Elizabeth Yank

Our local Catholic Archdiocesan paper has a wonderful kids' section. The first thing my kids do when the Catholic Herald (Milwaukee, Wisconsin Archdiocese) comes is to go to the kids’ section. There they fill out the word games, puzzles, and read the saint story.

Now the creator of “Amazing Saints” has produced his own saint book, Amazing SaintsVolume 1, highlighting 27 saints. Covering an eclectic mix of saints from the unknown to the familiar, St. Joseph to Bl. Karl Leisner, each biography is a short page.

Making Music Praying Twice is a music and movement program for the young Catholic child. There are a variety of ways the parent can use the program. It can be used with your own children or with other families in a homeschool co-op or a group class for the parish. Because the program is highly adaptable, the age range is quite wide. The class could be for newborns through age 5, or toddler through second grade.

Contemporary in theme and presentation, Stepping Stones, the Comic Collection deals with a lot of issues that school children, middle school and above, deal with.

These colorful comic stories follow the lives of Alberto, Chantal, Denver, and Suki, who represent a variety of ethnic backgrounds. As comic characters, they express very intense emotions, one minute crying, the next slapping one another on the back, and sometimes shouting to make a point. This can give the reader the impression of being on an emotional roller coaster.

Will he survive? Although the day started pleasant enough, larks singing and the grass turning a pale gold, the redcoats were forming below, forming a formidable line to overtake their small band of New England militia in the battle of Breed’s Hill.

The Treegate saga continues with Peter Treegate’s War. In this second book, the story opens with the battle of Breed’s Hill about to commence, better known as the battle of Bunker Hill.

This children’s version includes 36 of Shakespeare's 37 plays. Chute covers the essential plots of the plays in a readable modern prose. Although her style is clear, simple and direct, it contains a certain lyrical quality. Not just summaries, these are wonderful stories. Especially appropriate for 12 and up, it might also be enjoyed as a read-aloud for younger children.

Fresh and as exciting as the first time I read it, Old Sam, Dakota Trotter is one horse of a story!

10-year-old Johnny Scott and his inseparable younger brother, Lee, go on a series of adventures in the Dakota territory with their beloved horse, Old Sam. From collecting buffalo bones to catching thieves to the thrilling climax at the 4th of July trotting race, the reader experiences the joys of two boys discovering the wonders and excitement of prairie life in the Dakota territory in the 1880s.

My daughter, Emily, announced, “The kids’ class [student writing workshop] is much funner than the teacher class.” Scratch that. I am “sure” she said “much more fun.”

She was referring to the student writing workshop for Teaching Writing: Structure and Style available on DVD.

Implemented by Andrew Pudewa, director of The Institute for Excellence in Writing, Teaching Writing: Structure and Style is a two day seminar where he demonstrates to the teacher/parent how to teach writing skills to school-age children through a step-by-step process.

Are you malnourished? Many Catholics feel that they don’t know the faith, they are spiritually malnourished. To satisfy your hunger for the faith, Fr. Classen wants to feed you the fundamentals of your faith in Meat & Potatoes Catholicism.

Determined to write a book that makes sense to those who sit in the pews, Fr. Classen has set out to educate you in the essentials of the faith. As he says, “We need to nourish ourselves and feed voraciously on the basic fundamentals of our Catholic faith and redefine the way we live our lives.”

It’s back in print! One of my favorite series for young children, the Latsch Valley Farm series (formerly called Polish American Girls series), is being reprinted. The first in the series, First Farm in the Valley: Anna’s Story is now available from Bethlehem Books with lovely new illustrations.

Set during the late 1940’s, The Lark on the Wing is the story of a young woman on the brink of a new career. Seventeen-year-old Kit desires with all her heart to sing professionally, but one obstacle after another pops up in her way. Will she be able to overcome all these obstacles to fulfill her life’s dream?

The Lark on the Wing captures the doubts, the excitement, and the energy of young people on the brink of adulthood with a world of myriad choices before them, including young love. The plot is fast-paced, effortlessly moving from one scene to the next.