No name

A Marian Bible Study

Bringing Scripture to Life for Moms

Author(s):

Laura Marie Wells

Number of pages:

112 pages

2006

Publisher:

Our Sunday Visitor

Binding:

Softcover

Review:

Reviewed by:

Ana Braga-Henebry

First reviewed:

4-11-2007

A Medieval Feast

Author(s):

Aliki

Number of pages:

32 pages

1983

Publisher:

Harper Trophy

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Setting:

Grade / Age level:

Resource Type:

Review:

This is a children's story book about a fictional, but historically accurate, medieval feast (appropriate to about 1400 A.D.). The story starts from the very beginning, when the lord and lady of a manor receive notice that the King would be visiting for a few days. We see what immense preparations would start long before his arrival and the concern on the part of those hosting the feast because the king wouldn't be travelling alone - the queen, knights, squires and members of the court would make the feast a large and somewhat worrisome preparation. The colorful illustrations are inspired by medieval tapestries and are full of interesting details. The role of the Church is not forgotten as the bishop chants the grace before the meal and sits at the right hand of the king. Other details of life in the middle ages are included in the midst of the preparations for the feast and the feast itself, but the details don't go very deep. You see what happens but not much about how it happens. (My husband thought the book would have been improved by including some recipes and more descriptions of how things were made and how tasks were performed in those days). Nevertheless I think it's an interesting and worthwhile read for the little ones while their older siblings are studying the middle ages. You could probably find this one at your local library.

Reviewed by:

Alicia Van Hecke

First reviewed:

4-7-2000

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Title page of the play, from the first quarto

Author(s):

William Shakespeare

Subject(s):

Classic Literature

Grade / Age level:

High School

Adults

Review:

We studied this Shakespeare comedy in 9th grade using an "interleaved" edition featuring the original text on one side and notes to clarify the meanings of archaic terms on the facing pages. Looking at the text on the pages was a little daunting, but it is amazing what a difference reading it aloud in class made. Suddenly the words were not so strange or difficult to follow any more, and as it is a play -- not a novel -- reading aloud really helped bring it to life. Our class was also able to attend a live outdoor performance, which further enhanced our study of the play. As for the play itself, it is a light comedy that revolves around two young men (Demetrius and Lysander) and two young women (Hermia and Helena) and their adventures. Their fathers want Demetrius and Hermia to wed, but Hermia prefers Lysander. Meanwhile, Helena is still in love with Demetrius even though he has jilted her for Hermia. Hoping to elope, Hermia and Lysander enter a wood, but are pursued by Demetrius and Helena. There they get mixed up in the doings of the fairies, whose King and Queen have themselves had a bit of a falling out. Throw in the mischievous Puck and a group of simple craftsmen, and you have a recipe for much hilarity. Shakespeare uses the situations to explore our human capacity for caprice and wilfulness through the sometimes ridiculous events in his play. Other themes you might want to discuss are: is it appropriate for a father to insist that his daughter marry a particular man? To what extent have the people Shakespeare portrays been influenced by the return of classical thought and Roman law in this regard? What of Oberon's attitude toward his wife Titania? And what about the magic? It's supposed to fix everything, but does it? Or does it just create more chaos? But A Midsummer Night's Dream is a lot of fun, so don't let too much dissection spoil it for you or your students.

Additional notes:

Written approximately 1595.

Many editions available, including several online.

Reviewed by:

Suchi Myjak

First reviewed:

1-8-2009

A Million Dots

Author(s):

Andrew Clements

Illustrator(s):

Reed, Mike

Number of pages:

48 pages

2005

ISBN:

9780689858246

Publisher:

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Subject(s):

Math

Grade / Age level:

Elementary

Resource Type:

Picture Books

Review:

There are indeed a million dots in the book, although the book states it would take over eleven days for the reader to actually count them! On each page one of the dot numbers is highlighted and a large illustration depicts what that number represents. For instance, dot number 265,000 represents the number of different kinds of moths and butterflies on earth, and dot number 615,100 represents the number of words in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Kids and adults alike will like this book. Interesting, fun facts aided by the colorful illustrations over the dots provide a way to better understand how much a million really is!

