and learning to love her and her works for sixty years. She has also written a 400 page work comparing Emily Dickinson with St. John of the Cross.

At the rate Laura Berquist is going, homeschoolers are going to need an extra shelf just for her books. Her first, Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum, has already become a classic in its own right. And now Berquist has another book that requires a place in your home: The Harp and The Laurel Wreath. The author begins with the premise that early exposure to poetry encourages a love of the true and the beautiful; memorization of poetry trains the intellect and the imagination; and all of this is good for the soul.

A charming book of religious poems for young children - one for each letter of the alphabet. The simple, rhyming poems have been favorites with my little ones and provide a nice introduction to the Saints and Angels, Our Lady, God's love for us, important virtues... Some titles include: C is for Cherubim, F is for Father, G is for Gabriel, L is for Lamb of God, M is for Saint Michael, O is for Obedience, Q is for Queen of the Angels.

In this small bok, author George Weigel takes us on a journey around the Catholic world, both literally and figuratively. Weigel had the idea to present each different aspect he wanted to discuss with young adult Catholics (and any adult interested in learning a little more about the Faith) by taking his book reading companions on a journey to several noted Catholic destinations, such as Chartres Cathedral in France, the Sistine Chapel in Rome, and various destinations in Poland and America. At each location, Weigel stops to discuss some aspect of Catholic Christianity with his reader.

The world claims to have the answers, but what are they? Please yourself, answer to no one, claim your truth, reject any close-minded or intolerant positions, be tolerant and diverse and accepting of other truths, whatever they are, except it they are intolerant.

If these are the answers, what are the questions?

When young people ask themselves:

Not just a catchy title, "Did Adam & Eve have Belly Buttons?" is an actual question posed by an eighteen-year-old boy. In fact, the whole book is organized around questions from teenagers about the faith. To make it easier to follow, the author has grouped them into twelve categories: God, Creation and Man, Religion and the Bible, Jesus Christ, Catholic Morality, etc.

What a beautiful book! Do you imagine teaching the catechism to your children through stories and illustrations? This is the book to use. Christopher's Talks to Catholic Children is a book of stories for children from the youngest ages up through elementary school. Written in the first person with a friendly, gentle tone, each story is a beautifully-presented lesson in the whole of the catechism.

Chats With God's Little Ones is a unique Catholic religion course for the youngest of students from pre-kindergarten up through the second grade. Written to the teacher, the lessons are designed to be used orally with the student in a Charlotte Mason three-step style of asking the child, answering with the child, and the re-telling by the child. The lessons are presented as guided scripts for the teacher, who can personalize them and adapt them to the needs and interest of the child.