I received free copies of four of the books in this series in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.
I've been meaning to get this review put together for about a year now. Yes, I do sometimes get that far behind on, well, everything. And in the last 18 or so months we've had two kids with broken arms, 1 child who needed several months of physical therapy, one kid diagnosed with an anaphylactic allergy, two different children who each had 2 surgeries, 2 new babies added to the family meaning 2 c-sections, one baby spending 3 weeks in the NICU, one baby spending time in the PICU, me being so anemic that I required a blood transfusion, and a deployment thrown in there for good measure. So, um, yes, I have put a few things on the way back burner and just let them simmer away in my mind somewhere until I was able to deal with them. Like this wonderful review.
Playing With Plays is a series of books that takes higher end literature and breaks it down into child friendly language. Each book contains three different versions of the plays, each meant for a different number of actors. As a performance, the plays are designed to be relatively short (15 minutes or less) but creativity is encouraged on the part of the actors.
One major deterrent for many young children and participating in plays is the fear of forgetting lines or not being able to memorize a long script. This problem is alleviated with Playing With Plays. Some of the words within the script are bolded. These words are particularly important to maintaining the character of the original work and are meant to be said as written. The rest of the words are meant to be a guide. Say them as written or get creative and ad-lib. These are the ones my kids had the most fun with during their performance.
At our Homeschool Expo last year, a group of kids performed one of acts from Hamlet. No one got any of their lines exactly right and there were a few times when younger siblings wandered into the play unexpectedly but everyone enjoyed themselves. More importantly, the kids involved understood the gist of the play. Our performers that afternoon ranged in age from 6 to 16. Everyone was able to find a part they could both understand and perform easily.
These books are very affordable at under $10 each. Group discounts are available directly from the publisher if needed. If you are neither charging for the performance nor the classes to learn the play, you are able to use the materials for free and make photo copies of scripts if needed. If you are charging for the classes, you must purchase a book for each student. If you charge for the performance, there is a royalty fee required but it is a very reasonable one.
These books are perfect to use in a homeschool to introduce your younger children to Shakespeare, Dickens, and other classic literature in a very relaxed, fun way.
My only complaint is that there is too much negative, demeaning language thrown into the plays in an attempt to make them relevant to modern kids. I realize that Shakespeare himself wrote quite a few insults in his plays but the modern take on them was a bit beyond the original meanings for a children's version in my opinion.
Overall, these books earn a 4 out of 5 in my book. If the language was a bit less modern, I'd like them even better.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Dear God, I Don't Get It
We all have those times when we feel like God is not answering our prayers. This can be a hard thing for adults to understand but getting a child to understand why prayers appear to go unanswered can be a struggle. The book Dear God, I Don't Get It by Patti Maguire Armstrong helps children understand just this question.
Dear God, I Don't Get It is the first in a series of books about the Ajax family. In this book you meet brothers Aaron, Luke, and Tyler. As the story opens, the family learns that they must move. This is something that feels like the end of the world to 12-year-old Aaron Ajax. He prays to God to please find a way for the family to stay where they are but his prayers are not answered in the way Aaron expects.
This book helps broach an often misunderstood concept in a way young minds can easily grasp. Adults are often heard saying that prayer works but they fail to understand exactly how prayer works. Many children often grow up with the mistaken notion that all you have to do is pray and God will grant your every desire. Failing to understand that God often answers our prayers with a no because He has something else in mind for us can cause many people to question their beliefs. By the end of the book, Aaron begins to understand that God's answers are not always our own.
This book does a wonderful job at weaving faith into the lives of the characters without being preachy or pushy. It successfully walks that fine line without beating the point home with a morality stick. This helps to keep the story interesting without turning you off.
I recommend sharing this book for kids in the 8 to 12 age range. The entire series promises to provide an easy way to tackle some of the tough topics in life with your children.
Dear God, I Don't Get It is the first in a series of books about the Ajax family. In this book you meet brothers Aaron, Luke, and Tyler. As the story opens, the family learns that they must move. This is something that feels like the end of the world to 12-year-old Aaron Ajax. He prays to God to please find a way for the family to stay where they are but his prayers are not answered in the way Aaron expects.
This book helps broach an often misunderstood concept in a way young minds can easily grasp. Adults are often heard saying that prayer works but they fail to understand exactly how prayer works. Many children often grow up with the mistaken notion that all you have to do is pray and God will grant your every desire. Failing to understand that God often answers our prayers with a no because He has something else in mind for us can cause many people to question their beliefs. By the end of the book, Aaron begins to understand that God's answers are not always our own.
This book does a wonderful job at weaving faith into the lives of the characters without being preachy or pushy. It successfully walks that fine line without beating the point home with a morality stick. This helps to keep the story interesting without turning you off.
I recommend sharing this book for kids in the 8 to 12 age range. The entire series promises to provide an easy way to tackle some of the tough topics in life with your children.
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Mass Books for Kids
How do you answer that age old question of what to do with the young children during Mass? I know we've gone through many different ways of managing young kids and seem to have settled on you just expect them to learn to be quiet and bring as few distractions as possible. Because there are few things as annoying as an older child dragging in a toy store or a Happy Meal or a tablet loaded with movies to Mass. Seriously, that sort of thing really bugs me.
One of the few things we will allow our kids to have during Mass are kid friendly Mass books. But how do you know which ones are worth the money? Today I am sharing my views on the books by Catholic Icing and Holy Heroes.
The booklet by Holy Heroes is really two books in one. On one side, you have the prayers of the Mass. Flip the book over and you'll find a collection of Best Loved Catholic Prayers. You can also purchase an audio CD to go along with this book with the Holy Heroes kids leading your children through all of the prayers.
The Holy Heroes book does, however, lack pictures. It has a very simply layout that focuses almost exclusively on the words of the various prayers. This allows for more information but means the book is best suited for an older child. The audio CD that can be purchased with the book is great for using in the car to help your kids memorize prayers or during family prayer time. This section of the book includes prayers such as the Angelus, Memorare, the St Michel Prayer, and several common prayers in both English and Latin. I love this book for the middle kids in the family.
The Mass book by Catholic Icing is called A Picture Book of the Mass. This book focuses exclusively on the prayers of the Mass. I love this one because of the amazing pictures. The booklet is illustrated using old masters paintings. With at least one picture on every page, it keeps the attention of younger kids. Older kids also enjoy the paintings but this one is my go to book to grab for the toddlers. Even if they can't read the words, they are captivated by paintings in the book.
