This book contains four in-depth saint stories (approximately 25 pages each): St. Edith Stein, Blessed Gianna Molla, Blessed Father Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R and Blessed Junipero Serra. The stories are very nicely told, with all the interesting tidbits that people love to read about. Mrs. Woodfield likes to catch the reader's attention by starting out at a particularly interesting part of the story and "leave you hanging" while she goes back to the childhood and upbringing of the saint (or blessed) in question. These are great stories, and the first two in particular are enhanced by a number of black and white photographs.

Saint Edith Stein (1891-1942) was a German Jew-turned-atheist who converted to the Catholic faith in 1922. In 1933 she entered the Carmelite Convent in Cologne Germany, but later was moved to Holland because of the danger from the Nazis. In 1942, Dutch Catholic Bishops spoke against the Nazis treatment of the Jews. The Nazis took revenge by rounding up Catholics of Jewish ancestry and sending them to concentration camps. Saint Edith Stein died at Auschwitz in August of 1942.

Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla (1922-1961) was an Italian doctor and mother of three children when she learned she was expecting her fourth child. It was discovered that a large tumor was growing in her womb during pregnancy. This required surgery but posed several options: 1. remove the tumor and the womb, ending the life of the unborn child (the "safest" option for Gianna herself), 2. remove the tumor and the unborn baby (without removing the womb – allowing possible future pregnancies, but still ending the life of the child), 3. remove the tumor, but allow the baby to come to full term and live (posing the danger of complications during childbirth because of the surgery). Gianna chose the third option.

Blessed Father Francis Xavier Seelos C.Ss.R. (1819-1867) was a Bavarian-born Redemptorist priest who faithfully served as a parish priest, pastor, and seminary instructor in various parts of the United States. While in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (with St. John Neumann as a superior), he contended with the anti-Catholic Know-Nothings while ministering to his parishioners, teaching catechism and providing a worthy example to many. He also worked in Maryland and Louisiana. This story would make an interesting Catholic addition to the study of American History.

Blessed Father Junipero Serra (1713-1784) is the well known Franciscan priest who founded the California missions – Catholic centers of evangelization, worship, education and protection for the local natives of California.

Saint stories are the ultimate antidote to modern culture. Average Americans today are bombarded with television commercials which not only try to persuade them to buy particular things, but generally help them to develop the mindset that material things will make them happy. Saint stories are about happiness too. They show us that a certainly earthly happiness (and true happiness in the long run) can come from living according to an idea that is very foreign to modern culture. Material goods are never truly satisfying. They only create a desire for more. A love for God and a life of service toward others, while more challenging, is also much more rewarding.

This book is recommended for seventh grade, but could be read aloud to younger children and would be suitable for high school and adult levels as well. Each story includes a very extensive section of Lesson Activities from which comprehension questions, vocabulary and a wealth of other projects and exercises can be chosen to reinforce the story and develop comprehension skills. A complete answer key is provided in the back of the book.

Mossflower, the second book in the Redwall series, tells the story of the founding of Redwall Abbey and of Martin the Warrior's part in it. The peaceful woodland creatures of Mossflower woods are invaded and conquered by a wild cat and his army of weasel, stoats and ferrets. After mounting an unsuccessful attempt at rebellion, the woodlanders slowly retreat further and further into the woods and out of the grasp of the cat. He dies leaving his evil daughter, Tsarmina to rule. Evil as she is, no matter what plan she hatches, she can't seem to subdue the woodlanders and enslave them as she desires. The woodlanders have pinned their hopes on the return of the onetime ruler of Mossflower, the great badger, Boar the Fighter. He had long since left the woods on a quest to the volcano, Salamandastron, and never returned. His daughter, Bella, feels sure that he is alive and must return to vanquish the evil Tsarmina.

Martin the Warrior, a bard-like mouse named Gonff and Dinny the mole leave to find and bring back Boar the fighter. They encounter many adventures along the way, meeting friends and foes, leaving the woodlanders to fend off the increasingly maddened Tsarmina. They do find Boar but his destiny lies in the defeat of an evil sea rat, not in his return to Mossflower. He forges a sword for Martin, however, from the fires of Salamandastron (which is really not a volcano but a huge forge in the mountain) and charges Martin with the duty of the defeat of Tsarmina in his place.

Martin and his friends return to Mossflower just as a plan to flood the evil cat's castle is underway. With Martin's battle plan, the cat's castle is destroyed and the army subdued. Martin himself battles the cat and defeats her. In the end, the mice plan to build an abbey there in the woods dedicated to peace and designed for the protection of the woodlanders. Martin becomes a legend and his saga told to all successive ages of Mossflower inhabitants.

