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In this house, all I have to do is leave out a book with a bright, colorful, intriguing cover like Adventures of Saint Paul and someone will ask, "Hey, Mom, can I read this book?"

For the emerging reader, who has a few words under his or her belt, Adventures of Saint Paul relates the fascinating story of St. Paul on a simple level without the dumbed down language of the early reader.

Meeting children where they are, the story opens with St. Paul as a young boy, who would rather ask the Rabbi questions than make tents with his father. But he doesn't remain a boy for long.

The story moves quickly through his adventurous life as he travels extensively from one town to the next with his many different companions: Luke, Timothy,Barnabas, etc.

The story focuses on his untiring love in bringing the message of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible under the most trying of circumstances. The story paints an accurate picture of how some Christians were wary of him and others, who were not Christian, were not sure about this man, Jesus, even to the point of driving Paul out of their town.

Keeping in mind the young reader, the story omits the gruesome details of his persecuting Christians, his sufferings, and his death.

Adventures of Saint Paul offers a lighthearted look at Saint Paul for the younger child. With a pleasant balance of text and dialogue, it would also make an ideal read aloud as the engaging story moves quickly along with colorful, lively pictures.

There is a pronunciation guide and a prayer to St. Paul at the back of the book.

Touching on the highlights of his life, this would make a first-rate introduction to the life of St. Paul for young children, especially during this year dedicated by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, to St. Paul.

This is a lovely gem of a book, covering about thirty saints, organized according to the calendar year, by their feast day. Like her previous publications from Bethlehem Books (Once Upon a Time Saints and More Once Upon a Time Saints), these stories are intended to capture the essence of holy men and women through the sometimes fantastical stories that are likely to capture the imagination of young children. Here is what the author wrote about her own stories:

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!

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.

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.

This summer I had the supreme pleasure of reading Nancy Nicholson’s Bigger Stories for Little Folks to my two youngest girls, ages 5 & 7. After flipping through the first, more well-known volume of Devotional Stories for Little Folks, I was hesitant, thinking that perhaps the stories would seem a bit involved and preachy to my two precocious gals. I am happy to say that my fears were unfounded.

Each evening, after Beth and Mae were cozy in their pajamas and had brushed their teeth, they would bounce into my bed and Beth would hand over the book. They listened with rapt attention to the adventures of little Greg and his family, laughing at the mishaps and sobering at the lessons learned while enjoying an innocence that mirrors their own. The conflicts that arise in these stories are never breath-taking or heart thumping, yet they are real and easily understood.

Sweet, but not sappy, like a warm blanket and a cup of tea near a roaring fire, these stories draw children’s hearts close to home, keeping the wolves of the world at bay. There is no need to pit good up against an evil world filled with snares and pit falls that would only serve to frighten and fill a child’s heart with despair. Children instinctively know the good. They cheer when the Peterson children have righted a wrong or made the correct choice. Each tale ends on a happy note, with forgiveness and redemption and a loving embrace. Like our eternal hope of heaven, these stories firmly establish the good as attainable and fill our souls with peace and joy.

The Blackbird's Nest is the story of St. Kevin of Ireland (498 A.D-618 A.D.). I first became acquainted with his legend in Seamus Heaney's poem, St Kevin and the Blackbird. In both Heaney's poem and in this beautiful picture book it's a fabulous story about a real historical figure, the abbot and founder of the monastery at Glendalough. And it's full of the most marvelous of medieval flights of fancy, typical of that era's hagiography, that carry deep spiritual truths, even if they may perhaps seem a little hard to swallow as historical fact.

The crux of the story is that St. Kevin, kneeling in prayer one day with his arm stretched out the window, has a blackbird build its nest in his hand. He then must continue to hold that posture for forty days until the eggs have hatched and the babies grown up and flown away. The book points out that the forty days has a spiritual significance:

Just as Kevin waited for the baby birds to break open their eggs and come to new life in his hand, during Lent we wait for Christ to break open the tomb and bring new life into our hearts.

The book follows St. Kevin from his miracle-touched birth (the snow melted all around his house) to his holy death at the age of one hundred and twenty and has a wonderful message about loving nature and our fellow men.

The story also highlights that Kevin is an imperfect person who grows in holiness. At first he is rather anti-social preferring to spend time with animals. He tormented other children, puzzled his parents, and often wearied the monks. His experience with the blackbird's nest teaches him reliance on God's strength as he turns to God in prayer to carry him through his ordeal (He repeats, "Lord have mercy," three times and concludes with "Amen" when the last of the baby birds flies away,) and teaches him gentleness and compassion toward his fellow men, not just to animals.

My two-year-old daughter loves the pictures of the animals and is especially enchanted with the image of infant Kevin's baptism. When we read the story she chatters about the priest "putting water on the baby's head" (just as her sister was baptized recently).

I love the fact that the book concludes with a historical note that includes a beautiful icon of St. Kevin, a short biography, and a prayer to St. Kevin, reminding readers that he's more than just a storybook figure, he's also an intercessor in heaven, a real person with whom we have a wonderful relationship as fellow members of the Body of Christ. I always conclude our reading of the story by reciting the prayer and having my daughter repeat, "St. Kevin, pray for us."

You were privileged to live in the age of saints, O Father Kevin, being baptized by one saint, taught by another, and buried by a third. Pray to God that he will raise up saints in our day to help, support, and guide us in the way of salvation.

Although the publishers recommend the book for ages 9-12, I think the inspiring story and beautiful illustrations will appeal both to much younger children as well as to older children and to adults, who can also benefit from the spiritual insights the book offers.

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).

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.

The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare, brings to life the era when Jesus walked on the earth. The book is written through the eyes of Daniel bar Jamin, a poor village boy, who is desperately seeking to revenge the crucifixion of his father at the hands of Roman soldiers. Daniel lives in the hills above Ketzah with a band of thieves, who ruthlessly attack Romans at every opportunity. The stark hatred that drives Daniel contrasts sharply with the love that he receives from his friend, Joel, and his own gentle sister. The movement of Jesus and his apostles form a shadowy sub-plot. The novel moves from the overwhelming hatred of Daniel towards the Romans, to the kindness of the Christians that he encounters. The Bronze Bow was written in 1961 and won a well-deserved Newberry Medal for excellence in literature in 1962. It is a superb example of compelling historical fiction and a terrific family read-aloud. Highly recommended.

Thomas Craughwell has a knack for informative yet captivating writing! This is a very nice first Bible for a beginning reader, and of course it could be read aloud as well.

Each page has an illustration and a Bible verse in bold, ranging from Genesis to Revelation. I wish the illustrations were a bit more professional, and that the text agreed with the way the "card" pages turn: it is a bit awkward to flip the clunky volume from front to verse on each page.

Mr. Craughwell's retelling of the biblical stories, however, makes up for these minor obstacles! Catholic Cardlinks: Bible could prove to be a valuable Bible stories option for your young elementary school student's curriculum.