History

This book contains true stories of remarkable people (mostly Christians, including many Catholics) who saved the lives of Jews from the Nazis in World War II. According to this book, despite six million Jews killed by the Nazis, it is estimated that two million Jewish children were saved by rescuers such as the sampling presented in these stories. It is estimated that the number of rescuers (those who harbored Jews in their homes, transported them to safety, etc.) is anywhere from fifty-thousand to five hundred thousand.

The stories here include:

This is the dramatic story (and probably true or based-on-a-true story) of a young boy in Japanese-occupied China who is separated from his parents and baby sister. He travels with his pet pig through dangerous territory and aids a wounded American airman. Still seeking his parents, he is adopted by the airmen (sixty "fathers") at an American military base who fly him about the area to find his parents in gratitude for his assistance to their fellow soldier.

This is a well-written and engaging account of the major events of World War II - military, political, humanitarian, etc. - treated at a level appropriate for children - particularly ages 10-14.

The Singing Tree, sequel to The Good Master, is a much more serious story and takes place during World War I. Sandor, Kate's father, is drafted into the war and eventually, the Good Master, Marton Nagy, must report as well. The majority of the book tells of how the family gets along during the war years without the men of the family. Of course, Jancsi the young master steps up and, aided by a journal his father left for him, manages the farm quite well.

The Good Master by Kate Seredy is a timeless tale of the goodness of the land and of the Faith. Set in Hungary before World War I, a young impish girl, Kate, is sent to the country because her father, a widower, cannot control her anymore. When she arrives she is a world class brat but she is tamed by her uncle through discipline and love. She is somewhat fearless and zealous to try everything the farm life has to offer and this leads her and her cousin Jancsi on many humorous farm adventures.

Biographies of eight famous flyers of World War I - from both sides of the War. From an historical perspective we see how quickly the war caused innovations in the fledgling aircraft industry. From a human perspective we admire the bravery of these men and the significant impact they had on the war. We see the awfulness of war as most of these great "aces" did not survive the war. Most surprising is the respect they held for their counterparts on the other side - during the funeral of one flyer, an enemy plane flew over and dropped a wreath to honor the dead.

A fictional diary of a young Irish-English girl who is raised in a Catholic orphanage in London and is hired as a companion to a wealthy lady for the duration of the Titanic's voyage to America (where she hopes to meet up with her older brother). Margaret, having lived on the streets with her brother for some time before coming to the orphanage, is wise beyond her years with a somewhat cynical streak.

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.

Artist, author and scientist David Macaulay presents a fascinating account of the founding, building and development of a fictional Ancient Roman city. Don't be thrown off by the "fictional" part. We don't know this many details of any particular Roman city, so the author has gathered facts and details from various cities and formed them into one complete story. They are carefully researched and accurately portrayed in detailed black and white drawings.

This is a children's story book about a fictional, but historically accurate, medieval feast (appropriate to about 1400 A.D.). The story starts from the very beginning, when the lord and lady of a manor receive notice that the King would be visiting for a few days. We see what immense preparations would start long before his arrival and the concern on the part of those hosting the feast because the king wouldn't be travelling alone - the queen, knights, squires and members of the court would make the feast a large and somewhat worrisome preparation.