20th century

Pope John Paul II - Jon Voight
Karol Wojtyla up to his election as Pope John Paul II - Cary Elwes
Cardinal Adam Sapieha - James Cromwell
Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski - Christopher Lee
Stanislaw Dziwisz - Wenanty Nosul

Long out of print, Toward Morning is a gripping and emotional tale of the turbulent days surrounding the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. We follow Janos, his friends, younger sister Teresa, and younger brother Belo, as they become immersed in the battle for freedom. Since much of the story is based on actual events, the story is all the more intense. Will the Russian soldiers capture and torture their brother for his activities? Where can he hide? After reading this book, you will have a greater appreciation for your freedom.

The Faroe Islands are located almost midway between Scotland and Iceland. Locals sustain themselves through fishing and bird-hunting. The meeting of the Gulf Stream with an icy Polar current makes for unpredictable weather that can lead to great dangers on the island of Mykines; a place whose rough landings and wild weather make accessibility nearly impossible for all but the locals who are accustomed to its tides and rocky beaches.

Children who live in the Archdiocese of Chicago know that their Cardinal Archbishop is Francis Cardinal George. But do they know anything at all about his life?

After meeting Cardinal George at a mass at our parish, I was immediately struck by two facts: one--that he was much shorter than I imagined him to be, and two--that he walked with a limp. I was curious about that limp, but never expected to have that particular curiosity satisfied.

When I first proposed to read this story aloud to my children, my oldest, then perhaps 8 or 9 years old, protested loudly! She thought it was going to be a series of numbers and notes about expenditures that I was going to read to her. It only took a little persuading and a few pages before she was hooked.

Elizabeth Borton de Trevino is best known as the author of children's stories, especially I, Juan de Pareja which won the Newbery Award in 1966). Long before all that, in the 1930s, she was simply Elizabeth Borton, a modern American lady, living in Boston and working as a journalist, when she was given an assignment in Monterrey, Mexico. There she met, was courted by and eventually married a native by the name of Luis Trevino.

This book is not a "must read", but it is an enlightening read (best for high school and up). I have not read any other compilation of letters like this, so even the concept was new to me. There isn't a format, a thesis or an argument to unify the book. Rather, it is the life, work and times of Tolkien which generate the letters. He writes to his wife, his children, fans of his work, his publishers and various friends. The book is a subset of his letters (edited with the help of his son Christopher).

This is a surprisingly good, very readable biography of one of the most popular authors of all time. J.R.R. Tolkien was born in South Africa, the son of an English banker. After her return to England and the death of her husband, Tolkien's mother, Mabel, converted to Catholicism. Shunned by relatives after this, she was assisted by a kind parish priest who took care of her two sons after she died at age 34.

This is an interesting and unique short chapter book telling the story of Mother Teresa of Calcutta - a great lady who changed the world by following God's will and being a true messenger of peace and love. Similar to Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa's childhood was filled with both joy and tragedy. Her early inclinations to be a missionary led her to teach at a wealthy girls school in India. One day she realized that she was called, not to teach the wealthy children, but go out and help and teach the poor, sick and homeless out on the streets of Calcutta.