I had the pleasure of reading a lot of new(ish) Catholic children’s picture books lately. Here are my top dozen that I think children will enjoy most. Great for gifts, learning about the faith, studying the pictures, and reading again and again and again.
Continue readingFor those who are unfamiliar, what inspired the Armor of God, your fantasy-adventure chapter book series for children?
This series was inspired by the scriptural amor of God as described in Ephesians 6:13-17.
The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the boots of peace . . . I just love the connection in that Bible passage between individual pieces of armor and specific virtues. They paint a picture in my mind and a story in my heart. I just had to write the stories that brought those elements to life!
Children recognize the spiritual battle at a very young age . . . when they are tempted to lie or to take something that isn’t theirs, or when they can’t get their way or they’re feeling selfish. So I wanted these stories to have characters that shared those struggles, those spiritual battles, and then armed themselves to fight.
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This sturdy board book with bright, simple illustrations is an ideal introduction for very young children. It accompanies Mary, Mother of Jesus and Jesus, Savior of the World, so that toddlers can meet each member of the Holy Family.
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An attack by bandits in the middle of the night leaves a young boy with no memory of who he is or where he is from. Nursed back to health by the devoted monks in a Benedictine abbey, he takes the name Alexander, or Xan for short. Aided by the kindly Brother Andrew, Xan commits himself to finding out who he really is.
Does he have a family? Are they still alive? And who—or what—is the shadowy figure creeping around the abbey in the dead of night?
Embark on an adventure while reading Shadow in the Dark as young Alexander tries to recover his memory and, with his new friends, uncover the mystery of the shadowy figure in the dark.
Continue readingHow did you first conceive the idea for Sisters of the Last Straw?
It is so strange how God works. I had a Bible study with a number of women for about thirty years. We were great friends and one night at our meeting we started laughing about how we all should have been nuns. Looking around at the five women in the group who are all good women, I had to laugh. We each have our own foibles and personality quirks. I laughed and said that we would probably be kicked out of any order because of our bad habits. Another woman said that we would probably have to form our own order. After much laughter and silly plans for the order, one of the women said, “We better call it the Sisters of the Last Straw.” I wrote my first story about the nuns for those women. Then I decided to write a children’s book to teach children that while all people have faults, we can love God and each other. That is how the Sisters of the Last Straw were created.
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I write frequently about my current favorite books, including those I read to and with my children. However, I don’t think I’ve ever listed MY favorite books from my own childhood – until now!
Unlike my current home, my childhood home didn’t hold a ton of books. I remember being read to from a very small stash and from the books I checked out of the school library. And, my mom was very indulgent with my requests from the Scholastic Book flyer. Continue reading
I stray just slightly from all fiction this month as I review a couple of prayer books for children. I titled this Catholic Books for “Kids,” but this selection covers a wide range and includes a board book, two picture books, a chapter book/coloring book, and a novel for teens and up.
I’ll let my (short) reviews speak for themselves save for three notes: Continue reading