Monday Book Review: Dear Pope Francis

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I received a copy of this book from a friend this past summer. If you haven’t read it already, it’s even cuter than you might imagine!

Monday Book Review: Dear Pope FrancisTitle: Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Letters from Children Around the World

Author: (um . . . this should be obvious) Pope Francis!

Genre: picture book

Age group: ALL!

I figured this book would be cute. I mean, how could Pope Francis answering kids’ questions not be cute? I was surprised, however, at just how deeply it touched my heart.

The first surprise was that the children’s letters are included exactly as they were written in their original language right in the book. This includes the drawings that each kid made to go with their letter. I’m not sure if the children from around the world were all instructed to include a drawing, but at the very least all the ones included in the book have a drawing.

Check out my review of this award-winning book from Pope Francis!

In a sidebar to the left of the child’s letter and drawing is a picture of the child, his or her age and country, and a typed English translation of the letter.

On the page opposite the child’s letter is the Pope’s typed response with his signature at the bottom. Each response from the Pope is told in his usual, colorful manner. He is a bit of a storyteller at heart, and his responses often include imagery.  For example, he tells twins from the Netherlands that he has much work left to do, but he is old and has “very little thread left in the spool.”

He also references their drawings in his responses, interpreting them as an important part of the question. Reading his letters is almost like eavesdropping on a grandfather talking with his grandchildren. He compliments them on their drawing and eases their fears about some of life’s big questions.

This book would make an excellent addition to a child’s home library or a great gift for First Communion.

Monday Book Review: Battle for His Soul by Theresa Linden

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In June, Theresa Linden’s book Battle for His Soul won first place in the CPA Book Awards for the teen/young adult category. Recently, I had the pleasure of reading this third book in the West Brothers series.

Monday Book Review: Battle for His Soul by Theresa LindenTitle: Battle for His Soul

Author: Theresa Linden

Genre: contemporary fiction

Age group: young adult

Summary: Jarret West is tired of his two brothers. His twin Keefe has had some sort of religious conversion, and his younger brother Roland is clearly his father’s pet who never gets in trouble and always gets what he wants. Jarret’s guardian angel, Ellechial, is frustrated. He wants to help Jarret avoid the temptations of the demon who is haunting him, but without prayers, Ellechial doesn’t have the powers, armor, or sword to do much. Thankfully, some of Roland’s friends have recently formed a prayer group. Their prayers are going to be needed as Jarret’s dad has just brought him and Roland on a trip to Arizona where the temptations are about to increase.

As I mentioned, this is the third book in the West Brothers series. Last year, I reviewed the second book Life-Changing Love.  While the books can be read as stand alones, I’d recommend reading them in order so that you can see the spiritual development of the three brothers progress chronologically.

This is the only one, however, where we get chapters written from the perspectives of the characters’ guardian angels. It’s a neat twist in the series and provides the reader with a look into the spiritual warfare that goes on around us all the time.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the description of the prayer group during Adoration. One of the more powerful angels has ensnared some lesser demons. When the priest brings out the monstrance, the captured demons start to groan. Their captor insists, “Every knee will bend,” and even the demons are forced down before the Lord as the tabernacle door opens. They moan and beg, “Don’t make us look upon . . . Him” while the angels sings glorious songs of praise. This description of what happens on a supernatural level during Eucharistic Adoration will probably forever change the way I experience it.

I wanted to bring up one misconception held by the main character Jarret. Toward the end, he begins to wonder if God really exists. He says, “Atheists had a few good theories, the Big Bang and evolution and all.” This is a common misconception that a lot of non-Catholics have. They think Catholics don’t “believe” in evolution. Neither the Big Bang Theory nor evolution are contrary to the teachings of the Church. In fact, the Big Bang Theory was first proposed by a Catholic priest, Fr. George Lemaître, who studied astronomy at the University of Cambridge and later earned a Ph.D. at MIT. (You can read more about it here and here).

