Category Archives: Historical

“Crystallizing Experiences”: The Importance of Fiction and How “The Chosen” TV Series Ended up in My Dissertation

Posted on August 11, 2021 by AJ Cattapan

I’ve been meaning to write this for over a year now, but teaching during a pandemic (and writing a book about combating teacher burnout — which also mentions The Chosen!) rather derailed my plans. Now that season 2 of The … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: Refugee by Alan Gratz

Posted on August 27, 2018 by AJ Cattapan

Today I’m sharing with you one of my favorite reads from my doctorate program studies this summer. If you want a sense of what it’s like to be a refugee (both currently and historically), then check out this book by … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: The Other Side of Freedom by Cynthia T. Toney

Posted on January 8, 2018 by AJ Cattapan

Here’s another book from one of the CatholicTeenBooks.com authors! Title: The Other Side of Freedom Author: Cynthia T. Toney Genre: historical fiction Age group: middle grade Summary: (from author’s website) In a southern farming community in 1925, thirteen-year-old Salvatore and his … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: Playing by Heart by Carmela Martino

Posted on October 9, 2017 by AJ Cattapan

I’m so excited today to introduce you to a brand-new YA romance from my good friend Carmela Martino. I met Carmela through the Catholic Writers Guild and soon discovered that we have many things in common: we are both Chicagoans, … Continue reading →

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

Posted on July 31, 2017 by AJ Cattapan

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 … Continue reading →

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

Posted on May 29, 2017 by AJ Cattapan

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. Title: St. … Continue reading →

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

Posted on February 6, 2017 by AJ Cattapan

Another YA book I was able to read over winter break (and have finally gotten around to writing the review!) Title: Erin’s Ring Author: Laura H. Pearl Genre: Historical fiction Age group: YA Summary (from back cover): “When thirteen-year-old Molly … Continue reading →

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Monday Book Review: Rosa, Sola by Carmela Martino

Posted on January 16, 2017 by AJ Cattapan

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. đŸ™‚ Title: Rosa, Sola Author: Carmela Martino Age group: middle grade (on the youngish side) Genre: … Continue reading →

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8 Books to Engage Your Middle School Student this School Year

Posted on August 24, 2015 by AJ Cattapan

As an author and middle school English teacher, I get a lot of requests from parents about what books I might recommend to their children. Since the school I teach at started early this year, I’ve already been listening to … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Fantasy, Historical, Middle Grade, Mysteries, Reading, Speculative Fiction | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Monday Book Review: The Thorn Bearer by Pepper Basham

Posted on April 20, 2015 by AJ Cattapan

I’m going to take another brief break from my usual middle grade and YA book reviews to bring you a beautiful inspirational historical fiction book by one of my “publishing sisters” (as I like to call her) Pepper Basham. Pepper … Continue reading →

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