Art

Mike Aquilina's newest book, Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols is a great read and a great reference book in one. It's also an exquisite piece of art, thanks to the illustrations by Lea Marie Ravotti. (Do yourself a favor and click through to her site. Her work is gorgeous.) It's so easy to take illustrators for granted, isn't it? But one cannot do so with this book. The illustrations are integral; the book is, after all, about looking more closely at symbols, visual representations of the life of faith. It won't do merely to talk about them. We need to see them. And see them we do, beautifully rendered by a gifted artist. But the other thing we can't take for granted is the explication of these powerful, enduring symbols, and the importance of a knowledgeable guide. We need a guide who can gently but firmly impress upon us the power that is present in the visual language we're touring:

These symbols are, in one sense, quite ordinary; they are commonplace items from everyday life in the ancient world. And so we might take them for granted, overlook them. But they're there for a reason ... When we see these signs, how can we help sensing we have received an urgent message, telegraphic, cryptic, from a distant family member?

If it would be an injustice to merely talk about the symbols without illustrating them, it would be an equal injustice to focus only on the visuals. Signs and Mysteries takes us on a pilgrimage of sorts, delivering those urgent messages from our ancient brothers and sisters in Christ, because, as the author tells us of these symbols:

The first Christians traced those lines because they wanted them to stand forever as a perpetual prayer, for remembrance of the dead, for the perseverance of the living, and for deliverance in times of trial.

Exploring these ancient (but still relevant) symbols is far more than an archaeological exercise. Signs and Mysteries may be a fascinating read and a valuable reference, as well as a visual feast, but it is also about connections to our Christian family. It is a personal book in the best sense of the word -- a book that connects us, through a shared and vital language, to the person of Jesus Christ.

Perspective:

Catholic

Reviewed by:

Karen Edmisten

First reviewed:

5-11-2009

The Art of Construction

Projects and Principles for Beginning Engineers and Architects

Author(s):

Mario Salvadori

Number of pages:

160 pages

1990

ISBN:

1556520808

Publisher:

Chicago Review Press

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Architecture

Construction

Grade / Age level:

Grades 6-8

Review:

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

The Art of Construction (originally published in 1979 under the title Building: The Fight Against Gravity) is one of the finest examples of books that help children understand principles of science as applied to real life situations - in particular buildings and making sure that they stay up in spite of gravity and natural disasters.

Children are introduced to important concepts like "tension" and "compression" with simple hands on exercises to help understand and remember them. Most chapters include a somewhat-more-involved construction project to teach these principles (and have a lot of fun in the process). Numerous illustrations make concepts and clearer and aid in understanding the building projects.

The text is very engaging and easy-to-understand. We've found it ideal as a read-aloud with a group. Our co-op has been using it somewhere in the 2nd to 4th grade range, although it could certainly used by much older students (all the way through high school would be reasonable). The engineer dads in our co-op have been very impressed with the book and the concepts the children study.

The chapter titles are as follows (and give you a little glimpse of the content and style):

From Cave to Skyscraper
Building a Tent
What is a Beam?
What do We Build Structures With?
The Floor of Your Room
A Steel Frame...Made Out of Paper
The Part of the Building You Don't See
What Tornadoes, Earthquakes and Changes in Temperature Can Do
How to Fight Tornadoes and Earthquakes
Ropes and Cables
Sticks and Stones
Strings and Sticks
Shape and Strength
Barrels, Dishes, Butterflies, Bicycles Wheels and Eggs
Balloons...and Back to the Tent

Here are a few random sample paragraphs to give you a sense of the style and substance:

"If you had one of your friends put your hands on each other's shoulders and move your feet away from each other, you will become a full arch and feel compressed by each other's weight. But if your shoes slip on the floor and you begin to slide apart, the arch will collapse. Its ends must be firmly anchored to prevent it from spreading apart." (pg. 15)

"The best way to understand how the frame of a building works is to build one. A good model of a steel frame can be built with paper, provided we first build the separate elements of the frame: the columns, the beams, and the floors. A column should not take too much floor room, but must be strong enough to carry the compressive loads without buckling under them. A column buckles, that is, bends under compression along its axis, if it is too thin. Take a plastic ruler, stand it up, and push downward on it: there comes a point when the ruler will bend out." (page 39)

"The purpose of a building's structure is to guarantee that the building will stand up under all the loads and forces acting on it: the weights, the pressure of the wind, the forces due to temperature changes, and, possibly, the shaking caused by earthquakes. The builders want to make sure that the building will not collapse, and they hope it will not even be damaged, since in the first case it may kill people and in the second it may be costly to repair. They also want to make sure that the building will not move around. If a house were to slide down the slope of the hill it is built on, or if a skyscraper were to be toppled by the wind, the buildings would have failed their purpose, even if their structures might sometimes ed up undamaged." (page 57)

This is one of the books that I want to be sure each of my children have a chance to study sometime during their school years. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by:

Alicia Van Hecke

First reviewed:

10-29-05

The Monuments Men

Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History

Author(s):

Robert M. Edsel

Number of pages:

468 pages

2009

Subject(s):

Art Appreciation

World History

Setting:

World War II - the War

Grade / Age level:

High School

Resource Type:

Book(s)

Review:

