Book Review: Easter Story

Sometimes teaching small children about Holy Week and Easter requires more than just reading them a story. That's where coloring books and activity books come in handy.  I find that kids can often remember parts of a story better if they can recall doing an activity or something memorable that will help them retain what they have learned.  The Easter Story Bible Activity Book is an excellent hands on vehicle for helping little ones between the ages of four to seven (pre-K through 1st grade) to better understand the Easter story.

This activity book is ideal to use during Holy Week and the Easter Octave.  Each two page section of the book covers a different part of the Easter story beginning with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and concluding with Jesus appearing to his Apostles and disciples after His resurrection.  Each of the pages in this book are filled with colored illustrations, a variety of activities, such as mazes, color by number, picture searches and so on.  Each section of the book tells a different part of the Easter story in a chid friendly way.

I'm looking forward to using this book with my four year old starting this upcoming Sunday.  I know she will enjoy doing the fun activities.

I was provided with a review copy of Easter Story Bible Activity Book by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  You can learn more about this title or take a peek inside the book here.

Book Review: The Wolf and the Shield

The more children's titles I read from Pauline Kids the more I become convinced that they have some of the best books out there for helping children, especially those in the 7-12 year old age range, to come to a deeper understanding and appreciation of their Catholic faith.

Recently I had the opportunity to review The Wolf and the Shield, which is the first in a series entitled Friends with the Saints.  The book is about an eleven year old boy named Kieran that is set in fifth-century Ireland.  The main character's adventure has him meet up with St. Patrick and, in time, this transforms him.

The story is a page turner that I believe will be enjoyed by both boys and girls.  What I like most about this adventure story is how it weaves the Catholic faith and morals throughout the story.  The story also helps young readers to realize that the saints are our friends and are approachable.

This book is best suited for children ages 7-10 or second through fifth grade.  It's a chapter book with a few black and white illustrations sprinkled throughout the book.  The book will likely be a bit challenging for a very young reader, but will be more of an enjoyable, fast read for the upper age range of the target audience.  It's a story that will leave young readers feeling like they know St. Patrick better.

I particularly like that the book had a section at the beginning entitled People and Places.  It gave pronunciation guides for the names of some of the characters, and defined some terms the reader would encounter throughout the story.  I liked that thoughtful addition to the story because, in the case of the explanation of the places, it gave the reader some context up front so they didn't feel bewildered with uncertain terms while reading the story.

The end of the book has a list of discussion questions.  These are great for talking with your child about the story and also about how they might apply some of the situations from the story to their own life, particularly as pertains to living out our faith.  The discussion questions are one of the features I appreciate in the books from Pauline Kids.  You can tell that they really do want their readers to understand their faith well and apply it to their lives.

I look forward to seeing what saints will be featured next in the Friends with the Saints series.  I'm sure they won't disappoint.

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

Book Review: A Single Bead

Not too long ago I had the opportunity to sit down and read a new book called A Single Bead by Stephanie Engleman.  The book, which is geared, to teens, is about a young high school girl who after finding a single rosary bead belonging to her grandmother goes on to not only look for the other beads which all have significance to her extended family, but also on an unexpected journey to finding a deeper faith in God.

The story line follows a family a year after a tragic event involving the death of the grandmother.  The grandmother and her incredible faith were the glue the held the family together.  The main character of the story is a girl named Kate, who is presently dealing with her own struggles and the depression of her mother.  The story is engaging and keeps you wanting to continue reading to find out what will happen next.

Overall, I think the story is very well done.  The book has not only a good story, but a lot about Catholicism woven into the storyline, so it not only entertains,  it also informs.  I'd say this book will most likely appeal to teenaged girls.  I'm not sure if the guys would get into this book, but I know girls would enjoy it.

One of the things I like about this book is it has discussion questions at the end.  This is good not only for facilitating a conversation about the book with your teen, but also for reading the book as a group.  Even as an individual reading the book, you could look over the questions and think about them.  Several of them get you to think not only about the book but about how some of it can apply to your own life.  So it's a good series of questions for deeper thought.

I was provided with a review copy of A Single Bead by the publisher, Pauline Teen, in exchange for my honest review.  You can find out more about this book and view a preview here.  It is also available at Amazon.