Price wise, both books are just about the same. Both companies also offer bulk discounts so these would be great books to buy for religious ed classes or homeschooling groups or vbs or just to donate to your parish. They are both soft cover booklets so if yours live in the diaper bag like mine do, they will show wear and tear after a while. But the affordable price makes them easy to replace. As nice as the hardcover formal books many of us received as First Communion gifts are, these books are a little more convenient for younger children or larger families. You also know that your purchase is supporting a small at home Catholic business. Which is a win-win situation for everyone.
All opinions in this post are entirely my own. I was not compensated in anyway for my review. Just sharing one Mom's opinion.
One of the few things we will allow our kids to have during Mass are kid friendly Mass books. But how do you know which ones are worth the money? Today I am sharing my views on the books by Catholic Icing and Holy Heroes.
The Holy Heroes book does, however, lack pictures. It has a very simply layout that focuses almost exclusively on the words of the various prayers. This allows for more information but means the book is best suited for an older child. The audio CD that can be purchased with the book is great for using in the car to help your kids memorize prayers or during family prayer time. This section of the book includes prayers such as the Angelus, Memorare, the St Michel Prayer, and several common prayers in both English and Latin. I love this book for the middle kids in the family.
Price wise, both books are just about the same. Both companies also offer bulk discounts so these would be great books to buy for religious ed classes or homeschooling groups or vbs or just to donate to your parish. They are both soft cover booklets so if yours live in the diaper bag like mine do, they will show wear and tear after a while. But the affordable price makes them easy to replace. As nice as the hardcover formal books many of us received as First Communion gifts are, these books are a little more convenient for younger children or larger families. You also know that your purchase is supporting a small at home Catholic business. Which is a win-win situation for everyone.
All opinions in this post are entirely my own. I was not compensated in anyway for my review. Just sharing one Mom's opinion.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
The Sinner's Guide to Natural Family Planning
Simcha Fisher recently published the book The Sinner's Guide to Natural Family Planning. I've been hearing nothing but good things about this book for a while so I was interested in reading it. It promised a real life view of natural family planning that takes off those rose colored glasses so often worn by nfp promoters. And yet, I must say, I felt the book feel flat on it's proverbial face.
The first sign to me that things were not quite as they seemed with this book was the three pages of glowing reviews immediately in the beginning of the book. These reviews were all written by the same group of Catholic Mommy Bloggers who all tend to review each other's work and always write about the same things each of the other bloggers are writing about. It's as if they are all sitting around in a big circle and patting each other on the back all the time, telling each other how wonderful they are all the time. I've noticed that none of these ladies ever have anything negative or critical to say about each other's work. It's as if they all realize that each of their careers depend on continuing to support and say wonderful things about each other and encouraging each of their readers to purchase books published by the rest of this group. I will admit that anytime I see a huge group of glowing reviews written by this group of ladies, I immediately find myself becoming critical of the actual work. And with this particular book, one of the glowing reviews was written by a blogger who was then quoted later in the book. Sorry but when you do that, you lose all credibility in my eyes.
I realized part way through this book that it was mostly a bunch of Simcha's blog posts put together into a book format. This is a complete turn off for me. If I wanted to read the blog posts, I would do so. But I bought the book because I was hoping for something new and unique. Not something I found in the book at all.
The overall tone of the book was rather irreverent and casual. I know this was an attempt to make the subject more human. However, I found that as the book progressed, the tone was so irreverent that it became incredibly off putting and somewhat insulting. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I really think that most books for adults that are not comedies should be written in a slightly more formal tone. Especially when discussing a topic such as this one.
The title of this book was rather misleading. This book was written essentially to women only. Not to all "sinner's" as the title suggests. I am of the mindset that NFP needs to be discussed, used, and interpreted by both parters in a couple. Not only the wife. Yes, all of the charting must be done by the wife because it is her cycle that is changing. But every husband really needs to learn how to interpret the charts himself so that he's not just being a big gigantic jerk and constantly asking what the chart says. But then again, maybe that is just the difference in the way our method teaches (teaching to the couple the entire time) vs the way many other organizations teach (focusing the teaching exclusively on the wife). It shows much more respect and consideration when a husband takes the time to learn how to read the charts and just does it himself rather than leaving it all to his wife.
So there's my opinion on the book. I know it won't be popular in many circles but I frankly felt let down, almost lied to by the reviews and constant shouting about the book being a wonderful realistic view of NFP.
The first sign to me that things were not quite as they seemed with this book was the three pages of glowing reviews immediately in the beginning of the book. These reviews were all written by the same group of Catholic Mommy Bloggers who all tend to review each other's work and always write about the same things each of the other bloggers are writing about. It's as if they are all sitting around in a big circle and patting each other on the back all the time, telling each other how wonderful they are all the time. I've noticed that none of these ladies ever have anything negative or critical to say about each other's work. It's as if they all realize that each of their careers depend on continuing to support and say wonderful things about each other and encouraging each of their readers to purchase books published by the rest of this group. I will admit that anytime I see a huge group of glowing reviews written by this group of ladies, I immediately find myself becoming critical of the actual work. And with this particular book, one of the glowing reviews was written by a blogger who was then quoted later in the book. Sorry but when you do that, you lose all credibility in my eyes.
I realized part way through this book that it was mostly a bunch of Simcha's blog posts put together into a book format. This is a complete turn off for me. If I wanted to read the blog posts, I would do so. But I bought the book because I was hoping for something new and unique. Not something I found in the book at all.
The overall tone of the book was rather irreverent and casual. I know this was an attempt to make the subject more human. However, I found that as the book progressed, the tone was so irreverent that it became incredibly off putting and somewhat insulting. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I really think that most books for adults that are not comedies should be written in a slightly more formal tone. Especially when discussing a topic such as this one.
The title of this book was rather misleading. This book was written essentially to women only. Not to all "sinner's" as the title suggests. I am of the mindset that NFP needs to be discussed, used, and interpreted by both parters in a couple. Not only the wife. Yes, all of the charting must be done by the wife because it is her cycle that is changing. But every husband really needs to learn how to interpret the charts himself so that he's not just being a big gigantic jerk and constantly asking what the chart says. But then again, maybe that is just the difference in the way our method teaches (teaching to the couple the entire time) vs the way many other organizations teach (focusing the teaching exclusively on the wife). It shows much more respect and consideration when a husband takes the time to learn how to read the charts and just does it himself rather than leaving it all to his wife.
So there's my opinion on the book. I know it won't be popular in many circles but I frankly felt let down, almost lied to by the reviews and constant shouting about the book being a wonderful realistic view of NFP.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
The Queen & the Cross
All of my Grandmothers shared the same first name: Helen. Our 3rd daughter also shares a version of their name: Eleanor. And yet I'd never taken the chance to learn much about Saint Helen other than knowing vaguely that she was known for finding the true cross. That changed when I read the book The Queen & the Cross with my children.
