Tag Archives: nonfiction

Elementary, Preschool

25 Picture Books to Encourage a Love of Nature

“God wrote “I love you”—He  wrote it in the sky, and on the earth, and under the sea.  He wrote his message everywhere!  Because God created everything in the world to reflect Him like a mirror—to show us what He is like, to help us to know Him, to make our hearts sing.”— Sally Lloyd-Jones, from The Jesus Storybook Bible

 This month we celebrate Easter and new life seems to be all around. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing trees blossom and birds build nests.  What is dormant is now vibrant and full of life!  It’s such a lovely time for us all to look around at nature since it is neither too hot nor too cold to be outside.  Children love this time of year and they are so observant, aren’t they?!  It is for this reason I’ve put together this list of books in which we can praise our Lord who has given us such beautiful gifts in the world around us, encourage our children to look carefully at the intricacies of what He has made, learn about people who have aided in His creative powers, and become inspired by what could happen when we make the tiniest effort to take care of His gifts for us.  Loving our planet and all that it holds means nothing if we forget who gave it to us.

I’ve divided the list into sub-sections to help break it up a bit.  Click on the picture of the book for our affiliate link!

In Praise of Nature and God’s Wonderful Creations

St. Francis sings of God’s love and all of the surrounding nature join him.  Beautifully illustrated and poetic, Tomie de Paola never disappoints.

Using text from the Old Testament, Tomie dePaola praises all of God’s creations from the sky to the earth to under the water.  It’s a celebration of nature. Continue reading 25 Picture Books to Encourage a Love of Nature →

High School, Middle School

Fight Courageously: A Review of ‘The Shadow of His Wings: A Graphic Biography of Fr. Gereon Goldmann’

”And of what should we be afraid? Our captain on this battlefield is Christ Jesus. We have discovered what we have to do. Christ has bound our enemies for us and weakened them that they cannot overcome us unless we so choose to let them. So we must fight courageously and mark ourselves with the sign of the most Holy Cross.”–Saint Catherine of Sienna

Interest Level

Grades 7+

Review and Comments

If there was ever a story of courage, faith, and commitment, it is the story of Father Gereon Goldmann.  His story begins with him being drafted into the loathsome SS during WWII.  As a strong German Catholic who had been in the seminary, this is a great struggle.  Father Goldmann is strong, however, and remains committed to our Lord through it all and because of this, he is able to minister to so many. Continue reading Fight Courageously: A Review of ‘The Shadow of His Wings: A Graphic Biography of Fr. Gereon Goldmann’ →

Elementary, Middle School

Totally Yours: A Review of ‘Saint John Paul II: Be Not Afraid’

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.” – John Paul II

Interest Level: Ages 8-12

Review and Comments:

Saint John Paul II: Be Not Afraid is a biography that allows a new generation of young children to understand what made Karol Wojtyla the man and Pope the world grew to love. It faithfully tells the story of his life through his sorrows, trials, talents, and the people who influenced him. The reader will begin to understand that every experience taught him a true love of life and prepared him for his ultimate mission. Continue reading Totally Yours: A Review of ‘Saint John Paul II: Be Not Afraid’ →

For the Adults

A Blessed Time: A Review of ‘The Moment is Now’

“Pray, hope, and don’t worry.  Worry is useless.  God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”—St Padre Pio

Review and Thoughts

*I am so excited to be able to review this book.  It comes out today!  I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy.  Please share and spread the word for this lovely author!*

I spent the majority of my twenties as a single woman.  There were a few romances along the way, one or two that broke my heart, but most of my time was alone.  Waiting, wondering, praying and hoping for my husband to find me.  I’m pretty sure I prayed every Catholic novena, some with my other single friends and many on my own and I prayed every night for my husband…wherever he was. Continue reading A Blessed Time: A Review of ‘The Moment is Now’ →

Elementary

A Friend of the Heart: A Review of ‘Finding Winnie, the True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear’

“As soon as I saw you, I knew a grand adventure was about to happen.” – Winnie the Pooh

Reading Level:  

K – Grade 3 [approximately]

 Grade Level Equivalent:

3.4 [The text could likely be read independently by a student whose reading  skills are at the level of a typical third grader during the fourth month of  school.]

Review and Comments:

‘Finding Winnie’ is a fascinating and true prequel to Winnie-the-Pooh and his familiar adventures. It is a story within a story that begins when a young boy named Cole asks his mother to tell him a true story about a bear – the authentic story of Winnie-the-Pooh. Continue reading A Friend of the Heart: A Review of ‘Finding Winnie, the True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear’ →

For the Adults

Ordinary Things: A Review of ‘The Corporal Works of Mommy and Daddy’

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“The family is the first essential cell of all humanity.”–Pope Francis

“In my little way there are only very ordinary things.”–Saint Terese of Lisieux

Review and Comments

The Corporal Works of Mommy and Daddy was a blessing for this young  stay-at-home mother of two (soon to be three).   With such young kids so close together, and with days when I often feel I do the same thing over and over again, it was relieving to read that I, too, can work for the glory of God in this Year of Mercy.

The corporal works of mercy were concepts I was taught in the third grade.  (My mother was my teacher and I remember learning them well.)  As an adult, I often think about how I should be doing more…how these corporal works should be the forefront of my life.  Then, Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak wrote this wonderful book reminding us all that we can all live these works every day in our own families.  And what better way to teach our children the love and mercy of Christ?   When they see us live this way every day, they are learning as well. Continue reading Ordinary Things: A Review of ‘The Corporal Works of Mommy and Daddy’ →

Middle School

The Most Frightening Lesson: A Review of ‘Red Scarf Girl’

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“Our leader had taken advantage of our trust and loyalty to manipulate the whole country. This is the most frightening lesson of the Cultural Revolution: Without a sound legal system, a small group or even a single person can take control of an entire country.”—Ji Li Jiang

Suggested Grade Levels:

Grades 6-8

Review and Thoughts

Ji-Li Jiang is a young girl growing up in China when the Cultural Revolution began.  She is a star pupil, popular and a dutiful daughter.  She is impressed and excited by the new leadership of Chairman Mao.  She worships him as so many others do.  This is what begins her struggle.  She feels so strongly that Chairman Mao is the leader that China has been waiting for, but then she sees the tragedy that happens to her family. Continue reading The Most Frightening Lesson: A Review of ‘Red Scarf Girl’ →

High School, Middle School

This One’s For the Boys: A Review of ‘Guys Reads: True Stories’

“One cannot always be a hero, but one can always be a man.”—Johan Wolfgang

“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered.  An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.”—G. K. Chesterton

Suggested Grade Levels:

Grades 6-12

Review and Thoughts

I was excited to read this book for a couple of different reasons.  First of all, I feel like a lot of books are geared toward women lately.  I’m sure I will have a lot of people who disagree with that comment, but when I read a lot of modern literature, there are so many strong heroines, but few good heroes.  Boys are less interested in reading and some studies show that they are falling behind in school. The Guys Reads series is looking to help bring boys back to love reading again. The series is edited by John Scieszka (The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, and The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales) and includes a great collection of short stories that are meant to appeal to boys.  I must mention here that girls will also enjoy these stories, but it’s obvious that they are trying to appeal to the guys out there. Continue reading This One’s For the Boys: A Review of ‘Guys Reads: True Stories’ →