What's New

Saints of the Bible

Author(s): 
Theresa Doyle-Nelson
There are so many wonderful saints book out there-- our homeschool shelves are filled with them, and we read and re-read them! This one will be an unique addition to our collection as the saints highlighted within all come from the pages of Holy Scripture! So if you want to learn about Saint Onesimus, Saints Aquila and Priscilla, Holy Simeon or Jason, as well as the more well known saintly figures of the apostles and other better-known scriptural holy mean and women, add this small volume to your own collection!

Language of God Level E

Author(s): 
Christine Schintgen
We love CHC English workbooks, this one is no exception. From details such as being spiralbound and nice, white paper, an uncluttered layout, to the pictures and Catholic content, these books offer a superior choice! This is the first middle school level of the series and the first no longer written by Nancy Nicholson but by Christine Schintgen, an English college professor, who happens to be the grandaughter of Hilda Van Stockum!

Nurture Shock

Author(s): 
Po Bronson
Ashley Merryman
NurtureShock is a parenting book with a strong scientific foundation that's designed to have a big impact on breaking some of society's misguided conventions regarding parenting and education; which looks to be an exceptionally good thing. It focuses on a number of issues relating to parenting and education in which good science shows us a different view from current cultural assumptions.

Around the Year Once Upon a Time Saints

Author(s): 
Ethel Pochocki
Illustrator(s): 
Ben Hatke
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.

The Fathers of the Church, expanded edition

Author(s): 
Mike Aquilina
This past year my Lit class in our Tutoring Center read the biography of Saint Athanasius. We were all equally amazed at the tempestuous life of the important Church father: I confess I had never read a Church Father biography until then. As the importance and relevance of reading the early Fathers became evident, I read Mike Aquilina's "The Fathers of the Church" very happily to prepare for this review. What amazing lives they led! Diverse, and in a great array of geographical locations, and under great danger so many times!

Light to the Nations

Author(s): 
Catholic Schools Textbook Project
Most Catholic homeschoolers today are familiar with the high quality level of the Catholic Textbook Projects volumes, and this one, Light to the Nations is no exception. (Note that I write this review based on the CD format of the book). Attractive, user-friendly layout, beautiful reproductions and helpful maps are found throughout the chapters. Light to the Nations explores World History starting with the birth of Christ. So it is the history of our Christian, Western civilization.

Beginnings

Author(s): 
Lori Ann Watson
Illustrator(s): 
Shennen Bersani
This is a lovely picture book about, naturally, beginnings. The simple but descriptive storyline, along with vibrant illustrations, take you through signs of new things - like a tomato plant, a tree and a thunderstorm.

There's a Frog in My Throat

Author(s): 
Loreen Leedy
Pat Street
This is a clever, very colorful picture book with a simple purpose. It illustrates, with funny little cartoon illustrations, hundreds (440 to be exact) of common expressions in the English language that involve animals, such as: "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." "Mad as a hornet." "I have butterflies in my stomach." "You're putting the cart before the horse." A short definition of the phrase's meaning is also included. This is a fun idea for exploring our language and it's amazing just how many expressions fit into this category?

How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear?

Author(s): 
Brian P. Cleary
Illustrator(s): 
Brian Gable
Do you know what homonyms and homophones are? If not, this book will certainly help you understand them. With clever writing and silly cartoon illustrations (and a somewhat obnoxious typeface), they give many clever and memorable examples of each.

My Mass Kit

This is a sweet Mass Kit designed for little fingers (ideal for toddlers and preschoolers). It's made of fabric with cleverly weighted bases and includes a chalice, paten (with a hidden pouch that holds little foam "hosts"), cruets, "candles", a censer, crucifix and two cloths (corporal and purificator) all packaged rather nicely in a zip-up case (with a long carrying strap) that doubles as an altar.