This picture book guides young readers through the life of Queen Helen and her journey to find the true cross of Christ. From bidding farewell to her son, the Emperor Constantine, to meeting Bishop Macarius in Jerusalem, the stage is carefully set to give ample historical references to place the story in properly in a child's mind. Queen Helen is portrayed as a humble woman with a strong faith in God.
When three crosses are unearthed instead of just one, it takes a miracle to determine which one is the true cross.
I enjoyed the illustrations in this book and the simple storyline that effectively shared the life of Saint Helen without bogging down younger readers with extra details. A more detailed biography on the saint is written in the back of the book for those who want to learn more.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Queen and the Cross-The Story of St. Helen. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.
When three crosses are unearthed instead of just one, it takes a miracle to determine which one is the true cross.
I enjoyed the illustrations in this book and the simple storyline that effectively shared the life of Saint Helen without bogging down younger readers with extra details. A more detailed biography on the saint is written in the back of the book for those who want to learn more.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Queen and the Cross-The Story of St. Helen. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
a.k.a. Genius
Step into the shoes of one Gabe Carpenter as he navigates the daily challenges of life as a seventh grader in the book a.k.a. Genius. Gabe is your typical 7th grade boy dealing with the normal challenges of life: an annoying sister, a locker that won't open, parents who don't quite understand him, changing social status at school, and that ever annoying lunch room.
Years after being released from the confines of a school environment, I felt all of the insecurities of life in school rushing back at me as I read this book. Being one of those lucky people who attended 4 schools between 7th and 12th grade, I remember well that constant fear of will I fit in, will everything work out, and for goodness sake who on earth will I sit with at lunch. The shifting sands as all of the other kids are trying to determine where they stand in the pecking order so the folks who were your friends yesterday suddenly won't speak to you today. I will honestly say that I've not read a young adult book recently that so accurately captured that struggle every kid deals with while navigating the halls junior high. Or am I dating myself by even calling it that anymore?
After reading the book myself, I handed it to one of my sons to read. He loved the book as well. His favorite character in the book was Linc, best friend of Gabe Carpenter. I do believe he said he enjoyed his sense of humor.
Although this book does have a typical cheesy everything is perfect eventually ending, I did find it otherwise an enjoyable read. Gabe doesn't ever figure everything out or get his act completely together but does eventually start to come to terms with being ok with the person God has created him to be. In a library full of empty preteen literary suggestions, this one stands out in my mind as a positive yet realistic choice for young readers. A welcome change from the current popular offerings out there.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on a.k.a. Genius. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.
Years after being released from the confines of a school environment, I felt all of the insecurities of life in school rushing back at me as I read this book. Being one of those lucky people who attended 4 schools between 7th and 12th grade, I remember well that constant fear of will I fit in, will everything work out, and for goodness sake who on earth will I sit with at lunch. The shifting sands as all of the other kids are trying to determine where they stand in the pecking order so the folks who were your friends yesterday suddenly won't speak to you today. I will honestly say that I've not read a young adult book recently that so accurately captured that struggle every kid deals with while navigating the halls junior high. Or am I dating myself by even calling it that anymore?
After reading the book myself, I handed it to one of my sons to read. He loved the book as well. His favorite character in the book was Linc, best friend of Gabe Carpenter. I do believe he said he enjoyed his sense of humor.
Although this book does have a typical cheesy everything is perfect eventually ending, I did find it otherwise an enjoyable read. Gabe doesn't ever figure everything out or get his act completely together but does eventually start to come to terms with being ok with the person God has created him to be. In a library full of empty preteen literary suggestions, this one stands out in my mind as a positive yet realistic choice for young readers. A welcome change from the current popular offerings out there.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on a.k.a. Genius. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Raising God First Kids in Me First World
Did you ever find yourself really looking forward to a book only to be entirely let down once you actually finished it? I finally got around to reading Raising God First Kids in a Me First World by Barbara Curtis. I know I kept putting it off because it was the last book she wrote before she died and I felt like once I finished the book, I would be closing the book on a source I had become used to looking to for wisdom. I always loved that Barbara was so real and honest in sharing about her life. You could always feel the love she had for her family and yet she never held back from sharing some of the painful stuff. The real nitty gritty stuff that helps you relate to someone and maybe, just maybe makes you feel like you aren't such a failure at this parenting thing after all because someone else is dealing with less than perfect stuff, too. Let's be honest here: there simply are not many truly large family bloggers who are sharing the less than perfect stuff with the world.
Yesterday I finally sat down during karate class to finish the book. And although you could feel the love she had for her children and just knew she put so much of her heart into the book, I have to say there was nothing new in the book for me at all. Or much concrete advice to be honest. There were lots of stories about her children but no real suggestions. So I guess I'm feeling a bit disappointed.
It is wonderful to see that she felt such closeness to her high school and adult children. I don't think many parents feel that connection. I doubt many kids feel that connection. And it was obvious she poured her heart into the book in her last few months. But I have to call it more of a final memoir than a parenting book. Wonderful stories of a wonderful family, but not quite a parenting book.
And, yes, I do still miss reading the stories she would share with her readers every week.
Yesterday I finally sat down during karate class to finish the book. And although you could feel the love she had for her children and just knew she put so much of her heart into the book, I have to say there was nothing new in the book for me at all. Or much concrete advice to be honest. There were lots of stories about her children but no real suggestions. So I guess I'm feeling a bit disappointed.
It is wonderful to see that she felt such closeness to her high school and adult children. I don't think many parents feel that connection. I doubt many kids feel that connection. And it was obvious she poured her heart into the book in her last few months. But I have to call it more of a final memoir than a parenting book. Wonderful stories of a wonderful family, but not quite a parenting book.
And, yes, I do still miss reading the stories she would share with her readers every week.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
The Locket's Secret
We have several kids in our home who are at the stage of looking for preteen/teen books but often find that most of what is currently being offered for kids at this level is simply inappropriate for our family. I promise the authors out there that you can actually write entertaining stories that have nothing to do with occult type themes. Really, it's not that hard. But I digress.
Lately we have been making a point to seek out young adult authors who write books that we actually want our children to read. I was thrilled to discover that Pauline Books and Media is now starting to focus on producing books for teen readers. I had the opportunity to read the book The Locket's Secret by K. Kelley Heyne.
