High School

The Insect World of J. Henri Fabre

Book cover: The Insect World of J. Henri Fabre
Author(s): 
Jean-Henri Fabre

Jean-Henri Fabre (1823-1915) was a French naturalist who penned many writings about his beloved insects. These essay/stories describe, in great detail, his encounters with some interesting insects – how he worked with them and what he discovered about them. For instance The material is informative and even humorous at times, but rather dense (definitely not dry!). Here is a sample, from "The Pine Processionary"...

Initiation

Book cover: Initiation
Author(s): 
Robert Hugh Benson

Set in aristocratic England of the late 19th century, this novel by a convert to Catholicism explores the concept of our participation in the Atonement. Young Sir Nevill Fanning is thoughtlessly and unconsciously pagan (though outwardly Catholic) and heir to his dear Aunt Ann's estate. Early on, he falls in love with a Protestant, and this raises various issues both within his aunt and within himself. A Mr. Morpeth represents the holiness and wisdom of the Church as Nevill and Ann work out their salvation.

Perelandra

Book cover: 'Perelandra'
Author(s): 
Clive Staples Lewis

Perelandra is Venus. Ransom gets sent to Venus on a mission. Of course it takes him some time to get settled with the new surroundings again.

Out of the Silent Planet

Book cover: 'Out of the Silent Planet'
Author(s): 
Clive Staples Lewis
The first story in the "Space Trilogy", Out of the Silent Planet begins with a man of such littleness that he is only known, for now, as the pedestrian. He is taking a summer holiday - trying to 'get lost' - from his philology professorship. This is NOT a nailbiter yet. By accident Ransom (Lewis himself was a Cambridge professor keen on words - so you know you have been given his name for a reason) stumbles onto an old schoolmate, Divine, and another professor, Weston, in a strange house.

The Cure D'Ars

Book cover: 'The Cure D'Ars: St. Jean-Marie-Baptiste Vianney'
Author(s): 
Abbe Francis Trochu
This is a fascinating and surprisingly readable (but lengthy) biography of St. John Vianney - the definitive one, carefully researched from the documents produced for the canonization process. It is most suitable for adults, but will be appropriate for teens who enjoy reading - it is particularly beneficial for young men considering the priesthood. Some of the particular stories about St. John Vianney and those whose lives he touched are absolutely amazing.

Pyramid

Author(s): 
David Macaulay
Black and white illustrations and readable text take you through the building of a fictional pyramid in Ancient Egypt (but so close to reality that you'll hardly know the difference) from the beginning plans of a Pharaoh for his final resting place, thorugh years of construction, and finally, the Pharaoh's death, mummification and entombment. Fortunately, the emphasis is on the design and construction of the pyramid rather than mummification. The many detailed pictures illustrate tools, techniques, materials used, etc. This is a very nice book and comes highly recommended.

The Shadow of His Wings

Book cover: 'The Shadow of His Wings'
Author(s): 
Fr. Gereon Goldmann
This is a fascinating tale on many levels - spiritual, historical, adventure, humor. Fr. Goldmann was a young seminarian in Germany when he was drafted into Hitler's dreaded SS. Despite amazing obstacles and in spite of his loud mouth and rather hot temper with regard to his disagreements with the Nazi's, Goldmann works his way through World War II as a medic for the German army and is finally ordained as a chaplain to his comrades in the French prison camps in North Africa.

Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook

Book cover: 'Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook'
Author(s): 
Cafi Cohen
This book provides loads of information regarding homeschool admissions to college. Although not written specifically for Catholics, the author did solicit survey responses from Catholics (the webmaster was one of the respondents and has several quotes in the book under the pseudonym "Alexa") and there is a great deal of valuable information for any homeschoolers applying for college. It will be especially helpful for those beginning the admissions process with some trepidation and those wanting to attend colleges that are not especially known to be homeschool friendly.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church: Second Edition

Book cover: The Catechism of the Catholic Church: Second Edition
Author(s): 
Libreria Editrice Vaticana

This beautiful new Catechism is truly a gift and a treasure in an era when "new" so often means "bad." Although I have not yet read every word of it (it's quite a big book!) I have had the pleasure of leading Catechism study groups for mothers and found much success in using this text to help some who were previously very lukewarm in their faith to better understand not only what the Catholic Church really teaches, but why these teachings make sense - yes, even in our modern world!

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

Book cover: 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit'
Author(s): 
Judith Kerr
A well-written and engaging account, based on the author's experiences of a young (non-religious) Jewish girl and her family who escape from Germany in the 1930s and live for a time in Switzerland and then France before finally moving on to England. We see the escalation of Hitler's Germany from somewhat of a distance and the struggles of a displaced family trying to stay out of Hitler's reach (the father was a well-known writer who eventually has a price put on his head by Hitler).

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