Religion Elementary
A Catholic Garden of Puzzles
This book includes nearly 100 word puzzles (for ages seven to adult - varying levels of difficulty) based on Catholic beliefs, prayers, litanies, precepts of the Church, famous Catholics of the past and present (nice to have some current material sometimes!), the Popes, etc. The book is organized by topic (not difficulty level) and includes five main sections - God, Scripture, the Blessed Virgin, the Saints and Virtues, and Catholic Life and Traditions. Types of puzzles include: Connect the words, Restoration, Vowelless, Purgation, Cryptogram, Which Way? Pictures to Color, Logic Puzzles and at least one maze. Permission is included to photocophy the pages for your own family.
A Life of Our Lord for Children
Sophia Institute Press has reprinted another gem! In an easy conversational manner, Marigold Hunt tells the story of the Life of Christ. She begins by spending one chapter on the time before Christ, the promise, and the prophets. Then she tells of his birth and young life, his preaching and miracles, and his death and resurrection. The last chapter, His Kingdom is the Church, tells of the Pentecost.
The pictures make this edition really special. There are thirty, done in an almost icon-like style. I have two favorites. The first is of the storm on the Sea of Galilee while Jesus sleeps and the apostles panic. The view is from above. The second is a picture that has a small drawing of each apostle with some symbol to represent who he is. The spot for Judas is darkened. My children had a fun time deciding the name of each apostle based on the symbols. Another interesting detail is that the artist is a homeschooling dad!
When I first saw the book, I wondered at the need of it. If you wanted your children to know the story of Christ, I thought, why not read the Bible. But as I read it I saw that the way Mrs. Hunt tells the story makes a big difference. She claims that she is not telling everything that is in the bible, but a little, so that the children understand and can someday read the bible themselves. It is almost like a conversation she is having, with stops for explaining things, just as I would tell my children about something. For example when she talks about the coming of the Messiah, she explains why He is called the Messiah and the Christ and the King. I thought the storytelling fashion, the second person manner of writing, must be what it was like in the early days of the Church when the story of Christ passed to people by word of mouth, or like in later ages when not everyone read, but yet knew the story of Christ. For this reason I think it would make a great read aloud.
Copyrights 1939/2003
Adventures of Saint Paul
For the learning reader, you will want to assist the child with some of the words they will struggle with like Macedonia and synagogue.
Around the Year Once Upon a Time Saints
Fairy tales clear the way for sanctity. They are the child's first morality play, clear-cut, no-nonsense black and white, good and evil, life and death - with a bit of fun thrown in to alleviate the pain. The lives of the saints, so filled with derring-do, gaiety, charm and courage, are all the more fantastic because the persons are real, even though they might seem right out of the pages of Hans Christian Andersen. You will not find dates and statistics here, except where they seem necessary to explain how or why a saint got to his particular spot. And I have used the embroidery of legend because I feel that under its eye-catching trivia, there is the good homespun of fact. Sometimes it has been hard to discover which facts are the real facts. In reading six books about one saint, you may have as many versions of his or her death - he may have died on the battlefield, in the arms of a wife or son, pinned to a tree with seven arrows... or a combination of all three.There was a little bit in the story of Juan Diego that bothered me (a little off on the Aztec story) and an aspect of the story of St. Nicholas that I thought pretty disturbing for young children. These little things make it probably better for a read-aloud with younger children (and really, it makes an excellent read-aloud!). A few spots made me furrow my brow or seemed just a little too silly, but these have been more than compensated for by some incredibly beautiful stories that are really well done. One story that particular stood out for me was the one St. Paul Miki and St. Charles Lwanga. It has an absolutely stunning and incredibly appropriate explanation of the martyrs for children. Fabulous stuff and my children and I enjoyed the book very much. Oh yes, and Ben Hatke's illustrations (he also illustrated Angel in the Waters by Regina Doman) are wonderful!
Augustine Came to Kent
Historical fiction account of the mission of St. Augustine of Canterbury to bring Christianity to England in 597, as seen through the eyes of a young boy accompanying the monks on the journey. While not as fast-paced as other Bethlehem Books titles, the story really brings the era to life and is a very good tale besides – full of little insights into human nature, Christian ideas and heroism.
Bernadette: Princess of Lourdes
A sweet, fully animated, half hour movie for young children, about the apparitions of Our Lady to Saint Bernadette, in Lourdes France in the mid 1800s. The story is told from the point of view of a family with a crippled boy about to visit Lourdes, whose father explains why they are making the trip.
Update:
The DVD edition contains versions with audio in three languages: English, Spanish, and French. The videos are also available to viewers through Formed and can also be rented (streaming) or purchased directly from CCC.
30 minute video
Bigger Stories for Little Folks
Reviewed by Megan Smillie
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Missionary of Charity
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.
This book includes all the elements of a good story: an exciting plot, wonderful hero, and well written. Best of all, the story is true. Interwoven throughout the story are quotes from Mother Teresa. There is also a prayer to Mother Teresa and a glossary. (Intermediate reading level – recommended for ages 9-12).
Brendan the Navigator
The story of Brendan the Navigator, a monk from the middle ages who is believed to have discovered America even before Lief Ericson and well-before Columbus, is fascinating – particularly in light of a recent re-enactment of the recorded trip which seems to confirm the traditions. This book covers all of these details in a manner suitable for children, but includes a few details (about the way monks are described) which are somewhat irritating). The illustrations are rather weak.