The main character in this book, Carrie, is a young teen girl from a homeschooling family who finds herself in the middle of several different major life changes. Her family is moving across country so that her father can accept a new job, leaving behind all of her friends. Mom is expecting a new baby and the entire family is still recovering from a heart breaking loss. We follow Carrie as she struggles to make sense of all of these changes while loosing herself in a vivid daydream of her own design.
I will admit that the daydream world was my favorite part of the book. I think we can all remember placing ourselves in our own fantasy world when life's challenges got a bit too hard to handle. As Carrie lives within her fantasy world, the characters in her mind deal with the same issues she is trying to handle.
My one complaint was that you did not discover that the family in the book was struggling to deal with the death of one of their children until several chapters into the book. As a family that is currently dealing with the same issue, having it sneak up on me in the book was a bit startling. I do wish it had been spelled out a bit more clearly in the description because I'm not sure how each of my children would have handled that aspect of the book had they come upon it themselves. And yet I did find that a passage in the book spoke to my heart regarding the issue and helped just a little bit. "I'd love to tell you that it's going to be okay, but you'll always hurt a little. It's the price we pay for loving."
Overall I enjoyed the book and plan to keep my eye on the other offerings for young adult readers from Pauline Books and Media. This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Locket's Secret. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.
Lately we have been making a point to seek out young adult authors who write books that we actually want our children to read. I was thrilled to discover that Pauline Books and Media is now starting to focus on producing books for teen readers. I had the opportunity to read the book The Locket's Secret by K. Kelley Heyne.
The main character in this book, Carrie, is a young teen girl from a homeschooling family who finds herself in the middle of several different major life changes. Her family is moving across country so that her father can accept a new job, leaving behind all of her friends. Mom is expecting a new baby and the entire family is still recovering from a heart breaking loss. We follow Carrie as she struggles to make sense of all of these changes while loosing herself in a vivid daydream of her own design.
I will admit that the daydream world was my favorite part of the book. I think we can all remember placing ourselves in our own fantasy world when life's challenges got a bit too hard to handle. As Carrie lives within her fantasy world, the characters in her mind deal with the same issues she is trying to handle.
My one complaint was that you did not discover that the family in the book was struggling to deal with the death of one of their children until several chapters into the book. As a family that is currently dealing with the same issue, having it sneak up on me in the book was a bit startling. I do wish it had been spelled out a bit more clearly in the description because I'm not sure how each of my children would have handled that aspect of the book had they come upon it themselves. And yet I did find that a passage in the book spoke to my heart regarding the issue and helped just a little bit. "I'd love to tell you that it's going to be okay, but you'll always hurt a little. It's the price we pay for loving."
Overall I enjoyed the book and plan to keep my eye on the other offerings for young adult readers from Pauline Books and Media. This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Locket's Secret. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Totally Catholic
Are you looking for a way to help your children understand the Catechism? A book that explains key concepts of the Church in a way children can understand? But one that does not bore them or talk down down to them? Big order, huh?
Totally Catholic: A Catechism for Kids and Their Parents and Teachers is a book that fits this bill. Totally Catholic is totally interesting. It engages the reader with pictures, prayers, and a lively lay out. While waiting to do this review, I left the book laying in the living room and found a few of my kids picking it up to read themselves.
Totally Catholic is broken down into 39 chapters, each of which attempts to answer one question from the Catechism. The chapters range from What is the Trinity and What is the Communion of Saints to How did Jesus Teach and Why is Mary Special. While answering these questions, each chapter also provides short prayers, scripture links, and brainstorming ideas to help you live out your faith in your everyday life. A Catholic VIP is also featured in each chapter, sharing a short biography of a different saint in every chapter. This biographies do not go in depth about the saint but provide enough information to encourage the reader to learn more on their own.
I would recommend this book for children in the 8 to 12 year-old age range. Although younger children may be able to read the book or be drawn in by the pictures and layout, there is so much information in the book that they may become overwhelmed. Older children may find this book to be a starting point in a search for more information. This book will definitely be useful for our family in the next few years for use with our middle and younger children.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Totally Catholic:A Catechism for Kids and Their Pa. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papalYear of Faith.
Totally Catholic: A Catechism for Kids and Their Parents and Teachers is a book that fits this bill. Totally Catholic is totally interesting. It engages the reader with pictures, prayers, and a lively lay out. While waiting to do this review, I left the book laying in the living room and found a few of my kids picking it up to read themselves.
Totally Catholic is broken down into 39 chapters, each of which attempts to answer one question from the Catechism. The chapters range from What is the Trinity and What is the Communion of Saints to How did Jesus Teach and Why is Mary Special. While answering these questions, each chapter also provides short prayers, scripture links, and brainstorming ideas to help you live out your faith in your everyday life. A Catholic VIP is also featured in each chapter, sharing a short biography of a different saint in every chapter. This biographies do not go in depth about the saint but provide enough information to encourage the reader to learn more on their own.
I would recommend this book for children in the 8 to 12 year-old age range. Although younger children may be able to read the book or be drawn in by the pictures and layout, there is so much information in the book that they may become overwhelmed. Older children may find this book to be a starting point in a search for more information. This book will definitely be useful for our family in the next few years for use with our middle and younger children.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Totally Catholic:A Catechism for Kids and Their Pa. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papalYear of Faith.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Umbert the Unborn - A Womb With a View
If you read many of the popular Catholic newspapers and magazines, you have probably stumbled upon a little comic strip by Gary Cangemi. This comic showcases the life of Umbert, an adorable little babe still residing in the best digs ever: his mother's womb. I've enjoyed reading the comic when I've seen it so I was happy to see that a collection was available in book form.
Inside this book, you find not only a wonderful selection of comics but also on every page you'll find little snippets of random pregnancy related facts. Some explain fetal development, others are concerning abortion facts, and some are just interesting pregnancy related quotes from various sources (I saw one from Mel Gibson and one relating to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey"). Although certainly politically relevant, the overall tone of these comics is light-hearted and enjoyable.
What is the best thing I can say about this book? Shortly after it arrived, it went missing in the house. After days of looking, I still could not find it. It eventually surfaced in the basement bedroom where the teen boys had taken it to read. I don't know about your kids, but finding anything in the basement bedroom often requires an excavation team so I'm not surprised I couldn't find it. And I was thrilled that the boys liked the book enough to claim it as their own.
Umbert the Unborn passes muster as a family friendly delightful book for some light hearted enjoyment and occasional fact pondering. Just maybe we should start a campaign to leave these books behind in places where folks congregate who need to rethink their stance on all things in the realm of the unborn child. I truly believe a book of this nature has the power to change at least a few hearts.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Umbert the Unborn - A Womb with a View. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.