Reviewed by:

Ana Braga-Henebry

First reviewed:

Mar 27, 2009

A Mother's Rule of Life

How to Bring Order to Your Home and Peace to Your Soul

Author(s):

Holly Pierlot

Number of pages:

203 pages

2004

Publisher:

Sophia Institute Press

Binding:

Softcover

Review:

Have you ever considered motherhood to be your vocation? Have you prayerfully considered the various daily duties and burdens of your state in life? Do you think that prayer time will have to wait until your children are older? until the dishes are done? until the entire house is decluttered? Do you long for the peace of the monastery? A nap? A clean house? A day in which all he schoolwork is completed? This is the book that will help you learn how to "do it all" without losing your mind or spending a fortune, while you and your family grow in holiness and peace.

For those of us who are "schedule-resistant", a rule of life is not a schedule; it is much, much more. Mrs. Pierlot defines a mother's rule of life as "an organization of everything that has to do with your vocation based on a hierarchy of the priorities that define the vocation and done with the intent to please God." She describes these priorities as the "5 P's": Prayer (basic spiritual needs), Person (basic physical needs), Partner (being available to one's spouse), Parent (being available to one's child(ren) ), and Provider (through work outside or inside the home). Thorough descriptions and real-life examples show you how to think through your own situation to analyze how each of these essential responsibilities fits into your rule. The final chapters on the heart and spirit of the mother's rule tie the entire process together and encourage the reader in implementing her rule without scrupulosity. .

A Mother's Rule of Life is not a book that you will read from cover to cover in one sitting and suddenly say "A-ha!" You will need to read this book several times: at least once to understand the major ideas and get excited about beginning the process of developing a rule; a second time to appreciate both the enormity yet the simplicity of the task at hand; and, a third time to absorb the details of the process in an effort to apply them to your own unique situation. Writing and living by a rule will not be an overnight process for most women; it will require periodic changes and updating within an overall framework. Even so, the time and effort spent will yield tremendous dividends as you live out your vocation every single day. Reading this book may also lead you to reading and studying more about the saints and Catholic teaching through many quotations from Catholic sources that the Catholic mother may wish to learn more from. As an aside, Mrs. Pierlot relates an unusual step in her path towards God regarding her need for prayers of deliverance. Any reader wishing to understand this issue better may wish to read An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories by Fr. Gabriele Amorth, the chief exorcist of the Catholic Church.

A Mother's Rule of Life is one of the two books that I have been recommending recently to anyone interested in Catholic motherhood. (The other is How to Raise Good Catholic Children by Mary Reed Newland.) The ideas are not especially new or earth-shattering, but they are imbued with a Catholic focus and organized so that you can get right to work, step by step, without becoming anxious or overwhelmed. This book provides a good healthy dose of hope for every Catholic mother.

Perspective:

Catholic

Reviewed by:

Susan Kalis

First reviewed:

7-30-04

A Philadelphia Catholic in King James Court

Author(s):

Martin de Porres Kennedy

Martin Deporres Kennedy

Number of pages:

316 pages

1999

ISBN:

9780967149219

Publisher:

Lilyfield Press

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Apologetics

Grade / Age level:

High School

Resource Type:

Book(s)

Review:

Plot overview: After the tragic death of Mick O'Shea, a Catholic fireman from Philadelphia, his widow Tammy and their children are invited to spend the summer at the Kentucky farm of Tammy's brother Les and his family. The catch? Les is the fundamentalist pastor of a small homegrown "Bible-only" church. He believes it is his duty to "save" his sister and her family from the Catholic Church. The story centers on 17-year-old Michael, who is chosen as the preferred point of contact. At first, Michael is very uncertain about Scripture and feels that his uncle's explanations are right; however, Mick has given him a solid grounding in the Faith, so he seeks the answers in Mick's library.