Some people think faith and science is incompatible, but this is simply not true. In June, I had the pleasure of meeting Brother Guy Consolmagno, the director of the Vatican Observatory, a very funny and learned man who knows a great deal about astrophysics and (to my great delight!) young adult literature. We were both speaking at a writing conference. I was on the YA authors panel, and he was on the science writing panel. I loved what Bro. Guy had to say about pursuing a career in the sciences and being a man of faith. I wish I could remember his words exactly, but the general idea was that by pursuing science, he was pursuing God. When you study creation, you inevitably find the creator.

Perhaps in the fourth installment of the West Brothers story (due out later this fall), we’ll see some more characters make this connection between the beauty of the world around us and our creator.

 

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Monday Book Review: The King’s Prey by Susan Peek

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We don’t talk enough about mental illness. We stigmatize it and then want to sweep any discussion of it under the rug.

So it’s little surprise that I didn’t even know there was a patron saint of the mentally ill and emotionally disturbed until I heard about Susan Peek’s The King’s Prey. This is the story of St. Dymphna of Ireland intertwined with the tale of two estranged brothers, one who suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome. Just like in her book St. Magnus: The Last Viking, Susan has created a nonstop thrill of a story that readers will find hard to put down.

Title: The King’s Prey

Author: Susan Peek

Genre: historical fiction

Age group: young adult

Summary: Princess Dymphna’s life has become a nightmare. Her mother has died, and her father has gone insane. Overcome with grief, her father begins to believe Dymphna is his wife and vows to marry her. When she’s forced to flee the castle to escape her dad, Dymphna runs to the hut of her mom’s former minstrel, a young married man named Brioc. Unfortunately, he has his own problems. A tragic incident from his childhood has left him with feverish nightmares, and he can’t remember exactly what happened to all of his family members, except that they’re almost all dead. The only other living member of his family is a brother who had declared he’d had enough of him.

Susan Peek is a master at keeping up suspense and tension. I read this book when, quite frankly, I really should have been reading some other books. Susan weaves the tale of the two brothers together with the tale of the fleeing Princess Dymphna, and it’s hard not to get swept up into these characters who are running for their lives.

Given the fact that this is a tale of a young woman fleeing from a father who wants to marry her, the back of the book suggests that it is best for ages 16 and up due to mature themes. Personally, I think a mature 14 or 15 year old could handle it since Susan never gets graphic about what would happen if her father got her hands on her. I think adults will shudder more than teens will at what is implied. However, there is a certain amount of violence as the story involves some martyrs, so parents should use their best judgment as to whether or not they feel their young teens are ready to handle it.

Highly recommended for older teens, fans of historical fiction, and for those who want to look at saints in a whole new way!

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I’m linking up this post with “An Open Book,” a monthly link up of book-related blog posts. Check it out here or on CatholicMom.com.

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Monday Book Review: St. Magnus, the Last Viking by Susan Peek

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Susan Peek is known for writing historical novels based on the lives of lesser-known saints–and boy, does she bring these characters to life! This is my first novel by Susan Peek, and I look forward to reading more.

Monday Book Review: St. Magnus, the Last Viking by Susan PeekTitle: St. Magnus, the Last Viking

Author: Susan Peek

Genre: historical fiction

Age group: young adult

Synopsis: In the eleventh century, Magnus Erlendson became the second son to one of the two ruling Jarls of the Orkney Islands (just north of mainland Scotland). Due to the strange change his grandfather made to his will on his death bed, Magnus’s father and uncle are co-rulers of the Orkney Islands, and when they die, Magnus’s older brother and cousin are set to be co-rulers. However, Magnus’s cousin Hakon has other plans for how he’d like to be Jarl, and they don’t include having Magnus’s brother ruling beside him. Magnus, himself, is a brave young man who is also very pious and wants all men to forgive each other their wrongdoings and turn their hearts to God. Can he bring peace to his homeland?

