Susan Kalis

A Book of Sanctity

Book cover: 'A Book of Sanctity'
A Book of Sanctity is a newly printed collection of stories gathered from numerous out-of-print Catholic reading books. These 27 selections center around the theme of sanctity and include Bible stories, stories of the saints, and stories of families. Most pages include a simple black-and-white illustration that enhances the interest of the story without distracting a young reader's attention.

This book is used as a reading text in Seton's 2nd grade program, but is available for sale apart from the curriculum.

The Princess and the Goblin

Author(s): 
George MacDonald
The Princess and the Goblin is a classic fantasy novel written in the late 1800s by George MacDonald. The story features all of the elements of a great fairy tale: a young princess, a brave hero on the verge of adulthood, subtle magic, and more goblins than can be counted. There is enough adventure to keep the story moving, but the plot is not overwhelming or difficult to follow. There is nothing to recommend a caution for: no rough language, no adult situations, and very little violence.

The Princess and Curdie

Author(s): 
George MacDonald
The Princess and Curdie continues the fantasy saga begun in MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin. This novel gets off to a slower start than the first one in the series, but it is just as attention-holding. Curdie, the young hero, is put to the test in this story, and must prove himself both brave and loyal, whilst remaining trustworthy and honest. In this story, Curdie is given the gifts of a magic of his own that can only be used for others and a faithful but unusual traveling companion.

The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus

Book cover: 'The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus'
Author(s): 
Aliki
This 48-page picture book is designed to introduce early-elementary-aged children to the myths of Ancient Greece through text and pictures. We have several books in our family library by Aliki, and I was prepared to enjoy this one just as much. However, I was disappointed in both the artwork and the presentation of the myths.

Sharks

Book cover: Sharks
Author(s): 
Seymour Simon

Seymour Simon is well-known for his numerous photo-essay-type of picture books for elementary-aged students. Most of his books center around one specific well-defined topic and are illustrated with full-page photographs of the subject. This book is no exception. Sharks is an unpaginated, 32-page picture book, with approximately half of those pages containing full-color photographs of sharks.

Accent Your Syllables

Book cover: 'Accent Your Syllables'
Author(s): 
Cathy Behrens

This is a 30-page, self-published book with an answer key that fits into a unique category within the language arts curriculum. Accent Your Syllables is a brief worktext that first introduces the rules for syllabication and accents in English, then provides many exercises to practice applying those rules. The rules are printed in a blue ink and are easy to find on the pages. This course would be best suited for a student who is reading fluently, as the words are generally multi-syllable.

Elementary Diagramming Worktext

Book cover: 'Elementary Diagramming Worktext'
Author(s): 
Mary Daly

This is simple, clearly presented, and in a pleasing font; examples are profuse, and exercises numerous. It includes a complete answer key, on different colored paper, in the back of the book. Ours was just a shrink-wrapped set of 3-hole-punched pages which we put into a simple binder. No fancy bindings, but an excellent presentation. The eight chapters include The Sentence: Subject and Verb, Three Articles, Adjectives, Direct Objects, Linking Verbs, Adverbs, Prepositions, and A Peek Ahead.

Little Saints

Book cover: 'Little Saints: A Catholic Preschool Program with Classical Disciplines'
Author(s): 
Cynthia Blum

I'm just thrilled with it the Little Saints program on my first overview. The subtitle of the book is "A Catholic Preschool Program with Classical Disciplines", and it is just what I wanted last year! I'm going to try it with my soon-to-be-3 year old and my Kindergartner this year.

The Mysteries of Life in Children's Literature

Author(s): 
Mitchell Kalpakgian

This book is not too "scholarly" to enjoy, and I have truly enjoyed it. Each of the chapters discusses a different element of children's literature in the context of actual books. There is a complete synopsis of the book at this address:

http://www.neumannpress.com/mysoflifinch.html

Be forewarned: you will be running to your bookshelves to start reading some of these books to your children and to re-read them yourself.

Language of God for Little Folks (Level D)

Book cover: 'Language of God for Little Folks (Level D )'
Author(s): 
Nancy Nicholson

Designed for 4th or 5th grade, this level of the popular Catholic grammar curriculum is another winner! The book has been improved from the earliest editions of the lower levels by using a high-quality, bright-white, erasable paper with a lay-flat spiral binding. The 120 exercises in the worktext provide four short lessons per week for thirty weeks, including regular review of concepts already taught on lessons titled "Practice". There are no tests, although the "Practice" pages could be used as tests.

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