Grades K-2

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

Book cover: 'The Bears on Hemlock Mountain'
Author(s): 
Alice Dalgliesh
Jonathan must go over Hemlock Mountain alone to borrow a large iron cooking pot from Aunt Emma. Jonathan's mother is preparing a meal for a cousin's christening party, and his father is very busy with springtime chores on the farm. Jonathan is concerned that he will cross paths with a bear, but he is reassured that there are NO bears on Hemlock Mountain. His adventure includes a visit with small woodland animals on his way up the mountain, a snack and nap at Aunt Emma's house, and an encounter with some large woodland animals on his journey back down the mountain.

Along the Paths of the Gospel Series

Book cover: 'Along the Paths of the Gospel Series'
These little saint stories, beautifully illustrated by Augusta Curelli, are very appealing to children because of the nice hardcover format and the full-color pictures on each page. The moderate amount of text (about 4-10 lines per page) makes it fairly accessible to beginning or reluctant readers. We found this series to be an excellent help to our eight year old son who was struggling with reading. I was delighted at how much he enjoyed reading about the saints and he didn't even mind reading about the girl saints.

26 Fairmount Avenue

Book cover: '26 Fairmount Avenue'
Author(s): 
Tomie de Paola
With 26 Fairmount Avenue, Tomie dePaola has written an account of when he was four and five years old and awaiting the building of his new home on Fairmount Ave. The story opens in 1938 with a huge hurricane blowing into town, upsetting life as well as trees. Mama calms everyone's fears by sprinkling the neighbors and the children with holy water. (Direct Catholic references are few, but nice to see.)

Catholic Children's Treasure Box Books 1-6, story of St. Therese

A multi-part story of St. Therese's life is told in these six books with lovely colorful illustrations. This version would be especially appealing to three to six year old children. The story includes quite a few interesting details focusing on Therese's acts of sacrifices and offerings to God of everything she did - both those things that were hard for her to do (such as giving some flowers that she had just picked to her grandmother to use at the altar) to those things that she enjoyed doing. Also included are instructions for making the St.

In God's Garden

Author(s): 
Amy Steedman
"Long ago in a far distant land there lived a boy called Offero." So opens the story of St. Christopher, one of fourteen saint stories in In God's Garden. Written in a friendly story teller format, the book's primary audience is younger children, approximately preschool-age to 3rd grade.

The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica

Book cover: 'The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica'
Author(s): 
Kathleen Norris
Illustrator(s): 
Tomie de Paola
This oversized story book, illustrated with the familiar style of Tomie de Paola, relates the stories of Saints Benedict and Scholastica - twin brother and sister who lived in Italy in the 5th Century. The story is very simple, with gentle humor, and suitable for young children. The illustrations are especially interesting because they resemble pre-Renaissance Christian art with little bits of the story taking place in the background of the main picture.

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.

Counting Your Way Through ...

Book cover: 'Counting Your Way Through Germany'
  • Count Your Way Through Japan
  • Count Your Way Through Mexico, etc.
When I was little I had a fascinationg with learning how to count to ten in various languages (over the course of time I learned to count to ten in about six different languages). It's a small task, manageable by a young child, that provides great satisfaction, and serves as an introduction to other languages and cultures.

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