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Reading Comprehension: Stories of the Saints, Volume 4

Book cover: 'Reading Comprehension: Stories of the Saints, Volume 4'
Author(s): 
Elaine Woodfield
Number of pages: 
106 pages
Copyright: 
2001
Publisher: 
Catholic Heritage Curricula
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Reading Comprehension
Saint Stories
Review: 

Mrs. Woodfield has brought to life yet another collection of wonderful, but somewhat lesser-known, saints through beautiful stories, study questions and other projects that help older children grow to love and better understand these beautiful saints. This collection covers the lives of three canonized Saints and one very holy man who has been declared Venerable: Saint Katherine Drexel, Venerable Matt Talbot, St. Josephine Bakhita and Pope St. Pius X.

Saint Katherine Drexel, just canonized in the year 2000, is the first American born, Catholic-born saint. A wealthy Philadelphia heiress of the late 19th century, she used her fortune to found an order of sisters to run schools, convents and universities for the needy Indians of the West and the Blacks in the South. Saint Katherine is a remarkable American saint who should be known and loved widely in the United States. Surely her example will inspire young children of today to be the heroes of tomorrow.

Venerable Matt Talbot was a simple Irishman who struggled back from the darkness of serious alcoholism to lead a very holy life - in the world, but not of the world. Dublin in the latter 19th century was a difficult place for simple Irish workingmen. The oppression of the English caused great poverty and the British customs further plagued the Irish by having their salaries paid to them at the local tavern, where they were likely to spend a great deal of it for drink. By the grace of God, Matt managed to pull himself out of this oppressive lifestyle, pledging to never drink again and spending many, many hours at Church in order to avoid the deadly temptations.

St. Josephine Bakhita was born in the Sudan, Africa, in 1869. She had a very happy childhood in a loving "noble pagan" family until she was kidnapped by slave traders when she was nine. She suffered horribly but patiently from her cruel masters in Africa until she came into the possession of the Italian Consul to the Sudan. There she lived a relatively happy life caring for the daughter of the Consul until she traveled with the child and mother to Italy. In Italy she attended a Catholic school with the little girl and fell in love with Jesus. Eventually she was permitted to join an order of sisters where she led an extraordinarily holy life and inspired countless numbers of people to a deeper love for God. She spoke gratefully of her enslavement because it eventually led her to Jesus.

Pope St. Pius X was a humble Italian farm boy who went on to do great things for the church as priest, bishop, cardinal, and finally Pope. He is well-known for reforming Church music (especially by encouraging a return to the use of Gregorian Chant), exhorting people to the frequent reception of Holy Communion despite imperfections (at the time, it was common for people to receive Holy Communion only once a year because of a sort of false piety) and especially lowering the common age at which children could receive First Holy Communion. Although an understanding of the faith is certainly important for children, he saw a child's need for the grace received in Holy Communion as even more important in getting them off to a good start in their faith.

The stories are approximately twenty full-size pages each, and are illustrated with nice black and white photos and sketches. After each story is an extensive (4-5 pages each) "Lesson Activities" section designed to further analyze the story, provide vocabulary and comprehension exercises and learn more about the saint and the time in which he/she lived through geography, history and biography projects. Segments include a vocabulary list, terms to know, Comprehension Questions, "Analyze This" (Questions drawn out of the story that require additional thought and reflection on the part of the student), Essay Questions, Quotes (learning a few quotes from the saint), a Geography and History segment (project ideas relating to the saint), "Research and Report" (Possible report topics relating to the saint) and "You, the Biographer" (Contemporary or otherwise related historical figures that could be studied in conjunction with the saint's life). An Answer Key covering the Comprehension Questions is found in the back of the book.

This book would be most appropriate for upper grade school or early high school. These are by no means too mature for this age level, but certain parts of two of the stories in particular - the alcoholism struggled with by Ven. Matt Talbot and the brutality of the slave-owners of St. Josephine Bakhita - would probably not be appropriate for younger children. The text provides a great deal of engaging material relating to History, Religion and Geography as well as Reading Comprehension. Highly Recommended. Great reading for adults too!