Inside this book, you find not only a wonderful selection of comics but also on every page you'll find little snippets of random pregnancy related facts. Some explain fetal development, others are concerning abortion facts, and some are just interesting pregnancy related quotes from various sources (I saw one from Mel Gibson and one relating to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey"). Although certainly politically relevant, the overall tone of these comics is light-hearted and enjoyable.
What is the best thing I can say about this book? Shortly after it arrived, it went missing in the house. After days of looking, I still could not find it. It eventually surfaced in the basement bedroom where the teen boys had taken it to read. I don't know about your kids, but finding anything in the basement bedroom often requires an excavation team so I'm not surprised I couldn't find it. And I was thrilled that the boys liked the book enough to claim it as their own.
Umbert the Unborn passes muster as a family friendly delightful book for some light hearted enjoyment and occasional fact pondering. Just maybe we should start a campaign to leave these books behind in places where folks congregate who need to rethink their stance on all things in the realm of the unborn child. I truly believe a book of this nature has the power to change at least a few hearts.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Umbert the Unborn - A Womb with a View. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The Post in Which I Brag About My Husband
For just a little bit. No, I'm not biased or anything but I really think you should order this book. Why? Because it is a great collection of stories for the young adults in your life. Yes, everything passes the appropriateness test in this house because, well, one of the book's editors lives here. So it's something our kids will be reading, I promise.
And if you do buy a copy, you'll let me know that all the hours he spent away from us locked in some dark corner of the house banging his head against a wall over the past few years was worth it.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Catholic Reluctantly
When your kids hit the preteen and teen years, it can be a struggle to find books that both interest the kids and are acceptable from a parental view point. I'll readily admit that we often encourage the kids to just skip right over the young adult section of the library because so many of the books marketed towards kids of this age are full of inappropriate themes or promote immoral attitudes. I wish this problem could be solved by simply pulling out many of the books published by Christian authors for youth, but many of those books are lacking in any real substance or story. Far too many Christian books seem to focus on pushing a message to the detriment of the story itself. Needless to say, this sort of book makes it very hard to keep teens interested in actually reading something. In my attempt to find a new series of books that I could have around for my boys, I picked up a copy of Catholic Reluctantly: John Paul 2 High Book 1.
As the title suggests, this book is the first in a series of books aimed at Catholic youth. The series is written by a team of young Catholic authors. The story focuses on a small group of teens who attend start up Catholic school together. Each of the students comes from a different background and carries their own issues into the school with them.
I loved that no two kids was truly alike. However, I was a bit put off by the overuse of the stereotypical. From the super geeky homeschooled kid to slightly dumb jock, every high school stereotype was represented in the book. I'll admit that made the story a bit hard for me to swallow. Once I got past that, my overall impression of the book was favorable.
This is a book that I would recommend for teen readers without hesitation. I do plan to get the other books in the series for our kids. However, I would not call this an incredibly suspenseful or challenging read. A decent book to have available for young readers but not what I would call classic level literature.
In an attempt to make sure the book got a truly accurate review, I asked Sean (my thirteen-year-old) to read it. His father interviewed him about the book and you can hear his opinion of the book here.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Catholic Reluctantly: John Paul 2 High Book 1. The Catholic Company has great gift ideas for all seasons of the liturgical year, be sure to check out their Advent selection and Catholic Christmas Gifts.
As the title suggests, this book is the first in a series of books aimed at Catholic youth. The series is written by a team of young Catholic authors. The story focuses on a small group of teens who attend start up Catholic school together. Each of the students comes from a different background and carries their own issues into the school with them.
I loved that no two kids was truly alike. However, I was a bit put off by the overuse of the stereotypical. From the super geeky homeschooled kid to slightly dumb jock, every high school stereotype was represented in the book. I'll admit that made the story a bit hard for me to swallow. Once I got past that, my overall impression of the book was favorable.
This is a book that I would recommend for teen readers without hesitation. I do plan to get the other books in the series for our kids. However, I would not call this an incredibly suspenseful or challenging read. A decent book to have available for young readers but not what I would call classic level literature.
In an attempt to make sure the book got a truly accurate review, I asked Sean (my thirteen-year-old) to read it. His father interviewed him about the book and you can hear his opinion of the book here.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Catholic Reluctantly: John Paul 2 High Book 1. The Catholic Company has great gift ideas for all seasons of the liturgical year, be sure to check out their Advent selection and Catholic Christmas Gifts.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy
A Catholic Mother's Companion to Pregnancy by Sarah A. Reinhard arrived on our doorstep somewhere in the second half of my pregnancy. I will admit that I was a little skeptical that there would be much new in the book for me given that I was currently smack dab in the middle of my eleventh pregnancy. I was surprised to find that there were things for even a seasoned Mom to glean from this book.
First, this book is not full of the nitty gritty physical and medical aspects of what is going on when you are pregnant. If that is the kind of book you are looking for, this one is not for you. Second, this is not a book that you will sit down and read in large chunks. This is a book meant to be taken in slowly in small pieces over time. Unless it arrives in your home when you are already most of the way through your pregnancy. Then you just might find yourself reading the entire thing at once.
What this book is a spiritual guide to the path you travel when expecting a new baby. Each chapter covers a week of your pregnancy. Your experiences are covered from a faith based or emotional perspective. Each chapter ends with a short prayer that is relavent to that phase of your pregnancy.
I'll admit that a few weeks after our little Isabel died, I saw this book laying on my bedroom floor and found myself reaching for it. Yes, that seems a little strange to some folks I suppose. But I had remembered seeing something in the book on stillbirth so I found myself sitting on the floor paging through the book looking for something that might help me sort out the mess in my mind. Although the topic was covered very briefly, it did help me to realize that the path we are currently walking is not one we are traveling alone. I suppose my one complaint was that the topic was touched on so briefly that I felt a need to read more. I know folks do not like to dwell on the possibility of losing a baby rather than bringing one home but when it happens, you need something to lean on without leaving the house.
One particular section of the book that spoke to me the first time I read it was the reminder to pray for our husbands. Alan often reminds me that it's incredibly hard for him to connect to the baby during pregnancy or to watch the times I'm in pain for some reason or another. There is something about a pregnancy that can leave a husband feeling incredibly helpless. Our last pregnancy was full of so many minor bumps in the road that I know Alan was feeling particularly helpless this time around. The reminder to focus on praying for him and the burdens he carries was particularly needed.
If we are blessed with another pregnancy, I hope to be able to say that I was able to spend time each week reading this book and praying my way through each week. But until that time, I hope to recommend this book to other expectant mothers, both first time moms and those of the more seasoned variety. We can all use the reminder provided that each chance to carry a new life is the greatest gift and miracle that will ever touch your life.