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.

Book Review: Christmas Fun

Happy Advent everyone!  Since we're in the season of preparing our hearts and minds to celebrate the birth of Jesus, now is the perfect time to also help our children to do the same.  I recently received a copy of a great children's activity book that is ideal for helping little ones between the ages of four and seven (pre-k through 2nd grade) to understand the real meaning of Christmas.  Christmas Fun Bible Activity Book is a full color activity book that will be sure to catch the attention of little ones.

Christmas Fun has more than 15 puzzles and activities, so you could use this book throughout Advent to help teach your children about Christmas.  As children complete the activities they learn a bit more about the Christmas story.  The book starts with the Annunciation and ends with the flight into Egypt.  The activities are varied so you're children won't be bored using this book.  There are mazes, dot to dots, games and simple crafts.  

Overall, it's a very nicely done activity book that tells the story of Our Lord's birth in a way that little ones will understand.  The book isn't short on fun, so kids will enjoy it.  I'm looking forward to using this book with my four year old this Advent.

I was provided with a review copy of this book by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  You can learn more about this title and even take a peek inside here.

Book Review: Prayers for Young Catholics

Prayers for Young Catholics is a pocket sized hardcover prayer book compiled by the Daughters of St. Paul that is good for school aged children.  The prayer book contains a dedication page which makes it ideal for gift giving.  It would be a great gift idea for a child who has just received the sacrament of first reconciliation or first Holy Communion.

The prayer book is divided into nine sections:

• Basic Prayers
• Prayers to Mary
• Prayers to Saints
• Prayers from the Bible
• Prayers for Various Needs
• The Rosary
• The Stations of the Cross
• Our Catholic Faith
• The Seasons of the Church

Overall, this prayer book provides a wonderful overview of the faith and contains the means to help foster life long devotions.  I think the layout for the book is quite nice and the book looks like it will withstand many years of use.

The artwork in the prayer book is varied.  It's really a mix of traditional and modern images as well as photographs.  My personal preference with prayer books is to have a more old fashioned traditional feel, so while not all of the artwork in this prayer book appeals to me, it might be more appealing to those who are maybe put off by things that have a more traditional look.  So really, I suppose it all just boils down to personal preferences.

Overall, this is a nice prayer book that is easy to use thanks to a great table of contents.  I have several prayer books that I love that I wish had a table of contents like this.  This prayer book is a good pick if you're looking for a prayer book that isn't also a missal.

I was provided with a review copy of Prayers for Young Catholics by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  You can purchase a copy of this book or take a peek inside of it here.

Book Review: Queen of Apostles Prayer Book

I don't think it's any big secret that I really like prayer books.  Most books I read get read once, maybe twice and then they sit on a shelf or get passed around to my friends.  Sometimes I feel like I'm a private library, only I don't exactly keep track of who has borrowed what and there are never any fines for returning books late.  But prayer books are different.  The ones I like I find myself turning to frequently.  They're the books that will be around for the long haul.  Generally speaking, I find that I gravitate to prayer books that are pre-Vatican II because they tend to contain prayers where the language is more beautiful, and in using those prayer books, I feel like I am able to draw closer to God.

I was recently given the opportunity to review the Queen of Apostles Prayer Book from Pauline Books & Media.  Queen of Apostles is a new up-to-date edition of a prayer book that has been around for more than fifty years.  This prayer book is really beautifully done.  It has a leatherette cover and the sewn page binding, so there are no worries about the pages falling out from years of use like you can find with glued bindings.  The pages are nice and thick, too.

As I paged through this prayer book I was amazed at how much this resembled my favorite older prayer books.  From the prayers included in this book to the language used in the prayers, this book has a very traditional feel to it.  It's not modernized to the point of stripping it of all it's beauty like some others.  It reminds me of a cross between the Mother Love and Blessed Be God prayer books, with more of a leaning towards the former.