"The Monuments Men" is an engaging and little known story about servicemen who specialized in trying to preserve the art and culture of Europe during World War II. Not only were they involved in trying to get the Allies to do as little damage as possible in fighting the war, but it became almost another front of the war with Hitler, who not only stole and hoarded unbelievable quantities of art (in order to create his own "Fuhrermuseum"), but also gave orders to destroy these hoards of art as the Allies made headway into Germany. It's a fascinating story to begin with. The author skillfully weaves together a number of particularly interesting (and informative) stories by focusing in particular on two very great works of art that were particularly coveted by Hitler - Michelangelo's "Bruges Madonna" and the "Ghent Altarpiece" by Jan Van Eyck. When the author started piecing together stories for this book, he had so much material that he ended up writing a separate book just for the stories about the Monuments Men that took place in Italy. The second volume, entitled "Saving Italy", was published in 2013. Our family has also seen the movie and very much enjoyed it. It is rated PG-13 for some strong language and is quite simplified in comparison with the book (which is not a bad thing with a book that contains many, many threads of stories), but also has a number of breathtakingly beautiful and profound aspects to it.

Reviewed by:

Alicia Van Hecke

First reviewed:

2-8-2014, updated 9-16-2016

The Ultimate Lap Book Handbook...Plus Other Books to Make with Children

Author(s):

Tammy Duby

Cyndy Regeling

Number of pages:

108 pages

2003

Publisher:

Tobin's Lab

Binding:

Spiralbound

Subject(s):

Craft

Grade / Age level:

All ages

Resource Type:

General Resource

Review:

When it comes to craft projects, I am all thumbs. If I must struggle with following incomprehensible directions and managing difficult techniques, I prefer to end up with something delicious to eat. You can imagine my fear when I was first introduced to lap books–-described by the author of the Ultimate Lap Book Handbook as "a file folder folded a funny way, and then filled with child-produced booklets". As I read through this book, my fear turned to fascination. This was one incredible project that even I could handle!

The authors begin with a very convincing ten-reason list of paragraphs describing why and how the making of books is beneficial to a student of any age. They continue with a section on Lap Books, including the basic ways of folding the folder and the booklets that go inside. Construction, assembly, and layout techniques are also discussed, and cover designs and FAQs are described. The next section is titled "Beyond Lap Books" and contains the instructions for making simple books, stick books, pizza books, hardcover books, and more. Are you getting overwhelmed yet? Don't! This is where most "how-to" books end, expecting you to be able to apply these ideas to your own homeschool. The Ultimate Lap Book Handbook is just getting to the best part.

The heart of the book is the Book Blueprints section. The authors proceed through Bible, History, Literature. Math (Yes! Even Math!), Science, and Social Studies, and they offer step-by-step directions for more than fifty projects at all grade levels. Will your 3rd-8th grade student be studying the Ten Commandments? Does your high schooler need a Math Formula Flip Book? Would your K-4th grader enjoy making a Weather book? The well-illustrated project directions provide no-fail projects for the craft-challenged as well as a comprehensive range of starter ideas for experienced "Fun Moms". Many black-and-white photographs of finished projects are also included. Each project description includes Writing Prep and Presentation sections in addition to any helpful tips. More advanced projects also include a list of materials, suggested booklets for the inside, assembly directions, and evaluation guidelines. These techniques can be used with any homeschooling method from strictly classical to unit study to textbooks. They can be used with just one child or a CCD class or a Scout group. I can't wait to get started making our next book!

Reviewed by:

Susan Kalis

First reviewed:

8-16-04

Tin Cups & Tinder

A Catholic Boy’s Little Book of Fire, Food & Fun

Author(s):

Alice Cantrell

Number of pages:

108 pages

2010

Publisher:

CreateSpace

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Grade / Age level:

Resource Type:

Review:

Alice Cantrell’s newest book, Tin Cups & Tinder : A Catholic Boy’s Little Book of Fire, Food & Fun arrived the same day I was pondering ways to liven up my son’s education. While considering if we were called to homeschool my little boy, I had some serious concerns over whether I could provide enough enrichment for him, as my interests tend to be very domestic and feminine. I try to be aware and spend a good bit of time playing football and soccer with him but it didn’t occur to me to encourage him to hone his own domestic skills, approaching these from a more boyish perspective. This is what Alice encourages us to do in Tin Cups & Tinder. I do say ‘us’ because we were all charmed by this beautifully photographed book. (In attempting to write this review, I had to go hunting, for both my children disappeared with it yesterday). A few of the topics covered are essential kitchen skills, basic sewing (for boys!) and instructions and templates for an indispensable little naturalist’s kit. Of particular interest to me were the campfire cooking tips and recipes. I can’t wait to head out again to try pancakes cooked on the campfire. I’m also looking forward to teaching my son to build a proper fire - mine are rather pitiful. Setting this book apart from other boy’s instructional manuals is that it is solidly, beautifully Catholic. My young son considers his rosary a camping necessity and I was thrilled to see Alice include a pocket shrine right alongside a first aid kit (It's like she wrote it just for us!). Furthermore, she peppers the book liberally with passages from the Bible and quotes from various saints, all of which encourage little boys to keep Christ at the center of all they do.

Reviewed by:

Jennifer McGonigle

First reviewed:

10-16-2010