First, this book is not full of the nitty gritty physical and medical aspects of what is going on when you are pregnant. If that is the kind of book you are looking for, this one is not for you. Second, this is not a book that you will sit down and read in large chunks. This is a book meant to be taken in slowly in small pieces over time. Unless it arrives in your home when you are already most of the way through your pregnancy. Then you just might find yourself reading the entire thing at once.
What this book is a spiritual guide to the path you travel when expecting a new baby. Each chapter covers a week of your pregnancy. Your experiences are covered from a faith based or emotional perspective. Each chapter ends with a short prayer that is relavent to that phase of your pregnancy.
I'll admit that a few weeks after our little Isabel died, I saw this book laying on my bedroom floor and found myself reaching for it. Yes, that seems a little strange to some folks I suppose. But I had remembered seeing something in the book on stillbirth so I found myself sitting on the floor paging through the book looking for something that might help me sort out the mess in my mind. Although the topic was covered very briefly, it did help me to realize that the path we are currently walking is not one we are traveling alone. I suppose my one complaint was that the topic was touched on so briefly that I felt a need to read more. I know folks do not like to dwell on the possibility of losing a baby rather than bringing one home but when it happens, you need something to lean on without leaving the house.
One particular section of the book that spoke to me the first time I read it was the reminder to pray for our husbands. Alan often reminds me that it's incredibly hard for him to connect to the baby during pregnancy or to watch the times I'm in pain for some reason or another. There is something about a pregnancy that can leave a husband feeling incredibly helpless. Our last pregnancy was full of so many minor bumps in the road that I know Alan was feeling particularly helpless this time around. The reminder to focus on praying for him and the burdens he carries was particularly needed.
If we are blessed with another pregnancy, I hope to be able to say that I was able to spend time each week reading this book and praying my way through each week. But until that time, I hope to recommend this book to other expectant mothers, both first time moms and those of the more seasoned variety. We can all use the reminder provided that each chance to carry a new life is the greatest gift and miracle that will ever touch your life.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Saint Catherine Laboure and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
Marianne Lorraine Trouve has written a new book for the Encounter the Saints Series covering the life of Saint Catherine Laboure. As with the other books in this series, this biography is written at a level that is perfect for children in the 8-10 year-old range. The story is told in fairly simple terms while managing to give a decent amount of detail. A glossary is also included in the back of the book to explain terms in the book that may be new to the reader.
I found this book to be a quick simple read. The story was engaging without being overwhelming. Even though it is written for youth, I found that there were a few details in the story that were new to me. This book is a wonderful way to introduce your child to the story behind the miraculous medal.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Saint Catherine Labouré . The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your family Advent activities and supplies this year, such as Advent wreaths and calendars for kids, as well as Christmas decorations such as nativity scene sets and religious Christmas gifts for the whole family.
I found this book to be a quick simple read. The story was engaging without being overwhelming. Even though it is written for youth, I found that there were a few details in the story that were new to me. This book is a wonderful way to introduce your child to the story behind the miraculous medal.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Saint Catherine Labouré . The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your family Advent activities and supplies this year, such as Advent wreaths and calendars for kids, as well as Christmas decorations such as nativity scene sets and religious Christmas gifts for the whole family.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Bible Adventures and Activities
This book has the typical bible stories written in a child friendly manner. Each story is covered in just enough depth to give the meaning without being overwhelming. The stories are also accompanied by colorful attractive pictures. In this way, the book is pretty much the same as most other children's bible story books I have read with my children.
The big difference is that after the bible stories, Bible Adventures and Activities includes puzzles and activities to review the story. These activities include mazes, matching activities, word searches, and other fun reviews. These activities are perfect for a 5-8 year-old child and provide a painless, easy way to reinforce the stories. They also require no parent prep time (a big plus when you want something that you can just grab and go) and all are covered in the answer key in the back.
If you are looking for a fresh way to expose your children to some of your favorite bible stories, this book will easily fit the bill.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Bible Adventures & Activities. The Catholic Company is also a great online store for all your Catholic gift needs, such as baby baptism and christening gifts. You can also find a wide selection of Catholic Bible Studies for both parish groups and individuals, as well as a variety of other Catholic Bible study resources.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The Catholics Next Door
I recently had a chance to read the book The Catholics Next Door by Greg and Jennifer Willits. This book is an often humorous and always honest look into the lives of one fairly normal everyday Catholic family.
The Catholics Next Door is written in what I found to be a conversational style. Some parts are written by Jennifer and some by Greg. Each section is labeled to tell you exactly who is speaking to you but I will admit that because they switched back and forth so often, it was a tad distracting. I love the idea of hearing the perspective of both spouses but do wish that they had chosen to allow each spouse to speak for a longer period of time. Changing voices every few paragraphs was at times a bit annoying.
I loved seeing the reality of another family struggling to simply do the best they can to live out their faith in a culture that is openly hostile to anyone attempting to do so. While we may not share all of the same experiences, I found that I could often relate to the issues the family was facing. The honesty shown as they grew in their faith and were challenged to move beyond what they had found so comfortable for so long was refreshing. I much prefer hearing from people who admit that living their beliefs is a bigger challenge and struggle than they wanted than always being given a candy coated version of things. In other words, this couple admits that doing everything they have been called to do as Catholics is not always sunshine and rainbows. That kind of honesty brings a smile to my face.
This is the perfect book to tuck into your bag to read while waiting for the kids to get out of classes or running errands. It gives you things to think about but is not so heavy handed that you need a long stretch of time to sit down and read it. I hope you'll add The Catholics Next Door to your end of summer reading list. It just might give you a bit of food for thought on how you are choosing to live out your own calling as a Catholic family.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Catholics Next Door. The Catholic Company is also a great online store for all your Catholic gift needs, such as baby baptism and christening gifts. You can also find a wide selection of Catholic Bible Studies for both parish groups and individuals, as well as a variety of other Catholic Bible study resources.
The Catholics Next Door is written in what I found to be a conversational style. Some parts are written by Jennifer and some by Greg. Each section is labeled to tell you exactly who is speaking to you but I will admit that because they switched back and forth so often, it was a tad distracting. I love the idea of hearing the perspective of both spouses but do wish that they had chosen to allow each spouse to speak for a longer period of time. Changing voices every few paragraphs was at times a bit annoying.