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
1998-99

Reading the Saints

Lists of Catholic Books for Children plus Book Collecting Tips for the Home and School Library
Author(s): 
Janet McKenzie
Number of pages: 
218 pages
Copyright: 
2007
Publisher: 
Biblio Resource Publications
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Books about Books
Saints
Grade / Age level: 
All ages
Resource Type: 
General Resource
Review: 
This is an interesting and helpful book of lists designed for parents and teachers interested in collecting Catholic stories (particularly saint stories) for their children and incorporating them into their school studies. The first part of the book consists of listings of Catholic book series (both in and out of print), including titles with Catholic content that have been awarded the Caldecott Award and the Newbery Award, Catholic Readers, the Clarion Series, the Vision Series, American Background Books, Catholic Treasury Books and much more. The main portion of the book (over 100 pages) includes historical and geographical charts of these books of interest (including separate listings for individual stories in the story collections). These charts provide information on where and when the story took place, what series it belongs to, whether it's in print or not and a general age recommendation. Also included are extensive listings of Catholic authors and publishers of interest. The appendix includes a helpful and detailed guide to collecting and caring for books. I found this to be a very useful and well-organized book and I'm sure it's one I'll turn to again and again - particularly when doing school planning over the summer.
Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
3-3-2008

Ready for Reading! A Learn-to-Read Series, Set 1 (Ant Books)

Book cover: 'Ready for Reading! A Learn-to-Read Series, Set 1'
Author(s): 
Laura Callahan Busch
Number of pages: 
144 pages
Copyright: 
2001
ISBN: 
0760728925
Publisher: 
Michael Friedman Publishing
Subject(s): 
Phonetic Readers
Grade / Age level: 
Grades K-2
Review: 

This beginning reader set provides young students with small activity booklet/readers that can be read at a very primary level. The author combines simple words that can be read phonetically with one or two sight words in each booklet that the child will learn to recognize (words like: "look", "go" and "the"). I thought the illustrations were more appealing than those found in the Bob Books.

A number of the stories include a blank to insert the reader's name and a few family names into the story. I thought this was a clever idea since many children to learn to write and recognize their own name even before they are reading. There are also little puzzles, word-and-picture matching and writing practice.

The "Ready for Reading" booklets are very appealing to little children (who always seem to love little books, especially when they come in a neat package), and I'm sure there are many four and five year olds who would delight in having these little workbook sets for their special schooltime. Even as I write, my almost-five-year-old has been asking and asking for me to finish reviewing these books so that she can use them and color them in.

Using "Angela" as an example of the reader's name (that the reader or parent can fill in), these are the titles of the booklets - "The Angela Book", "Angela Can", "Angela's Family Book", "The Pig is in the Mud", "The Big Hat", "Little Christina" (younger sibling name to be filled in), "Is it a Cat?", "Yes-No Workbook", "Go to Bed", "Treasure Hunt", "Dog is Fed", "Angela can Bat".

The booklets have glossy, color covers and black and white illustrations that could be colored in by the child. The text includes teaching suggestions in small print right alongside the student work! These include helps for common problems that children run into.

Additional notes: 

12 softcover booklets 12-16 pgs. each + parent's guide in a box

Donated for review by Barnes and Noble at request of author

Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
11-18-02

Ready for Reading! A Learn-to-Read Series, Set 2 (Caterpillar Books)

Book cover: 'Ready for Reading! A Learn-to-Read Series, Set 2'
Author(s): 
Laura Callahan Busch
Copyright: 
2001
ISBN: 
0760728933
Publisher: 
Michael Friedman Publishing
Subject(s): 
Phonetic Readers
Grade / Age level: 
Grades K-2
Review: 

In a similar fashion to the first set, these books offer additional, more advanced, reader/activity books that combine practice of lots of phonics based words with a number of sight words (some of the sight words could be learned phonetically later on). By the time the child is finished with this second series, he will have practiced 62 phonics-based words (such as Dad, jet, him, stop and bug) and 25 sight words (such as love, you, the, Mommy and room).

