Jean-Henri Fabre (1823-1915) was a French naturalist who penned many writings about his beloved insects. These essay/stories describe, in great detail, his encounters with some interesting insects - how he worked with them and what he discovered about them. For instance The material is informative and even humorous at times, but rather dense (definitely not dry!). Here is a sample (from "The Pine Processionary")...
I was introduced to the series as a high school freshman. I enjoyed the text very much at that time (even though I was working with a photocopy). I was equally impressed with the Sophomore text when I taught with it nearly ten years later. The first book, Our Goal and Our Guides, focuses on understanding our goal in life - attaining Heaven - and spiritual and doctrinal issues that are related to that goal (such as the roles of faith and reason, the liturgical year, the Blessed Trinity, the Fall, and Salvation through Christ).
Teen Catechism is a nice entry point into the Catechism of the Catholic Church. In spite of its name, Teen Catechism could be used by an adult convert or any person who wants a solid introduction to or review of our Catholic faith. It follows the topic sequence of the Catechism, covering the Creed, the Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer in its 36 chapters.
Originally published in 1928, the current edition published by TAN Books is a complete reproduction of the 1934 edition. The 1990 editor added some footnotes to bring the series more "up-to-date." This is a highly recommended series - this is the recommended high school religion text for Kolbe Academy, Mother of Divine Grace and Seton Home Study.
FaithQuest: Deepening Your Knowledge and Faith in the Person of Jesus Christ is a religious education resource for students in grades 7 to 12. It is a multimedia package which includes a Facilitator Resource Guide and two CD-ROMs.
Pete and Michael are Canon Lawyers for the Catholic Church. This means they answer lots of questions about the rules that guide our faith. Canon law in many instances determines how theological truths apply to the daily practice of the Catholic faith.
This book gives a good introductory look at canon law. From the basic, "What is canon law all about?" to the more obscure, "What relationship does a Catholic association have with the larger church?" this book will give you a good, basic concept of what canon law is, and what canon lawyers do.
The sequel to Surprised by Truth provides even more stories of how the grace of God, the witness of others and important conversations about the truth, brought these men and women back to the fullness of the Cahtolic faith.
These are relatively short (usually about 20 or 30 pages each) autobiographical essays from Catholic converts. The stories cover a numer of converts who are becoming well-known for their vibrant Catholic ministries of various sorts, and so you may have heard the names Marcus Grodi, James Akin, Steve Wood, Tim Staples and Dave Armstrong before).
Plot overview: After the tragic death of Mick O'Shea, a Catholic fireman from Philadelphia, his widow Tammy and their children are invited to spend the summer at the Kentucky farm of Tammy's brother Les and his family. The catch? Les is the fundamentalist pastor of a small homegrown "Bible-only" church. He believes it is his duty to "save" his sister and her family from the Catholic Church. The story centers on 17-year-old Michael, who is chosen as the preferred point of contact.
Each packet of Friendly Defenders Catholic Flash Cards includes 50 cards covering 12 categories: Tradition, Church, Papacy, Eucharist/Mass, Salvation, Purgatory, Baptism, Mary, Saints, Confession, Statues & Holy Objects, and Holy Orders. The purpose of the cards is to assist children, ages 8 and up, and teenagers to be able to defend their faith with clear and easy explanations against the typical questions about the Catholic faith.