The book is divided into the following sections:

• Daily Prayers
• Prayers to the Holy Trinity
• Eucharistic Devotions
• Prayers to Our Lady
• Prayers to the Angels
• Prayers to the Saints
• Prayers of the Saints
• Prayers from Scripture
•  Seasonal Prayers
• Latin Prayers and Hymns
• Helps for Spiritual Growth
• Catholic Beliefs and Practices

I was particularly impressed with the sections of this book that included prayers to the Blessed Mother and the prayers to and by the saints.  In the section on the Blessed mother I like the scriptural explanation of the mysteries of the Rosary.  I think this is done better than in other prayer books I have.  The section on prayers to the saints is filled with prayers for all different situations and needs. The prayers by the Saints is a beautiful variety of prayers written by the saints. I found several prayers in that section that I know are destined to become favorite prayers.

There is a section with Latin prayers and hymns, but the English translation is not given alongside the Latin prayers as you often find in other prayer books.  I'm used to seeing the English translation next to the Latin so it struck me as a bit odd, but I suppose when the compiled the book they thought it better to not repeat prayers that were already elsewhere in the book in English.

I like the examination of conscience that is found in this book.  It is very much like the one in the Mother Love prayer book which presents questions by commandment, only in Queen of the Apostles, the examination is more modern, which I like.

The prayer book comes with a dedication page which makes it suitable for gift giving.  As I read through this book I kept thinking that it would make a great gift for someone who has just gone through RCIA since it offers not only a lot of great prayers, but also a section on Catholic beliefs and practices.  As a convert, I know I would have found a book like this immensely helpful right after I was received into the Church.  This would also be great as a Confirmation gift.

I was provided with a review copy of Queen of Apostles Prayer Book by the publisher, Pauline Books in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Pauline Books & Media to learn more about this book or to purchase a copy.

Book Review: Saint Thomas More

Pauline Kids has a great series of chapter books about the saints called Encounter the Saints.  I've had the pleasure of reviewing several of the titles from this series and I'm never disappointed in the stories.  The books are enjoyable to read whether you're a middle elementary school aged child or an adult.  The most recent title I've read in this series is Saint Thomas More.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been fascinated with Tudor history and St. Thomas More has always been one of those figures that I find inspiring.  In this book, Saint Thomas More is brought to life and we see him under a spotlight that you don't often encounter when reading about this period of history.

Although the story of St. Thomas More took place over 400 years ago, his story is so very relevant to Catholics today.  His courage, and convictions and refusal to back down from what he knew was right before God is a powerful message for us to recall when faced with a culture that is oftentimes add odds with Catholicism.  Given how our government has been lobbying attacks on the Catholic conscience in present times, this book is quite timely and a great source of inspiration for Catholic youth.

The book is ideal for readers in the third to eighth grade age range.  The story is well written and will keep young readers turning pages.  Throughout the book, readers will find some greyscale illustrations.  The illustrations are sprinkled throughout the book so children who feel they're beyond the point of reading books with pictures shouldn't be too off put by the illustrations.  The book contains a glossary which is helpful for words and terminology that are likely to be foreign to children who are not steeped in Tudor history, as well as other faith related terms that they might not be familiar with.

This title is certainly another great add to the Encounter the Saint series.  My eldest daughter read the book and enjoyed it and when she was done, her younger sister was waiting for her turn to read it, too.

I was provided with a review copy of Saint Thomas More by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Amazon to purchase a copy or take a peek inside this book.

Book Review: Building Blocks of ToB for Tots

Pauline Kids has a new series of board books for preschoolers called Theology of the Body Building Blocks for Tots.  The three books that have been recently released cover the topics of gender differences, self-respect and self-giving in a way that is simply put and easy for children aged 2-5 to understand.  Each of these board books also has a parent page that explains the way in which the story relates to Theology of the Body and how the topic at hand will ties in with laying the foundation of a particular concept whether it be self-respect, gender identity, or self-giving.

In Everybody Has a Body: God Made Boys and Girls, gender differences are explained in a way that little ones will understand.  There is an emphasis on the genders having differences that make them special.

In Every Body Is a Gift: God Made Us To Love, children learn how we use our bodies to show love for others whether it's through making things with our hands, playing games or giving hugs.  Children learn that everyone is a gift and can give of themselves to show love.