The stories are simple and silly and this set has a few with a superheroes theme. The idea is continued of filling in the reader's name (including the last name in one book). Again, using "Angela" as a sample name, the story titles are: "So Can Pop", "The Big Egg", "I Am Angela", "Super Angela", "Not So Hot", "Do It", "Boy and Girl Workbook", "Little Christina and the Pen" (fill in the name of a younger sibling), "A Pig is in the Room", "Angela is So Fun", "Angela's Family Fun", "Super Angela Meets Big Bad Bill".

Additional notes: 

12 softcover booklets 12-18 pgs. each + parent's guide in a box

Donated by B&N at request of author.

Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
11-19-02

Real Learning

Education in the Heart of the Home
Book cover: 'Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home'
Author(s): 
Elizabeth Foss
Number of pages: 
255 pages
Copyright: 
2003
Publisher: 
By Way of the Family Press
Subject(s): 
Methods: Charlotte Mason
Review: 

Elizabeth Foss, mother of seven homeschooled children (ranging in age from 16 down to toddler), has done a great job synthesizing her approach to "educating a child in the heart of the family given to that child by his Creator" in her book, Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home.

The book mixes Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy (lots of living books, short lessons and "masterly inactivity") with pithy quotes from Edith Stein, Pope John Paul II and other Catholic thinkers and educators. She points out that although Charlotte Mason and Edith Stein never met or read each other's writings both emphasize the "absolute necessity of engaging the whole child - heart, soul and mind - in order to educate him".

For the first third of her book, Foss explains her philosophy of educating in the home. It is a different way of looking at how to homeschool. She explains that no subject should be an entity unto itself but instead, all courses should feed off each other. Learning becomes then such a part of the student's world that learning is a "24/7" activity. I especially like that teaching the Catholic faith to our children is not taught in a vacuum. Liturgical celebrations - the cycle of feasts and famines - enliven the school year. The Catholic Church's actions and her many heroes illustrate different periods of history. Liturgical music (classical, chant or contemporary) defines different music styles. Art takes off by incorporating the study of various forms of religious art - iconography, renaissance, church architecture and others. Religion passes from textbook memorization into the heart and soul of the student, to carry them through to adulthood. The Catholic faith is lived in the heart of the home.

Mrs. Foss points out this is not a "how-to" book, but rather a "fly on the wall" perspective of real learning in the Foss (and other) household. Each home will develop its own curriculum. She has detailed quotes from other homeschooling veterans who also use their own form of Charlotte Mason education.

Suggestions for reading books, a sample unit study for Advent, and quotes from other "real learning" homeschoolers make Real Learning a very usable, practical guide to develop your own "real learning" curriculum. I read it at the beginning of my journey with my little ones and again about halfway through. Each time I took away so much more. I'll read it again this summer to refresh my teaching "in the heart of the home".

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Mary C. Gildersleeve
First reviewed: 
6-14-05

Reclaiming America's Children

Raising and Educating Morally Healthy Kids
Book cover: 'Reclaiming America's Children: Raising and Educating Morally Healthy Kids'
Author(s): 
Michelle Willis
Number of pages: 
95 pages
Copyright: 
1991
Publisher: 
Ocean East Publishing
Binding: 
Softcover
Sample Pages
Subject(s): 
Books on Parenting
Review: 

This is essentially a brief training manual written to help parents successfully raise children in difficult times. It appears to be written especially for caring parents whose children are attending public or private schools. Although it is not explicitly Catholic in content, the teachings and basic principles presented are essentially Catholic (and the author is Catholic).

Society bombards parents with many questionable philosophies regarding the raising of children. Some are well-meaning, but misguided and can fairly easily be "repaired" with a little common sense. Others are unequivocally disastrous when implemented. In a double-whammy, society bombards our children with many negative influenes that compromise those principles that we most want to instill in them.

The author simply and realistically cuts through all this confusion and shows the truth of traditional Judeo-Christian teachings to be the right and practical answer. Parents will learn to distinguish these sound teachings from Humanistic/Atheistic and New Age teachings and understand the devastating consequences of these erroneous philosophies.