There are many similarities to the original Redwall story, such as a thoroughly evil antagonist, the hero away on a quest during most of the story, the quest ending in finding a sword and a battle between so-called peaceful creatures and trained armies. In this story, however, the hero Martin is portrayed as a noble warrior from the beginning. He has great courage and chivalry and is proven time after time. Another pleasant part of this story is the bard mouse Gonff. He is a delightful character, making up songs and poetry at every turn in the story. The woodlanders are quite ingenious in their resistance to the wild cats (squirrel archers, otter commanders and tunneling moles). I kept thinking that they were doing pretty well without Boar the Fighter. I still found the dialogue trite at times and the plot pretty obvious. When Tsarmina starts to have nightmares about water, we know she's going to die in water.

Mossflower was a good prequel to Redwall in that references made in the first book were explained and the stage set for other stories. Other books in the series suggested by this story include the titles Salamandastron, Martin the Warrior, Luke (father of Martin), Mattimeo (son of Matthias) and more. They all have similar themes in the defeat of evil rats or other vermin by the peaceful, good woodlanders.

Redwall Abbey, inhabited by peaceful monk-like mice, is set in the heart of Mossflower Woods and is the center of life for all the peaceful creatures who inhabit the woods. In this story the abbey is besieged by evil sea rats with an infamously merciless huge rat, Cluny the Scourge, as their leader. The rats are unable to conquer the abbey at first fight and thus infuriated, Cluny is all the more determined to have Redwall Abbey as his own. The rats attack the abbey with various battle plans and finally enter the abbey through the betrayal of a field mouse.

One of the abbey mice, Matthias becomes an unlikely hero, rescuing captive field mice, solving mysterious riddles of prophecy, fighting warlike sparrows, killing a huge adder and finally facing and defeating Cluny in one last show-down. Most of this action does not take place in defense of the abbey but on Matthias' quest for the famous sword of an ancient defender of Mossflower: Martin the Warrior. Through one of the prophecies Matthias discovers that Martin had foreseen the days of the rats' attack and Matthias' heroic part of it. He had hidden the sword for Matthias to find and Matthias feels the safety of the abbey rests on this sword alone. Of course it isn't where Martin left it so Matthias must go questing to find it.

When I first read this book several years ago, I was greatly disappointed. It received rave reviews in book catalogs and from 4th and 5th grade teachers everywhere. But, I found the story much too obvious and the writing weak. The dialogue was a distasteful modern sarcastic banter. The plot was full of too many coincidences and no real surprises. The hero showed no signs of heroic virtue, or any other virtue, before he took a central role in the defense of the abbey.

Recently, through the urging of some friends of my children, my husband and I read Redwall aloud to our children. To my surprise, the story, brought to life by my husband reading the voices, was not as stale as I had first thought. The children loved it. Yes, Matthias had no great obvious character from which to draw his heroism but that made him more loveable to my children. He was an ordinary, awkward nobody who rose to greatness and defeated the greatest of evils. He was like them, and yet found the ability to wield a sword. This afforded a great opportunity for discussion about the source of our strength for battling evil.

Fortunately, while they play Matthias and company, they haven't forgotten Jim Hawkins or Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. While I thought the book a somewhat inferior literary effort, it has continued to increase their excitement about reading and storytelling and has not ruined their taste for finer pieces.

This volume begins with Unit three. It reviews the Alphabet sound list. Then it covers the following letters: N (including a N/M discrimination), W, C, R, P, Q, V, X, Y, Z. The lessons are the same setup as in Volume 1 (as explained above for the letter "S").

Unit four introduces the vowels. It begins by reviewing the consonants. Then it introduces Short "A". The lessons are as follows for Short "A". First is: recognizing the short sound of Aa. Then Short Vowel Aa. Then blending consonants with the short sound of Aa. Then Short Vowel Aa. Finally the short Aa sound in sentences. This is repeated for Short E, I, O and U. There are reviews after every two vowel sounds taught.

Unit 5 begins by reviewing consonants and short vowels. Then it teaches the two sounds of "C" and "G". Then it begins the long vowels.

It begins in with A. The lessons go as follows: First recognizing the long sound of Aa. Then discriminating between long and short A. Then blending consents with long A. Then again recognizing sound of the long and short A. Then it goes on to E, I, O, U long vowels. Reviews after *each* vowel.

The next section teaches consonant blends like SM, CR, PL, TR, GL, ST as initial sounds. Then final sound consonant blends like CK, NG, MP, SK, NK, and ST. Then the digraph TH is taught and the difference between T and TH.

The final section of volume two is about Y as a vowel. There are three lessons here involving Y with A, with E, and with I in one or two syllable words. The final two lessons are reading a little story about a puppy and answering questions for comprehension.