Susan Peek’s tale is a fast-paced thriller that moves from one battle scene to the next. We tend to connect what we read to background knowledge we already have, and since I know little of 11th and 12th century Scottish history, I kept thinking of the movie Braveheart will I read this! However, unlike the Mel Gibson movie, Susan’s main character is a young man who would rather spend his time in prayer than in battle. Nonetheless, Magnus is a brave young man who isn’t afraid to take up his sword when it’s time to defend his family and his homeland–even from attack by own of their own. This is not a “quiet” book of saintly virtues, but rather a deeply engrossing tale of how one might live a life of prayer and penance in the midst of heroic action!

Monday Book Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer

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I started this book during winter break and didn’t finish for nearly two months. To be fair, I’m working full-time and going to school, and the book is over 800 pages long!

Title: Winter

Author: Marissa Meyer

Genre: science-fiction

Age group: young adult

Synopsis: This is the final book in the Lunar Chronicles series, in which we finally get to see all our princesses (Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter) resolve their problems. The book takes place almost entirely on the moon (Lunar colony), and the “girls” and their “boys” work together to defeat the evil Queen Levana.

When I started this series, I thought it was absolutely fantastic. Ooh, if only I could come up with a series idea as great as this! And Marissa Meyer did a great job with the first three books of this series, but something seemed to go wrong with this last one. I know part of the reason it took me so long to finish was that I have very little time for reading these days. Still, the plot seemed to move along at an achingly slow pace. I fear this may be a case where the author’s books were selling so well that the publisher just let her write and write and write. However, that meant what should have been an epic ending became a story that just. wouldn’t. end.

All due respect to Marissa Meyer (again, I should be so lucky to be as creative and gifted a writer as she is), but I think her editors failed her here. Somebody should have said, “This is great, but let’s cut this story in half. Four hundred pages should do just fine.”Save

Monday Book Review: Erin’s Ring by Laura H. Pearl

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Another YA book I was able to read over winter break (and have finally gotten around to writing the review!)

Book review for Erin's Ring by Laura H. PearlTitle: Erin’s Ring

Author: Laura H. Pearl

Genre: Historical fiction

Age group: YA

Summary (from back cover):
“When thirteen-year-old Molly McCormick, who has recently moved from the Midwest to Dover, New Hampshire, finds an old Irish Claddagh ring poking up out of the dirt in a garden outside her local parish church, she is immediately intrigued. The ring’s inscription, “To Erin–Love, Michael”, fills her head with romantic possibilities. She teams up with her new friend, Theresa Grant, to uncover the story behind the lost ring. With the help of the head librarian at the public library, the two girls become immersed in the rich history of the Irish immigrants who came to Dover in droves during the 19th century, to escape famine and poverty in their homeland and make better lives for their children and grandchildren.”

This novel would be considered a “time split” story. In other words, the story jumps back and forth between Molly’s time period (late 1990s) and the 19th century when Irish Catholic immigrants were moving into the New England area. If you are interested in Irish Catholic history in America, you would enjoy learning about the struggles of these immigrants. I don’t consider myself much of a history buff, but the author Laura Pearl has a writing voice that fits well for that time period. In fact, I much preferred the 19th century scenes as the voice rang truer in those scenes than they did for the the “modern” girls (Molly and her friend Theresa). The story is a sweet one that I’m sure history lovers (especially those who love Irish-American Catholic history) will enjoy.

 

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Books That Feature Catholic Schools

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In honor of Catholic Schools Week, I thought I’d put together a list of novels that feature students in Catholic schools. Sadly, I was having trouble coming up with much of a list on my own, so I took to Facebook and Twitter to pick the brains of people smarter (and more well read?) than I am. Here’s what I found, broken down by the intended audience.

16 Books that feature Catholic schools

Ages 7-10

The Chime Travelers Series by Lisa M. Hendey

Books that feature Catholic schools!