In Every Body is Smart: God Helps Me Listen and Choose children learn about how our bodies tell us things and how we have to learn how to respond to those cues properly.  Whether it's exercising self-control at Mass and practicing patience when he or she would like to run an play instead or listening to our body's signals when we're hungry, tired or hurt.

The illustrations for these stories are all cute.  The very young children in the illustrations will make it easy for preschoolers to identify with the story.

Overall, it's a cute series for laying the groundwork of Theology of the Body for small children.

I was provided with review copies of Everybody Has a Body, Every Body is a Gift and Every Body is Smart by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Before I Sleep

Not too long ago a copy of Carol Gordon Ekster's Before I Sleep I Say Thank You arrived at my house.  The book is about a little boy who is being tucked into bed by his mom.  Instead of saying what you'd probably call standard bedtime prayers, this little boy and his mommy have a bedtime routine that is an adaptation of the St. Ignatius of Loyola's Examen prayer.  I've read through the book several times now and the more the I read it the more brilliant I think it is.

The story is really sweet and thought provoking.  From a parent perspective, I realized that I the same sort of approach I take with my own prayer life can actually be adapted for a child quite easily.  I simply had never thought to do so.  This book was an eye opener for me with regards to how I could help my younger children think about situations and resolve to make changes for the better going forward.  I also like the emphasis this book placed on showing gratitude.  I know I frequently have to remind my children that our prayers shouldn't only consist of asking God for something, but should also include praising Him and thanking Him for those blessings we have received.  A child will encounter this book from an obviously different perspective.  He or she will recognize the familiarity of a bedtime routine that probably resembles his or her own a bit, and be able to see a different way of saying bedtime prayers modeled in the story of this little boy as he gets tucked into bed.

The illustrations in this book are bright and cheerful.  The pictures aren't overly busy, but there is enough detail for little ones to discuss different aspects of the pictures.  My three year old daughter is never content to just listen to the story and glance at the pictures, she always has to look at the details and point things out that she recognizes or finds interesting.  The illustrations were done by Mary Rojas who also illustrated another book which has been a hit with my kindergarten religious ed students, Forever You.

While I've enjoyed reading this book to my three year old daughter, I am most excited about reading this book to my kindergarten religious ed class.  I feel that this book is perfectly suited to their age group and I'm hoping the story will impact them and possibly help transform their bedtime prayer routines.

I'd certainly recommend this book if you're looking to help shake up a tired bedtime prayer routine for something that will help your child have a richer prayer life.

I was provided with a review copy of Before I Sleep by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  

Book Review: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Comic Book

Sometimes if you're looking to pull kids away from the TV during the summer, a comic book might be just the thing to lure them away from the TV and get them reading.  The other day a few new books showed up at our house and both my 9 year old and my 12 year old were instantly drawn to the Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Comic Book.  I saw my opportunity to get each of them away from the TV for a little bit and suggested the each of them read the book.

My nine year old picked up the book first and spent a good forty-five minutes to an hour reading the book and looking at the illustrations.  A few times she came over to show me a part that she really liked or to tell me that  a part of the story that she already knew was in the book.  Once she finished the book she gave me a quick run down on the life of St. Kateri.  So she got away from the TV, she read and she learned a few things about St. Kateri that she didn't already know.  Awesome!

Before handing the book over to my twelve year old, I decided that I'd take a little break and read the book.  After all, I can't review it if I don't read it.  Having just read about St. Kateri in Fearless: Stories of the American Saints, the story was fresh in my mind and I wanted to see how this little comic book stacked up.  I'd have to say that this comic book does her life's story justice.  It doesn't get into all the nitty gritty details, but it does a pretty good job of covering all the important details.  Certainly a great spring board for getting kids acquainted with St. Kateri.  I also really enjoyed the comic book drawings.  It's a fun book to read and I know kids will enjoy reading this story over and over.

My twelve year old liked the book, too.  She breezed through the book quite a bit faster than her younger sister and reported back to me with some of the parts of her life story that she thought stuck out and she also noticed some of the foot notes sprinkled throughout the story.

Both of the girls enjoyed the book and so did I.  I'd like to see more books just like this on other saints.  I think this is a great way to introduce kids to the saints and because of all the comic book illustrations, I think the stories will make more of a lasting impression on young readers.

