Book Review: Saint John Bosco

I have been a fan of the books in the Encounter the Saints Series from Pauline Kids for the past several years.  The books are kid friendly and do an excellent job of retelling the stories of saints in a way that will stick with your child long after he or she reads the book.  One of the more recent books in this series is Saint John Bosco Champion for the Young by Emily Baeta Marsh FSP.

Saint John Bosco is a great addition to the Encounter the Saints Series.  The book gives an account of the life of St. John Bosco from his infancy through adulthood.  I sat down one afternoon to page through the book and I found myself reading it from cover to cover because I really enjoyed the book.  It's a book that will certainly appeal to young boys, but I suspect many girls will also enjoy reading it, too.

One of the things I like best about this series of books is it offers pronunciation guides for words that might not be familiar to young readers.  There's also a glossary in the back of the book that further explain some of the religious terms used in the book.  Given that the book is geared to middle grade elementary students, I find the glossary to be a wonderful addition.

Compared to other series of books on saints from other publishers, this book and the others in this series, are easy and enjoyable to read.  My kids have never groaned about reading these books like they do with other series.  The book does have a few black and white illustrations that are spaced out quite a bit, so older children who feel they are too old for books with pictures won't feel like they're reading a book intended for a younger audience.  The illustrations are nicely done and complement the story.

Overall the book is nicely done.  It certainly gets my recommendation.  With Christmas just a few weeks away, I'd suggest that this book or others from this series would make a great stocking stuffer for a child between the ages of 9-12 on your list.

I was provided with a review copy of this book by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  For more information on this title or to take a peek inside, visit Pauline Books and Media.

Book Review: God Has a Plan for Boys and Girls

Pauline Kids has added a few more books to their Building Blocks Theology of the Body series for kids.  The first books are geared to little ones ages two through five, and the next step up is for children between four and seven.  One of the books in this series is God Has a Plan for Boys and Girls.

In God Has a Plan for Boys and Girls children learn that both boys and girls can do a variety of things that children of the opposite sex can also do.  Their own individuality and uniqueness are also emphasized.  But, they also learn that their gender does make them distinctly different from the opposite sex.  Children will learn that while there are some things men can't do, because they aren't women, doesn't make them any less special or less of a gift for being male, and they will also learn that the same is true for women.  In a world where these simple truths seem to be muddled by the current cultural climate, this message is very much needed.

The book is well done and I think children will understand and appreciate the message in this book.  The parent and teacher overview page for the book does an excellent job of explaining the theme of the book so that parents and teachers will be better able to present the book and field any questions they may get from little ones.

I was provided with a review copy of this book by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Pauline Books and Media to see inside this book or for more information on this title.