The author does a fine job of portraying the characters with their struggles and motivations. For example:

Michael's search for truth is realistic, keeping us guessing how it will turn out.
Tammy allows her son to face the challenge, realizing that he is too old to just be told the answers. I love the way the author shows the impact of her prayerful support.
Fundamentalists are beautifully shown to be motivated by charity, while at the same time the weakness of their sola scriptura position is exposed.
I also enjoyed the contrast between the reactions of the characters who were seeking Truth and those who felt threatened by it. (As a convert, I can appreciate both positions!)

Not only is much excellent apologetic material included in a natural, enjoyable, and engaging format, but it is done with charity and even humility. Topics covered include the Inquisition, the papacy, the role of Mary, and the authority and interpretation of the Bible.

The richness of the Faith comes through in other ways as well. I especially loved the way the author portrays the uniqueness of the Sacrifice of Christ even as it is extended through time in the re-presentation of that Sacrifice in the Mass. Other elements woven into the story include questions of what is really important in life, the support of the Christian community, and the power of prayer.

All in all a very satisfying Catholic novel.

Highly recommended.

Perspective:

Catholic

Reviewed by:

Suchi Myjak

First reviewed:

11-20-2007

A Picture Perfect Childhood

Enhancing Your Child's Imagination and Education in 15 Minutes a Day

Author(s):

Cay Gibson

Number of pages:

256 pages

2007

Publisher:

Literature Alive!

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Books about Books

Review:

There are only a few books that I know I'll love even before I see them - and this was definitely one. Picture book afficionado Cay Gibson serves up a delicious array of picture books of all sorts to discover and savor for yourself from your local library (and hopefully start a collection of your own as well). I'm a big fan of picture books - especially the beautifully illustrated ones that are wonderfully in fashion at present (my habits run along the lines of prominently displaying them in our house to inspire reading, purchasing picture books to coordinate with our homeschool studies - particular in history and science, and even, occasionally, reading picture books aloud to unsuspecting dinner guests) and I'm delighted to have this great place to start to discover many new titles. The substance of this book is comprised of essays on the value of picture books and how to incorporate them into your lives along with numerous creative and inspiring book lists. Here is a sampling of the booklists you'll find: List for Teenaged Readers and Reluctant Readers Children's Hour (A Twelve Month Historical Timeline along with supplementary reading in subjects like science, art, music and language arts) The Never-Ending List of Children's Authors and Illustrators Teaching Virtues Through Books Spanning the Globe Read Across America Let's Get Cooking with Literature (Picture Books about Cooking and Recipes) Take Me Out to the Ballgame Black History Month Around the World and Beyond with Cinderella Gardening Treasures Immigration Booklist Pioneers and Westward Movement World War II Christmas Booklist This is the sort of book (further enhanced by spacious margins and room for additional notes) that I can readily imagine dragging to the library and to book sales and keeping track of which favorites we've read and which ones we own. A very welcome addition to our home library and one that also looks to be useful in making purchasing recommendations to our public library. I've only read a small portion of the recommended books so far, but I eagerly await discovering many new favorites. Though this book was written by a Catholic homeschool mom (and includes a number of fine, specifically Catholic titles), its scope is quite broad and would be of interest to many parents, teachers and librarians. Available from the author's website.

Reviewed by:

Alicia Van Hecke

First reviewed:

2-15-2008

A Place to Hide

True Stories of Holocaust Rescues

Author(s):

Jayne Pettit

Number of pages:

114 pages

1993

Publisher:

Scholastic

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

History

Setting:

Europe

Life during World War II

Grade / Age level:

Grades 3-5

Grades 6-8

Review:

This book contains true stories of remarkable people (mostly Christians, including many Catholics) who saved the lives of Jews from the Nazis in World War II. According to this book, despite six million Jews killed by the Nazis, it is estimated that two million Jewish children were saved by rescuers such as the sampling presented in these stories. It is estimated that the number of rescuers (those who harbored Jews in their homes, transported them to safety, etc.) is anywhere from fifty-thousand to five hundred thousand.