I’ve had the pleasure of reading two books in this fun series. In these tales, Katie and Patrick (who attend a Catholic school) travel back in time when the church bell chimes. Each journey brings them to a place and time in history when they get to meet a saint or at least a saint-in-the-making! My review of The Sign of the Cross can be found here.

Ages 8-12

Rosa, Sola by Carmela Martino

Monday Book Review: Rosa, Sola by Carmela Martino

This is a beautiful tale about a girl who prays the rosary every night so that God will send her a little brother. Rosa attends a Catholic school in Chicago in the 1960s and is the daughter of Italian immigrants. If you missed it earlier this year, click here for my full review.

Pictures of Me by Marilee Haynes

pictures-of-me

Eleven-year-old Annie must complete a self-portrait and present it to the class at the end of the year. However, like my main character Kam (see Seven Riddles to Nowhere below), she has a little problem with public speaking. I haven’t read this one yet, but I hope to do so before the year ends!

A.K.A. Genius and Genius Under Construction by Marilee Haynes

Books that feature Catholic schools

I haven’t read these two books either, but they are definitely on my TBR list! Like the main character in my own book (see next book), the protagonist in this story attends a school named after St. Jude! I’m thinking Marilee Haynes and I must be kindred spirits since our books appear to have some similar ideas!

Ages 10-13

Seven Riddles to Nowhere by A.J. Cattapan (hey, that’s me!)

7 Riddles 3d

I spent ten years teaching in Catholic schools. Sadly, one of those schools closed after my fourth year there. Its closing haunted me for years until finally I had to do something about it–and all I could think of was to write a book about a boy trying to save his Catholic school from closing. The result was Seven Riddles to Nowhere. I couldn’t just make it about a boy trying to save his school, though. I had to make it a fun book–one with quirky characters and fun riddles to solve and a scavenger hunt through the city I call home–Chicago!

Seven Riddles to Nowhere has won a Catholic Press Association Book Award and the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval. You can learn more about it and download a free discussion guide here.

Ages 13 and up

John Paul II High School Series by Christian M. Frank

jp-ii-high-books

I’m going to have to admit I haven’t read any of these either (my TBR list is really long), but it’s clear they take place at a Catholic high school. If I understand correctly, Christian M. Frank is really just a pseudonym for a team of writers who work on this series.

Ages 16 and up

 Jennifer the Damned by Karen Ullo

jennifer-the-damned

This one I haven’t read either–and it’s definitely off the beaten path when you think of Catholic school books. However, the author assures me that it takes place in a Catholic school. If I understand correctly, this is the story of an orphan vampire who is raised by nuns who run a Catholic school. So have fun with that!

Coming soon . . .

Some of the authors in our Books for Catholic Teens Facebook group have books coming out this year that will include Catholic schools, so make sure you join our group here to learn more about them and other books for Catholic teens.

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Monday Book Review: Rosa, Sola by Carmela Martino

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Can I resist a middle grade book with an Italian-American main character and lots of Italian vocabulary words sprinkled throughout?

No. No, I cannot. 🙂

Monday Book Review: Rosa, Sola by Carmela MartinoTitle: Rosa, Sola

Author: Carmela Martino

Age group: middle grade (on the youngish side)

Genre: historical fiction? (I read somewhere that anything from the Vietnam War or earlier is now considered historical fiction. This story takes place in the 1960s.)

Summary: Rosa Bernardi, an only child living with her Italian immigrant parents in 1960s Chicago, often feels alone, or SOLA, as her parents would say. But after she holds her best friend AnnaMaria’s baby brother for the first time, Rosa is sure that if she prays hard enough, God will send her a brother of her own. When Rosa’s prayers for a sibling are answered, she is overjoyed—until tragedy strikes. Rosa is left feeling more SOLA than ever, and wondering if her broken family will ever be whole again. (taken from Amazon)

School Library Journal called this a “gentle and moving story,” and I have to agree. Rosa is a good Catholic girl who desperately prays the rosary every night for God to send her a little brother. I don’t want to give the story away, but as the Amazon summary states, tragedy strikes the family. You can’t help but feel for Rosa and her family. Carmela’s descriptions of love and loss are dead-on. Make sure you’ve got a hankie nearby when you reach the mid-point of this book. Still, the story is told with such compassion and care for the characters that you can’t help but love them. This would be a wonderful book to share with a child who might be coping with loss.