The book discusses the significance of basic parenting styles and how these styles (warm-restrictive, cold-restrictive, warm-permissive or cold-permissive) will impact your children. Other chapters on praenting cover:

  • "Conscience: Its Role in Developing Empathy and Compassion" and
  • "The Great Self-Esteem Hoax: Relaxed Standards Created Restlessness, Dissatisfaction and a Hunger to Get More for Less"
I highly recommend this section on parenting. There is so much truth in a nutshell contained in these few chapters (which are a very quick read) that they really shouldn't be missed.

The remainder of the book covers the great moral dangers children are faced with today - values education (including suicide education, sexual orientation education and AIDS education), sex education and pornography, televised violence and drug abuse. Although these chapters are primarily designed to warn and inform parents of school children to the related dangers, this makes valuable reading for homeschool parents as well. Besides, reminding us of some of the reasons we homeschool, the author provides many insights into human nature and many other helpful tidbits.

Each of the eight chapters provides a summary and "helpful tips" segment. The book also provides a chart comparing three major philosophies relating to raising and educating children: Judeo-Christian, Humanistic/Philosophical Atheism and Cosmic Humanism (New Age Thinking). An extensive bibliography and index are included in the back of the book. Highly recommended.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
10-30-01

Red Butterfly

How a Princess Smuggled the Secret of Silk out of China
Author(s): 
Deborah Noyes
Illustrator(s): 
Sophie Blackall
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
2007
Publisher: 
Candlewick Press
Binding: 
Sewn Hardcover
Subject(s): 
Historical Fiction
Setting: 
Ancient China
Grade / Age level: 
All ages
Review: 
When I first read aloud Mary Daly's First Timeline to the children, it was the first time I had ever heard of the story of the young Chinese Princess and the cup of tea where the silk strands first unravel revealing themselves... such a captivating story. Then Mary asked me to illustrate it for wider publication... and I just loved doing the Chinese teacup! Well, last week at the library, browsing as I always do through the new picture books, I found a Chinese princess and the tale of the discovery of silk! I knew it as soon as I glanced at the cover. Red Butterfly: How a Princess Smuggled the Secret of Silk out of China doesn't quite tell the same story as Mary's First Timeline-- but Mary's story, an old Chinese legend, is included in the Author's Note at the of the beautifully illustrated hardcover. The story of the book, also based on an old Chinese legend, happens later--when silk was part of Chinese life and had yet to be known to the rest of the world. The Princess, about to leave her homeland to be married to a foreign prince, decides to secretly take with her something that will always remind her of home. A darling picture book, to be enjoyed by kids of all ages, and bringing forth life in a different culture, a long time ago, and how materials things such as silk are easily taken for granted today.
Reviewed by: 
Ana Braga-Henebry
First reviewed: 
2-13-2008

Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal

Book cover: Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal
Author(s): 
Robert T. Reilly
Number of pages: 
202 pages
Copyright: 
1957
ISBN: 
9781883937225
Publisher: 
Bethlehem Books
Binding: 
Softcover
Sample Pages
Subject(s): 
Biographies
Setting: 
16th century
Ireland
Grade / Age level: 
Grades 3-5
Grades 6-8
Review: 

The true story of Hugh Roe O'Donnell, an Irish prince who fought the English Invaders at the time of Queen Elizabeth. This is a fast paced story – quite exciting and with a touch of romance. The hardships endured by Red Hugh, particularly during his imprisonment, are a bit graphic, but probably not too intense for mid-gradeschoolers and up. We are reminded of Red Hugh's faith when he asks the English to let him see a priest. The request is refused and the reader is introduced to the tactics of indoctrination, used to attempt to sway the hero from his Irish and Catholic loyalties. This will probably be a favorite among boys who like stories about battles, chases, and the victory of good over evil.

Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
1998-99

Richer than a Millionaire

Author(s): 
Paul Waldmann
Subject(s): 
Biographies
Setting: 
World War II
Review: 
The brief autobiography of a Jewish man who grew up in the Austria in the 20s and 30s. He witnessed the persecution of the Jews but was able to avoid being sent to a concentration camp by escaping to America where he later converted to Catholicism.
Reviewed by: 
Alicia Van Hecke
First reviewed: 
1998-99

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