Biographies

Young Faces of Holiness

Book cover: 'Young Faces of Holiness, Modern Saints in Photos and Words'
Author(s): 
Ann Ball

If you want to go to sleep, don't read Young Faces of Holiness by Ann Ball. The stories are absolutely fascinating. The thirty-five stories include young people from all walks of life and countries of the world who are either Blessed, Venerable, or candidates for canonization.

The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica

Book cover: The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica
Author(s): 
Kathleen Norris
Illustrator(s): 
Tomie de Paola

This oversized story book, illustrated with the familiar style of Tomie de Paola, relates the stories of Saints Benedict and Scholastica – twin brother and sister who lived in Italy in the 5th Century. The story is very simple, with gentle humor, and suitable for young children. The illustrations are especially interesting because they resemble pre-Renaissance Christian art with little bits of the story taking place in the background of the main picture.

The First Christians

Book cover: The First Christians, The Acts of the Apostles
Author(s): 
Marigold Hunt
Illustrator(s): 
Ted Schluenderfritz

The sequel to A Life of Our Lord for Children, this title by Marigold Hunt tells the story of the infant Church. After a few introductory remarks, the story begins with the Pentecost (Acts 1) and ends with Paul's visit to the Jews of Rome (Acts 28). The beauty of this book is the wonderful storytelling style of Hunt. It is a great book to read aloud because then it really sounds as if she is speaking to us. One day I was reading out loud to my nine year-old and all the other children had gathered around.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Book cover: St. Thomas Aquinas
Author(s): 
G.K. Chesterton
(Gilbert Keith Chesterton)

This little book is interesting. It is NOT the definitive work on St. Thomas. It is NOT a primer on his philosophy. It is an interesting mix of: a story of his life (or rather stories from his life), a little taste of his genius, another taste of what his ideas mean to the world (including how relevant they are today) and ideas about why he was the way he was.

It does not seem adequate to compare it to a TV show but it reminds me of one of those really good PBS documentaries that gets you totally involved in something you didn't ever think was that big a deal.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

Book cover: 'Saint Thomas Aquinas'
Author(s): 
Raïssa Maritain

Despite its humble appearance, this biography of Saint Thomas Aquinas is a real gem. The story is told as a real story should be told, full of miracles and detail without becoming preachy, yet it is simple enough for the children it was written to instruct. The rich vocabulary hints at an original copyright in the early 1900s and may be challenging to a young independent reader. You may wish to read this book aloud to the under-8s or beside an 8-9-year-old to be sure of comprehension.

Greenleaf Guide to Famous Men of Greece

Book cover: Greenleaf Guide to Famous Men of Greece
Author(s): 
Cynthia Shearer
The Guide to Famous Men of Greece is an optional supplement for the book. It includes, for each lesson, a vocabulary list and several discussion questions designed to bring out the key points of each life through a Christian (biblical) perspective. The discussion questions are excellent narration starters and really do help bring out the theme that "individual people and their actions have a significant effect on history".

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