I was provided with a review copy of Saint Kateri Tekakwith Comic Book by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Pauline Media for more information on this title or to order a copy.

Book Review: I Forgive You

Well it looks like the author of Forever You has done it again!  Nicole Lataif's latest book I Forgive You is another beautiful book for young children with a powerful message.  About two years ago I reviewed Forever You and the book has been one that has been read to my youngest daughter countless times and has also been read to my religious education students and was even requested to be read again after the first time last year's class heard it.  After reading through I Forgive You, I know that this book will be a hit with the kindergarten crowd.

I Forgive You teaches children the importance of forgiving others and in cases where you can't forgive, going to God and asking for His help in forgiving.  The story has such a beautiful message that will help little ones to realize that no matter what we do God is always there loving us and ready to forgive us when we make mistakes.  The concept of forgiving and being forgiving is so important to instill in children while they're still very young and this book nails it!  I have no doubt that this beautiful story will touch many, both old and young who read it.

The book is geared to children ages four to seven, so pre-K through 2nd grade or thereabouts.  It's not an incredibly long or wordy story, so I think even younger children who are accustomed to listening to stories longer than a board book will have the attention span to sit and listen to it.  My two and a half year old happily sat and listened to this book and then spent some more time afterwards looking at the pictures.

The illustrations in this book are vivid and full of interest.  They're very nicely done and I like how the bold colors capture your attention without competing with the message on the page.

Very much like Forever You, I Forgive You is told in a rhyming verse style which typically goes over quite well with the little ones.  The repeating "Wherever you go, Whatever you do..." will stick with the children throughout the story and hopefully beyond.

I can see this book as being helpful in helping to prepare the hearts and minds of young children who are getting ready for first reconciliation.  It has such a soothing message about our God being all forgiving that it will be surely be a comfort to those children who might have some trepidation or concern about first reconciliation.

I certainly recommend adding a copy of I Forgive You to your child's bookshelf.  It is another excellent title in the Faith Foundations collection from Pauline Media.

I was provided with a review copy of I Forgive You by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  You can learn more about this title or purchase a copy by visiting Pauline Media.

Book Review: God Is With Me

I'm always on the look out for good storybooks I can read to my younger children as well as my kindergarten religious education class.  Recently I received a sweet book entitled God Is With Me Always and Everywhere.  The title is one of the books in the Faith Foundations line from Pauline Books.  The books in this line seek to help build the foundation of faith in young children.

In this book children learn that from their baptism day onward, God is with them every day and everywhere they go.  The story has sweet illustrations and a rhyming style that will keep little ones engaged.

The book is a good introduction for little ones who are just beginning to learn about God and his loving care for each and every one of us.  As a kindergarten catechist, I feel this book will be an excellent story to share with my little students, especially those who will be haven't had much or any exposure to their faith prior to coming to religious education.  This story will help to plant seeds of faith and a confidence that they are loved by God.

The story is well suited to children in the preschool to first grade age range, but the story is short enough that even toddlers can enjoy it.  My two and a half year old likes this book and has brought it to me to read several times.

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

Book Review: The Story of Saint John Paul II A Boy Who Became Pope

Sometimes when children's books arrive on my front doorstep I'm the one who's the most excited about the book.  When a copy of The Story of Saint John Paul II A Boy Who Became Pope showed up at my house shortly after his canonization I was really excited.  St. John Paul II is easily one of my favorite saints.  Picture me doing my best Buddy the Elf impression when he heard that "Santa Claus is coming to town.  10AM tomorrow morning.  10AM..." when he started screaming "Santa!  I know him!" Only 1. I didn't scream Santa; rather I squealed with delight, and 2. I didn't personally know JPII like Buddy knew Santa, but he was pope for most of my life and I've always liked him, even when I wasn't Catholic.  You get the idea.  SUPER.  EXCITED.

