With a gripping story and a spellbinding narrator, The Winged Watchman audiobook is a winner. Set during the dark days of the Nazi occupation of Holland during WWII, Joris, 10-years-old, and his older brother Dirk Jan are the main characters in this story. From the opening chapter in the book, when Joris saves a young puppy from being beaten, they struggle--alone or together--to do what is right in a world that seems to be falling apart.
Kidnapped as a baby, Tony, now age 12, was raised as a German. In fact, as he grew up with an entirely different identity as "Max", he never had any reason to believe that he was anything but German. Suddenly, through a strange twist of fate, he is returned to his rightful home in England and his true identity, but on the "wrong" side of the war.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta is the story of her life simply told for children. Although it is a children's book, it covers enough material for even an adult to have a greater appreciation of her life. Written as a short chapter book with a few illustrations sprinkled throughout the book, it begins with her childhood in Albania and follows her decision to become a missionary and join the Loreto sisters, and continues after her dramatic step to serve the poorest of the poor without any financial backer. This is a true lesson in trusting in God's Divine Providence.
Recently republished by New Hope Publications, the lay Dominican community in New Hope KY, Truth Was Their Star by Sr. Mary Jean Dorcy, OP offers a gentle introduction to various Dominican saints. Naturally, since she is a Dominican, she would be interested in sharing the lives of several Dominican saints. While not talking down to the child, the text is written as though speaking to a younger child. Each chapter is really an introduction to a particular saint offering a vignette about his or her life, or encapsulating a series of popular stories about the saint.
Once Upon a Time Saints is a collection of stories about the lives of the saints written as stories and not biographies to capture the attention of young children, from preschool through the early grades. Intertwined in the stories are mixtures of legend, fact, and humor, embellishing on the human qualities of the saints and presenting them as not mere statues, but real people. Reading with expression and drama, the narrator brings these stories to life, allowing us to listen to the book as it should be read, out loud.
"Long ago in a far distant land there lived a boy called Offero." So opens the story of St. Christopher, one of fourteen saint stories in In God's Garden. Written in a friendly story teller format, the book's primary audience is younger children, approximately preschool-age to 3rd grade.
Madeleine Takes Command is a story of heroism. Based on a true account in the winter 1692-93 in the wilderness of French Canada, fourteen-year-old Madeleine, along with her brothers, twelve-year-old Louis and ten-year-old Alexandre, hold down the fort against a raiding Iroquois party.
American History for Young Catholics includes 18 short stories, offering a gentle introduction to American History. Not longer than two pages each, each interesting selection takes less than five minutes to read aloud. The stories include famous American heroes; such as George Washington and Daniel Boone; American Saints, such as Kateri Tekawitha and St. Frances Cabrini; and interesting facts about American history, such as famous inventions and the Panama Canal. The selections are short, but substantive.
In A Students' Guide to U.S. History, author Wilfred M. McClay challenges the mind of the reader to think wider, deeper and higher about the study of American history. After explaining the purpose behind this book, he elaborates on what the study of history mistakenly is thought to be, before he realigns the reader's mind to what it should be. Taking a philosophical turn of mind, he dares the reader to search for truth; to do otherwise would be folly.
It is hard to believe that such skinny little books can pack such a wallop. That is what you find in this series by ISI (Intercollegiate Studies Institute) books.
From the opening pages, you gain a sense of the personal; you feel that you have picked the brain of your favorite professor over your beverage of choice, as he elaborates on his favorite subject. Since it is a professor speaking, he does not merely "tell" you his opinion, he speaks with academic authority, in both his level of language and the conviction of having taught this for many years.