Alicia Van Hecke

My Catholic Speller (Level C)

Book cover: 'My Catholic Speller (Level C)'

Level C, intended for use with fourth graders, incorporates a variety of fun and creative techniques to learn spelling words in 34 weeks of lessons. New list words are presented in both cursive and print. Crossword puzzles, fill-in-the blanks, dictionary work and word searches complement the recommended oral study, mid-week quiz and final test. Catholic content is elegantly woven into the text, helping children make connections between their faith and other subjects.

Happy Birthday, Dear Beany

Book cover: 'Happy Birthday, Dear Beany'
Author(s): 
Lenora Mattingly Weber

Beany is delighted when she hears that her dear childhood friend Miggs Carmody has moved back to Denver, but when they meet up again there is a strange wall between them. Is it because Miggs' family has become very wealthy? There is a scene in which a boyfriend shakes Beany and hurts her. It might be important to talk to your daughter about this scene and how wrong the boyfriend is no matter what Beany's faults in the situation were.

Stations of the Cross for Children Poster Set

Book cover: 'Stations of the Cross for Children Poster Set'
Author(s): 
Julianne Will
Illustrator(s): 
Patricia Mattozzi

This is a very nice, very inexpensive, large-size set of the Stations of the Cross created especially for children (the same pictures as are in the Stations of the Cross for Children book, also reviewed here) appropriate for homes and classrooms. The drawings are simple (they remind me a little of Tomie dePaola's drawings) and what my husband would describe as "sanitized".

The Mitchells: Five for Victory

Book cover: The Mitchells: Five for Victory
Author(s): 
Hilda Van Stockum

This is a charming and thoughtful story of an American family of five children during World War II (based on Hilda Van Stockum's own family) whose father is away at war. The family is very real with plenty of worries and troubles...but they manage to find joy with each other. For independent reading, it could be one your children's first full-length chapter books.Wit and wisdom make it a can't miss for adults as well (a perfect read-aloud). This has been a favorite with our family (for children as young as four or five) for many years.

Canadian Summer

Book cover: Canadian Summer
Author(s): 
Hilda Van Stockum

Canadian Summer continues the story of the Mitchell Family (this is the second book in the series) several years after World War II. Baby Catherine has joined the family. Father is back from the war and has moved to Quebec for his job. He has difficulty finding housing for the family, but finally makes arrangements and sends Mother, Granny and the children up on the train. Upon arriving, the ladies are shocked to find that accomodations consist of a remote ski cabin lacking electricity or running water.

Friendly Gables

Book cover: 'Friendly Gables'
Author(s): 
Hilda Van Stockum

Friendly Gables is the final book in the Mitchell's Series and our favorite of the bunch.The family has recently settled into a large, comfortable house in Quebec. Mother has just given birth to twins and a cranky nurse comes to help. The children are adjusting to life in Canada – including French schools and a boy who's itching to pick a fight with "Yankee" boys.

"The Shop of Ghosts"

Book cover: '"The Shop of Ghosts"'
Author(s): 
G.K. Chesterton
Found on pages 82-86 of G.K. Chesterton Collected Works Volume XIV, 1993, Ignatius Press, 802 pages, softcover, Catholic perspective

This is a charming and humorous story about the spirit of Christmas through the ages. Good for a chuckle and a little perspective.

The volume in which this story can be found is available from Ignatius Press
You can also read this story online by clicking here

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