Elementary
Take it to the Queen
Illustrator(s):
Katalin Szegedi
The long awaited companion to The Weight of a Mass (Nobisso, Gingerbread House Books) is finally available. In her new story Take it to the Queen, a Tale of Hope, Josephine Nobisso tells a fable that draws upon the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her material and mystical participation in our salvation. The villagers of a once favored city rebel against the goodness of the King, bringing famine and desolation. Eventually they seek the intervention of their queen, who was once of their village.
My Advent Calendar
This is a very simple advent calendar with little doors to open each day of Advent. The price is very reasonable, but the quality is suitable for a one-time use (it would be difficult to close the doors a second time around). The illustrations are very simple with some glittery high-lights but my favorite feature is a simple task (though some are very generic) printed on the inside of each door for the child to do to prepare for Christmas.
Owls in the Family
Owls in the Family is a wonderful story of a few years in the life of a young boy growing up in Canada, his friends, and his unusual pets. This tale, by distinguished author Farley Mowat, is told in the first person, recounting hilarious episodes with colorful descriptions, proving that real life can be even more fun than a made-up story.
Billy’s newest pets, horned owls named Wol and Weeps, add an entirely new dimension to an already chaotic, pet-filled home.
The Holy Mass in My Pocket
Illustrator(s):
Mary Joseph Peterson, FSP
This is an inexpensive, small and thin book with the text and rubrics of the Mass for children. Illustrations show different parts of the mass, both in the pews and in the sanctuary. Rubrics include such explanations as "Here we bow until the words..." and "The Apostle's Creed is said in Canada and in some masses for children". The illustration for the reception of Holy Communion shows a child receiving the host in his hands.
Philomena
Illustrator(s):
Kate Seredy
We discovered this little gem years ago, after falling in love with two of the authors' other books: The Good Master and The Singing Tree. I was thrilled to recently discover that Bethlehem Books is bringing it back into print.
The story begins in a small village near Prague.
The Good Land
Years ago the telephone company ran an ad that sang, “Reach out, reach out and touch someone.” But what if you were too afraid to reach out? What if you were too ashamed of your new circumstances to ask for help? That is the situation for the Warren family, a family that moves to the Texas Panhandle in The Good Land.
Carolyn is the youngest member of the Pierce family. At fifteen, she feels on the verge of adulthood. In her mind, however, everyone seems to treat her as the “baby” of the family and she resents it. Can’t they see how mature she is?
The Secret of the Ruby Ring
Illustrator(s):
Terry Myler
If you looked into the mirror of your soul, would you like what you saw? What if the mirror was represented by another person?
Lucy is a modern Irish girl who has everything, a nice home and a loving family. On top of that, she is an outstanding student. But when she doesn't win the coveted prize for the best composition in her class, Lucy is devastated.
Assuming she was going to win, because she had won before, Lucy is bitter, angry and nasty to her best friend when she wins the prize, clearly revealing that Lucy is one very spoiled child. Not for long, however.
Guns for General Washington. A Story of the American Revolution
The future looks dim for the Continental army. With scare firewood, little needed supplies of food, blankets and muskets, meager shelter, and disorganized soldiers deserting, the prospects of winning the war, let alone recapturing Boston look doubtful.
To compound the problem, their munitions supply is dwindling fast and they have no heavy artillery to defend themselves or create an offensive attack.
Aboard the HMS Somerset General Howe, the commander of the British army, is anxiously awaiting reinforcements.
But Col. Henry Knox is not one to sit idle and wait.