I loved seeing the reality of another family struggling to simply do the best they can to live out their faith in a culture that is openly hostile to anyone attempting to do so. While we may not share all of the same experiences, I found that I could often relate to the issues the family was facing. The honesty shown as they grew in their faith and were challenged to move beyond what they had found so comfortable for so long was refreshing. I much prefer hearing from people who admit that living their beliefs is a bigger challenge and struggle than they wanted than always being given a candy coated version of things. In other words, this couple admits that doing everything they have been called to do as Catholics is not always sunshine and rainbows. That kind of honesty brings a smile to my face.
This is the perfect book to tuck into your bag to read while waiting for the kids to get out of classes or running errands. It gives you things to think about but is not so heavy handed that you need a long stretch of time to sit down and read it. I hope you'll add The Catholics Next Door to your end of summer reading list. It just might give you a bit of food for thought on how you are choosing to live out your own calling as a Catholic family.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Catholics Next Door. The Catholic Company is also a great online store for all your Catholic gift needs, such as baby baptism and christening gifts. You can also find a wide selection of Catholic Bible Studies for both parish groups and individuals, as well as a variety of other Catholic Bible study resources.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Generation Next
Those who know us well know that we have been spending the past couple years doing everything we can to get rid of our consumer debt. Consumer debt mostly caused by stupid mistakes and a lack of commitment and knowledge. As we've traveled this path, I have become committed to making sure we give our children the necessary information at an early age to allow them to hopefully avoid the mistakes we have made. Yes, the proper management of money is a very necessary life skill but one that is often not taught by parents because we seem to feel as if finances are something that should never be discussed. Although finances are a difficult topic to discuss, failing to do so with your children is leaving them without a very necessary life skill.
I have been searching for a program to use with our teens to help put them on a firm financial footing before they leave the nest. There are many different ideas out there but I was having trouble finding something that was both sensible and affordable.
Many years ago I ordered the book 7 Steps to Becoming Financially Free: A Catholic Guide to Managing Your Money. Although we were not ready to commit to everything in the book at that time, I loved the common sense approach, lack of excuses, and ready made resources in the book. When I saw that the author of that book had a similar program aimed at teens and young adults, I was immediately interested in reading it.
Generation Next: A Catholic Guide to Financial Freedom for Young Adults by Phil Lenahan is a wonderful resource for teaching your children about managing their finances. The book is broken up into eleven chapters. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of financial planning. Topics covered include managing debt, money and marriage, real estate, and financial generosity. This workbook has examples of resumes, tax forms, pay checks, a credit report, and budgeting sheets. A glossary is included in to explain terms that the reader might not be familiar with yet.
Each chapter ends in discussion topics, many of which help the reader understand how financial management relates back to their faith. Every chapter also has an activity which is included in the teacher resource guide. While this guide is inexpensive and will add to the program, you can easily use the workbook without it simply by skipping over the activity sections.
I found this book to be a wonderful resource that covered topics even I learned from. My only issue with the book is the age guidelines. I believe waiting until someone is 17 to start sharing such information is waiting far too long. I believe this book can and should be used earlier. This book is written in a very down to earth, easy to read style that lends itself to being attractive to younger readers. I would take advantage of this fact and put the book in the hands of folks just starting high school.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Generation Next - Workbook. This is also a great online Catholic store for all your religious shopping needs, such as gifts for Confirmation and gifts for a baby baptism.
I have been searching for a program to use with our teens to help put them on a firm financial footing before they leave the nest. There are many different ideas out there but I was having trouble finding something that was both sensible and affordable.
Many years ago I ordered the book 7 Steps to Becoming Financially Free: A Catholic Guide to Managing Your Money. Although we were not ready to commit to everything in the book at that time, I loved the common sense approach, lack of excuses, and ready made resources in the book. When I saw that the author of that book had a similar program aimed at teens and young adults, I was immediately interested in reading it.
Generation Next: A Catholic Guide to Financial Freedom for Young Adults by Phil Lenahan is a wonderful resource for teaching your children about managing their finances. The book is broken up into eleven chapters. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of financial planning. Topics covered include managing debt, money and marriage, real estate, and financial generosity. This workbook has examples of resumes, tax forms, pay checks, a credit report, and budgeting sheets. A glossary is included in to explain terms that the reader might not be familiar with yet.
Each chapter ends in discussion topics, many of which help the reader understand how financial management relates back to their faith. Every chapter also has an activity which is included in the teacher resource guide. While this guide is inexpensive and will add to the program, you can easily use the workbook without it simply by skipping over the activity sections.
I found this book to be a wonderful resource that covered topics even I learned from. My only issue with the book is the age guidelines. I believe waiting until someone is 17 to start sharing such information is waiting far too long. I believe this book can and should be used earlier. This book is written in a very down to earth, easy to read style that lends itself to being attractive to younger readers. I would take advantage of this fact and put the book in the hands of folks just starting high school.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Generation Next - Workbook. This is also a great online Catholic store for all your religious shopping needs, such as gifts for Confirmation and gifts for a baby baptism.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Fun With the Holy Family
Do you have kids who love to color? Who are constantly clamoring for you to print out a picture for them to color, please! Kids who will go through a case of printer paper faster than you can turn around? If so, then I have a book for you to put into your budding artists' hands.
Fun With the Holy Family is a coloring and activity book from Pauline Books and Media. Every other page in this 64 page book is a wonderful picture depicting a scene from the life of the Holy Family. The other pages are various activities and games to help the child learn more of the Holy Family's story. These activities include mazes, word games, drawing activities, and craft ideas.
When this book arrived, most of the kids were begging for a chance to use it first. Today I opened the book to a coloring page showing the Annunciation and gave it to Gabe. He was very thrilled to have a chance to color someone with "his name" and spent quite a bit of time showing the book to his older sister. I know, I should have cute pictures to share with you but I am a bit of a slacker mom who is battling morning sickness and just thought to myself "Hey, look. They are sitting so quietly and seem so happy. I'm going to enjoy the quiet for a bit and sit down," and only realized that pictures would have been awesome after they were up and running again.
Fun With the Holy Family is a perfect book for kids in the 5-8 age range. Younger kids will love coloring the pictures but the older kids will love the activity pages.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Fun with the Holy Family. They are also a great source for a baptism gifts or first communion gifts.
When this book arrived, most of the kids were begging for a chance to use it first. Today I opened the book to a coloring page showing the Annunciation and gave it to Gabe. He was very thrilled to have a chance to color someone with "his name" and spent quite a bit of time showing the book to his older sister. I know, I should have cute pictures to share with you but I am a bit of a slacker mom who is battling morning sickness and just thought to myself "Hey, look. They are sitting so quietly and seem so happy. I'm going to enjoy the quiet for a bit and sit down," and only realized that pictures would have been awesome after they were up and running again.