The stories here include:

Miep Santrouschitz, who hid Anne Frank and her family in a tiny apartment above a business in Holland.
Oskar Schindler (subject of the recent movie Schindler's List) who spent his fortune bribing the Nazis in order to save over one thousand Jews from the death camps.
The story of Denmark, under its remarkable king Christian X, and its resistance against the Nazis. It's difficult to sum up all the remarkable pieces of this story in a few words, but the Danes ferried over 8,000 Jews to safety in Sweden (under the noses of enemy warships) over the coure of three months.
Andre and Magda Trocme and the city of Le Chambon, France, who provided a place of refuge for many Jews.
Padre Niccacci of Assisi, Italy, who rescued many Jews, even hiding them in the cloistered convents.

The book is thoughtfully done - accurately and fairly portraying Christian beliefs (and really showing Christianity at it's best - standing up in the face of evil) and delicately handling topics that would be sensitive for children. The author's intent is that "this account of the rescuers and their 'conspiracy of goodness' will serve as a tribute to all of those remarkable people who, in Abraham Foxman's words, 'seemed to be ordinary people living typical lives, but each was blesed with a touch of greatness.'" It is also beautiful to read that the Jewish Foundation for Christian Rescuers (who are largely responsible for the content of the book) have turned around and tried to give aid, where needed later in life, to those who risked so much to accomplish these heroic rescues.

Reviewed by:

Alicia Van Hecke

First reviewed:

1-12-01

A Pocket Guide to St. Paul

Author(s):

Scott Hahn

Number of pages:

96 pages

2008

Publisher:

Our Sunday Visitor

Subject(s):

Bible

Bible Study Helps

Resource Type:

Book(s)

Review:

I really enjoyed this quick and easy-to-understand guide to St. Paul and his writings. Well, perhaps "easy-to-understand" isn't fair, because the topics covered here on the writings of St. Paul are not easy ones. Yet this is a reasonably accessible place to start and might even be usable, with some guidance, for a teen Bible study group. I've always been a fan of good writing in small packages (in this case approx. 4 x 6 inches) because not only can I get to the heart of the matter fairly quickly, but also conveniently as the book can be stashed in my purse. This book opens with a fairly detailed biography of the great saint with subtitled sections to make it easier to follow (great for moms who get interrupted a lot from their reading!) Even though I've read (and watched) biographies of St. Paul before, it's hard to keep the details straight in my head. This overview was a very helpful refresher - and also one that can be turned to again and again. The largest chaptert of the book is on "St. Paul's Thought". This is perhaps the most unique aspect of this book and a particularly welcome read in this year of St. Paul. It provides an extremely helpful overview of what St. Paul has given to Catholic theology. A quick read-through of the sub-section titles is helpful: "Why a Pharisee? Why Saul?", "The Word of the Cross", "The Good News of Salvation", "Salvation and Sonship", "The Importance of Covenant", "The Scandal of God's Fatherhood", "We Are 'In Christ'", "The Church at the Center", "Faith and Works", "The Problem of Pain", "Glory in the Cross". I found the chapter on "St. Paul's Letters" to be particularly helpful because, even though I've read all of his letters before, and some numerous times, there's always so much more to learn. Also, I don't tend to have a ready grasp of which letter was significant for which reason. This includes a paragraph or three overviewing and explaining each of St. Paul's Epistles. The book is rounded out with some reflections on "St. Paul and Us", a "Quick Reference for Catholic Doctrines and Practices in St. Paul's Life and Work", "The Quotable St. Paul" and "Prayers to St. Paul." Highly recommended!

Perspective:

Catholic

Reviewed by:

Alicia Van Hecke

First reviewed:

2-19-2009