Biographies

Joan of Arc

Book cover: Joan of Arc
Author(s): 
Mark Twain

Saint Joan of Arc is one of the most astonishing saints of all time. Prayerful, as all saints must be, humble, generous, and patient, Joan served God by leading the armies of France to boot the English from their soil in 1431. Not a usual task for a girl in her late teens, saint or not. And afterwards, to make it perfectly clear that the English were engaged in an act of godless aggression, Joan was burned as a witch after a trial that was unjust, illegal and cruel in every detail.

George Washington

Book cover: George Washington
Author(s): 
Ingri & Edgar Parin D'Aulaire

It is just like the D'Aulaire's to create a story (complete with beautiful full-color illustrations) that would be interesting and appealing to small children and yet teach more about the character and upbringing of "the Father of Our Country" than most textbooks. The story covers our First President's early childhood – growing up in Colonial America – his adventures (and character) as a young officer during the French and Indian War and, of course, his role in the American Revolution and as president.

Saint John Bosco and Saint Dominic Savio

Book cover: Saint John Bosco and Saint Dominic Savio
Author(s): 
Catherine Beebe

This was the book that got our family "hooked" on the Vision Series. I happened to find it at a Used Book store (Ignatius Press books are fairly easy to spot because of the contrasting color around the author's name on the spine of the book). I didn't expect my children to be interested in full-length books at such a young age (my oldest had just turned five). Somehow we got started and they loved it. This is a particularly good Saint story to start with because St. John Bosco is a special patron of children and especially boys.

Abraham Lincoln

Book cover: Abraham Lincoln
Author(s): 
Ingri & Edgar Parin D'Aulaire
Rea Berg (Editor)

Our family has almost worn out our copy of this well-loved book. Abraham Lincoln the boy comes alive in the story and illustrations. We see him grow to a young man and take several adventurous trips "down river" and learn that a fortune-teller from New Orleans predicted that he would be president some day. The authors indicate his empathy for the slaves during this trip and show how his honesty and integrity eventually win the respect of many, although they don't make for an easy life.

Richer than a Millionaire

Book cover: Richer than a Millionaire
Author(s): 
Paul Waldmann

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.

Francis and Clare

Book cover: Francis and Clare
Author(s): 
Helen Walker Homan

I've been reading a number of the Vision Books aloud to my five year old daughter and she seems to like each one more than the last. The story of Saint Francis is both uplifting and enjoyable, due to the many humorous events captured in the story. The book is also informative enough to be interesting to older children and even adults (I had never read a full-length book about St. Francis).

Columbus

Book cover: 'Columbus'
Author(s): 
Ingri & Edgar Parin D'Aulaire

This is another great biography by the D'Aulaires. Well told and beautifully illustrated, this book will introduce you to Columbus' boyhood dreams, some of the reasons why he (and others) believed the earth was round, his early sailing days and interest in the tales of Leif Ericson, and of course the story of his family, his long quest for sponsorship of his desired trip and finally his voyages to America. Most adults don't know as much about Columbus as your children can learn from this story.

St Monica: Model of Christian Mothers

Book cover: St Monica: Model of Christian Mothers
Author(s): 
F.A. Forbes
(Frances Alice Forbes)

This book tells of the life of St. Monica (332-387 A.D.), mother of St Augustine of Hippo. As a young girl in a Christian family, she heard the stories of the early martyrs and asked God to let her suffer for Him. Her prayer was granted in an unexpected way as she became the wife of a pagan and the mother of a son who, though brilliant and talented, soon fell into sinful ways and in time adopted the heretical beliefs of the Manichees.

Joan of Arc

Book cover: Joan of Arc
Author(s): 
Josephine Poole
Illustrator(s): 
Angela Barrett

This is a beautiful picture book, telling the story of Joan of Arc, from her childhood days to martrydom. The pictures are brilliant, captivating, and evocative. It is an oversized children's book, with the pictures covering two-thirds of the pages, and the text in the remainder. The story is told quite simply, with Joan given positive treatment. The author portrays Joan as a gentle, and yet courageous, religious young woman. Joan of Arc would be suitable for children five years of age, and up. I would highly recommend this book for any family studying the Middle Ages..

Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt

Book cover: Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt
Author(s): 
Jean Fritz
Illustrator(s): 
Mike Wimmer

This is an interesting biography of one of our nation's most colorful presidents. It was interesting to discover that Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919) was a rather sickly youth who suffered from asthma. His determination in overcoming his illness and living a full life despite his rather frail body help to make him a man who loved life and tried to live his life to the fullest – especially enjoying the world around him.

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