Fun With the Holy Family is a perfect book for kids in the 5-8 age range. Younger kids will love coloring the pictures but the older kids will love the activity pages.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Fun with the Holy Family. They are also a great source for a baptism gifts or first communion gifts.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla-The Gift of Life
I have been interested in the life of St. Gianna Beretta Molla ever since the day a woman I'd never met before placed one of her 3rd class relics-a holy card that had been touched to a pair of St. Gianna's gloves- in my hands after Mass many years ago. At the time, we either were expecting our 6th child or she was a very new baby. The woman handing the holy card to me said that I reminded her in some way of this saint and she felt called to pass the card onto me.
After having two more babies, both born prematurely for no apparent reason, I spent most of my 9th pregnancy with that holy card propped up in front of my computer monitor so that I would be reminded to pray to St. Gianna for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Our 9th child did stay put long enough to make it to term which was a tremendous relief to me. Shortly after her birth, I passed the holy card on to another mother who was dealing with a less-than-perfect pregnancy.
With that in mind, when I was given the chance to read a children's book about St. Gianna, I was rather excited. I much prefer to learn about saints from children's books at first. They often are a tad more interesting than adult oriented books and can help you to easily explain the lives of the saints to your kids. Saint Gianna Beretta Molla-The Gift of Life is part of the Encounter the Saints series published by Pauline Media. These relatively short chapter books are perfect for children in the 3rd to 6th grade age bracket.
Saint Gianna's book focuses on her family life, including her life as a child. It shows the role her parents and siblings played in shaping her personality. It does also teach in a gentle way about the choice St. Gianna made in preserving the life of her last baby even knowing it would place her own life at risk. The story of her death and it's impact on her community was shown in a caring way which will not leave the gentlest readers afraid.
Even as an adult, I learned quite a bit about the life of St. Gianna from this book. I learned she and my oldest daughter share a birthday and that she was the 10th child born to a large family. This book shares the story of a beautiful mother in a way that will touch the hearts of young children. I plan to share this book with my elementary kids as soon as we finish our current read-aloud book.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Saint Gianna Beretta Molla - The Gift of Life. They are also a great source for a baptism gifts or first communion gifts.
After having two more babies, both born prematurely for no apparent reason, I spent most of my 9th pregnancy with that holy card propped up in front of my computer monitor so that I would be reminded to pray to St. Gianna for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Our 9th child did stay put long enough to make it to term which was a tremendous relief to me. Shortly after her birth, I passed the holy card on to another mother who was dealing with a less-than-perfect pregnancy.
Saint Gianna's book focuses on her family life, including her life as a child. It shows the role her parents and siblings played in shaping her personality. It does also teach in a gentle way about the choice St. Gianna made in preserving the life of her last baby even knowing it would place her own life at risk. The story of her death and it's impact on her community was shown in a caring way which will not leave the gentlest readers afraid.
Even as an adult, I learned quite a bit about the life of St. Gianna from this book. I learned she and my oldest daughter share a birthday and that she was the 10th child born to a large family. This book shares the story of a beautiful mother in a way that will touch the hearts of young children. I plan to share this book with my elementary kids as soon as we finish our current read-aloud book.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Saint Gianna Beretta Molla - The Gift of Life. They are also a great source for a baptism gifts or first communion gifts.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Style, Sex, & Substance
When I first picked up the book Style, Sex, & Substance, randomly flipping through the book landed me in the chapter on sex. After skimming a bit of that chapter I was convinced that this was a book I would truly dislike. Now that I have read the entire book, I still say it certainly was not the best or most inspiring book I have ever read but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting.
In Style, Sex, & Substance, 10 popular women writers each tackle one major aspect of being a woman from a Catholic perspective. The overall perspective of this book can be summed up using the following quote from chapter 3:
One thing I often had a hard time relating to in this book was the constant comments about all things girly. The taking time to do your make-up, buy pretty shoes, wear the right clothes, put on jewelry and sweet smelling lotion to make sure you are pampering yourself properly. I have never been a girly girl. Ever. When I can remember most feeling like myself were the times I was rock-climbing, rappelling, canoeing, running through the mud, spelunking, getting dirty and messy and doing anything other than being "girly." So these reminders had me almost laughing by the end of book and wondering if perhaps there was something wrong with my way of doing things so I do admit that I wish there was at least one person in the book who mentioned that maybe these things might not work for you.
I still say the chapter on sex was pathetic and laughable. After reading some of the ideas in that chapter to my husband, he agrees and we now have a few inside jokes that were born in that chapter. Let's just say having a messy or cluttered bedroom has never hindered our intimacy in any way, shape or form.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Style, Sex, and Substance. They are also a great source for a baptism gifts or first communion gifts.
In Style, Sex, & Substance, 10 popular women writers each tackle one major aspect of being a woman from a Catholic perspective. The overall perspective of this book can be summed up using the following quote from chapter 3:
We work in the home and in the public square. We go to Mass every single Sunday (sometimes more), eat bread that we call God and sip wine we call Blood. We care about what that anciently-robed guy in Rome says, and we spill our sins to another human being. We mate for life. We shun artificial birth control. Let's face it - we're, umm, different. We're proudly pope-loving, sterilization-eschewing, Eucharist-adoring, confession-going, twenty-first-century Catholic specimens of femininity who buck societal normal and balk at contemporary expectations. Yeah, we're the face of the new rebellion.Each chapter ends with reflection questions to help you pinpoint the areas in your life that might need some extra focus. These questions would be perfect for allowing you to use the book as part of a group book study since they will easily help spur discussions and thinking.
One thing I often had a hard time relating to in this book was the constant comments about all things girly. The taking time to do your make-up, buy pretty shoes, wear the right clothes, put on jewelry and sweet smelling lotion to make sure you are pampering yourself properly. I have never been a girly girl. Ever. When I can remember most feeling like myself were the times I was rock-climbing, rappelling, canoeing, running through the mud, spelunking, getting dirty and messy and doing anything other than being "girly." So these reminders had me almost laughing by the end of book and wondering if perhaps there was something wrong with my way of doing things so I do admit that I wish there was at least one person in the book who mentioned that maybe these things might not work for you.
I still say the chapter on sex was pathetic and laughable. After reading some of the ideas in that chapter to my husband, he agrees and we now have a few inside jokes that were born in that chapter. Let's just say having a messy or cluttered bedroom has never hindered our intimacy in any way, shape or form.
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Style, Sex, and Substance. They are also a great source for a baptism gifts or first communion gifts.
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