“Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.” – St. John Paul II
Reading Level
Grades 1-4, Ages 6-9
Review and Comments
Beatrice
Holmes Garcia is a budding artist who illustrates her actual life experiences
along with some very original daydreams.
Her drawings are not always restricted to her trusty journal however. She has been known to draw on her little
brother, the walls, and even the television. Her family is usually very supportive of her
enthusiasm unless her art extends beyond her notebook.
It is obvious that Bea’s family and home are very important
to her – the center of her world. That expands a bit when she happily meets her
first best friend on her 5th birthday. The girls are kindred spirits
from their first introduction. They do
everything together: draw, learn new things, and even share a magic tree in the
backyard where their imaginations are truly free.
Continue reading A Restless Imagination: A Review of ‘My Life in Pictures (Bea Garcia)’ →
“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl
Reading Level
AR: 5.0 (0.5 points)
Grade 6-8 (According to Scholastic)
Interest Level
Grades 4-8
Review and Comments
Summers are
always very special for Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha, but everything
changes after their father dies. They attempt to fill their summer days by playing
with one another and going to the library often, which is the high point of their
week. Each child searches for books in different genres, but they all love to read
stories that inspire creative discussions about magical events. However, these exchanges tend to leave them
yearning for something extraordinary in their own lives. Little do they know that
their summer is about to transform into something quite enchanted when Jane
finds a shiny coin stuck in the sidewalk.
Continue reading Enchanted Summer: A Review of ‘Half Magic’ (Tales of Magic, #1) →
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying good-bye so hard.” – Winnie the Pooh [A. A. Milne]
Reading Level
Ages 8-10
Grade 2 [Scholastic]
AR 2.6
Review and Comments
James Pompaday and Marvin
are the best of friends even though James is a boy and Marvin is a beetle. They truly enjoy each other’s company and devotedly
support one another. Their friendship is
tested when James spends a week at a summer camp and Marvin has to stay home.
Marvin is troubled and wonders if James will think about him while he’s gone or
even find a new friend to replace him, which would be the worst outcome.
Continue reading A TESTED FRIENDSHIP: A REVIEW OF ‘THE MINIATURE WORLD OF MARVIN AND JAMES’ →
Literature reviews from the Catholic side