Brava to Carmela Martino on a beautiful tale.

(And for those of you wondering: yes, I understood all the Italian words in the story. I didn’t need to peek at the glossary in the back once. 🙂 )

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Monday Book Review: Six Dates to Disaster by Cynthia Toney

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One of the best parts about winter break is having time to read something other than books for my doctorate program! I’m trying to get through several books this week, so hopefully, I’ll have several more Monday book reviews for you before the month is up!

Today, I’m covering the third book in Cynthia Toney’s Bird Face series.

Monday Book Review: Six Dates to DisasterTitle: Six Dates to Disaster

Author: Cynthia T. Toney

Genre: romance

Age group: YA

Summary: In this third book from the Bird Face series, high school freshman Wendy is finally dating David, and all seems to be going well so far. However, another area of Wendy’s life is falling apart. In the last Bird Face book, we learned that Wendy’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. V., was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. Her son and grandson decided it would be best if she moved to Alaska near them. In this book, Wendy is desperate to get to Alaska to visit Mrs. V. one last time before she can no longer remember who Wendy is. The problem is that her parents have lost their jobs, and Wendy will have to earn the money on her own to get there. Wendy’s desperation leads her to some ethically questionable decisions. Can she find a way to earn the money for the trip to Alaska and still maintain her relationship with David?

If you’ve read the other two books in the Bird Face series, you’ll enjoy this one as well. Author Cynthia Toney keeps all the kissing scenes very PG, so parents can feel comfortable handing this book to their young teens. The story moves along swiftly, and I was able to finish in just a few nights.

Monday Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

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In case you missed it, this summer a new Harry Potter book was released.

The first thing that needs to be said about the latest Harry Potter book is that it’s not really a book. It’s a play.

The second thing that needs to be said is that it’s not really written by J.K. Rowling. The play is written by Jack Thorne, and it’s based on a story idea by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne himself.

harry-potter-and-the-cursed-childTitle: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Author: Jack Thorne

Genre: fantasy

Synopsis: It’s nineteen years since Harry Potter and his friends defeated Lord Voldemort. (Uhh, should I have mentioned a spoiler alert? You did read the original seven stories, right?) Harry has married Ginny and had three children. It’s time for his second son, Albus, to head off to Hogwarts, but Albus isn’t thrilled about being the son of the famous Harry Potter. When an unexpected time turner is discovered, Albus and his new friend at Hogwarts decide to travel back in time to right some wrongs.

It’s hard to talk too much about the plot of this play without giving away too much. I’ll only warn you that the story skips forward in time pretty quickly in the beginning. Albus is just a first year at the beginning, and then suddenly he’s in his fourth year.

While it was a lot of fun to be back with the characters and settings of Harry Potter, I found a few things about the play to be distracting. First, because it’s written as a script, we didn’t get the descriptions of the characters we usually get. This might not have been a problem with characters we already knew from the first seven books, but when a new character (such as Delphi) is introduced, we get something very brief, such as “a twenty-something, determined-looking woman.” That doesn’t really tell us much, and at times, she came across as more of a kid than an adult.

Another thing that tripped me up was when characters would suddenly “appear” on the scene, but they would never actually enter the stage. At one point, a character begins speaking, and I thought, “When did he walk onto the stage? Where is he standing on the stage? Or are we just hearing his voice? Is this a voiceover?”

All that being said, the climactic scenes have some nice tension, and the characters remain true to how we’d expect them to act.

Final verdict? If you’re a fan of the Harry Potter series, you’ll probably want this just to add to your collection and to find out what might have happened to Potter and friends, but realize that it’s not going to read like the original series.

 

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