So if just seeing the book got such a strong reaction you're probably wondering about the story, right? Of course, you are.  Well let me say that the story does not disappoint.  The story beautifully recalls the life of St. John Paul II from his very beginnings to the day he becomes pope.  The story is told on a level that will grab the attention of children in the 5-10 year old age range.  I read the story to my 2 1/2 year old and she happily sat and listened to the story and looked at the pictures.  So even younger preschoolers who are accustomed to listening to longer story books would enjoy this book.  I'm already looking forward to sharing this book with my kindergarten religious education class during the upcoming school year.

The illustrations in this book are simply beautiful.  Page after page is filled with rich illustrations.  I really liked how each of the illustrations matched the mood of the story unfolding on the page.  Not all picture books have illustrations that correlate with the story as well as this one does.  Children will enjoy looking at the pictures while listening to the story.    

Aside from the beautiful story and illustrations, I really like that this story is told in such a way that will help younger children to know St. John Paul II who is fondly remembered by so many of us who remember when this saint was alive.  Since the story follows JPII from infancy to his pontificate, it nicely illustrates to youngsters that it's never too early to start striving for sainthood.

I was provided with a copy of The Story of Saint John Paul II A Boy Who Became Pope by the publisher, Pauline Kids.  Visit Pauline Media for more information on this title as well as a sneak peek inside the book.

Book Review: A Donkey's Tale

A Donkey's Tale by Stefano Gorla is a collection of stories told through the eyes of Ladan, the donkey who was there.  Ladan tells children the story of Jesus as the eyewitness donkey who was there from the birth of Jesus to His ascension.

The book is filled with illustrations that are pleasing to the eye.  While most of Ladan's tales are relatively short, I'd say that this book is best suited to elementary school children.  The book could be read as a read aloud, but I think it works best as an independent reading book for a child in the second to fourth grade age range.

What I like about this book is it pretty much gives a synopsis of the Gospel through the eyes of a friendly little donkey who is happy to tell his tale in a way that is easy for children to understand.  I thought the stories were done quite well.

In the book there is only one story that I take issue with.  Ladan, the donkey who has been with Jesus since before he was born, claims to be the donkey He rode into Jerusalem.  In Matthew 11:2-7 we are told that Jesus rode on a young donkey which had never been ridden before.  So for me, I had a hard time accepting that Ladan's claim that he was the donkey who Jesus rode into Jerusalem.  I'm not sure that many children would pick up on this discrepancy but I suppose it's possible that some might.

Overall, it's a nice story and I think it will appeal to children.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I was provided with a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on A Donkey's Tale. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.

Book Review: Jorge from Argentina

Earlier this week a lovely picture chapter book about Pope Francis, Jorge from Argentina: The Story of Pope Francis for Children, showed up at my house.  As soon as I saw it, I had to take a peek inside.  It didn't take very long for me to decide that I needed to read this book.  Yes, that's right, I didn't think "Wow, the girls are really going to enjoy this book!  I've got to show it to them!"  No, my thoughts immediately went to "Ooh!  I need to read this!"  Nothing wrong with reading a children's book here and there for yourself.  And I'll be sharing the book with the girls, no worries about that!

After reading through this lovely biography of Pope Francis I had a few thoughts regarding possible uses for the book.  The first one is obvious, give it to an elementary aged child to read on his or her own.  The book is perfect for independent reading for 2nd-4th grade students.  But then I started to think about the younger set.  The story is engaging and I felt it was written in a style that would work wonderfully as a read aloud.  The chapters are short and can be read in a few minutes.  I think this book could be used in a class setting as a read aloud to help children get to know about Pope Francis.  I read a few stories to my kindergarten class that are told over the course of about five weeks and the kids pretty much hang on every word.  I could absolutely see them doing the same with this Pope Francis biography.

The illustrations for this book are just beautiful.  They're filled with nice vibrant colors and I think they really make the story come alive.  Each chapter has one of these rich illustrations.

The biography takes the reader from the marriage of Pope Francis's parents up to World Youth Day 2013.  They get to journey through time and see how a regular boy named Jorge came to be Pope.  And I think young readers will come to develop a fondness for our new Holy Father after they learn more about him.

This paper back book is available in both English and Spanish.  I was provided with review copies of this title by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  You can order a copy of this book or take a peek inside by visiting Pauline Books and Media.

Book Review: The Queen & the Cross

I recently had the opportunity to check out a lovely new saint story book geared to primary grade school children.  The Queen & the Cross tells the legend of Saint Helen and how she went to Jerusalem to find the true cross.

The story is interesting enough to capture the attention of young children.  My toddler was happy to sit and listen to this story and look at the beautiful illustrations.  The book is ideal as a read aloud for pre-school through second grade children.  I suspect that many second and third graders could easily read this book on their own.  My eight year old had no problems reading though this book and getting to know St. Helen.

The book offers more than just the story book retelling of St. Helen.  It also has a lovely prayer at the beginning of the book and a short biography of St. Helen that parents and teachers will likely find helpful.

It's a sweet little hardcover book that is just right for young children.  I, for one, would love to see more saint stories like this geared to this age group.

I was provided with a review copy of The Queen & the Cross by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Pauline Media for more information on this book.  You can even take a peek inside the book and see the great illustrations for yourself!

Book Review: The Locket's Secret

About a month or so ago a teen novel showed up a my house that was quickly snapped up by my middle school daughter.  After looking over the back cover of the book she wanted to know if she could take the book to school and read it. The book was K. Kelley Heyne's The Locket's Secret.

After having the book in her possession for a couple of days, my daughter was telling me how much she was enjoying the story.  She especially liked how the main character retreated from reality into her made up fairy tale story.  I noticed that she was glued to the book over the course of several days, so I always take that as an indication that the book is pretty good.

Once I was able to borrow the book back from my daughter to take a peek inside I found out why she liked the book so much.  After reading the first couple of chapters I had a hard time putting this book down.  It's not very often that I read novels, let alone teen novels, so I was surprised that I got hooked on the book.  The story is about Carrie, a Catholic homeschooled eight grader who is going through a difficult time in her life.  Her family has moved out of state and away from all of her friends.  She's going through a difficult loss in the family and is trying to reconcile all of the emotions she's dealing with.  It's a story that will resonate with teen and tween girls.

Moms, like myself, who like to read through what their children are reading should grab a box of tissues when they reach for this book.  I'd cry, recover and read a few more chapters and find myself crying again.  I wasn't prepared for that when I sat down with this book.

Overall, I think this book is great.  It's perfect for tweens and teens.  I appreciate that the book is age appropriate for young ladies and isn't like a lot of the shamefully inappropriate novels that are geared to teen girls.  I hope we will be seeing more wonderful teen novels from Mrs. Heyne in the future.

I was provided with a review copy of The Locket's Secret by the publisher, Pauline Books, in exchange for my honest review.  You can take a peek inside this book here.  Visit Pauline Media for more information on this title.

Book Review: Jesus With Us

As my seven year old prepares to receive her First Holy Communion in less than two weeks, we have been reading through different books to help further prepare her to receive this sacrament.  One of the books that we have recently started reading through is Jesus with UsThe Gift of the Eucharist.  This book gives a great presentation of what the Eucharist is as well as plenty of background and history to give children a good understanding of the significance and importance of this sacrament.

The book is nicely illustrated with full page pictures for each topic covered in the book.  Children will learn several bible stories as the read though this book as well as some Church history.  Not only will children gain a deeper understanding of the Eucharist, but they'll likely come away being able to understand the Mass a little better, too.  Children should come away from this book knowing that Jesus is their friend and that he wants to come to them in the Eucharist.

My daughter has run off with this book on several occasions and seems to be enjoying it.  She has pointed out different things in the book which she has found to be interesting and related it to things she has been taught in school or seen in other books.  So I'd say this book conveys it's message clearly to it's intended audience.  I do think with the amount of information that is found in this book that it's best to read it a section at a time rather than going from cover to cover.  I'd suggest this simply to keep from overwhelming a child.  An older child (10 and up) could probably read this book cover to cover with no problem, but I think it's a lot of information to process in one shot for a second grader.

While I think this is a great book to help prepare a child for First Holy Communion, it would also make a nice gift for a first communicant to help him or her to understand the importance of the Eucharist, as well.

I was provided with a review copy of Jesus With Us by the publisher, Pauline Books and Media, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Pauline Media for more information on this title or to purchase a copy.